Expert: Bob - 4/4/2010

Question
QUESTION: Not sure what I did to deserve this, but whenever I try to add new text or edit existing text, the text editor automatically renders the text vertically.

AutoCAD 2010

Thanks, Shaun

ANSWER: (to anyone who sees this online and is interested in asking a question)
YOU GUYS GOTTA HELP ME, SO I CAN CONTINUE TO DO THIS, PLEASE

Sorry, I think I am gonna scream if all the questions keep being from people who do not describe their experience level, so I feel comfortable in giving the appropriate level of reply.Sometimes I write too simply for new people, sometimes I waste a lot of time overexplaining to experienced people.

OK.rant over. Shaun:

A-- if you are using plain text, I have kind of forgotten how to use it myself, as I have used MTEXT for 10 years. The MTEXT Editor is very flexible. Have you checked out the text style carefull
B-- does "vertical" mean "rotated 90 or 270 degrees" to you, or does it mean
v
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C-- old drawings? new drawing? your drawings, or someone else's? all drawings or one?
done it since installation, or a change?

I do not have 2010 on the machine I am at today. 2009 and 2010 questioners should make clear whether they are using the Ribbon or the classic interface.

The most obvious reply to your question would be to assume that someone has checked the VERTICAL box in the Text Style Editor, for the text style you are using. If the text is rotated, check the Properties Palette.

If something is messed up and the above do not help, create a new text style-- particularly if someone else originated the drawing.

Write back with all the facts if still stuck, please. I will help you, whether I am grumpy or not.

BOB

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: AutoCAD sometimes makes me grumpy, too.

OK, my experience level? I've been on AutoCAD about five years. I am using the "classic" interface. And by "vertical", I don't mean:

v
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I saw that check box, but that was of no help. To clarify, what I mean is the text flips over, as if I rotated it - as you say, "90 or 270 degrees".

And I originated the drawing. I checked a few of my other drawings and it wasn't a problem.

Also, I really cannot explain what I did that caused this. It just seemed to happen all of a sudden in the middle of a work session. Before I got your answer, I did create a new text style (as you suggested), and it worked. But I am still not sure why it did that in the first place. Although sometimes I feel like - if everything is working in AutoCAD, don't ask questions!

There ya go....

Thanks!!!

Answer
OK, do I read right that it was a one-time thing, and the new text style fixed it?

We could go back and pick apart the old text style, or we could just remember my motto:

IF YOU CANT FIX SOMETHING IN 3 TRIES, DO IT OVER AND LET GO OF WHY

The name of the problem result is "rotated text" -- vertical is one letter above the other.

PS-- I suggest you find the time to give the Ribbon a good shot. Lynn Allen showed me how, and most of the flock seems to be going with it. It is really good to try to the new stuff, or you end up like the old guys who customize backward and ignore helpful improvements.

BOB