Text Fields

Anything in MeasureIt_ARCH that displays text (Dimensions, Annotations etc.) uses Text Fields. At their simplest Textfields display user authored text, or measurements generated by the add-on, but Text Fields also have a variety of auto fill options.

Where to find Text Fields

The Text Field UI can be found below the List menus for Annotations, Dimensions and Views. It displays the text fields associated with the activly selected item in the list.

Text Field UI

The Text Field UI has the following options:

  • Add Text Field: Adds a Text Field
  • Remove Text Field: Removes the last Text Field in the list

For each text field available, the following properties will be displayed:

  • image AutoFill: Enables or disables AutoFill
  • Text: User authored text for this Text Field
  • Move Up: Moves this Text Field up the list
  • Move Down: Moves this Text Field down the list

image Auto Fill Sources

If AutoFill is selected enabled, then a dropdown of autofill sources will become available. Autofill can automaticall populate text from the folowing sources:

Note

AutoFill is particularly usefull for setting up Titleblocks. Check out the Titleblock Tutorial for an example

Warning

Not all AutoFill sources work in all text field contexts, we're working on a way to hide sources in the dropdown that won't work in that context, but for now, the suitable contexts are noted in each sources description below.

image Text File:

The Text File source allows you to fill the text field from any plain text files loaded in Blender. Text files can be created in Blender's Text Editor or loaded from an external .txt file using the "Text" -> "Open" menu in the Text Editor.

This is particularly usefull for longer text that requires multiple lines, like specifications or general notes.

image Custom Property:

The Custom Property Autofill option allows you to fill the text field from any property of the object this text field is associate with, using Blender's scripting API. Enter the data path of the property you want to access in the textbox next to the dropdown.

A common use for this is accessing the Blender's Custom Object Propeties. For example, if I added a "Manufacturer" Property to an object then I could auto fill the value of that property by entering [Manufacturer] as the data path.

Other example include:

  • [<Property Name] would autofill the value of the custom property with matching <Property Name>
  • .name would autofill the name of the object
  • .location[0] would autofill the X location of the object
  • .material_slots[0].name would autofill the name of the first material on the object

image View:

Displays the current views name.

image Date:

Displays the current date.

image Notes:

Displays the notes from the current view.

image Curve Lenth:

If this textfield belongs to an annotation attached to a Curve object, then this autofill will display the Curve's length.

Warning

This will likely be removed when we add a Curve Dimension type.

image Elvation:

If this textfield belongs to an annotation, then this will display the Z height of the annotations main anchor point.

image Scale:

Displays the Scale defined in the current view.

image Drawing Number:

Displays the Drawing Number defined in the current view.

image Project Name:

Displays the Project Name, as defined in the MeasureIt_ARCH scene tab

image Project Address:

Displays the Project Address, as defined in the MeasureIt_ARCH scene tab

image Project Number:

Displays the Project Number, as defined in the MeasureIt_ARCH scene tab