Add ability to align text/labels to lines / reference planes

[Anonymous]

In particular, I would like to be able to align any text label by its baseline to any straight line (reference plane, model line or detail line).

As an optional parameter to this operation I would like to be able to specify the distance between the bottommost baseline of the aligned text (in case it is a multiline paragraph) and the line it is aligned with, or align along the centre line of the block of text.

Named Reference Planes already exhibit some of the properties of what I'm suggesting (i.e. the name of the plane is aligned by its baseline a certain fixed distance away from line representing the plane).

[doni49]

I need to create a generic annotation family that includes text and/or labels.

I want the text to centered exactly. Currently the best that I can do is to "eye-ball" the location of the text.

Each text element should have a vertical and a horizontal reference plane. Then I could align the text to reference planes within the family.

If the text is set to vertical alignment of "Centered" then the horizontal reference plane would be through the vertical center of the text. If the text is set to vertical alignment of "Bottom" then the reference plan would be through the bottom of the text.

Similar for the horizontal alignment.

Proposed Workflow:
Place text. Click "Align" on the Modify tab. Select a reference plane or reference line. Select the vertical reference plan of the text. Select another reference plane or reference line then select the horizontal reference plane of the text.

[jkidder]

This would be very handy in tags where I want to have one tag but may have more or less information visible.  For leaders to work correctly I'd like to adjust the location of the labels based on visibility of other labels.  For that to be possible text and label boxes need snap points that can be dimensioned to.

[Jacob_United]

Right now text is scoring a zero for flexibility (the new editor is nice though), and we are all just guessing where it should be placed in tags and detail families.

I think we should be able to constrain text by it's justification, both horizontal and vertical. We can already align it to other text, so half the work seems done already.

In addition, let me control size of the area that is determined as either opaque or transparent. The current border really looks off with ISO fonts, I haven't tested others. But for equipment tags the only alternative I have is a parametric masking region behind the label/text that I have to control with types (short, medium, long).

Please leave a comment below sharing your thoughts. For or against; it all counts.

[jkidder]

I agree.  For example, we have a room tag that can have the room name, number and area.  Each has visibility parameters so we can use different types of one tag for different situations.  The room number comes between the area and the room area.  Sometimes (for example in an enclosed courtyard) we want to name the room but not show a number.  A gap the height of the room number appears.  If text had a ref plane the area could be relocated based on the visibility of the room number.

[rene_broersen]

Is it possible to add a Object Snap "insertion point" ?

Then we will be able to move text and labels to an exact location (e.g. a reference plane in a Annotation Family)

Thanks

[SamBerk]

similar/related idea:

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/revit-ideas/give-text-justification-a-ref-plane/idi-p/6502299

[rene_broersen]

Tomek,

I have the same idea: http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/revit-ideas/object-snap-insertion-point-for-text-label/idi-p/6508183

It would be nice to align text and labels...

René Broersen

[lionel.kai]

BTW, you can workaround the inability to constrain by grouping the Text/Label with something else, then constraining that (which is how we made our column and footing tags on a 45° line with adjustable length), but being able to constrain and/or align it directly would definitely be easier (and allow more precise text positioning - like AutoCAD). It would be especially helpful when making manual tables (text & lines). Same ideas:

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/revit-ideas/object-snap-insertion-point-for-text-label/idi-p/6508183

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/revit-ideas/add-ability-to-align-text-to-lines/idc-p/6536021

And being able to adjust the extents of the opaque background is similar to this one:

 http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/revit-ideas/tag-opaque-background-to-border/idi-p/6480459

[Jacob_United]

Hi Lionel, I wasn't aware of that particular workaround so thanks for that. I'e been using nested generic annotation families in order to constrain text when needed. I used this to make company's parametric legend and notes families. It definitely works, but it seems far too tedious right now to let it slide.

Also I wasn't aware there were other threads popping up on this, looks like mine got in first. It is a good example of the number of users that would like this implemented one way or another; which is great.

Thanks for the link to that final idea, it's got itself an up vote.

[Anonymous]

I'd like to be able to include label positions into parametric annotations and titleblocks.

For example, if this were possible, I could use only one titleblock for all my sizes, rather than splintering the work into multiple families and therefore making it more difficult to manage.

[Anonymous]

By the way, it would be nice to be able to distribute text objects vertically and horizontally similarly to how most vector editors do it. See below a screenshot from Affinity Designer as an example:

[Anonymous]

Wouldn't it be great if you didn't have to spend time adjusting the position of the border to suit label text. If the label grip could be snapped and locked to the border, as the label text grows, so does the border. Simple !

[jagostinho74]

Currently there is no way to change the text box size for tags and a new type needs to be created to every new text box width e.g. Narrow, Standard, Large.

Having the option to resize the text box for each instance would be very helpful because the same tag/keynote can be placed in different contexts e.g. different detailing views and each view might need different annotations setup.

Basically, the same freedom that each instance of the Text Note tool gives you but with the ability to read from an element's property.

[lionel.kai]

I was thinking about (and wishing for) this yet again, and just want to point out that (since "Instance-based text box size for Tags and Keynotes") was merged into this, we would also instance parameters of tags to be visible in the project (to be able to control the width of the label), or just Stretchable Tags

[rudermann]

You know that great little box that goes around your text when you click on some?

Wouldn't it be great if you could use that to align text to an object or a line?