Text hide bug

I've come across a problem in AutoCAD 2002. MTEXT entities do not
hide. I know there is a HIDETEXT variable which should control this,
but it is not working when I plot.

I know the legacy method is to give the text any thickness (usually
a minimal amount like .01") and then they will hide. But AutoCAD will
not allow you to give thickness to MTEXT entities.

At this point, my only work around is to explode the MTEXT into old
style TEXT and then assign a thickness to it. But, the text style is
lost and converted to the default.

Any other suggestions?

Joe

 

If I'm understanding you right, you don't want your text to plot. Is this

Actually, it is text that is on 3-d objects. Some text is hidden,
and some is not. I did eventually find the issue on Autodesk's
knowledgebase (though it didn't talk about plotting vs. display).
They suggested the same work-around I discovered.

I was nervous about mtext when it first came out. Not only does it
not behave as it should for hides, you often can't choose the size
font you want because it jumps in large increments. Still, I REALLY
don't want to go back to one-line-only text. One more thing to add to
my long list of why I don't like Autocad anymore.

Joe

 

In an effort to run from AutoCAD bugs, I did get the Inventor
series. It was version 5.3, which was supposed to be a good, stable
release. However, I ran into constant bugs, so much so that I
abandoned it. It is SUPPOSED to be better now... but of course it
depends on if your work runs into the big bugs or not. Another issue
with parametric software is that a minor problem can cause a large
assembly to go hay-wire. The inventor marketing department also seems
to have gone wild, and things like offering upgrades to subscribers
that aren't really an upgrade, while charging subscribers for the Pro
version upgrade they should be getting at no additional cost.

When I ran into the problems with Inventor, I went back to vanilla
AutoCAD, figuring that I was better off managing bugs and unstability
in a problem I knew very well. Note that I am doing all my work in
3D, and AutoCAD is no longer marketed as a 3d solution. It seems they
are putting their money towards inventor, and neglecting the bugs in
AutoCAD's 3d stuff. What really got me were bugs which caused my
drawings to be incorrect. If the drawing wouldn't open... then at
least, I would know something was wrong. (hides being inaccurate,
snapping to empty space, paperspace dimension not showing correct
dimension, etc)

You mentioned Solidworks. We have actually made the decision to go
to SolidWorks, partially due to a good cross-platform upgrade our
dealer is offering us. However, I know there are issues with
Solidworks as well, though it seems they respond a little better than
Autodesk. It seems the software industry in the U.S. is failing us.
Hopefully another country will come and rescue us, as Japan did with
the automotive industry.

Joe Dunfee

 

3D is certainly not the solution for everything. Most inexperienced
people vastly underestimate the effort that goes into doing stuff in
3d. Yet, for certain industries, the ability to create a virtual
prototype in 3d, is extremely valuable. Some of this is the visual
ability to see the object.

But, the biggest advantage is for industries who can use physical
dynamic packages to create functional virtual machines. This aspect
can get very detailed, and is a science all by itself.

Of course, there are certain industries where the 3d design itself
can be simplified by the CAD program...stuff, which will eventually be
made by a CNC machine. I am thinking about stuff like mold design.

As for, getting left behind, I know the feeling. I said that if we
even want to consider the advanced stuff for the future, we better
start the process now. There was even the issue of my own
professional developement tied into this. I spoke with my boss about
it, and said that I am being underpaid here... at least give me
opportunity to advance myself.

Joe