Exploding text problem

[mmccreesh1]

Hi, I am often using text within AutoCAD 2012.

 

Here is what I do, you can look at the attachments to give you a better idea:

 

1. Create the text using the mtext tool

2. Explode the text using the txtexp tool

 

But, when I explode the text, lines appear inside the text like in the image. I then have to explode the whole thing and delete these lines manually. I was wondering if anyone knew a tool or add-on to get around this annoyance every time I insert text.

 

Thanks.

[SEANT]

I’ve got an add-on (free at Autodesk Exchange App Store) that does something fairly similar. The offering is described in this thread:

http://www.cadtutor.net/forum/showthread.php?60116

 

If the MText needs to be exploded, another way to deal with the erratic geometry from txtexp is to Region everything (instead of Explode) then apply a Boolean Union.

[Dana W]

Welcome to the forum.

 

Change your sytem variable TEXTFILL to 0 (zero) and use a TrueType font. Text will still display as filled but will plot as outlined text. You will be able to see the outline text in the plot preview. Textfill is a system variable, so it will affect ALL the text in your drawing.

 

If you wish to use outline text in only part of your drawing, you will have to set up a text style that uses a font designed to be outline text with Textfill set to 1.

 

Hint. Post your questions only in one thread, and be prepared to wait a while for an answer, especially on weekends.

Edited October 24, 2011 by Dana W

[ReMark]

mmcc: Did you solve your problem?

[mmccreesh1]

Hi, thanks for the replies.

 

SEANT, I tried to download the add-on you were talking about but I can't seem to register an account, the page dosen't come up for registering. Is there a way to register online? Also, in your second point, you explain another way about regioning everything. I'm not a AutoCAD expert so could you please explain this further.

 

Dana W, thanks but I can't use your first method because I have to be able to edit the text by joining it, manilupting etc. Could you give me an example of a font designed to be outlines so I can see if I can get it to work?

 

ReMark, No, but I think I might be getting close to a solution.

 

Many thanks for your replies!

[rkent]

After exploding the text (or before it doesn't matter) draw a rectangle around the text, change to another layer, use the BPOLY command and pick inside the rectangle and inside each letter with an island, like A, B, and D, etc. Now lock the one layer and move the other stuff out of the way, unlock the layer, continue.

[Dana W]

Dana W, thanks but I can't use your first method because I have to be able to edit the text by joining it, manilupting etc. Could you give me an example of a font designed to be outlines so I can see if I can get it to work?

 

Well, here's the first hit in a google search for "Outline Letter Fonts" >> http://cooltext.com/Fonts-Outline

 

I am pretty sure you will still have to explode the outline fonts too. I should have assumed you were going to use the text as a buildable object but didn't. I just assumed you wanted an outline font as a text style.

Edited October 25, 2011 by Dana W

[SLW210]

Plenty of threads on CADTutor

 

EXPLODE TEXT

 

EXPLODE TEXT II

[SEANT]

Yeah, the introduction and Autodesk’s subsequent intention for the Exchange Apps Store has been a bit slippery. The site was originally open to the public. It can now only be accessed via the Exchange button in the InfoCenter toolbar (see below).

 

To makes matters even more nebulous, it is only the Exchange button in “Vannila” AutoCAD. The Apps Tab is unavailable to any of the vertical products (though there have been hints that could change).

 

If Exchange Apps is unavailable see the link EXPLODE TEXT II in SLW210’s post above.

 

With regard to exploded Text/MText:

 

The erratic geometry from TxtExp is multiple closed 2DPolylines. The REGION command can transform all of that geometry in to Regions. The UNION command will combine all the separate polys, now Regions, in to one large, complex Region - while automatically preserving holes and islands.

[SEANT]

Here is a comparison of the geometry returned by the two methods, TxtExp/Region versus Text2Geometry:

TxtComparison.dwg

[troggarf]

Sean, Your program is awesome. At my old job, one of my tasks was to create a given company's logo in CAD. I didn't like the results of simply putting in a picture found from the internet. So I would find their font (or similar font) and then explode it using the explode text tool in AutoCAD and then spend a lot of time trimming away those inner lines... But your routine makes doing this simple and the text looks great (not all blocky).

Thanks dude,

~Greg

Edited January 6, 2012 by troggarf

[SEANT]

Very cool.

 

Always good to here that an App is hitting the mark.

[awolcott]

Hello. I am attempting to use the text2geometry in AutoCAD 2012.

 

However I get this returned:

 

Command: netload
Cannot load assembly. Error details: System.IO.FileLoadException: Could not 
load file or assembly 'file:///C:\Users\Andrew\Desktop\Text2Geom.dll' or one of 
its dependencies. Operation is not supported. (Exception from HRESULT: 
0x80131515)
File name: 'file:///C:\Users\Andrew\Desktop\Text2Geom.dll' ---> 
System.NotSupportedException: An attempt was made to load an assembly from a 
network location which would have caused the assembly to be sandboxed in 
previous versions of the .NET Framework. This release of the .NET Framework 
does not enable CAS policy by default, so this load may be dangerous. If this 
load is not intended to sandbox the assembly, please enable the 
loadFromRemoteSources switch. See http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=155569 
for more information.
  at System.Reflection.RuntimeAssembly._nLoad(AssemblyName fileName, String 
codeBase, Evidence assemblySecurity, RuntimeAssembly locationHint, 
StackCrawlMark& stackMark, Boolean throwOnFileNotFound, Boolean 
forIntrospection, Boolean suppressSecurityChecks)
  at System.Reflection.RuntimeAssembly.nLoad(AssemblyName fileName, String 
codeBase, Evidence assemblySecurity, RuntimeAssembly locationHint, 
StackCrawlMark& stackMark, Boolean throwOnFileNotFound, Boolean 
forIntrospection, Boolean suppressSecurityChecks)
  at System.Reflection.RuntimeAssembly.InternalLoadAssemblyName(AssemblyName 
assemblyRef, Evidence assemblySecurity, StackCrawlMark& stackMark, Boolean 
forIntrospection, Boolean suppressSecurityChecks)
  at System.Reflection.RuntimeAssembly.InternalLoadFrom(String assemblyFile, 
Evidence securityEvidence, Byte[] hashValue, AssemblyHashAlgorithm 
hashAlgorithm, Boolean forIntrospection, Boolean suppressSecurityChecks, 
StackCrawlMark& stackMark)
  at System.Reflection.Assembly.LoadFrom(String assemblyFile)
  at Autodesk.AutoCAD.Runtime.ExtensionLoader.Load(String fileName)
  at loadmgd()

 

Any help?

 

Thanks!

 

Andrew

[SEANT]

The error message leads me to believe that you are trying to run the DLL while it resides on a server. The DLL should be on your own machine (ideally in the same folder as the acad.exe).

 

The absolute best method of running the routine, however, is to load the TextToGeometry.bundle file (found at Exchange – Apps) in the Application Plugins folder.

[awolcott]

I was actually attempting to run the routine directly from my desktop. However, I will look into that further, how you describe to run it. Hopefully I will have better luck.

 

Thank you kindly!

 

Andrew