Background masking in blocks?

[squareknees]

I have recently started using masking when I am trying to find a spot for additional text. if you don't know what that is, I will explain.

you add text to a drawing and it is partially over a line or 2 and there is nowhere else to put the text. you can highlight the text and open the properties box and under text (fourth up from the bottom of the list) is background masking you can set it to background color and when you are all done the text will be there and the lines will not be running behind to obscure the text. the option is also available in the dimension strings but there it is call fill. you can turn it on or off in the properties box as well.

what I am wondering is there a way to add this feature when inserting a block with attributes?

I have a label that I use a lot and there are times that space is short and it is better that I place the label on the item but it becomes muddied with additional pieces of information stacked one on top of another. it becomes a big blob. no matter how light I make the lines below.

Please help

[steven-g]

Try this https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad-2013-2014-2015-2016/background-mask-attributes/td-p/3758066 not sure how easy it is but it might help

[RobDraw]

Yup, single line text does not have a background mask. You need to change the attribute to multi-line text.

[Handiman]

You could use "WIPEOUT" in your block.

[RobDraw]

You could use "WIPEOUT" in your block.

 

That would be fine if the text was the same number of characters all the time. The problem with that is if there is a possibility of text strings of differing lengths, the wipeout won't react to that. Text background mask does.

[squareknees]

Having issues still.

The background is covering up a polyline that I have that is around the tag. Unfortunately wipeout only works with all line polylines it won't work with curved polylines.

In green are the 2 tags that I have been using that I wanted to add background masks too and the white one is the new tag I created that I want to have work.

If there was some way that the polyline would not be covered up and it would mask everything that is behind that would be perfect.

Any more help would be great!

Thanks

Drawing1.dwg

[RobDraw]

Setting the offset of the background mask to a smaller value should be able to take care of that for you.

[squareknees]

I would like it if the polyline didn't interfere with the lines as well. also if I have the background on the second line (even when I don't have text) it will have a blank spot.

thanks for your help

[RobDraw]

I don't know what you are talking about an interfering polyline. Please provide an example.

 

If there is no text in the second line, there won't be any background mask.

[steven-g]

This will need some adjusting of the settings, but how does it work for you.

You need to have lineweight display turned on and the color of layer "mask" will need adjusting.

backgroundmask.dwg

[squareknees]

I got it to work. I created a polyline (with only lines) then created a wipeout and made it just a bit bigger then the visible polyline and sent it to the back. then underneath I have the multiline additional notes. the mask is not showing up for that but at one time it did.

Thanks for all the help.

1.dwg

[RobDraw]

I would have avoided the use of a wipeout.

 

When I open the drawing, I don't see the polyline. The wipeout is hiding it.

[squareknees]

I did that intentionally. the wipeout is part of the block and it covers the tag and the polyline that surrounds the tag. it works perfectly. I wish that you could use a wipeout like a hatch. to hatch something solid and have the color be background would be great. I have a bunch of liquor bottles that I use to show bottle steps for back bars and I added a wipeout to each one of them so you can't see the bottom of the bottles behind. it works great.

Thanks again, wipeout is the only suggestion that worked the way I had envisioned the final product to work.

I don't remember learning about wipeouts in Drafting school. Although, I don't know when the command was invented.