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| Draw toolbar:
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| Draw menu: Paragraph Text |
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| Command line: mtext |
Specify first corner: Specify a point
Height / Justify
/ Rotation / Style / Width:
Specify a point or enter an option
If you enter -mtext at the Command prompt, Autocad LT does not display the Edit Mtext dialog box, but presents options at the Command prompt where you also enter text.
As you drag the pointing device to specify the opposite corner, a rectangle is displayed to show the location and size of the multiline text object. Arrows within the rectangle indicate the direction of the paragraph's text flow. After you specify the second corner, AutoCAD LT displays the Multiline Text Editor dialog box.
The paragraphs that the MTEXT command creates fit within a boundary. You define the text boundary, which specifies the width and alignment of the paragraph. Each paragraph is a single object, regardless of the number of lines it contains. The text boundary, though not plotted or printed, remains part of the object's framework. The MText Editor does not recognize rich text format (RTF). Text from other programs with embedded formatting will lose that formatting when imported or pasted into the MText Editor.
You can apply bold and italic formatting, overscore and underscore text, and insert special characters. See Special Unicode Characters and Control Codes and Special Characters.
You can specify a different paragraph editing tool by changing the MTEXTED system variable.
Note: The automatic word wrap may not be the same in a text object as it is in the Edit MText dialog box. Word wrap depends on the text font used. Pressing ENTER will always terminate a line of text.
Specifies the text height to use for paragraph text.
Specify height <current height>: Enter a value or specify a point
The default height, if nonzero, is the height of the current style; otherwise, it is the height stored in the TEXTSIZE system variable. Character height is calculated in drawing units. Changing the height updates the value stored in TEXTSIZE.
AutoCAD LT returns to the previous prompt until the opposite corner of the text box is specified.
Determines both text justification and text flow, for new or selected text, in relation to the text boundary. The current justification (Top Left by default) is applied to new text. The text is justified within the specified rectangle based on the justification setting and one of nine justification points on the rectangle. The justification point is based on the first point used to specify the rectangle. Text is center-, left-, or right-justified with respect to the left and right text boundaries. Text flow controls whether text is aligned from the middle, the top, or the bottom of the paragraph with respect to the top and bottom text boundaries.
TL / TC / TR / ML / MC / MR / BL / BC / BR: Enter an option or press ENTER
AutoCAD LT returns to the previous prompt.
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| TL-Top Left | TC-Top Center |
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| TR-Top Right | ML-Middle Left |
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| MC-Middle Center | MR-Middle Right |
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| BL-Bottom Left | BC-Bottom Center |
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| BR-Bottom Right |
Specifies the rotation angle of the text boundary.
Specify rotation angle <0>: Enter a value or specify a point
If you use the pointing device to specify a point, the rotation angle is determined by the angle between the X axis and the line defined by the point last entered (default is 0,0,0) and the specified point.
AutoCAD LT returns to the previous prompt until the opposite corner of the text box is specified.
Specifies the text style to use for paragraph text.
Style name (or ?) <current>: Enter a name, enter a question mark (?), or press ENTER
AutoCAD LT returns to the previous prompt.
Specifies the width of the paragraph text object.
Specify width: Specify a point or enter a value
If you use the pointing device to specify a point, the width is calculated as the distance between the starting point and the specified point. If you specify a width of zero, word wrap is turned off, and the multiline text object appears on a single line.
AutoCAD LT returns to the previous prompt until the opposite corner of the text box is specified.
The Multiline Text Editor dialog box displays characters that have been entered from the keyboard or imported from other files. To edit text, use the following options. The background color by default is the same as that in the graphics area but changes to white when black text is imported or pasted. Pressing the return button on your pointing device in the Multiline Text Editor dialog box displays a cursor menu with these options: Undo, Cut, Copy, Paste, and Select All.
Controls character formatting for text entered at the keyboard or imported into the text editor. To change the current formatting, double-click text to select a single word, or triple-click to select an entire paragraph. Then choose one of the formatting options described below.
Font
Specifies a font for new text or changes the font of selected text. TrueType fonts are listed by font family name. AutoCAD LT shape (SHX) fonts are listed by the name of the file in which the fonts are stored. Custom fonts or third-party fonts are replaced with Autodesk-supplied proxy fonts. A custom SHX font is available for character formatting overrides only if it is defined in a text style in the drawing.
Height
Sets the character height in drawing units. Each paragraph text object can contain characters of varying heights. All heights in the currently selected paragraph text object are listed in the Height list box. However, when editing text, you can enter a new height in addition to those listed.
The text displayed in the text editor is scaled in proportion to the value stored in TEXTSIZE. For example, if the style of the character has a current height of 2 inches, and you change the value to 1 inch, the text in the dialog box changes from its default size of 16 points to 8 points. Dialog box text is displayed at a minimum size of 4 points and a maximum size of 100 points. Text that is proportionally bigger or smaller may cause word wrapping to be displayed incorrectly.
Bold
Turns on and off bold formatting for new or selected text. This option is not available if none of the selected characters belong to a TrueType font. If selected characters include both TrueType and non-TrueType fonts, the entire selection inherits the TrueType font, and all characters are changed to the bold format.
Italic
Turns on and off italic formatting for new or selected text. This option is not available if none of the selected characters belong to a TrueType font. If selected characters include both TrueType and non-TrueType fonts, the entire selection inherits the TrueType font, and all characters are changed to the italic format.
Underline
Turns on and off underlining for new or selected text.
Undo
Undoes the last edit action in the Multiline Text Editor dialog box. Changes to either text content or text formatting are undone.
You can undo the most recent change made with any option by pressing CTRL+Z.
Stack
Turns on and turns off stacking for selected text. To be stacked, text must contain a carat (^) or a forward slash (/). Text to the left of the character is stacked on top of text to the right.
Text that contains a carat represents left-justified tolerance values. Text that contains a forward slash represents center-justified fractional numbers; the slash is converted to a horizontal bar the length of the longer text string. Stacked text can be unstacked by selecting it and then choosing Stacked.
Color
Specifies a color for new text or changes the color of selected text.
You can assign text the color associated with the layer it is on (BYLAYER), the color of the block it is contained in (BYBLOCK), or one of the colors in the list. Choosing Other from the list of colors displays the Select Color dialog box.
Symbol
Inserts a listed symbol or a nonbreaking space at the cursor position. Symbols can be inserted manually as well as from the Symbol list. See Special Unicode Characters and Control Codes and Special Characters.
Choosing Other from the list displays the Character Map dialog box showing the entire character set of the current font. To insert a character from the dialog box, select it, and then copy and paste it into the Multiline Text Editor dialog box.
Controls properties that apply to the paragraph object.
Style
Applies an existing style to new or selected text. The current style (saved in the TEXTSTYLE system variable) is applied to new text.
Character formatting for font, height, and bold or italic attributes is overridden if you apply a new style to an existing multiline text object. Stacking, underlining, and color attributes are retained in characters to which a new style is applied.
Styles that have backwards or upside-down effects are not applied. If a style defined with a vertical effect is applied to an SHX font, the text is displayed horizontally in the Multiline Text Editor dialog box.
Justification
Sets justification for new or selected text. The current setting (Top Left by default) is applied to new text. Text is center-, left-, or right-justified with respect to the left and right text boundaries. Text flows from the middle, the top, or the bottom of the paragraph with respect to the top and bottom text boundaries. For a complete description of each justification option, see the Justify option of MTEXT.
Width (Paragraph Width)
Applies a specified paragraph width to new or selected text. If you select the No Wrap option, the resulting multiline text object appears on a single line. The width of individual characters is not affected.
Rotation
Sets the rotation angle for new or selected text in the current unit of angle measurement (degrees, radians, or grads).
Searches for specified text strings and replaces them with new text.
Find
Defines the text string to be searched for when you choose Find.
Find Button
Starts a search for the text string in the Find box. To continue the search, choose Find again.
Match Case
When checked, AutoCAD LT finds text only if the case of all characters in the text object is identical to that of the text in the Find box. When not checked, AutoCAD LT finds a match for specified text strings regardless of the case of the characters.
Displays the Open dialog box. Choose any file that is in ASCII or RTF format. Inserted text retains its original character formatting and style properties. After you select a text file to import, you can choose to replace either selected text or all text or to append the inserted text to the current selection within the text boundary. Imported text is limited to 16KB in size. When black characters are inserted and the background color is black, the Multiline Text Editor dialog box automatically changes to white or the current color.
When using paragraph text (MTEXT), you can create special characters, including the degree symbol, the plus/minus tolerance symbol, and the diameter symbol by entering the following Unicode character strings:
| \U+00B0 | Degrees symbol (°) |
| \U+00B1 | Tolerance symbol (±) |
| \U+2205 | Diameter symbol (Ø)- |
When using line text (DTEXT and TEXT), you can specify special characters by including control information in the text string. Use a pair of percent signs to introduce each control sequence. In the Edit Mtext dialog box, you can specify only the special characters %%d (degrees symbol), %%p (plus/minus tolerance symbol), and %%c (circle diameter dimensioning symbol).
This control code works with standard AutoCAD LT text fonts and PostScript fonts:
| %%nnn | Draws character number nnn. |
These control codes work with standard AutoCAD LT text fonts only:
| %%o | Toggles overscore mode on/off. |  |
| %%u | Toggles underscore mode on/off. |  |
| %%d | Draws degrees symbol (°). |  |
| %%p | Draws plus/minus tolerance symbol (±). |  |
| %%c | Draws circle diameter dimensioning symbol (Ø). |  |
| %%% | Draws a single percent sign. |  |
Overscore and underscore modes can be in effect at the same time. Both modes turn off automatically at the end of the text string.
You can use the %%nnn control sequence to display special characters using the PostScript fonts. However, if you use PSOUT to create a PostScript file containing characters created with this method, the characters appear as outlines.
When using paragraph text (-mtext) from the Command prompt, you can also enter Unicode strings but you don't need to include the leading percent character (%).
\U+00B0 Degrees symbol (°)
\U+00B1 Tolerance symbol (±)
\U+2205 Diameter symbol (Ø)
When using line text (DTEXT and TEXT), you can also enter Unicode strings but you don't need to include the leading percent character (%).
\U+00B0 Degrees symbol (°)
\U+00B1 Tolerance symbol (±)
\U+2205 Diameter symbol (Ø)
Specifies a corner of the text boundary. This point is also the text insertion point.
Justify / Width / 2Points / <Other corner>: Specify a point or enter an option
Specifies the diagonally opposite corner of the text boundary.
MText: Enter characters or press ENTER
AutoCAD LT wraps text within the text boundary. You can end a line of text at a specific point by typing the text and pressing ENTER. To end the command, press ENTER at the MText prompt.
Controls which part of the text boundary aligns at the insertion point. The option you select determines both text justification and text spill in relation to the text boundary. Justification controls whether text is aligned on the left, right, or center of the text boundary. Text spill controls how excess text flows from the insertion point.
TL / TC / TR / ML / MC / MR / BL / BC / BR: Enter an option or press ENTER
For a complete description of each attachment option, see Justify (MTEXT). AutoCAD LT returns to the previous prompt.
Specifies the width of the text boundary.
Object width: Specify
a point or enter a value
MText: Enter
characters or press ENTER
AutoCAD LT wraps text within the text boundary. You can end a line of text at a specific point by typing the text and pressing ENTER. To end the command, press ENTER at the MText prompt.
Specifies the width of the text boundary using two points rather than a rectangular area.
First point:
Specify a point
Second point: Specify
a point
MText: Specify
a point or enter a value
AutoCAD LT wraps text within the text boundary. You can end a line of text at a specific point by typing the text and pressing ENTER. To end the command, press ENTER at the MText prompt.
Related Commands:
DDEDIT edits text and attribute definitions. DDMODIFY
moves or modifies paragraph text. DTEXT creates text on
the screen as you enter it.
PREFERENCES specifies the text editor you want to use to
create paragraph text. SPELL checks the spelling of text.
STYLE creates text styles. TEXT creates single-line text.
System Variables:
MTEXTED specifies the name of a third-party ASCII text
editor you want to use to create paragraph text. Alternatively,
you can enter internal to use AutoCAD LT's internal text
editor.