Annotative Text: Changing when file is closed and then opened

[Anonymous]

I have been a having a repeating problem with text in AutoCAD. For some reason when re-opening my file some annotative text is know magically different. Prior to closing the file my annovative text is only set to one scale and the text width is a specific size. Then when I re-open the file, the text now has 4 different scales and the width has shrunk to completely different, casing all my text to jumble and be illegible. To be more specific when I say width of text if I look in the properties window the setting "Model defined width" is different (always much smaller). This a particularly frustrating as I cannot override this setting when selecting in properties and have to stretch each text box back to size manually. I am currently using AutoCAD LT 2013.

[pendean]

Is the problem in one file, or ALL of your files?
Can you share a DWG with the problem if it is ALL of your files: that's not a common problem and there usually is an underlying issue.

[Anonymous]

It has happened with multiple files. Attached is an example of a problem file. Please note that all files impacted have been shared between multiple users on multiple computers.

[pendean]

So what are the settings in your file that may or may not change when I open it? What am I supposed to be looking for?

[Anonymous]

The properties that are changing is the "Model defined width", "Paper defined width" , and scales are being added to "Annotative Scale" property (intial there will only be be one scale and then there are four scales).

[pendean]

You have columns turned on in all your Mtext, but none of your mtext objects are set up to use or display columns. I know that can cause many issues similar to what you describe. Do you need the columns feature on in all of your Mtext objects?

Otherwise I cannot replicate scale changes (your drawing and all your annotative mtext are set to 1/2") here in 2013.

[Anonymous]

No I don't need the column settings in my mtext. Is that what is causing problem?

[pendean]

I believe so.

You should be able to get rid of it in all existing MTEXT using PROPERTIES.
For future drawn Mtext, turn it off once when you create an MTEXT and it should remain off until the next time you turn it on (it stays on).

Try it and share your results here.

[Anonymous]

I changed "Columns" to none, however this raises some new problems. After closing and re opening the file, the property "model defined width" and "Paper defined width" are infinitely large and I have to manually insert a line breaks. Also I am no longer able to use the grip (it is missing) to change width of mtext. 

[pendean]

When you removed the columns from the mtext, AutoCAD through that pop-up told you what the new width would be (always the modelspace width). You need to fix all your problematic Mtext objects, there is no shortcut sadly.

There is nothing wrong with your file and there is no option for MTEXT to have no grips unless you are looking at and trying to edit an alternate displayed scale (looks like yours have been manually moved around, see screenshot, you have ANNOALLVISIBLE variable turned on).

You might want to use ANNORESET command to fix them all: attached is your file back, the restroom label on the left has been fixed (and set to zero width), the one on the right is as you delivered it.

Don't get hung up on paperspace width, your annotative scale is the most important.