Menu path
CAD > Insert > Text (pulldown menu)
CAD > Text (right-hand menu for additional options)
What it does
Text insertion allows you to add alphanumeric characters and symbols to your CAD drawings for labels, notes, and annotations. Text entities can be positioned using various methods and customised with different fonts, sizes, and formatting options.
🧾 Text entity properties
Text entities have properties that control their appearance and positioning:
Property | Description |
Font | Style of characters (up to 10 different fonts per database model) |
Height | Vertical size of text characters |
Width | Horizontal scaling of text characters |
Angle | Rotation of text from horizontal |
Slant | Italic-style slanting of characters |
Line spacing | Vertical spacing between text lines |
Character spacing | Horizontal spacing between characters |
Justification | Text alignment relative to insertion point |
Boxed | Draw a box around the text |
Underlined | Add underline formatting |
Overlined | Add overline formatting |
Plot-sized | Text size relates to plot scale |
Model/Drawing | Text appears in model space or drawing space |
How to insert text
🔧 Text insertion methods
Text can be inserted using several positioning methods:
Point location: Insert text at a specific coordinate point
Dynamic point location: Position text interactively on screen with cursor
Two-point angle: Define text angle using two selected points
Scaled between points: Size and angle text between two points
Width-scaled between points: Scale only width between two points with angle
Parallel to line entity: Align text parallel to a selected line, circle, or arc (associated)
Normal to line entity: Position text perpendicular to a selected line
Parallel but free: Align text parallel to a line but not associated with it
🔧 Using the Enter Text dialog
Most text insertion commands use the Enter Text dialog box (except Dynamic Point command):
Select your text insertion method from the Text Insert sub-menu
The Enter Text dialog box will appear
Type your text content in the dialog
The text will appear dynamically with cursor movement for precise positioning
Click to place the text at the desired location
🛠 Text positioning and orientation
Text entities are oriented with their width and height aligned to the X and Y axes of the current Construction Plane Level (CPL). Each text entity has an associated point entity that marks its insertion location.
The text position is determined by the justification setting relative to this point. Drawing text entities appear parallel to the screen and only in the view where they were inserted.
💡 Tips for text insertion
Access all options: Use the right-hand menu (CAD > Text) to access insertion methods not available in the pulldown menu
Font limitations: A maximum of 10 different text fonts can be used in one database model/sub-figure
CPL independence: Text formatting options (height, width, slant, spacing, justification) are specific to the text entities, not the active CPL
Point visibility: Associated point entities are visible during editing but don't appear when plotting
Dynamic preview: Use the dynamic drag selection to preview text placement before confirming position
⚠️ Important notes
Text entities remain on the CPL where they were originally inserted for any selected view
Drawing Text entities always appear on a plane parallel to the screen
Text properties are independent of the currently active Construction Plane settings