Mark Tool: Option to be recognisedin dxf as text

[t.karipidis]

Hello, 

I came upon an issue when I sent dxf to sheet metal nesting software. For this matter, I use the Mark Tool to engrave the order number and part number of each sheet metal part. Before Mark Tool, I had a sketch with the text that was controlled via a User Parameter, then copying to flat pattern, and after the order parameterization, the text was converted to geometry. 

I was happy when marking tool came out, since it makes this process very easy and faster. But then we saw that the text-to-be-engraved was seen by AutoCAD as geometric lines, instead of a "geometric" text. So the software does not recognise it as text to engrave and ignores it.

Would be nice to be able to choose if in the dxf the text is recognised as such instead of just lines.

[t.karipidis]

For the 2024 version, I found a weird workaround:

First, you need to "copy to flat pattern" the sketch with the text. Then, while exporting dxf in the "Flat Pattern DXF Export Options" in the Layer tab, turn off the IV_UNCONSUMED_SKETCHES, IV_MARK_SURFACE and IV_MARK_THROUGH but keep on the IV_MARK_SURFACE_BACK and IV_MARK_THROUGH_BACK.

The result is that the text is shown in the 0 layer in the dxf, and it's text instead of geometry, and there are no other lines or points shown. That works manually and from the API.

Even though it sounds more like a bug than a feature, it worked great for us until... 2025. Then the above action doesn't do the same thing. 

The solution here was to keep on the layer IV_UNCONSUMED_SKETCHES and turn off all IV_MARK... layers.

It does the job, although there are some unwanted lines and points shown in the dxf.