How to Explode Text to outlines in LT

Do you ever wish you could get an outline of your text as closed Polylines, but that hollow TTF Windows TrueType Font (or Autodesk's SHX stick fonts) you found on your PC or the internet is just not doing it for you? AutoCAD/LT can do this with the classic WMFOUT command that creates a WMF file with exploded objects, then you use WMFIN command to reimport those exploded objects back in.

Simple. Well, not quite: somewhere between the two commands a little scaling and resizing takes place, and with fonts you also need to tweak and adjust the width or WMFIN will just bring that text back as TEXT entities.

Here is what appears to be a very long method to do it correctly: once you get a hang of the steps, this is indeed quite a simple task.

1. Setup the text style to use an width other than exactly 1. It can be
   .9999 or 1.000001 for example.
2. Create the text or use property painter to 'paint' the new info to
   existing text.
3. Some where in the drawing, create a line that will be used for
   reference later. THIS IS IMPORTANT.
4. At the command prompt, type WMFOUT.
5. Select the text and the reference line (real easy if you have the text
   on a separate layer).
6. Erase (or freeze) the 'real' text but keep the reference line.
7. At the command prompt, type WMFIN & select the wmf file you just created
8. Notice the wmf doesn't come in at the same scale - the reason for the
   reference line.
9. After selecting the base point, use the default scale & rotation
10. Now, move the block made by importing the WMF so one endpoint of the
    wmf's ref line matches up with the corresponding endpoint of the original
    ref line.
11. At the command prompt, type SCALE and select the wmf block
12. For the base point, select the endpoint you used to match up ref lines
    with - the common endpoint.
13. At the command prompt, type R for reference.
14. Pick the 'common' endpoint.
15. Pick the other endpoint of the wmf's ref line.
16. Lastly pick the other endpoint of the original ref line.
17. Now you can explode the block and the text should be lines.
18. If you're using True Type fonts, you'll get lots of little lines. To clean
    it up easily do the following from 19-26 unless you really want to just sit there erasing and cleaning up manually.
19. After the explode, use CHPROP or PROPERTIES and select the objects with the PREVIOUS selection option.
20. Put these objects on a layer by themselves for easy removal.
21. Draw a rectangle around the text.
22. Use the BOUNDARY command and pick a point between the rectangle and the
    text.
23. Freeze or lock every layer but the layer the text is on and erase it.
24. Change the boundary you created to that layer for easy removal later
25. Use the boundary command again and pick "inside" the outline of the
    text.
26. Freeze or lock every layer but the layer the first boundary is on and
    erase it.

You now have the text in a outline that you can use as you wish. Enjoy. ◦

How to Explode Text to outlines in LT

LT2014's Command Line: it's here to stay.

The New Command Line interface, docked or floating, has been enhanced in AutoCAD/LT 2014 to provide easier, more efficient access to commands, system variables and to find other content such as blocks, hatch patterns, visual styles, and Internet help if needed.

• AutoCorrect. If you mistype a command, instead responding with “Unknown command”, AutoCAD/LT autocorrects to the most relevant and valid AutoCAD command. For example, if you accidently type TABEL, the TABLE command is automatically launched.
• AutoComplete command entry is enhanced to support mid‐string search. For example, if
  you type SETTING on the Command line, the suggestion list displays commands containing the word SETTING anywhere within it, not just at the beginning.
• Adaptive Suggestion: As you continue to use AutoCAD/LT, the order of commands in the suggestion list will adapt to your own usage habits. The command usage data is stored in the profile and adapts to each user.
• The Command line now has a built in synonym list. Enter a word at the command line and it will return a command if a match is found in the synonym list. For example, if you enter Symbol, AutoCAD finds the INSERT command so you can insert a block. Or if you enter Round, AutoCAD finds the FILLET command so you can add a fillet to a corner. And YES, you can add your own words to the AutoCorrect and Synonym lists using the Edit Aliases tool from the Manage ribbon tab.
• You can quickly search for more information on a command or system variable in the suggestion list in an Internet Search. Move the cursor over the command or system variable in the list and choose the Help or Internet icons to search for relevant information.
• You can use the command line to access layers, blocks, hatch patterns/gradients, text styles, dimension styles and visual styles. For example, if you enter Door at the command line and the current drawing has a block definition with the name Door, you can quickly insert it right from the suggestion list.
• To make the suggestion list easier to navigate, system variables and other content are organized into expandable categories. You can expand a category to see the results or press the Tab key to cycle through each category.
• You can customize the behavior of the command line using controls in the Input Settings menu when you right‐click on the command line. In addition to the previous options to enable AutoComplete and search for system variables, you can enable AutoCorrect, search content and mid‐string search. All of these options are turned on by default. Yes, that does mean you need to use that right-click mouse button for more than .
• Much of the new command line functionality including AutoCorrect, mid-string search, and adaptive suggestions is also available using dynamic input.

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LT2014's Command Line: it's here to stay.