BricsCAD Text System Variables Explained
Quick answer: BricsCAD’s text-related system variables control fonts, display quality, line spacing, and stacked fraction formatting, all settable via the Settings dialog.
The Text System Variables
| Variable | Title | Controls |
|---|---|---|
FONTALT |
Alternate font | The font used when a text’s own font can’t be found. This is the same variable referenced on this hub’s dimension text editing page as the default font for alternate dimension text specifically, likely two facets of the same fallback behaviour |
HIDETEXT |
Hide text on hide | Whether HIDE processes text entities |
MIRRTEXT |
Mirror text | Whether text gets mirrored by MIRROR or not |
MTEXTED |
Multiline text editor | Sets the primary and secondary editors used for multiline text entities |
MTEXTFIXED |
Multiline text fixed | Whether BricsCAD zooms, rotates, and/or pans the view to fit the Mtext currently being edited |
QTEXTMODE |
Quick text mode | Controls how text displays; on, it shows as a simple box instead of rendered text |
TEXTANGLE |
Text angle | Stores the angle of the last text entity added |
TEXTFILL |
Text fill | Whether TrueType fonts display filled or outlined |
TEXTQLTY |
Text quality | The smoothness of TrueType fonts for plotting and rendering |
TEXTSIZE |
Text size | The default height for new text entities; has no effect if the current text style uses a fixed height |
TEXTSTYLE |
Text style | Stores the name of the current text style |
TSPACEFAC |
Text space factor | Line spacing for multiline text, as a factor of text height; accepts values from 0.25 to 4 |
TSPACETYPE |
Text space type | The line spacing method for multiline text: At least (adjusts based on the tallest character in a line) or Exactly (uses the specified spacing regardless of character size) |
TSTACKALIGN |
Text stack align | Vertical alignment of stacked text: bottom, center, or top |
TSTACKSIZE |
Text stack size | The stacked text fraction’s height as a percentage of the selected text’s current height; accepts values from 25 to 125 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my text still display in a different font than the one I specified? Check FONTALT, it defines the fallback font used whenever a text’s actual specified font can’t be found.
Why is my text showing as simple boxes instead of readable characters? QTEXTMODE is likely on, which displays text as a box rather than rendering it fully, useful for speeding up display on complex drawings.
What’s the difference between At least and Exactly line spacing? At least adjusts spacing based on the tallest character in each line. Exactly uses your specified spacing regardless of how tall individual characters are.
Does changing TEXTSIZE affect text created with a fixed-height text style? No, TEXTSIZE has no effect at all if the current text style already has a fixed height defined.