Annotative text is a powerful feature in AutoCAD that allows you to create text that automatically adjusts its size based on the scale of the drawing. This means that your text remains legible and proportional, regardless of how much you zoom in or out. In this article, we will explore how annotative text works in AutoCAD and how you can use it to enhance your drawings.
Understanding Annotative Text
Annotative text is a special type of text object in AutoCAD that can adapt its size to match the drawing scale. This is particularly useful when working on projects with multiple viewports or different scales. With annotative text, you no longer need to manually resize your text objects for each viewport or scale change.
Enabling Annotative Text
To enable annotative text in AutoCAD, you need to adjust the settings of your current text style or create a new one. Start by opening the Text Style dialog box by typing “STYLE” in the command line. Once open, select the text style you want to modify or create a new one.
In the Modify Text Style dialog box, look for the “Annotative” option and check the box next to it. This will activate annotative scaling for that particular style. Remember to click “Apply” or “OK” to save your changes.
Creating Annotative Text
Now that annotative scaling is enabled for your chosen text style, you can start creating annotative text objects in your drawing. To do this, use either the MTEXT or DTEXT commands, depending on your preference.
Once you have selected either command, specify the insertion point for your text object. Then, instead of specifying an absolute height value like you normally would with regular non-annotative text, enter a relative height value preceded by an “@” symbol. For example, “@0.125” represents a height of 0.125 units relative to the drawing scale.
Using Annotative Text in Viewports
One of the key benefits of annotative text is its ability to adapt to different viewports within the same drawing. To make use of this feature, you need to set up your viewports correctly.
Start by creating a layout tab and adding a viewport. Once you have your viewport set up, right-click inside it and select “Properties” from the context menu. In the Properties palette, find the “Annotation Scale” parameter and choose an appropriate scale from the dropdown list.
When you switch between different viewports or change their scales, AutoCAD will automatically adjust your annotative text objects to match the new scale. This saves you time and effort compared to manually resizing each text object individually.
Controlling Annotative Scale Representations
In some cases, you may want to control how annotative text appears at different scales. AutoCAD allows you to define specific text sizes for certain annotation scales using Annotation Scale Representations.
To create an Annotation Scale Representation, go back to the Modify Text Style dialog box by typing “STYLE” in the command line. Select your desired text style and click on “Add..”
In the Add Annotation Scale Representation dialog box, specify a unique name for your representation and set its properties according to your requirements. You can define different height values or even choose not to display certain representation at all scales.
Conclusion
Annotative text is a game-changer when it comes to creating drawings with multiple viewports or varying scales. By enabling annotative scaling in your chosen text style and using relative height values, you can ensure that your text remains readable regardless of zoom level or viewport size.
Remember that proper setup of viewports and annotation scale representations is crucial for making full use of annotative text in AutoCAD. By understanding how annotative text works and utilizing its features effectively, you can enhance the clarity and professionalism of your drawings.