Mtext Background vs. ExpressTools Textmask Problem

[john.miller]

Has anyone else had a problem with the ExpressTools textmask command working properly on Mtext after using the new Mtext Background command. I used the Mtext Background and then decided I wanted to use textmask instead. The text is erased/deleted when textmask is run. The masked area appears but the text is completely gone. There is also no way to select the masked area - turning the text frame on has no affect. I had to use the undo command to get rid of the masking and bring back my text. I had to recreate the text from scratch to be able to use the Textmask command.

I like the new Mtext Background for some things but there are times when I still prefer the ExpressTools textmasking.

A2k5 Map 3D
Windows XP

[scott.wilcox]

John:

I had a similar issue with TEXTMASKs. I found that performing an audit cleared up some errors in the drawing, and the command worked fine after that. No idea why that is, it just seems to be that way.

Scott

[john.miller]

Tried the audit, no luck.

I have determined that it only happens if you check the Use Background box in the Mtext background command. If you use the default red color, the text doesn't disappear. REAL:screwy: I have also had others in the office duplicate this so it isn't just my machine.

Thanx for your input!

[Statler]

I have just come across this. Is there a known fix for this yet?

Just to add a little more information, when the drawing is audited it has 6 errors found and fixed every time.

Its not just when background is changed in text command as I started this problem using the properties bar.

Many thanks in advance

Richard

[RobertB]

Just to add a little more information, when the drawing is audited it has 6 errors found and fixed every time.
If an Audit finds errors every time you open the drawing, the errors are in an XRef attached to the drawing.

If you don't have any XRefs in the drawing, I would be interested in seeing the audit report.

[Statler]

Thanks for the quick response Robert.

The errors were contained in the xrefs.

This has not rectified the text mask problem though.

I have tried wblocking the text out and in but this makes no difference

[RobertB]

This has not rectified the text mask problem though.
I have tried wblocking the text out and in but this makes no difference

I know I went a bit off-topic there. I never use the ET TextMask, so, at the moment, I have no comment about the issue. If I get bored, I might find the chance to make a fix. :(

[mtlynn]

I just type regen & it shows back up. It plots ok even though you can't see it on the screen.

[Statler]

I've got a work around now after trying many things. Explode mtext to Dtext then redefine back to mtext (txt2mtxt). This seems work for me although a bit long winded.
Many thank for your help Robert , mlynn

Regards

Richard

[ronf57]

i just tried your suggestion.
While it does mask some background. I explode a dimension and then use the mtext edit to add the background mask. It unfortunately masks the dimension lines as they are no-longer associated with the text. this result is unfortunately not the one i am looking for.
thanks anyway, i can see this techniques use for other things but not for dimension masks.

<add>
can anyone suggest how to increase the masks size?
my drawings have hatchings and entities that i need to selectively mask for readability.
turning fill color to background does this some but not a large enough area.
wipe-out loses everything so it doesn't work any better than trimming and rehatching, very time consuming.
there must be a way to vary mask size of dimension text like background mask does for mtext and select what will and will not be masked.
anyone know please help!!!
<add>

moderator note: added additional information from same user posting question in different thread

[BrenBren]

From what I can find, it is not possible to change the area that is masked around dimension text (which is what I think you are trying to do).

In fact, this feature doesn't even appear to be documented in 2005 - at least I couldn't find anything in the help file regarding it. From what I was able to find in the autodesk discussion groups, there doesn't appear to be a setting for this.

You can use wipeout, you just have to make sure you watch draworder and make sure that your text is in the foreground and the hatch or other entity is in the background - although if you are using this on dimensions, it is very time consuming and not very practical.

Maybe someone else has a better way, but I think you may just have to hope this comes out in 2006. You might want to post this as a wish in the Wish List (http://forums.augi.com/forumdisplay.php?f=57) (http://forums.augi.com/forumdisplay.php?f=57)

[keelay711]

You can add a fill color to the dimstyle. I normally set it to "background". As far as increasing the size of this mask beyond the dimtext extents, I have not yet found the variable controlling this.

Have you tried using "Texttofront" to recover your text object after the described wipeout error?

[ronf57]

well i will try the textto.. trick.
but it seems to me there must be a value somewhere that sets the masking size for the dimension text. it does do this automatically afterall. changing text size increses this so the two variables/values are tied together.
well, i guess i will be forced to do it the time consuming way.
thanks to all for your suggestion.

[wfox.design]

maybe you could use a larger text size temporarily to get the bigger mask then edit the text to the size you want.

[wfox.design]

I am using 2004 and I often use Cogo for coordinates that aren't mtext. After i had masked the text and wanted to change it later I would type in wipeout<enter>-frames<enter>-on<enter>(makes the mask frames appear), then-i could erase or junk them or whatever. When done, retype wipeout<enter>-frames<enter>-off<enter>

Also, you can use the polyline feature to do large wipeouts.

Hope this helps.

[cadtag]

If you right click on the dimension and choose Properties, the first option under the TEXT heading in the properties palette is Fill color - you can set that to Background instead of the default None to mask just the area uner the text w/o exploding the dim