Text box has no grips In AutoCad 2024

[dbanaszak]

I just upgraded from a much older version which allowed me to TEXTMASK a piece of text where the masking box had grips at the four corners, which allowed me to snap the corners of a rectangle to them. I could then attach the tail of a leader to a corner of the rectangle. If I TEXTMASK a piece of text in 2024 the text disappears (it is hiding under the text mask, which makes no sense to me) and the masking box only has a single centered grip when I select it using a crossing window where the text was. Using MTEXT and clicking Background mask ON leaves the text visible, but no grips. Turning Text frame ON gives me a rectangle, but still no grips.

Using the Annotative Multileader SPOT ELEV gives me something close, but when I turn on the background mask it is larger than the text box and the landing tail of the leader attaches to the midpoint of the text box. We never use the landing tail when attaching a leader to a text box - just a line from the arrow to the chosen corner. I could probably live with the text mask bleeding past the text box, but I would like to know if there is a work around for the landing tail issue. TIA

[pendean]

Which old year-version did you come from please? The "text frame" for MTEXT (and MLEADER's mtext) is just a visual element, not an actual clickable rectangle, and is not and never has been in any version.

Same for TEXTMASK, no clickable corners. UNLESS you toggle off (CTRL+SHIFT+A) the grouping that is turned on when you use TEXTMASK. perhaps that is your issue?

TEXTMASK is an old express tool, ETs have never been modified or upgraded, so it's likely still the same as your old version: for the color issue, which sub-option did you opt for, "wipeout" or "3dface" or "solid"? As you can see in my creenshot above, I don't see any issues and my MASKTYPE is a "wipeout".

[dbanaszak]

It was at least two decades old. The rectangle was just that, a rectangle, but once the text mask was in place I could get the four corner grips as shown in your second image and snap the four corners of the rectangle to them. Currently I only get a single centered grip as in your first image. CTL-SHIFT-A is the Select Similar function, so I don't follow its use here.

I used `background' and `wipeout' when I was experimenting with it. MASKTYPE doesn't return a value, just Unknown Command. How did you get the four grips in that second image, and are you using TEXT or MTEXT? Thanx

[cadffm]

Hi,

MASKTYPE is not a command, it is an option of the mentioned command TEXTMASK!

>>" CTL-SHIFT-A is the Select Similar function"

No, it is an old toggle for GROUPselection mode (pickadd setting). The current published toggle is CTRL+H

>>"are you using TEXT or MTEXT? Thanx"

Shown in the picture (text value), it is an MTEXT, but it doesn't matter, it will be the same with TEXT.

>>"How did you get the four grips in that second image,"

He selected the wipeout only, also visible in the properties palette, at the top

1. Picture, both objects selected - visible in the properties palette, at the top. While pickadd bit 1 is set ,

    (checkout GROUPDISPLAYMODE [F1])

2. Picture, just the wipeout is selected, click on the invisible rectangle, while pickadd bit 1 is not set

    CTRL+SHIFT+A or CTRL+H toggles  this group selection method

[cadffm]

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@cadffm  schrieb:

    (checkout GROUPDISPLAYMODE [F1])

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Start with this! This changed >10 years ago

Instead of all grips of all objects in a group, it appears one centerd grip (and as option, default an rectangle around these objects)

[pendean]

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@dbanaszak wrote:

It was at least two decades old. ...

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The Express tool TEXTMASK has not changed: you perhaps did not choose the correct sub-option (aka MASKTYPE), see if you can follow along at the commandline

And in HELP

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@dbanaszak wrote:

...CTL-SHIFT-A is the Select Similar function...

---

Only if you redefined it to be that yourself, did you by chance? Or install an add-on that did that for you?

CTRL+SHIFT+A toggles the settings of the PICKSTYLE system variable between 0 and 1.

[dbanaszak]

Civil3D menus are loaded. You are correct, none of the setup behavior has changed. PickStyle set to 1 gives me the centered grip. PickStyle set to 0 gives me the four corners I was looking for. However, when I select the text to mask, the text disappears. If I do an Erase and cross the area where the text was located I get 2 found, 1 group, but the text does not appear. If I draw a Rectangle and snap it's corners to the text mask, then do the Erase again, it just says 2 found, nothing about a group. We're getting closer, and I appreciate the help.

[dbanaszak]

PickStyle set to zero got the four corners to show. Read below for new behavior.

[pendean]

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@dbanaszak wrote:

...However, when I select the text to mask, the text disappears....

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That's just a DRAWORDER issue: normally when you select something, the program can hide whatever is behind it.

You can fix it all with DRAWORDER command, much like your older version too.

HTH

[dbanaszak]

I really wish it were. Current settings:

Offset factor = 0.4000, Mask type = Wipeout
Select text objects to mask or [Masktype/Offset]:
1 text items have been masked with a Wipeout.

The last line is indicative of the problem - the text is getting masked instead of a mask being placed behind it to hide any underlying linework. When I select a piece of TEXT (or MTEXT) after invoking TEXTMASK from the Command line the text disappears. If I type ERASE and window the area, it returns "1 found." DRAWORDER returns "1 found" when I window the area, moving it to the back doesn't reveal the text. The wipeout is there, because selecting it turns on the four grips. Turning Frames ON using the WIPEOUT command defines the wipeout area. I even typed in UNMASK at the command line and windowed the area; no text, but the wipeout remained. If I erase the wipeout, the text does not reappear. It's as though the TEXTMASK command is deleting the text I want the mask to appear behind or creating a Group with the text locked behind the mask.

I still have the 2021 version available on this machine and it functions exactly as expected. It appears somebody broke something in the 2024 version.

FYI, I've been using AutoCAD ever since Version 2.18, so there isn't much that I don't understand in terms of the program's functionality. Again, I appreciate the help, but this might need to be kicked upstairs.

[dbanaszak]

To add to the mystery, I get this now:

Command: TEXTMASK
(*pop-error-mode*) underflow.
Cannot invoke (command) from *error* without prior call to (*push-error-using-command*).
Converting (command) calls to (command-s) is recommended.

[pendean]

@dbanaszak I am unable to replicate any of your issues here in 2023-2024-2025, sorry.

[Valentin_CAD · Accepted solution]

@dbanaszak ,

Instead of using Textmask, consider using the Express tool [Text > Convert Text to Mtext] and change the Propeties "Background Mask" to Yes.

Also, consider Optimizing drawing files in AutoCAD with Purge, Audit & Recover

[atGK8NU]

This happens when you are using the express tools and hit escape key(cancel) in between the command. It would be back to normal once you restart AutoCAD. if it doesn't then you need to reset AutoCAD to default. 

Or, you could revise the lisp file of the command to remove the error handling section, as that is what causes the issue. 

[cadffm]

Or you edit the error functions to work well in 2015 and newer.

Autodesk missed this for one decade now.

Reopen the file (or reload the function) should be enough.

[dbanaszak]

Thank you for trying.

[dbanaszak]

I figured as much, but I haven't coded in over a decade. Thanx

[dbanaszak]

I understand, legacy code is its own bugaboo. Thanx