ANNOTATION

• Multiline Text 
• Spell Checker 
• Find and Replace 
• QuickCalc 

1. Multiline Text

Use multiline text (MTEXT) instead of single line text (TEXT) whenever possible to give you flexibility in editing your text.

You can create several paragraphs of text as a single multiline text (MTEXT) object. With the built-in editor, you can format the text appearance, columns, and boundaries.

In the Ribbon, select Annotate > Multiline Text (instead of Single Line Text) or use the MTEXT command.

BONUS #1: If you’ve already added text via TEXT or DTEXT, use the Express Tool (in the Express Tools tab of the Ribbon) “Convert Text to Mtext” to convert to multiline text after the fact.

BONUS #2: Draw text along an arc using the ARCTEXT Express Tool (in the Express Tools tab of the Ribbon).

2. Spell Checker 

Avoid embarrassing spelling errors with the spell checker (SPELL) command. There are additional options to check everything, just the current space/layout, or only selected objects. 

You can find the SPELL command from the Text panel of the Annotate tab of the Ribbon (or type it in the Command Line). You’ll get the Check Spelling dialog box. Click on the Settings button and you’ll get further control over what’s included in the check.

BONUS: One of the most powerful features here is the ability to create and update a custom dictionary. This is extremely valuable for industry-specific terms that may not be found in the standard dictionary.

3. Find And Replace

Need to fix misspellings or rename certain items? Much like in your favorite word processor, you can Find and Replace words with ease in AutoCAD.

Start with the find text field in the Ribbon or type FIND into the Command Line. Like the spell checker, you can choose where you want to run the check. Also, there is a dialog expansion icon that will reveal additional search options and more controls on what kind of text objects are included.

BONUS: Add even more power to word search by employing wildcards. Characters such as * @ ? ~ can represent one or more characters in a text string, empowering you to get more done in less time.

4. QuickCalc

Want to perform calculations right from within your drawing? The QuickCalc Calculator can be used to perform calculations within the AutoCAD drawing environment, and the value that’s calculated can be sent directly to the current prompt for the command in progress. 

In AutoCAD, geometric values such as distance or angular measurement are often required to draw an object. In most situations, you might know the distance or angle required to draw an object but there are times when those values are unknown and need to be calculated.

Enter QC in the Command line or click on the QuickCalc tool in the Utilities panel of the Home tab.

BONUS: Use QuickCalc during another command by right-clicking to display the shortcut menu and choosing QuickCalc. The calculator will appear without disrupting your command in progress!