Text Style Width Changes Won't Hold

[dustin.lambert]

I've looked for solutions on the forums but haven't turned up anything that helps this particular issue I've been having. The issue is that I need to change the width factor of our text style from .9 to 1.0. When I make this change via the "styles" command in our DWT file, it holds for only that drawing session. When I close and reopen the DWT file it has changed back to .9. If I open a new drawing that uses this DWT file the width factor is set back to .9. This text style is being used by a number of things in our CAD environment, so I'm not sure if that could be the issue, but I'm pretty stumped why the changes won't hold.

[dustin.lambert]

I've looked for solutions on the forums but haven't turned up anything that helps this particular issue I've been having. The issue is that I need to change the width factor of our text style from .9 to 1.0. When I make this change via the "styles" command in our DWT file, it holds for only that drawing session. When I close and reopen the DWT file it has changed back to .9. If I open a new drawing that uses this DWT file the width factor is set back to .9. This text style is being used by a number of things in our CAD environment, so I'm not sure if that could be the issue, but I'm pretty stumped why the changes won't hold.

[paullimapa]

Could you share your dwg file here?

[paullimapa]

Could you share your dwg file here?

[dustin.lambert]

Heres a blank .dwg file. 

I'm able to get around the issues for my machine only by creating a lisp routine that I have run upon opening any drawing, but since our dwt file is loaded from each users local C:Drive, I can't apply the changes to each user which in the end doesn't really help much.

(Command "._Style" "" "" "" "1.0 "" "" "")

[dustin.lambert]

Heres a blank .dwg file. 

I'm able to get around the issues for my machine only by creating a lisp routine that I have run upon opening any drawing, but since our dwt file is loaded from each users local C:Drive, I can't apply the changes to each user which in the end doesn't really help much.

(Command "._Style" "" "" "" "1.0 "" "" "")

[cadffm]

Hi,

"to get around the issues for my machine only by creating a lisp routine"

Better find the lisp routine that changes it 0.9

[cadffm]

Hi,

"to get around the issues for my machine only by creating a lisp routine"

Better find the lisp routine that changes it 0.9

[cadffm]

Start Acad with /safemode option,

still an issue?

[cadffm]

Start Acad with /safemode option,

still an issue?

[pendean]

---

@dustin.lambert wrote:

...but since our dwt file is loaded from each users local C:Drive, I can't apply the changes to each user which in the end doesn't really help much....

---

yes you can, the hard way, it can be done, but your chosen method of placing DWT files is the real problem: may I ask why these are not centralized like say on a server? Or a OneDrive folder that everyone is linked to?

You could also create a startup LISP (you still have to visit every PC to implement I suspect) that resets it the way you want too.

Keep in mind your users ultimately can do whatever they want in the files on their laptops/PCs regardless.

HTH

[pendean]

---

@dustin.lambert wrote:

...but since our dwt file is loaded from each users local C:Drive, I can't apply the changes to each user which in the end doesn't really help much....

---

yes you can, the hard way, it can be done, but your chosen method of placing DWT files is the real problem: may I ask why these are not centralized like say on a server? Or a OneDrive folder that everyone is linked to?

You could also create a startup LISP (you still have to visit every PC to implement I suspect) that resets it the way you want too.

Keep in mind your users ultimately can do whatever they want in the files on their laptops/PCs regardless.

HTH

[dustin.lambert]

It was the previous integration manager's decision. It revolved around operating speed of our drawings since the drive our DWT was linked to was deemed too slow so it was moved to the local C:drive to improve operating speed. It works fine except for when we need to make changes then its impossible to deploy them to a staff of around 60+ users. We have a .dwt file on our network which acts as the "master" and we created a .bat file which robo-copies it to the appropriate location on the user's C:drive, but even if an email goes out asking the users to run this after the appropriate changes have been made, there is a 0% chance even half the users will do it.

[dustin.lambert]

It was the previous integration manager's decision. It revolved around operating speed of our drawings since the drive our DWT was linked to was deemed too slow so it was moved to the local C:drive to improve operating speed. It works fine except for when we need to make changes then its impossible to deploy them to a staff of around 60+ users. We have a .dwt file on our network which acts as the "master" and we created a .bat file which robo-copies it to the appropriate location on the user's C:drive, but even if an email goes out asking the users to run this after the appropriate changes have been made, there is a 0% chance even half the users will do it.

[pendean]

---

@dustin.lambert wrote:

....but even if an email goes out asking the users to run this after the appropriate changes have been made, there is a 0% chance even half the users will do it.

---

You have an IT issue really: Do you / your IT have remote access to inside each PC? Probably do, unless your IT only walk around the site and 60 PCs pushing the user to the side not being billable while they work on that PC.

Or perhaps if those special folders on the individual drives where shared across your network (I assume you are networked, not really running 60-PCs are fully stand-alone) with a core team member like you and few others, you could do what you need remotely without relying on user input.

The OneDrive shared centralized solution works for more folks than not either, again, assuming you are all not in a rural setting with satellite-only internet connections or running anything older than Win10-Win11 for example.

---

@dustin.lambert wrote:

It was the previous integration manager's decision. It revolved around operating speed of our drawings since the drive our DWT was linked to was deemed too slow so it was moved to the local C:drive to improve operating speed...

---

Ah, sins of the former that you are still paying for today: any reason that cannot change today? "works fine except" means its not working at all.

have a great Friday-eve 🙂

[pendean]

---

@dustin.lambert wrote:

....but even if an email goes out asking the users to run this after the appropriate changes have been made, there is a 0% chance even half the users will do it.

---

You have an IT issue really: Do you / your IT have remote access to inside each PC? Probably do, unless your IT only walk around the site and 60 PCs pushing the user to the side not being billable while they work on that PC.

Or perhaps if those special folders on the individual drives where shared across your network (I assume you are networked, not really running 60-PCs are fully stand-alone) with a core team member like you and few others, you could do what you need remotely without relying on user input.

The OneDrive shared centralized solution works for more folks than not either, again, assuming you are all not in a rural setting with satellite-only internet connections or running anything older than Win10-Win11 for example.

---

@dustin.lambert wrote:

It was the previous integration manager's decision. It revolved around operating speed of our drawings since the drive our DWT was linked to was deemed too slow so it was moved to the local C:drive to improve operating speed...

---

Ah, sins of the former that you are still paying for today: any reason that cannot change today? "works fine except" means its not working at all.

have a great Friday-eve 🙂

[ChicagoLooper]

@dustin.lambert 

<<...I make this change via the "styles" command in our DWT file...>>

Is there a reason why are you making the change in dwt file and NOT dwg file?

Can you upload an image of your Text Styles window so ALL the parameters can be evaluated?

[ChicagoLooper]

@dustin.lambert 

<<...I make this change via the "styles" command in our DWT file...>>

Is there a reason why are you making the change in dwt file and NOT dwg file?

Can you upload an image of your Text Styles window so ALL the parameters can be evaluated?

[dustin.lambert]

There is a standardization function which runs upon drawing startup and when the drawing reloads, but this can be disabled when saved in specifically named folders, which I tried and this value still gets set back to 0.9. This is the only thing we have which runs and changes values in the drawing. 

[dustin.lambert]

There is a standardization function which runs upon drawing startup and when the drawing reloads, but this can be disabled when saved in specifically named folders, which I tried and this value still gets set back to 0.9. This is the only thing we have which runs and changes values in the drawing. 

[dustin.lambert]

Its what I tired after changing it in a dwg had failed to stick. I figured if I changed it in the dwt file then every time I would open a new drawing the width factor change would be correctly set. Unfortunately, regardless of where I change the width factor it resets itself back to .9

[dustin.lambert]

Its what I tired after changing it in a dwg had failed to stick. I figured if I changed it in the dwt file then every time I would open a new drawing the width factor change would be correctly set. Unfortunately, regardless of where I change the width factor it resets itself back to .9

[pendean]

---

@dustin.lambert wrote:

...regardless of where I change the width factor it resets itself back to .9

---

Nothing like that "resets itself", so please elaborate how you know for sure it is "resetting" vs. it never changed in the first place when you get a chance.

Walk us through your hands-on observations of this happening over there please.

I'll ask some dumb questions for everyone trying to help you:

1) are you aware changing a template does not change ALL existing DWG files in AutoCAD?

2) are you aware named content with different settings in other files are ignored when inserted/copied/copy-pasted from an outside file into an open DWG file with that same named content?

[pendean]

---

@dustin.lambert wrote:

...regardless of where I change the width factor it resets itself back to .9

---

Nothing like that "resets itself", so please elaborate how you know for sure it is "resetting" vs. it never changed in the first place when you get a chance.

Walk us through your hands-on observations of this happening over there please.

I'll ask some dumb questions for everyone trying to help you:

1) are you aware changing a template does not change ALL existing DWG files in AutoCAD?

2) are you aware named content with different settings in other files are ignored when inserted/copied/copy-pasted from an outside file into an open DWG file with that same named content?

[dustin.lambert]

Well I took over making changes to our CAD environment this year and there are a myriad of changes I need to make not only now but with other changes I'll need to make in the future as our standards change. I think the only viable solution is for our next deployment to have our template be put back onto the network drive so changes can be made on the fly. Unfortunately, our IT department doesn't get involved in our CAD work further than giving us access to new versions when one is deployed. 

[dustin.lambert]

Well I took over making changes to our CAD environment this year and there are a myriad of changes I need to make not only now but with other changes I'll need to make in the future as our standards change. I think the only viable solution is for our next deployment to have our template be put back onto the network drive so changes can be made on the fly. Unfortunately, our IT department doesn't get involved in our CAD work further than giving us access to new versions when one is deployed. 

[dustin.lambert]

I open "Styles", change the .9 to 1.0 on Width Factor, Apply, close. In that drawing it works and all text which uses that text style now has the correct text width. When I close that drawing and open a new one, the Width Factor for that text style is set back to .9. 

Small update if you want to hear something pretty wild. 

I created a simple little lisp routine which runs every time a drawing opens ( (command "._Style" "" "" "" "1.0" "" "" "") ). I opened my DWT, added this to drawing load by going to "CUI", expanded "LISP", and added my lisp to the list. I saved, closed, opened a new dwg, checked the width factor (it was 1.0), closed, reopened the DWT, removed that lisp from the autoload "LISP" list, and now every drawing I open has the width factor set to 1.0. Tried this with another user and these same result. Very odd. 

[dustin.lambert]

I open "Styles", change the .9 to 1.0 on Width Factor, Apply, close. In that drawing it works and all text which uses that text style now has the correct text width. When I close that drawing and open a new one, the Width Factor for that text style is set back to .9. 

Small update if you want to hear something pretty wild. 

I created a simple little lisp routine which runs every time a drawing opens ( (command "._Style" "" "" "" "1.0" "" "" "") ). I opened my DWT, added this to drawing load by going to "CUI", expanded "LISP", and added my lisp to the list. I saved, closed, opened a new dwg, checked the width factor (it was 1.0), closed, reopened the DWT, removed that lisp from the autoload "LISP" list, and now every drawing I open has the width factor set to 1.0. Tried this with another user and these same result. Very odd. 

[pendean]

---

@dustin.lambert wrote:

I open "Styles", change the .9 to 1.0 on Width Factor, Apply, close. In that drawing it works and all text which uses that text style now has the correct text width

....When I close that drawing and open a new one, the Width Factor for that text style is set back to .9. .

---

I had a hunch that is what you assumed, hence my questions.

Changing from coffee to tea in my car is not going to change the coffee in your car to tea just because you walked from my car to your car... . STYLE command settings are a per-DWG/DWT file setting, there is no system-wide STYLE settings option in AutoCAD (same for dimension styles, mleaderstyles, tablestyles, layers, layer names/settings and so on). A change you make in one file stays in that one file and goes nowhere.

[pendean]

---

@dustin.lambert wrote:

I open "Styles", change the .9 to 1.0 on Width Factor, Apply, close. In that drawing it works and all text which uses that text style now has the correct text width

....When I close that drawing and open a new one, the Width Factor for that text style is set back to .9. .

---

I had a hunch that is what you assumed, hence my questions.

Changing from coffee to tea in my car is not going to change the coffee in your car to tea just because you walked from my car to your car... . STYLE command settings are a per-DWG/DWT file setting, there is no system-wide STYLE settings option in AutoCAD (same for dimension styles, mleaderstyles, tablestyles, layers, layer names/settings and so on). A change you make in one file stays in that one file and goes nowhere.

[dustin.lambert]

hmmm, maybe I could be not following, but if I change the width factor then that change will only hold for that one drawing session and when I open a new drawing that change will be reverted back to what width that style was created with? So in other words, there is no way to change a text style's width factor after its been created? Seems a bit odd.

[dustin.lambert]

hmmm, maybe I could be not following, but if I change the width factor then that change will only hold for that one drawing session and when I open a new drawing that change will be reverted back to what width that style was created with? So in other words, there is no way to change a text style's width factor after its been created? Seems a bit odd.

[atGK8NU]

If that text style is part of a template, and you change the text style's width factor in the template file, then when you open a new drawing with that template the changes will be saved.  If you open a drawing with a template, make changes to the style, then open another drawing with the same template file, the changes won't be saved.  

[atGK8NU]

If that text style is part of a template, and you change the text style's width factor in the template file, then when you open a new drawing with that template the changes will be saved.  If you open a drawing with a template, make changes to the style, then open another drawing with the same template file, the changes won't be saved.  

[dustin.lambert]

Yeah the issue here was that regardless if I changed the Width Factor in the DWT or a blank drawing the changes would not hold and would be reset back to .9 in the next drawing I opened. 

[dustin.lambert]

Yeah the issue here was that regardless if I changed the Width Factor in the DWT or a blank drawing the changes would not hold and would be reset back to .9 in the next drawing I opened. 

[cadffm]

For me it sounds you don't open a .dwt,

it sounds you starting a new .dwg based on a .dwt.

Sorry, while you don' t share screencasts, we can't see what you do.

(and your words, doesn't make sense much. Perhaps there is a real problem, perhaps it is a simple user error)

Sorry for this stupid test script:

Command OPEN

change filetype to .dwt

select your .dwt in question (take a look on the save date/time)

Change style width

QSAVE

CLOSE

Command NEW

Select your edited dwt

Still the wrong width?

To set pre-selected filetype for open command back to .dwg:

Command OPEN

filetype DWG

Open and close random dwg file.

[cadffm]

For me it sounds you don't open a .dwt,

it sounds you starting a new .dwg based on a .dwt.

Sorry, while you don' t share screencasts, we can't see what you do.

(and your words, doesn't make sense much. Perhaps there is a real problem, perhaps it is a simple user error)

Sorry for this stupid test script:

Command OPEN

change filetype to .dwt

select your .dwt in question (take a look on the save date/time)

Change style width

QSAVE

CLOSE

Command NEW

Select your edited dwt

Still the wrong width?

To set pre-selected filetype for open command back to .dwg:

Command OPEN

filetype DWG

Open and close random dwg file.

[dustin.lambert]

I'm opening the DWT and making the change there, saving then opening a blank drawing that is using this DWT file. The change isn't making its way into the new drawing and when I re-open the DWT the width factor has changed back to the old value. 

[dustin.lambert]

I'm opening the DWT and making the change there, saving then opening a blank drawing that is using this DWT file. The change isn't making its way into the new drawing and when I re-open the DWT the width factor has changed back to the old value.