Place Text

Used for the following:

Placing a text element(s)
Filling in an empty text node(s).
Selecting and modifying a text style(s).

Tool Setting	Effect
Method	Sets how the position, scaling, and rotation of text is determined (see below). By Origin — At the Active Angle and the active text settings. see footnote 105 Fitted — Text is stretched to fit between two data points. The vertical alignment of the text is determined by the active Justification. View Independent — At the Active Angle and the active text settings. see footnote 106 Once placed, text stays at the same orientation regardless of the view rotation. Fitted V(iew) I(Independent) — Combines fitted and view independent views. Above Element — Above a line segment see footnote 107 at the active text settings see footnote 108 at the same angle as the segment at a distance equal to the Active Line Spacing. Below Element — Below a line segment see footnote 109 at the active text settings see footnote 110 at the same angle as the line segment at a distance equal to the Active Line Spacing. On Element — On a line or segment of a line string, shape, B-spline curve, or multi-line at the active text settings. see footnote 111 Along Element — Along — above or below — an element (curve, B-spline curve, arc, ellipse, line, line string, or shape). Each character is placed as a single text element that is a component of a graphic group. The characters are placed at the active text settings see footnote 112 at a distance equal to the Active Line Spacing. Word Wrap — (Available only if Word Processor is selected in the Preferences dialog box, Text category, Text Editor Style option menu.) Allows you to contain text within a box, once a box is identified. If a word is entered that exceeds the limit of the box, that word drops to the next line.
Text Style	Sets the Active Text Style from a list of all available text styles. To create a new text style, click the magnifying glass icon next to the Text Style option menu to open the Text Styles dialog box. Key-in: textstyle active <text_style_name>
Magnifying Glass icon	Opens the Text Styles dialog box which is used to create and modify text styles.
Active Angle	Sets the angle, in degrees, at which text is placed, when Method is By Origin or View Independent.
Height	Sets the text height, in working units.
Width	Sets the text width, in working units
Annotation Scale Lock icon	Sets the Annotation Scale Lock. When this lock is on, the annotation scale is applied to any text that is placed in the model. The annotation scale is set in the Model Properties dialog box. It defines the scale for text and dimensioning in the model, to allow for scaling back to normal size when printing.
Font	Sets the Active Font.
Justification	Controls the text alignment. Options are Left Top, Left Center, Left Bottom, Left Margin Top, Left Margin Center, Left Margin Bottom, Center Top, Center Center, Center Bottom, Right Margin Top, Right Margin Center, Right Margin Bottom, Right Top, Right Center or Right Bottom.
Line Spacing	Sets spacing between identified element and text, when Method is Above Element, Below Element, or Along Element (only visible when Method is Along Element).
Interchar(acter) Spacing	Sets spacing between the characters, when Method is Along Element.
Apply changes to all text	If on, applies style changes to all text in the Text Editor window. For example, if you key in text in the Text Editor, then click the Bold icon, all text becomes bold. If off, applies style changes to selected text in the Text Editor window, or to new text. For example, if you key in text in the Text Editor, then click the Bold icon, only selected text becomes bold. Any new text will also be bold.
Text Node Lock	When on, forces subsequently entered text to be attached to empty text nodes. If an empty node is not available, no text is placed.

To place text at the Active Angle and active text settings

Select the Place Text tool.
The Text Editor window opens if it is not already open.

Set Method to By Origin or View Independent.

(Optional) Adjust the size of the text by changing the Height and Width settings. Setting Width to three-quarters of Height generally produces the desired appearance with traditional MicroStation fonts.

In the Text Editor window, type the text. See Entering and Editing Text.
As you move the pointer, the text displays dynamically.

Enter a data point to position the origin of the text element.

Return to step 5 to place another instance of the same text.
or
Return to step 4 to place other text.


Place Text with Method set to By Origin or View Independent

In the Text Editor window, a backslash, when followed by numbers, indicates that the first three numbers represent an ASCII value. For example, “a\07040” is interpreted as “aF40.”

To bypass the Text Editor window

In the Key-in window, key in PLACE TEXT.
The prompt “TEXT:” appears in the Key-in window.

Key in a line of text.

(Optional) To start a new line of text, press <CTRL-J>.
A dot appears in the key-in field at the end of the text to indicate a “line feed” (the equivalent of a carriage return on a typewriter).

Repeat steps 2 and 3 until all lines of text are keyed in.

Press <Enter> to place the text interactively with the pointer.
or
Place the text by precision key-in (for example, XY=0,0).

Setting the user preference Text Editor Style to Key-in (Workspace menu > Preferences, Text category) causes the Key-in window to be used for all text editing. The Text Editor window is disabled.

Text that matches a MicroStation command (for example, “EXIT”) is interpreted as a command if parsing is on. Parsing is set with the key-in, SET PARSEALL.

To avoid having MicroStation interpret text as a command when parsing is on, type a grave accent (“`”) before the text. For example, to place the word “EXIT” without exiting MicroStation, key in “`EXIT.”

To place fitted text

Select the Place Text tool.
The Text Editor window opens if it is not already open.

Set Method to Fitted or Fitted V(iew) I(ndependent).

In the Text Editor window, type the text. See Entering and Editing Text.

Enter a data point to define the left end of the fitted text.

Enter a data point to position the right end of the text and define the height, width, and rotation angle.

Return to step 4 to place another instance of the same text.
or
Return to step 3 to place other text.


Place Text with Method set to Fitted or Fitted VI

Multi-line text can be placed when Method is set to Fitted or Fitted VI only if the Text Editor Style preference is set to its default, Word Processor.

To fill in empty text node(s)

Select the Place Text tool.
The Text Editor window opens if it is not already open.

Set Method to By Origin and turn Text Node Lock on.

In the Text Editor window, type the text. See Entering and Editing Text.

Identify the empty text node(s).
The text assumes the attributes of the text node unless text attributes (See Setting other text attributes) are explicitly changed prior to placing the text into the empty node.

Return to step 4 to identify another empty text node.
or
Return to step 3 to place other text.

If you enter just one line of text in a text node, it becomes a text element unless the Preserve Text Nodes preference is on (in the Workspace menu, choose Preferences and select the Text category).

To place text above or below an element

Select the Place Text tool.
The Text Editor window opens if it is not already open.

Set Method to Above Element or Below Element.

In the Text Editor window, type the text. See Entering and Editing Text.

Identify the line segment. The data point positions the left-to-right origin of the text element.

Accept the text.


Place Text with Method set to Above Element (left), Below Element (right), and “L” denotes Active Line Spacing.

To place text on an element

Select the Place Text tool.
The Text Editor window opens if it is not already open.

Set Method to On Element.

In the Text Editor window, type the text. See Entering and Editing Text.

Identify the element on which to place the text. The origin of the text element is placed at this point.
The text displays.

Accept the text.
The part of a line, line string, B-spline curve, or shape that is under the text is deleted. A multi-line is not modified.


Place Text with Method set to On Element

To remove the part of a multi-line that is under the text use the Cut Single Component Line tool or Cut All Component Lines tool in the Multi-line Joints tool box.

To place text along an element

Select the Place Text tool.
The Text Editor window opens if it is not already open.

Set Method to Along Element.

In the Text Editor window, type the text. See Entering and Editing Text.

Enter a data point along the element to position the origin.
The text displays both above and below the element. If the text is too long to fit along the element with the current Interchar(acter) Spacing, it is truncated.

If necessary, adjust the Intercharacter Spacing.

Enter a data point to position the text either above or below the element.


Place Text with Method set to Along Element, “L” denotes Line Spacing and “S” denotes Intercharacter Spacing.

Place Text is one of the two underlying Tool options for the Geometric Tolerance tool, which is used to build and place a feature control frame. The other option is Place Note.

All illustrations of the Place Text tool were created with text Justification set to Top Left, unless stated otherwise.