Creating text

Creating single line texts

Single line text justification options:

Creating multiline text

1. Do one of the following:
   • Click the Multiline Text tool button (

     

     ) on the Draw toolbar or the Annotate / Text ribbon panel.
   • Choose Multiline Text in the Draw menu.
   • Launch the MTEXT command.

   You are prompted:

   First corner for block of text:

2. Specify the insertion point of the multiline text entity.

   You are prompted:

   Justification/Rotation/Style/Height/Direction/Width/<Opposite corner for block of text>:

3. Do one of the following:
   • Specify the opposite corner of the text block to define the maximum width of the multiline text.

     If Dynamic Dimensions are active, the height and width of the text field are displayed dynamically. Type the height and width in the dynamic dimension fields. Press the Tab key to switch; press Enter to confirm.

   • Type @ in the Command line, then press Enter for non-wrapped (zero width) text (= unlimited line width).

   The Text formatting toolbar opens right above the text block.

4. Type the text.

   The maximum line width is defined by the width of the text block as defined in step 3.

   Press Enter to start a new paragraph.

5. To conclude the command and close the Text formatting toolbar do one of the following:
   • Click the OK button
   • Press Ctrl+Enter.
   • Click outside the MText entity.

Text formatting toolbar tools and settings

Button or setting	Name	Description
	Text Style	Sets the text style
	Text Font	Sets the text font
	Text Height	Sets the text height
	Bold	Creates bold text
	Italic	Creates italic text
	Underscore	Creates underscored text
	Overscore	Creates overscored text
	Uppercase	Converts selected text to uppercase
	Lowercase	Converts selected text to lowercase
	Annotative	Toggles the Annotative property
	Line Spacing	Sets the line spacing
	Columns	Arranges the text in columns
	Toggle spellchecker	Toggles the Spell Checking for Mtext editor.
	Color	Sets the color
	Oblique Angle	Sets the oblique angle
	Width Factor	Sets the width factor
	Character Spacing	Sets the character spacing
	Undo	Undoes recent actions
	Redo	Redoes previously undone actions
	Stacked text	Creates stacked text (fractions, subscripts and superscripts) Note: See Formatting stacked text below for more information. To create a subscript or superscript, insert the ^ character before the text that should become a subscript or after the text that should become a superscript. Then select the text and the ^ character and use the Stacked Text option.
	Special Character	Inserts special characters
	Field	Inserts a variable field
	Justify	Sets the text justification
	Paragraph alignment	Sets the paragraph alignment
	Background Mask	Adds a colored background
	Ruler	Toggles the ruler display
	Numbered and bullet lists	Creates numbered/bullet lists
	OK	Closes the Text formatting toolbar and applies the changes
	Cancel	Closes the Text formatting toolbar and leaves the MText entity unchanged

Multiline text justification

The red dot indicates the insertion point of the multiline text entity.

Top left	Top center	Top right
Middle left	Middle center	Middle right
Bottom left	Bottom center	Bottom right

Including special text characters and symbols

You can use control codes and Unicode strings to include special characters in text entities.

To include control codes, type 2 percent symbols (%%) followed by the special control code or character. A single percent sign is treated as a normal text character.

Special text characters

Symbols and Unicode strings

Name	Symbol (*)	Unicode String
Almost equal		\U+2248
Angle		\U+2220
Center line		\U+2104
Delta		\U+0394
Electrical phase		\U+0278
Identity		\U+2261
Not equal		\U+2260
Omega		\U+03A9
Squared	²	\U+00B2
Cubed	³	\U+00B3

(*) If supported by the text font.

Spellchecker

When the spellchecker button () is activated, the spell checking is available in the Mtext editor. The misspelled words are underlined in red in real time. Right click the string to display spelling suggestions.

A warning message appears when a valid dictionary is missing. See the SPELL command.

Adding a background mask

1. When creating or editing a multiline text entity, click the Background Mask tool button (

   

   ) on the Text Formatting toolbar.

   The Background Mask dialog box appears:

   
   

   

   
   

2. Check the Use background mask option.
3. Do one of the following:
   • Choose a color in the Fill color drop-down list.
   • Choose Select color... in the Fill color drop-down list and choose a color in the Color dialog box.
   • Check the Use drawing background color option.
4. Define the Border offset factor, which sets the margin around the text for the background. The value is based on the text height and must be in the range 1-5. A factor of 1.0 fits the multiline text entity exactly.
5. (option) Tick the Frame around a text option to create a text frame.
6. Click OK to create the background mask.

Formatting stacked text

Stacked fraction text can be formatted using the Stack properties dialog box.

Right click the stacked fraction text, then choose Stack properties in the context menu. The Stack properties dialog box displays: