Understanding Text Creation in AutoCAD
Writing text in AutoCAD involves utilizing various tools and commands to insert and manipulate text effectively on your drawings. Text can be added in different formats, and learning how to use these methods is essential for precise documentation.
Steps to Create a Text Box
1. Navigate to the **Insert** menu.
2. Select **Text Box**, then click on **Draw Text Box**.
3. Click at your desired location on the canvas, then drag to define the size of the text box.
4. To input text, click inside the text box and either type or paste your desired content.
Converting Text to Polylines
1. Start your AutoCAD project and locate the **Express Tools** section in the menu.
2. Open the **Modify Text** dropdown in the toolbar.
3. Choose **Explode** from the options.
4. Click on the text you wish to convert, then hit **Enter** to finalize the conversion to polylines.
Your Options for Text Types
AutoCAD supports two primary text formats: **Single Line** and **Multiline Text**. The way text appears in your project is adjustable through the Text Style Manager, located on either the Home or Annotate tab.
Combining Text Elements
1. Access the **In-Place Text Editor** and right-click to reveal the context menu.
2. Select **Symbol** to open the expanded formatting toolbar.
3. You can copy content from the Character Map or enter a control code or Unicode string directly, ensuring to precede the Unicode string with a backslash.
Using the TXTEXP Command
1. Type **TXTEXP** into the command line and press **Enter**.
2. The prompt will ask you to select the text for explosion; choose a single or multiple text entities.
3. Confirm your selection by pressing **Enter**, resulting in the text being exploded into its graphic components.
Changing Text Styles
1. Click on the **Home tab** and navigate to the **Annotation panel** where you will find the Text Style option.
2. In the **Text Style** dialog box, select **New** to create a new style and assign an appropriate name.
3. Choose your desired font under the Font Name section and define settings like size, oblique angle, character spacing, and whether it should be annotative.
Transforming Text into Geometric Shapes
For efficient conversion of text to geometry, ensure the text is on its dedicated layer. Follow these steps:
1. Utilize the **SELECTSIMILAR** command to select all text on the layer.
2. Isolate this layer for easier processing.
3. Execute the **TXTEXP** command to explode the text.
4. Use the **REGION** command to turn the exploded text into geometric shapes.
Exploring Single Line Text
Single Line Text allows you to type text in one continuous line, concluding each segment with an **Enter** press. Each line is treated as an individual object, allowing for repositioning and reformatting as needed. For more complex formatting, the Multiline Text option is recommended.
Writing Superscripts in AutoCAD
1. Initiate the **MTEXT** command in your drawing.
2. Input **MM2^** into the text box.
3. Highlight the **2^** portion.
4. Click the **Stack** button on the MTEXT toolbar to convert it into a superscript, resulting in the proper notation **mm²**.
Creating the Centerline Symbol
To incorporate the centerline symbol:
1. The Unicode code for the centerline symbol is **U+2104**.
2. Use the **MTEXT** command; right-click to access the **Symbol** menu and navigate to find the centerline symbol.
Exploding Text in AutoCAD 2025
Yes, you can explode both text and mtext objects into polylines. This can be done regardless of whether you are using SHX or TrueType fonts. Once exploded, these can be manipulated further into 3D shapes with the **EXTRUDE** command or fragment them into individual lines using the **EXPLODE** command.
FAQs
**1. Can I adjust the size of the text box after creating it?**
Yes, you can resize a text box by using the grips that appear when you select it.
**2. What is the difference between single line text and multiline text in AutoCAD?**
Single line text is a series of independent lines, while multiline text allows for more complex formatting and is treated as a single object.
**3. What steps should I follow to insert symbols like arrows or other special characters?**
You can use the In-Place Text Editor, right-click to access the **Symbol** option, and select your desired symbol from the expanded menu.
