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MText column width and properties revert

19 REPLIES 19
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Message 1 of 20
joan.walbert
4831 Views, 19 Replies

MText column width and properties revert

Hi,

I am using AutoCAD 2011.  I have been reading of similar problems with MText: I format the text in the drawing to my desired appearance and once I close and reopen the drawing, the column widths have compressed and muddled the text legibility.  After reading other similar posts, I set MTEXTCOLUMN to 0 and changed all MText to "No Columns."  MTEXTCOLUMN  is still set to 0, but the other properties have reverted back to dynamic columns, so I am still having this problem.  To check against this being a problem on my specific workstation, a coworker opened the file on his workstation and experienced the same text compression.  I would greatly appreciate any new insight into this. 

Thank you!

19 REPLIES 19
Message 2 of 20
pendean
in reply to: joan.walbert

MTEXTCOLUMN is a by-drawing setting, not a universal one: it also only works before you create an MTEXT object, not after it is created with columns options.

Could that be your issue? Existing MTEXT objects did not change... .
Message 3 of 20
joan.walbert
in reply to: pendean

Hi Dean,

Thank you for your reply.  I changed the MTEXTCOLUMN value after reading other similar posts looking for solutions.  As you point out, I found it not to change anything in the drawing, but I thought maybe it was a critical setting that was part of my problem.  My real issue still persists, which is that MText column widths compress on their own, and I am required to "stretch" each individual MText object in the drawing to recreate the desired text alignment so that the drawing is readable.  There are other odd problems as well.  All MText objects that are aligned on the right-hand side (top/middle/bottom) actually move in place on the drawing.  So I not only have to increase the column width for right-aligned text, but I have to move it back into place as well.  This does not happen with text aligned at left.

 

Message 4 of 20
pendean
in reply to: joan.walbert

Start a new MTEXT object, set it the way you want, type one or two words the exit the editor.

Open a problem MTEXT, fix it, the exit the editor.

QSAVE your file.

Now open the problem MTEXT again, select all then CTRL+C. Close the editor.
Open the new text MTEXT with the one/two words in it, then CTRL+A followed by CTRL+V. Exit the editor. QSAVE your file.

Close AutoCAD. Now open the file above and see if your new MTEXT object exhibits the same problems as the old one (and see if you can get that old MTEXT to misbehave too).
Delete the one that messes up.
Message 5 of 20
joan.walbert
in reply to: joan.walbert

Hi Dean,

It seems to be working so far.  None of the new or edited Mtext is compressing in column width.  I will update this post in a few days after I am more confident that all seems to be well and good.  Thank you for your responses thus far.

 

Message 6 of 20
joan.walbert
in reply to: joan.walbert

Hi Dean,

Yesterday, I finished fixing all of the illegible text.  Today, all the text reverted and compressed in column width again.

Message 7 of 20
pendean
in reply to: joan.walbert

You state you don't want columns, so the only way I know for the problem to come back is if you never turned off columns in MTEXT (it's a right-click option inside the editor). Confirm which it is you are using.
Without a DWG I can't help you much further: things happen and there is always a reason or trigger. trick is to find it and stop it.

Are columns turned off in the MTEXT editor? or do you want/need columns?
Message 8 of 20
joan.walbert
in reply to: joan.walbert

Dean,

This morning I completed fixing all of the text in the file once again.  I set all MText to "No Columns" and even added hard returns so that it would be as fool proof as possible.  With all the text in the file corrected, I then plotted the sheets from AutoCAD at full scale while also simultaneously batch plotting the set to PDF.  The full size set plotted from AutoCAD looked correct and identical to what I was seeing on my screen.  However, the PDF set showed compressed text--text formatting which was inconsistent with the formatting I was seeing on my screen.  How does this make sense?  I tried plotting to PDF again, and again all of the text in the PDF showed up compressed and porrly formatted even though it was printing from a file which showed properly formatted and legible text.  I then closed the CAD file and upon reopening it, I found that all the text had once again compressed itself--despite having set all of the text to "No Columns" (not "Dynamic").  Also as before, text justified to the right had moved, while text justified to the left had not moved.  This file is a masterplan utility drawing for a 327-acre campus.  There are 6,000 text objects in this file.  It is unrealistic and unsustainable for me to reformat all of this text every other time the file is opened and needs to be plotted.  Are there any ideas you have which will yield a lasting result?  At this point, my coworkers and I are considering either retyping all 6,000 text objects to see if they become more stable (but we are not sure if it will work), or saving down to an AutoCAD version before annotated text and objects and losing our annotation abilities.  Is there another option?

Here is some other information about this file which might prove useful to you:

--This file was initially created in Microstation by another firm

--These annotated text objects were created at 1:100 scale, but our plot scale is now 1:200.  I am doing all of my editing in 1:200 model space scale, and going back and double-checking 1:100 scale for legibility/correct placement.

Please let me know of any ideas you have.  Thank you very much for your time.

Message 9 of 20
joan.walbert
in reply to: pendean

Hi Dean,

Sorry for not responding to this post directly.  I do not want/need columns in my text.  I just want multiline, paragraph form notes to annotate the drawing.  In my latests pass, I did turn off columns.  I did this by selecting the text objects and modifying the Columns options in the Properties bar.

Message 10 of 20
joan.walbert
in reply to: joan.walbert

...Here is a pared down sample of the file....

 

Message 11 of 20
joan.walbert
in reply to: joan.walbert

I apologize for the slew of messages.  Just discovered a correlation.  Setting column options to "No Columns" for the text creates errors which auditing the file then picks up.  No errors before I change column options, but then after I do, I get audit outcomes that look like this:

 

AcDbMText(9B50C)                  was repaired.
AcDbMText(9B511)                  was repaired.
Pass 1 189900  objects auditedAcDbMText(9CD8C)                  was repaired.
AcDbMText(9CD91)                  was repaired.
AcDbMText(9CD9B)                  was repaired.
AcDbMText(9CDA0)                  was repaired.
AcDbMText(9CDA5)                  was repaired.
AcDbMText(9CDCD)                  was repaired.
AcDbMText(9CDD2)                  was repaired.
Pass 1 190000  objects auditedAcDbMText(9CE27)                  was repaired.
Pass 1 198400  objects auditedAcDbMText(A6E46)                  was repaired.
Pass 1 296100  objects auditedAcDbBlockReference(11A808)  scale invalid        
      uniform

AcDbBlockReference(11A853)  scale invalid               uniform
AcDbBlockReference(11A9FD)  scale invalid               uniform
AcDbBlockReference(11AA02)  scale invalid               uniform
AcDbBlockReference(11AA07)  scale invalid               uniform
AcDbBlockReference(11AA0C)  scale invalid               uniform

 

It always finds and repairs the same number of errors as I have MText objects in the layer I just set to "No Columns."  And, despite setting column options to "No Columns" every time I have tried to fix the file, this property always reverts when I open the file again.  Maybe if I set this and then audit, the changes will hold.

Message 12 of 20
pendean
in reply to: joan.walbert

Attached is your test file fixed for the missed MTEXT objects that still had column settings. AUDIT, RECOVER and many attempts are closing and reopening the file did not trigger any columns re-appearing. But I do have MTEXT unchecked in my MTEXT editor.

Message 13 of 20
joan.walbert
in reply to: joan.walbert

Dean,

Thank you for sending back that file.  I made your changes to the main file, closed it, opened it and the text had spoiled again.  I set all th text to No Columns in the Properties Palette but this change does not hold.  When I open the drawing again and select all the MText, the Columns option says "Varies."  I set it to "No Columns" again, and then I try to right click in the text editor like you showed in your screenshot, but the Columns item in the right-click menu is grayed out.  This is not the case in the file you sent back.  To be clear, it is not creating multiple columns where I want one.  It is shrinking the width of the single column and also moving the text objects in some cases.  I am beginning to think something is seriously wrong with this file.

Message 14 of 20
joan.walbert
in reply to: joan.walbert

Before and after shots of my problem:

Message 15 of 20
pendean
in reply to: joan.walbert

Your markup JPG screenshot simply shows an MTEXT object with a set Width that is not wide enough. Nothing to do with columns (why it's greyed out in one and not the other).
Message 16 of 20
joan.walbert
in reply to: pendean

Ok, so why do the widths keep shrinking?  And why does some text move out of place?

Message 17 of 20
pendean
in reply to: joan.walbert

Why don't you just set all the MTEXT Width to 0 (zero) and see if your problems go away: you can use PROPERTIES to do it.
Message 18 of 20
joan.walbert
in reply to: joan.walbert

Hi Dean,

Thanks for your response again.  I am unable to change the MTEXT width in properties because those options are grayed out.  I have little hope for a solution as nothing seems to be making progress.  The file you sent back still works, but those changes made in the main file don't stick.  It must be corrupt.  Thank you very very much for all of your time and patience.

 

Message 19 of 20
pendean
in reply to: joan.walbert

See private message to you.
Message 20 of 20
rhett.osko
in reply to: joan.walbert

Hi Joan,

 

I ran into the same issue today and read your post.  After some trial and error, here is what fixed my issue:

 

1. Select mtext, right click properties.

2. Under "Text" change the Annotative scale from 1:1 to the viewport scale (1/4"=1'-0" in my drawing).  

3. This will probably affect your text size (it became much larger in my drawing).  Under "Text", adjust the Paper text height size.

 

Hope this helps,

Rhett

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