RTEXT [Express Tools: ACET]

Reactive text (RText) objects are displayed the same way normal Text or MText objects are displayed, but the source for the text is either an external text file or the value of a DIESEL expression. You can edit an RText object with the RTEDIT command.

Command: RTEXT
Current text style: STANDARD  Text height: 0.2000  Text rotation: 0
Enter an option [Style/Height/Rotation/File/Diesel] <Diesel>: Specify an option

Options

You can use an RText object as a file reference to display text, such as a sheet note or a legal disclaimer, that is common to several drawings. You can also use it to display larger bodies of text such as specifications or assembly instructions.

Using DIESEL Expressions

DIESEL provides options previously accessible only with custom programs. Here are some examples of how RText objects with DIESEL expressions can be used in your drawings. You can paste these examples into the DIESEL Expression dialog box.

To display the drawing name:

Drawing file: $(getvar, "dwgname")

Output:

Drawing file: 102-fp12.dwg

To include the directory path with the file name:

Drawing name: $(getvar, "dwgprefix")$(getvar, "dwgname")

Output:

Drawing file: C:\Projects\97-102\Arch\102-fp12.dwg

When you plot a drawing, you may want the hard copy to show the date and the time that the plot was created. The following DIESEL expression displays this information in your drawing:

$(edtime, 0, MON DD","  YYYY - H:MMam/pm)

Output:

Mar 22, 2000 - 11:12pm

The $(getprop) DIESEL function

RText supports Drawing Properties through a locally defined $(getprop) DIESEL function. With $(getprop), values from Drawing Properties dialog box tabs can be extracted and displayed in RText objects.

The syntax for the $(getprop) DIESEL function is:

$(getprop, property name)

where property name; can be any of the following fields from the DWGPROPS command:

Title
Subject
Author
Comments
Keywords
LastSavedBy
Revno
Custom Property  the name of a custom property

For example, if the Drawing Properties for a drawing contains the text "Excavated Site" as the Subject, the DIESEL expression:

Subject: $(getprop, subject)

in an RText object will display as:

Subject: Excavated Site

If you have a custom property named "Project Name", the following DIESEL expression will display the value:

Project: $(getprop, %PROJECT NAME)

The $(xrefs) DIESEL function

RText supports listing Xref files attached to a drawing through the $(xrefs) DIESEL function.

The syntax for the $(xrefs) DIESEL function is:

$(xrefs [, flags [, leader [, trailer]]])

Example: The RText DIESEL expression:

$(xrefs,3)

displays a list of Xrefs in the following format:

B-ELEC [c:\proj-14\b-elec.dwg]
M-ELEC [c:\proj-14\m-elec.dwg]
R-ELEC [c:\proj-14\r-elec.dwg]
F-ELEC [c:\proj-14\f-elec.dwg]

while the expression:

$(xrefs,2,Includes: )

will list the Xrefs as:

Includes: B-ELEC
Includes: M-ELEC
Includes: R-ELEC
Includes: F-ELEC

The $(images) DIESEL function

RText supports listing images attached to the drawing through the $(images) DIESEL function.

The syntax for the $(images) DIESEL function is:

$(images [, flags [, leader [, trailer]]])

Behavior is similar to the $(xrefs) function.

The $(getrec) DIESEL function

RText supports displaying Xrecord data through the $(getrec) DIESEL function.

The syntax for the $(getrec) DIESEL function is:

$(getrec, key, code)

The $(getrec) function extracts a value from an Xrecord by looking in the Named Object Dictionary for key, then for a data value associated with code. Currently, only group codes in the ranges 1-9 (string), 40-59 (real), 60-79 (integer) and 300-309 (string) are supported.