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

AutoCAD Tips that work in LT: Part 2

Below are posts from fellow AutoCAD users with tips that are of equal use to LT users. Explore each link and start being more productive today.

• Kate Morrical Export AutoCAD LT Table to CSV http://bit.ly/vFKwk6
• AutoCAD VIDEO: Use the MENU command to migrate old CUI or MNS format files to CUIX format files in AutoCAD 2012. http://autode.sk/rSIg8j
• Lynn Allen AutoCAD Twitter Tip: Set SELECTIONANNODISPLAY to 0 if you get tired of seeing that Annotation Scaling ghosting
• Lynn Allen Master AutoCAD linetypes through Viewports http://bit.ly/rz3Wad @Cadalyst_Mag
• AutoCAD VIDEO: Robert Green describes how to take advantage of partial CUI files in AutoCAD 2012. http://autode.sk/vCmsI9
• AutoCAD VIDEO: Robert Green offers tips for educating users on the basics of sheet set functionality in AutoCAD 2012. http://autode.sk/uW9hsD
• Jeff Bartels AutoCAD Tip: Use saved layer states? Quickly access them by pressing ALT+S when in the Layer Properties Palette.
• AutoCAD 2011 and AutoCAD LT 2011: No Experience Required Donnie Gladfelter download, read, buy online http://mtny.mobi/1iiJ
• Vladimir Michl New CAD tip: Importing CSV file into an AutoCAD table. http://bit.ly/vTZQGG
• R.K. McSwain AutoCAD Text Editing tips http://cadpanacea.com/node/335

We post daily on the topic of AutoCAD/LT and features/abilities of interest to users:

you can find us at http://twitter.com/LTisACAD

Get Twitter updates via Text Message (SMS) by texting FOLLOW LTISACAD to 40404 in the United States. To stop SMS updates, simply text UNFOLLOW LTISACAD to the same number.

Catch a listing of all our twitter postings HERE: http://ltisacad.blogspot.com/search?q=tweets+this+week ◦

AutoCAD Tips that work in LT: Part 2

Draw 2D Isometric Views

AutoCAD/LT allows you to simulate a 3D object from a particular viewpoint by aligning along three major axes by setting the Isometric Snap/Grid; however, although the isometric drawing appears to be 3D, it is actually a 2D representation. You cannot expect to extract 3D distances and areas, display objects from different viewpoints, or remove hidden lines automatically with this method of drafting.

When you create an Isometric drawing you are basically drawing "vertical" lines at 90 degrees with "horizontal" lines drawn at either 30 degrees or 150 degrees to give the impression of depth to the drawing. You start by setting the Isometric Grid and Snap using either of these methods:

• The command SNAP, then selecting STYLE and assigning the style to ISOMETRIC.
• DSETTINGS command's Snap and Grid tab (the Drafting Settings dialog box can also be accessed when you right-click on any status bar icon and choose "Settings"), under Snap Type, select Isometric Snap, and close the dialog:

Your Cursor will change shape: one axes remains vertical, the other aligns with one of the angles for  horizontal lines. The initial cursor mode is Isoplane Left: lined up with the left side of your isometric drawing. To switch to one of the two other isoplanes (Right or Top), you can use the F5 keyboard key or by typing CTRL+E to toggle between all three planes, or by typing ISOPLANE and picking Left, Right or Top. To draw circles with these settings, start ELLIPSE command and select the ISOCIRCLE option (need arc? Trim the Isocircles).

Creating Isometric Text and Dimensions are not so straight forward. First the Text, you must create two new text STYLES, the first with an Oblique Angle of 30 deg, and the other set to -30 (that's a minus-30 degrees). You would use each text style based on the location in relationship to your Isometric drawing, and alter the rotation angle of Text to suit:

Dimensions are the same: create two DIMSTYLES, one for each of the two text styles created above, and use DIMALIGNED command when drawing dimensions. You also must use DIMEDIT command's OBLIQUE option to assign a matching Obliquing Angle (30deg or -30 deg). You can do it all with one DIMSTYLE, but some users prefer the visual control of two, see example HERE.

If your dimension styles use arrows, you may need to also fix their appearance: explore this tip HERE.

While it takes many steps to create and set up the file to start drawing, consider taking the time to add these in Template file and reuse as often as needed. Give the two text styles and the two dimstyles unique but matching names to reduce the confusion of selection.

◦

Draw 2D Isometric Views

More LT Resources: YouTube Videos

In addition to the AutoCAD LT Resources available to end users for support, training, and education outlined in our previous blog HERE, there is a growing number of excellent short LT-topic-specific training material found at YouTube.

LT2012, the newest shiping version, has amassed quite the collection of videos and continues to expand. From What's New through the new Array functionality, the offerings are quite plentiful and worth exploring in your own time. Start HERE.

LT2011 is equally represented, with a long list of DEMO videos and additonal topic-specific videos: your exploration starts HERE.

LT2010 and LT2009 specific videos are prolific, many of the topics are equally specific to these two versions and are great tools to help you understand what each version added from earlier iterations of LT. There are a few LT2008 videos and non-English LT2007 videos, an LT2006 tip, but LT versions below that are few and rare. But YouTube posting is free, if you are an LT user of these lower versions perhaps you could post tips and tricks for other fellow users. ◦

More LT Resources: YouTube Videos