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How come when I open a .dwg file in datacad the text comes in as Mtext?

Each line of text is a separate Mtext entity and I have to open each one to edit them.

Is there some way to avoid this?

rogerra wrote:How come when I open a .dwg file in datacad the text comes in as Mtext?

The original entities in AutoCAD must have been MText. DataCAD imports them using the same parameters that defined the original entities.

rogerra wrote:Each line of text is a separate Mtext entity and I have to open each one to edit them.

Is there some way to avoid this?

You could ask your associate not to use MText, or you could [Ctrl]+[right click] on each one and choose "Explode."

A quick way to convert all MText entities in a drawing is to save the drawing back to DataCAD 11 format. Since DataCAD 11 did not support MText, all MText entities get converted to single line text.

To save a file back to DataCAD 11 format, choose "Save As DataCAD 11 AEC" from the "File" pull-down menu. You'll need to supply a new name for the file as part of this process.

Thanks Mark,

I'll give that a try. At least then I can edit the text without having to open the mtext dialog box for each line.

Mark Toce wrote:A quick way to convert all MText entities in a drawing is to save the drawing back to DataCAD 11 format. Since DataCAD 11 did not support MText, all MText entities get converted to single line text.

To save a file back to DataCAD 11 format, choose "Save As DataCAD 11 AEC" from the "File" pull-down menu. You'll need to supply a new name for the file as part of this process.

Mark -

Is there any downside to doing this for a V12 file? For example, if you've imported the (cursed) Acad file into your default V12 file are there any settings/items that won't make the round trip?

to be on the safe side, and hopefully the text is on it's own layer(s);
I would do the save as v11, then delete those layers in the v12, then import from the v11 back to the v12 only the text layer(s).

Roger's got the right idea.

I would use the File/Purge command to save just the layers that contain the MText back to DataCAD 11 format. The "Save As DataCAD 11 AEC" option is available in the Purge dialog.

I would then open the DataCAD 11 format file (edit: in DataCAD 12) which contains just the text layers, and then copy the information to the Clipboard. Finally, open the working version of the file, erase the text layers using the Layer Manager, and then paste the information from the Clipboard.

I don't think using the clipboard to copy from 11 to 12 is a good idea. I think it usually comes into 12 mirrored and enlarged and all of the text is usually exploded into lines. At least that has been my experience. I think exporting the layer in 11 and importing it into 12 would be a better way to transfer the text.

Paul Nida wrote:I don't think using the clipboard to copy from 11 to 12 is a good idea. I think it usually comes into 12 mirrored and enlarged and all of the text is usually exploded into lines. At least that has been my experience. I think exporting the layer in 11 and importing it into 12 would be a better way to transfer the text.

I guess I should clarify that I did not mean you should open the file in DataCAD 11. After saving it back to DataCAD 11 for the sole purpose of exploding all MText to single line text, you will then open the DataCAD 11 format file using DataCAD 12. You then perform the copy and paste of the text information in DataCAD 12 only.

Thanks for all the help.

It turns out that the original .dwg file was "save as" from Vectorworks.

When I save to Datacad 11, the Mtext goes away but then when I click on a text entity to edit it, it is a symbol. Then I have to edit the symbol. All this is a pain in the you know what.

Maybe there is some other option in Vectorworks prior to exporting or saving the dwg.

I'll deal with as best I can. Need to get on down the road.

Roger R.

Mark,
In that case why don't you simply open the original DWG in 11 close it and then open it in 12.

Roger,
If the text is text in the symbols why don't you just explode the symbols? It should then be regular text and you would be able to edit it normally, I would think.