ENGR 1204 Engineering Graphics

Transcription

1 ENGR 1204 Engineering Graphics Lecture 09 Text Styles and Multiline Text Edmund Morris HCCS Department of Engineering 1

2 Objectives Describe and use proper text standards. Calculate drawing scale and text height. Develop and use text styles. Use the MTEXT command to create multiline text objects. Annotation, dimensions, and symbols with text provide necessary information about features on a drawing. AutoCAD offers commands and settings to add uniform, easy-to-read text drawn according to drafting standards. This chapter introduces text standards and composition and explains how to use the MTEXT command to prepare a text object that can include multiple lines of text, such as paragraphs or a list of general notes. Chapter 10 describes how to create single-line text objects using the TEXT command, as well as additional text tools. 2

3 Text Standards and Composition Industry and company standards dictate how text should appear on a drawing. Consistent text type, format, height, and spacing are critical to legibility and drawing clarity. A drawing should use the same text font and format throughout, except for specific cases such as text in traditional architectural title blocks or on maps. Refer to Figure 9-1 as you read the following information about text type and format. The ASME Y14.2 Line Conventions and Lettering standard applies to the process of hand lettering each character using one or more single straight or curved elements, in a Gothic design. For example, the letter A has three single-stroke lines. 3

4 Text Standards and Composition You can achieve the ASME standard with AutoCAD using a font such as Arial, Romans (roman simplex), or Century Gothic. The U.S. National CAD Standard (NCS) recommends a SansSerif font, although some companies prefer a slightly different font such as Arial or Century Gothic. Some architectural companies prefer the Stylus BT, ArchiText, or CountryBlueprint font, because these fonts provide a more traditional architectural hand lettering appearance. Vertical text is most common. However, inclined text is an approved ASME standard and is used by some companies, most often in structural drafting, and for specific drawing requirements, such as water feature labels on maps. 4

5 Text Standards and Composition The recommended slant for inclined text is 68 from horizontal, although some drafters find 75 more appropriate. Uppercase text is standard. However, some companies use lowercase letters for applications such as civil plans or maps. A drawing displays specific text heights for different purposes. Figure 9-2 lists minimum letter heights based on the ASME Y14.2, Line Conventions and Lettering standard. The NCS and many companies, especially those who produce architectural and civil drawings, depart slightly from the ASME standard. The NCS specifies a minimum text height of 3/32 (2.4 mm). Most text is 1/8 (3 mm) high, with titles and similar text 1/4 (3 mm) high. 5

6 Drawing Scale and Text Height Settings are done in drawing template files, and changes are made when necessary. The drawing scale factor determines how text height appears on-screen and plots. Scaling Text Manually Adjust text height manually according to a specific drawing scale, you must calculate the drawing scale factor. Figure 9-6 provides examples of calculating scale factor. You then multiply the scale factor by the paper text height to get the model space text height. For example, a site plan plotted at a 1 = 60 scale has a scale factor of 720. Text drawn 1/8 high is almost invisible (Figure 9.5), because the drawing is 720 times larger than it is when plotted at the proper scale. Therefore, multiply the scale factor of 720 by the text height of 1/8 (.125 ) to find the 90 scaled text height for model space. The proper height of 1/8 text in model space at a 1 = 60 scale is 90. 6

7 Drawing Scale and Text Height Annotative Text AutoCAD scales annotative text according to the annotation scale you select, which reduces the need for you to calculate the scale factor. Once you choose an annotation scale, AutoCAD applies the corresponding scale factor to annotative text and all other annotative objects. (see example at page 278) Annotative text offers several advantages over manually scaled text, including the ability to control text appearance based on the drawing scale and paper text height, while reducing the need to focus on the scale factor. Annotative text is especially effective when the drawing scale changes or when a single sheet includes views at different scales. 7

8 Set Annotation Scales Pick Scale List button of Annotation Scale panel from Annotate Menu of the Ribbon Pick Annotation Scale Flyout on the status bar Scroll to find appropriate annotation scale Check the percentages option to display the corresponding percentages Use the Edit Drawing Scale dialog box of Application Menu to make changes within the list of existing annotation scales or create new annotation scales Select Custom option of Annotation scale from the status bar 8

9 Text Styles A text style presets many text characteristics. Create a text style for each different text appearance or function. For example, use an annotative text style to draw annotative text, and a nonannotative text style to draw non-annotative text. Another example is creating text styles that correspond to a specific text height or other characteristics. Add text styles to your drawing templates for repeated use. Avoid adjusting text format independently of the text style assigned to the text. Text Style Dialog Box To Create, modify, and delete text styles. See Figure 9-8. The Styles list box displays existing text styles. The Annotative text style allows to create annotative text, as indicated by the icon to the left of the style name. The Standard text style does not use the annotative function. 9

10 Creating New Text Styles Pick Manage Text Styles drop down of Style button from Annotation panel of Ribbon s Home menu Select an existing text style from the Styles list box to use as a base for formatting the new text style. Then pick the New button to open the New Text Style dialog box. See Figure 9-9. Notice that style1 appears in the Style Name text box. Replace the default name with a more descriptive name. Changing, Renaming, and Deleting Text Styles Select a text style from the Styles list box to edit. Make the necessary changes and pick the Apply button to apply the changes. If you make changes to a text style, such as electing a different font, all existing text objects assigned to the text style are updated. Use a different text style with different characteristics when appropriate. 10

11 Multiline Text Multiline Text Pick Multiline Text button of Ribbon s Annotate menu The MTEXT command draws a single multiline text, or mtext, object that can include extensive paragraph formatting, lists, symbols, and columns. It is good practice to set the appropriate text style current before you access the MTEXT command. Activate the MTEXT command to display letters near the crosshairs that indicate the current text style and height. Pick the first corner of the text boundary. A prompt then asks you to specify the opposite corner or choose an option. You can use the options to preset text style and height, boundary justification, rotation, width, line spacing, and use of columns. Text Editor menu appear on the Ribbon when the MTEXT command area is selected 11

12 Columns Sometimes it is necessary to group text into multiple sections, or columns. A common example is dividing lengthy general notes into columns. See Figure Mtext with columns is still a single mtext object. This eliminates the need to create multiple text objects to form separate columns of text. You can create columns as you enter text or apply column formatting to existing text. Dynamic Columns To form dynamic columns, choose an option from the Dynamic Columns cascading menu. Pick the Auto height option to produce columns of equal height. Figure 9-35 shows methods for adjusting dynamic columns using Auto height. Increase column width or height to reduce the number of columns, or decrease column width or height 12

13 Columns To produce more columns. Pick the Manual height option to create columns you can adjust individually for height to produce distinct groups of information. Drag the arrows at the bottom of each column to adjust column height. See Figure Static Columns To form static columns, choose the number of columns from the Static Columns cascading menu. The display of text in static columns depends on how much text is in the text editor and the height and width of the columns. However, the selected number of columns does not change even if text is not completely filled or extends past a column. Figure 9-36 shows methods for adjusting static columns. 13