How to scale text size in paperspace

[LIZLEZ123]

Hi there. I am new to this forum so have my fingers crossed that there is someone out there cleverer than me!

 

I am using CAD LT 2005 but also have access to AutoCAD 2005.

 

I am unsure about the best way of dealing with text in drawings. Originally I used to put my text in model space - which was fine until I started using mutliple layouts in paperspace at different scales. The text would come out either to big or too small.

 

Others in my office say they put the text in paperspace ONLY at the right scale for that layout. This is fine until you realise that if you have to put text in 4 different layouts at 4 different scales 4 different times it takes forever.

 

So - I looked up about a command called SPACETRANS which seems to offer a way of working out the right scale for the text in paperspace. EG. Working in mm in model space a good text height for me was 1000. By using the spacetrans command in paperspace I worked out that the text height to be used here was 9.2. This basically gave me my text in paperspace at the relatively same height as it looked in model space.

 

I thought I was onto something here but....

 

I now realise that although I can scale my text happily to the right size in all my layouts it hasn't negated the need for me to type it all in many times over. Basically, I still have to type the text into paperspace at the right scale - in this example at 9.2.

 

Does anyone know how you can type your text in once anywhere (probably model space) and then scale it in all the different viewports without having to retype it all in?

 

There must be an easier way.

 

Here's hoping!

Thanks LIZ:roll:

[CarlB]

I thought the advantage to having text in paperspace was there is no need for scaling - you know what size you want text to print (say about 0.10 inches or 2.5 mm), and you use this height. So I'd say type it in PS, copy it to viewports as needed.

 

If you weren't using LT I'd suggest using the Express Tools command "chspace" which moves objects between MS and PS, scaling appropriately.

[LIZLEZ123]

Thanks for this. I will have a look at that command when I am back on my laptop and not using the LT version.

 

From what you suggest I suppose you mean that you would copy all the text between viewports and then change the size of the text once in the new viewport to correspond to that scale. That would be quicker than typing it out each time I suppose...However - the text would not be in the right space over the relevant part in the drawing. ie. Imagine a large square with text at each corner. This would look fine in MS and in PS at the right scale you had chosen. Now imagine that you drastically change the scale - lets say from 1.200 to 1.10. Suddenly the sqaure is very large and the text resized as you specify that you want that larger too. BUT - you haven't moved the text in relation to where it was on the page - you have just changed the size and now it is no longer at the corners of your square. Hence - you have to move all the text inputs seperately as well as resizing them.

 

Is there a way with your method to keep the text in the same place on the drawing when resizing the base plan as well as resizing the text?

 

Thanks LIZ

[CarlB]

Is there a way with your method to keep the text in the same place on the drawing when resizing the base plan as well as resizing the text?

 

Sorry, no, that would require "magic text"

 

Our usual method is we know in advance that we will be using at most 2 different scales for some areas of the drawing, so we have the text repeated on 2 different layers, different sizes, and layers are frozen/thawed in PS viewports as required. Usually we just put drawing notes & drawing titles in PS.

[LIZLEZ123]

Useful thoughts - thanks. I understand that you are putting your text in MS and freezing/thawing wherever you need it?

 

Thanks for your help. At least I am know I am not going mad now!

 

liz

[Guest Alan Cullen]

Unfortunately, Liz, while you can change linetype scale in viewports to suit the viewport plot scale, the same does not apply to text.....if you want the same text in various viewports at different scales then you have to copy the text to different layers (as CarlB said) and rescale the text to suit and move it to the position you want.

 

No way around that yet .....

[zars]

You also could try the "scaletext" command to scale all your texts at once, this probably will save you some time.

 

Greets.

[pennylove]

I would prefer putting all my text & notes in paperspace. The reason for this is: if it were in model space, and you have several viewports of different scales that required some of the same text, here are the steps involved with that:

 

copy text

change text layer

change text height

move text to correct locations

freeze/thw in appropriate viewports

 

And if I did all my text in paperspace, my steps would be:

 

copy text

move to correct locations

 

And that's why I prefer to do that in paperspace. Anybody else do it this way? Or am I the only one who thinks text in paper space is best?

[Guest Alan Cullen]

pennylove,

 

I have to admit...I've been placing text in MS as per your 1st procedure....but I do like the idea of placing the text in PS (non active viewport). That way the text is always the same size....no scaling.

 

Ta, pennylove......I'll look into that idea some more... :wink:

[MARIORVD]

Liz,

 

I normally copy the drawing as many times as diferent scaling I will need in ps and then scale each one to the scale needed, in all ps lyouts I have the same scaling so the drawing will look acordinly to the sacale in ms, in this way I can have all the text at the right size in ms and ps

Forgive my spelling mistakes english is not my first language.

 

Mario

[danellis]

Unfortunately, Liz, while you can change linetype scale in viewports to suit the viewport plot scale, the same does not apply to text.....if you want the same text in various viewports at different scales then you have to copy the text to different layers (as CarlB said) and rescale the text to suit and move it to the position you want.

 

No way around that yet .....

 

Alan, there is a way round it "now:" Annotative text, which they introduced in R2008 - no use for the OP but worth a mention, never-the-less.

 

Lizlez, the best way round having to re-type the notes would be to put them into blocks: Put a single version of the note into a block. You can then position and scale multiple instances of this block as required (either in model space or PS).

 

dJE

[ReMark]

Ah...guys....you're responding to a post from 2006 which is prior to the introduction of annotative scaling.