Text Mask / Wipeout

[Anonymous]

How do I correct the text mask from hiding the text i selected when creating the text mask??

[Anonymous]

Don't use wipeouts to mask text.

Use text background masks.

Select the text and look for background masks in properties.

[Anonymous]

I did use text mask, but does the same thing

[imadHabash]

Hi,

i suggest to tick Fill color (see below image)... it may serve your issue.

Regards,

[Anonymous]

No it doesn't do the same thing.  Text mask creates a wipeout then uses GROUP to associate the text with the mask.  Draworder can still muck that up, and if group selection is off he text can move independently from the mask.

Text background mask in properties is internal to the text element and cannot be divorced from the text element.

Two completely different functions.  Mask text your way, then mask some other text my way.  Then turn on TFRAMES, You'll see the difference.

[Anonymous]

Where do you find the background mask? It isn't part of the text properties. the Text Mask command doesn't have that option. The text I have placed are just text, not Mtext. I'm trying to label contours that were not created by Civil 3D, but created as polylines and don't have time or budget to create the surface needed.

I'm just so surprised that AutoDesk would have a command function that does not do what it suppose to do in the program. And it appears that this has been a common problem since 2002.

[imadHabash]

it's with MTEXT command.

[Anonymous]

So now I have to go and convert dozens of text entities to Mtext?????? Why doesn't the textmask command work in this program?????

[imadHabash]

let's get back from start .... i make a normal text and use express tool command TEXTMASK. i found it normal when i select the text and without hiding.

Command: TEXTMASK

Current settings: Offset factor = 0.3500, Mask type = Wipeout
Select text objects to mask or [Masktype/Offset]:

HOPE IT'S HELP..

[Anonymous]

But that's exactly what I've been doing, but as soon as I select the text the mask makes the text disappear.

[imadHabash]

does your Masktype = wipeout ?

[Anonymous]

Yes

[Anonymous]

Gee didn't know anyone was still using plain TEXT for anything (not sure why anyone would).  Mtext has only been around over a decade.

Express tools has a text to mtext converter but it only works on one paragraph at a time, not the entire drawing.

I have a lisp function (somewhere I think) that will change all individual text elements into individual Mtext elements, but it won't make paragraphs out of groups of text elements.

The text mask you used came with express tools and is not actually part of the program.  It is a bunch of add-ons created by people outside Autodesk that were included in the box as a complementary benefit.  They are not part of the core program and haven't been updated in years.  Masking text with wipeouts was always dicey and created way more problems than it solved.

[Anonymous]

Turn off group selection, turn on TFRAMES, use DRAWORDER to move the mask under the text, turn off tframes turn on group selection.

Or bite the bullet convert the text to Mtext and use background masks.  Doing so will eliminate the possibility of divorcing the text from the wipeout, and the background mask automatically adjusts to the mtext size when edited.

[ArchD]

I agree with switching to MTEXT with background masks. I have a lisp routine that swaps each instance of TEXT to MTEXT and use the express tool to convert blocks.

I know this seems like a crumby solution, but once you transition to using MTEXT, you'll find so many features that help efficiency associated with them over regular TEXT.

[Anonymous]

Thanks to all for your input!

[serkancavuslar]

MTJIGSTRING

[Craigen_J]

"Caddmgr"

I attached a Lisp file that you can load in "CUI" or in "APPLOAD". This file once loaded will allow you to select Text and converts it to Mtext and add's a back ground mask to it. I have found this to be the quickest way when dealing with a lot of text.

[john.vellek]

Hi @Anonymous,

With the great suggestions in this thread did your masking question get resolved? If so, please reward the post(s) with a Kudos and also please mark the post as an Accepted Solution to help other Community members.

[pottsk1]

I have found in that past when the text I was trying to mask "disappeared" behind the mask was because the text somehow has an elevation attached to it. You might click on the text and check the properties to make sure that Position Z under geometry is 0.00, or try the "Flatten" command.