Background Mask

[mericks2]

Does anyone know if there is a way to change the default settings for the background mask used with Mtext?
Thanks

[bscott]

The only thing I know of....well, the only "free" thing I know of is to set one of your mtext up, then use the match properties command for the rest of them. If you have different sets of mtexts with different sized and all, then you'll have to set up one of each.

Otherwise, buy sincpac-c3d and be done with it. (Sinc would be the one to talk to about it)

[Anonymous]

I'm feeling generous today.  Attached is
the textmask lisp that Express Tools uses.  We edited to work with
DTEXT and MTEXT.

Enjoy!

[bscott]

Mark,

Does the routine do the same thing that Express tools in C3d 2009 does? I tried the 2009 ET's and it will do mtext and dtext.

Thanks for the routine!

[Anonymous]

Yes, but the normal textmask routine from Express
Tools puts a wipeout frames around MEXT.  Our modified routine (which, when
loaded trumps the Express Tools route) actually turns no the MTEXT
background masking.  You can select all your MTEXT at once and you can
adjust the offset like normal DTEXT when making with the modified
routine.

[bscott]

I see- thanks for the routine!! I will definitely be able to use that. Hopefully the original poster of this thread will too.

Beacivil1

[omc-usnr]

Sweet! Thanks Mark!

Reid

[Anonymous]

Best thing about the routine is if you can get it
to load for all your users at startup they won't even know the
difference and they can still use the pull-down from Express Tools.  It
just works better with MTEXT and subsequently ANNOTATIVE text
since MTEXT background masking adjusts with annotative
scale.

(loading of the lisp at startup needs to
happen AFTER Express Tools initializes).

[matto235]

Mark, if you are still active on the forum I have a question about the textmask.lsp.   It keeps sending me into a initialization loop when I try and run it.  Any help would be appreciated.

[Adam_Farnsworth]

Are you just looking to mask mtext?

In Properties, there's a "Background mask" row that you can either set to Yes or No.

I know this doesn't answer any questions about your .lsp, but I thought I'd through my 2 cents in 🙂

--Adam

[matto235]

Hey Adam,

I am aware of that, however with multileaders especially you don't get to globally edit the background offset distance only turn it on or off and I was hoping Mark's lisp allowed some more flexibility there.

I would love to have intelligant masking that shrink wrapped the text and only masked that and not the whole textbox frame.

While I'm on a bit of a rant.....When I textmask a leader that underlines the top line the leader disappears too.  Who writes that kind of sick coding!  Intentionally useless!  ok, I'm done.

Thanks for the response.

[Adam_Farnsworth]

Ah, I see.  Yeah, the whole text masking process is frustrating, I completely agree.

[Grimes_MG]

I don't like how the text mask blocks out the upper underline either. It stinks. Just another example showing us that computer programmers are in charge of Autodesk's software development rather than drafters and engineers that actually use it.