Revit's Text Editor Needs To Be At Least As Good As AutoCAD's

[scbunker]

I know that the text editor in Revit is the subject of much derision and update requests. And I know that it was improved a few years ago. But it's just not enough. So I have a different take on it - just make it at least as good as AutoCAD.

In AutoCAD, you can control paragraph spacing, have multi-level lists (outlines), tab stops (multiple tab stops and different kinds of tab stops), control indents, control columns, etc. etc. 

We need text editing features this robust within Revit.

I've heard it said before that Revit is a modeling software and not a text editing software, but I don't consider this argument to be valid. Modeling is useless unless we can adequately document it, and documentation includes detailed notes. That's like saying that AutoCAD is a drafting software and not a text editing software.

[Anonymous]

Improvements have been made in the text editor in 2017, however I still think there is more work that needs to be done. I would like to see the text editor like the autocad text editor. The reason for this is we often do specifications on the drawings and it would be helpful to have the formatting options that are in autocad or even Microsoft Word. I believe this would improve the appearance of the drawings.

[NWihnan]

If the improvements to text editor would include line spacing factor that would be wonderful.

[henrique.sanson]

Please also make available the option to drag the text box grip of tags and keynotes on the project environment as a view-specific adjustment, rather then it being defined inside the family. One size does not fit all! Sometimes I'd like to have a short and tall multiple line text box, while some other views would accept all the text on one single horizontal line...

[jschwab_fsb-ae_com]

So, here we go again! Some more suggestions for R2018....

VERTICAL ALIGNMENT OF TEXT NOT CONTROLLABLE BY USERS.

When text wraps there is currently no way for users to control if the text wraps up, down, or centered. Text that does behave in this manner was previously created within AutoCad with the vertical alignment assigned by one of the nine types available. Please incorporate this into Revit, Thanks

[mcnamac]

The improvements in the 2017 text editor are great, thank you.  I'm new to Revit and just created a general notes sheet, which I wanted to look very similar to our current AutoCAD version, which has several levels of letters / numbers for the outlining.  I found that I was able to get really close, and I like the way the Revit text editor works, generally speaking.  

In the future, I'd like to see the addition of roman numerals (upper and lower case) as an option, as well as customizable bullets, and punctuation on letters/numbers (ie: instead of just the period after the letter / number, ability to change to other characters such as ) or - or : etc).

More justification options (fit width, top, middle, bottom, etc) would be helpful.

Ability to set the width and align text to other elements besides other text would help with my O.C.D. issues too. 

[Anonymous]

Please Fix the Text Editor and the funky way it reorganizes text.  At least add options to create bullet or numbered lists.

[dplumb_BWBR]

What version are you using?

This was done in Revit 2017 last year.

[Anonymous]

Most of our clients are still using 2016 so I'm stuck. I have 2017 installed just don't use it. They fixed it for real? Or just kinda? Are you referring to the standard text editor?

[pieter4]

It's MUCH better. They're still slowly adding extra features to it (adding special symbols was added in 2018). 

I would advise you to do a quick search here to find some of the more specific ideas about text. For example:

All caps in text type properties

Columns in text editor

etc

[j.veenstra.ascentgrp]

The text editor in R17 and R18 has a few annoyances that should be fixed:

-Bring back support for keyboard shortcuts i.e. ctrl + B for Bold

-Allow text editing when the cursor is not hovering over the text field once in the text editing mode. I routinely highlight text withing a text filed to be edited from right to left leaving the mouse outside of the text field and cannot begin editing the highlighted text until the mouse is back over the text field. This worked previous to R17.

-Once a text family is open for editing, the editor should show the text as horizontal NOT at the placed angle.

All of these issues came up between R16 and R17, I am not sure how they were seen as improvements. Altogether, text editing in Revit is annoying, counter-intuitive, and lacks features that are available in AutoCAD.

[Anonymous]

This is the one thing I do NOT understand how this isn't already included.  Words are the essentials for conveying design information.

[EckdahlRD]

I agree to the above, but I'd also like to right justify the numbered list.  When you switch from a single digit list number to a double (or triple) list, it looks bad left justified.  Even this forum, the formatting aligns the decimal, not the first character of the number.

1. Note 1
2. Note 2
3. Note 3
4. Note 4
5. Note 5
6. Note 6
7. Note 7
8. Note 8
9. Note 9
10. Note 10
11. Note 11

[cmilton]

I am working in 2019 and this still does not work!

How can this be possible? 

It is so simple, fix it or go back to when it worked.

We pay way too much money for this product to putting up with this crap.

Fix it! Just fix it! 

No more excuses.

[dplumb_BWBR]

Might help if you actually said what the problem is.

Calling it "crap", complaining about the expense, and using lots of EXCALMATION MARKS!!!!!!! does not help the developers find or fix any bugs.

I can edit Text just fine.

[Anonymous]

They can google any thread on the issue. They can just look at their own products like Autocad to get relatively close working text editor. No explanation needed @cmilton. Every user that edits text in Revit 2017 or newer knows exactly what the poster is referring to.

[craig]

Absolutely agree. I have posted threads about this, listed main issues and I have read countless threads on here going back years with none of the issues even partially addressed. I have no idea how many "votes" you need to get anything actioned in this software we pay a lot of money for.

Ever feel like we are all being taken for a ride.

[JADAstudio]

The 2017+ text editor is much better but still embarrassingly limited for doing any more than small note blocks. I think it's reasonable to expect professional design production software to have the following text editing functions:

• linked text frames (multi-column, multi-page text objects)
• live view references in text
• leading (line spacing) controls
• override color of selection within text object (rather than entire text object)
• more options for hierarchical lists (bullet options, decimal/paren options, roman numerals, etc.)
• right-justify and center-justify tab stop options

Also,

• live links to external text documents (txt, rtf, doc, etc.)
• inline objects that flow with text (images, tables, revit schedules, detail groups, etc.)
• export text object(s) to rtf / doc.

[Clntnco]

Add more formatting tools to text editor. It would be nice to have the basic tool that are provided in AutoCAD like better tab control and better bullet options.

[lee.imbimbo]

So I'm probably not the first to ask for this, but I have a novel idea.  One that people might even call revolutionary for the Revit Software.  MAN OH MAN, if they could incorporate this, it would set them ahead as a super advanced industry leader.  The technology I speak of, my friends, is so revolutionary that man just to think of it's power would provide chills down one's spine.  Now before I mention it, I want you to close your eyes (no wait you're reading this), OPEN THEM!

Now I want you to imagine a world where a software that claims to be advanced (as Revit does), included (WAIT FOR IT)

BASIC WORD PROCESSING CAPABILITIES!

Just imagine using tabs, and multiple fonts within a single text box, gasp behold the line spacing.

Now once they master this, imagine they incorporated wait for it TABLES, KERNING, TRACKING.

Oh man, I tell you, if they mastered this revolutionary 1980's technology AutoDESK would lay a groundwork that would smash the design world wide open.  But the real question is, DO THEY HAVE THE GUTS to persevere and provide this technology to their clients.  Or are they too lily-livered to even try.

[dplumb_BWBR]

Thanks for your revolutionary idea.

If you had done a search for "Text Editor",  you wouldn't have found a dozen other posts about it.