Schedule Tag Text Formatting (Inserting New Lines)

[bradg]

Hi all, here's a dilemma for all you hardcore AMEPers out there (I think):

I've developed a set of custom air terminals with custom properties that, when combined with some nifty property set definition (PSD) code, allows me to tag all different types of air terminals using just one tag (supply diffusers, return grilles, sidewall grilles, etc.).

Typically, our air terminal tags are 2-3 lines, and list the size and mark, then CFM, and finally a typical number; for example:

18x18 CD-1
250 CFM
TYP 4

However for linear slot diffusers, we use 4 lines, i.e.:

24" LSD-1
4 SLOTS
250 CFM
TYP 2

To attempt to accomplish this using the same 3-line tag I use for all the other air terminals, I tried to code adding a new line using VB in the PSD that defines the top line. Here's the code that I'm using:

If "[TypeAbbreviationToggleSwap]" = "LSD" Then
RESULT = "[MvPartAir_TerminalStyles:Length]"" [Mark]" & VbCrLf & "[MvPartAir_TerminalStyles:Slots] SLOTS"

followed by some ElseIfs etc. to handle the non-LSDs.


Anyway, the VbCrLf (new line code) works fine, however, for some reason it changes the spacing between the (now) 2nd and 3rd lines. The dtext I used to make the tag was set to Bottom Center justification, so that when I add a new line to the top line, it bumps it up, rather than down, but for some reason, it still manages to squeeze the 2nd and 3rd lines ever so slightly together.

You can (hopefully) see in the attached screenshot what I mean: there is slightly less space between "6 SLOTS" and "100 CFM" than there is between the other lines.

It's a really nit-picky problem, I know, and I realize there are a few workarounds (such as just making a new tag-type only for LSDs, or moving the text up after adding the tag), but I was really hoping to get everything working with this one tag.

Anyone have any ideas why the spacing's getting messed up, and how to fix it? It may be a VB problem, or it may be a DTEXT problem, I'm not sure. (Perhaps does anyone know the 'new line' character code for dtext? (if one exists))

Just to clarify: the tag only contains 3 lines of DTEXT set to Bottom Center justification. The 4th line is 'artificially' added by adding a new line to the 1st line in the VB code defining the PSD.


Thanks for taking the time to read this tediously long post!
-Brad

[RobertB]

Why not move the other attributes slightly closer together to match the problem attribute?

[dkoch]

I do not use AMEP, just ACA, but I am going to assume that Schedule Tags work the same in both. I can not explain why the spacing is being affected the way it is in your current tag. If Robert's suggestion to tighten the spacing between the 2nd and 3rd attributes in your tag is not acceptable (I suspect that while it could work for the LSD's, the spacing would then be too tight for the other types), you may find one of the following suggestions of some value.

1. You could take advantage of multi-line attribute text in Schedule Tags, new to 2009. I have no idea if that would fix the spacing problem, however, nor do I know if that would present other issues, such as control over what text was on what line.

2. You could add a fourth attribute to the view block of your Schedule Tag. This would be above the others, spaced exactly where you want. You would then have this new attribute and the current top (now second) attribute referencing a formula property. The top attribute would test for "LSD" and, if found, set the RESULT to what you want in that top line; otherwise, it would set the RESULT to an empty string (""). The second attribute would test for "LSD" and, if found, set the RESULT to show the "slots" property concatenated with " SLOTS"; otherwise, it would show ElseIf's of your current formula.

My personal preference would be the second suggestion, as that gives you the most control over the spacing and requires no additional work on the part of the end user.