Create Text

This form allows text to be created at any height using the units the model is being designed in.

Watch this video to see this in action:

Switch between standard Text tool and Text in a Box Tool modes.

To enter text:

• Click in the 2D view to choose the anchor position
• Enter the text in the Text box
• Edit the styling options. All changes are automatically applied

Sets the position of your text block. Either enter values directly, or use the mouse cursor to set the position values interactively:

• For new text simply left click in 2D view in the desired location
• For existing text object, left click the anchor point handle and drag it to the desired location

The Standard Text tools are replaced with specialist Text In a Box tools.

Watch this video to see this in action:

The distance between the text and the bounding box where:

• None - Scales text to fit the rectangle width or height of the bounding box
• Normal - Scales text to fit within 80% of the bounding leaving a 10% border to the left and right.
• Wide - Reduces the size to 60% of the rectangle width leaving a 20% border to the left and right.

When the text fits the width of the box and there is space above and below it, the text can be made to fill that vertical space using one these methods:

No Vertical Stretch

Stretch Line Space to fit

Stretch Characters to fit

When the text fits the height of the box and there is space at the sides, the text can be made to fill that horizontal space using one these methods:

No Horizontal Stretch

Stretch Spaces between words

Stretch Kerning (space between letters)

Stretch Character size

To edit text properties or content of previously created text:

• If the Create Text form is open, click the text you wish to edit or
• If the Create Text form is closed, click the left mouse button on the text in the 2D View to select it before opening this form. The form will now allow you to edit the properties of the selected text.

The Text tool has a spell checking feature to assist with spelling errors.

• The software checks the spelling for the user and underlines the misspelled words with red.
• When an underlined word is clicked. It suggest corrections for the user.
• There is an add word feature if you want to add a new word.
• There is a remove word feature if you want to remove a word you added by mistake ( it has to be a word added by the user).
• The language of the spell checker is the same as the language of the software.
• All the Software supported languages are supported by the spell checker except for Japanese

The interactive kerning and line spacing cursor is shown when placed between letters or lines:

The interactive letter kerning allows default text to be modified so that adjacent pairs of letters sit more naturally together. A typical example is shown above where the capital letters W A V are placed next to each other and the default space is excessive.

Place the cursor between 2 letters and click the Left mouse button to close the gap.

Holding the Shift key and clicking the Left mouse button moves the characters apart.

Holding the Ctrl key when kerning doubles the distance each letter moves on each click.

Holding Shift and Ctrl keys together and clicking the Left mouse button moves the letters closer together in larger increments.

Holding down altwith any of the above combinations will apply the kerning changes between every pair of letters on the line.

Line spacing can be modified by placing the Edit Text cursor between lines. It will change to the line spacing cursor:

Clicking Left mouse button will move the adjacent lines of text closer together.

Holding the Shift key and clicking the Left mouse button will move the lines apart.

Holding the Ctrl key doubles the distance each line moves on each mouse click.

Holding the Shift and Ctrl keys together and clicking the Left mouse button moves the lines apart in larger increments.

The interactive rotation and movement cursor is displayed when the cursor is placed over either of the Green Handles to indicate that the text can be arced either Upwards or Downwards:

Bend Text Upwards

Bend Text Downwards

Click and Drag the Bottom Green box to arc the text Downwards.

Click and Drag the Top Green box to arc the text Upwards.

The text can easily be dragged back into the horizontal position again.

After arcing text, additional Red and Blue handles are displayed for Rotating and Moving the text.

Moving:

There are two white handles for moving the text, one in the middle of the text, and one in the center of the arc, though that may be off-screen for very shallow arcs.

Rotating:

Clicking and dragging the Red boxes rotates the text around the center point of the arc.

Holding the Ctrl key forces the rotation to be in 15° increments. This allows the text to be positioned exactly on the horizontal or vertical quadrants, even after it may have been moved slightly.

Changing Arc Radius:

Clicking and dragging the Blue boxes changes the radius without moving the arc center.

This tool can be used in both the 2D and 3D View.

2D View offers a more direct way to view your vectors while the 3D view offers more flexibility to work with Vectors in 3D Designs and to make use of the Edit Boxes.

When in the 2D view, a number of the forms tools will be driven by options in the form only.

• Middle - Move the vectors (Hold Alt and move the selected objects in one axis)
• Middle - Click a second time to switch to Rotational center. Click and drag the Rotational Anchor to reposition the Rotational Center of the current selection.
• Corner (White) - Scale the vectors proportionally (Hold Alt for scaling non-proportionally, Shift to scale around the centre)
• Edges (White) - Scale the vector in one axis (Hold Shift for scaling proportionally)
• Corner (Black) - Rotate the vectors (Hold Alt to Rotate in 15° increments) about the Rotation Center.

In the 3D view, there is an expanded number of handles to directly edit the vector within the view, without needing to use the creation form on the left.

In the 3D View, the Handles are:

• Middle - Move the vectors (Hold Alt to Move the selected objects in one axis)
• Middle - Click a second time to switch to Rotational center. Click and drag the Rotational Anchor to reposition the Rotational Center of the current selection.
• Corner (White) - Scale the vectors proportionally (HoldAlt for scaling non-proportionally, orShift to scale around the centre)
• Edges (Black) - Scale the vector in one axis (Hold Shift for scaling proportionally)
• Rotation Arrow (Top Black) - Rotate the vectors (Hold Alt to rotate in 15° increments)
• White circles are properties unique to this tool to allow direct mouse editing of values in the tool form from within the view.

When you select a Transform Handle, it will activate the appropriate Edit Box for that Handle.

If you need an exact value for a field while dragging it, release the mouse button and type in the desired value, followed by Enter to accept the new value.