Format Multiline Text

Newly created multiline text automatically assumes the characteristics of the current text style. The default text style is STANDARD. You can override the default text style by applying formatting to individual characters and applying properties to the multiline text object. You also can indicate formatting or special characters using the methods described in this section.

Orientation options such as style, justification, width, and rotation affect all text within the multiline text boundary, not specific words or characters. Use the Attachment property to change the justification of a multiline text object, and the Rotation property to control the angle of rotation.

The TextStyleId property sets the font and formatting characteristics for a multiline text object. As you create multiline text, you can select which style you want to use from a list of existing styles. When you change the style of a multiline text object that has character formatting applied to any portion of the text, the style is applied to the entire object, and some formatting of characters might not be retained. For instance, changing from a TrueType style to a style using an SHX font or to another TrueType font causes the multiline text to use the new font for the entire object, and any character formatting is lost.

Formatting options such as underlining, stacked text, or fonts can be applied to individual words or characters within a paragraph. You also can change color, font, and text height. You can change the spaces between text characters or increase the width of the characters.

Use curly braces ({ }) to apply a format change only to the text within the braces. You can nest braces up to eight levels deep.

You also can enter the ASCII equivalent for control codes within lines or paragraphs to indicate formatting or special characters, such as tolerance or dimensioning symbols.

The following control characters can be used to create the text in the illustration. (For the ASCII equivalent of this string see the example following the illustration.)

{{\H1.5x; Big text} \A2; over text\A1;/\A0; under text}

For more information about formatting multiline text, see “Format Characters Within Multiline Text” in the AutoCAD User's Guide.

Use control characters to format text

The following example creates and formats a multiline text object.

VB.NET

Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.Runtime

Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices

Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.DatabaseServices

Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.Geometry

<CommandMethod("FormatMText")> _

Public Sub FormatMText()

  '' Get the current document and database

  Dim acDoc As Document = Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument

  Dim acCurDb As Database = acDoc.Database

  '' Start a transaction

  Using acTrans As Transaction = acCurDb.TransactionManager.StartTransaction()

      '' Open the Block table for read

      Dim acBlkTbl As BlockTable

      acBlkTbl = acTrans.GetObject(acCurDb.BlockTableId, _

                                   OpenMode.ForRead)

      '' Open the Block table record Model space for write

      Dim acBlkTblRec As BlockTableRecord

      acBlkTblRec = acTrans.GetObject(acBlkTbl(BlockTableRecord.ModelSpace), _

                                      OpenMode.ForWrite)

      '' Create a multiline text object

      Dim acMText As MText = New MText()

      acMText.Location = New Point3d(2, 2, 0)

      acMText.Width = 4.5

      acMText.Contents = "{{\H1.5x; Big text}\A2; over text\A1;/\A0;under text}"

      acBlkTblRec.AppendEntity(acMText)

      acTrans.AddNewlyCreatedDBObject(acMText, True)

      '' Save the changes and dispose of the transaction

      acTrans.Commit()

  End Using

End Sub

using Autodesk.AutoCAD.Runtime;

using Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices;

using Autodesk.AutoCAD.DatabaseServices;

using Autodesk.AutoCAD.Geometry;

[CommandMethod("FormatMText")]

public static void FormatMText()

  // Get the current document and database

  Document acDoc = Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument;

  Database acCurDb = acDoc.Database;

  // Start a transaction

  using (Transaction acTrans = acCurDb.TransactionManager.StartTransaction())

      // Open the Block table for read

      BlockTable acBlkTbl;

      acBlkTbl = acTrans.GetObject(acCurDb.BlockTableId,

                                   OpenMode.ForRead) as BlockTable;

      // Open the Block table record Model space for write

      BlockTableRecord acBlkTblRec;

      acBlkTblRec = acTrans.GetObject(acBlkTbl[BlockTableRecord.ModelSpace],

                                      OpenMode.ForWrite) as BlockTableRecord;

      // Create a multiline text object

      MText acMText = new MText();

      acMText.Location = new Point3d(2, 2, 0);

      acMText.Width = 4.5;

      acMText.Contents = "{{\\H1.5x; Big text}\\A2; over text\\A1;/\\A0;under text}";

      acBlkTblRec.AppendEntity(acMText);

      acTrans.AddNewlyCreatedDBObject(acMText, true);

      // Save the changes and dispose of the transaction

      acTrans.Commit();

VBA/ActiveX Code Reference