Why Won't this Match Text Work with Color in AutoCAD?

Описание: Learn why copying text in AutoCAD ignores its color and discover how to solve this issue with a simple code fix.
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This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/75852626/ asked by the user 'codeTester-' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/20344208/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/75858156/ provided by the user 'gileCAD' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/4614419/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

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Understanding the Issue: Why Color Doesn't Transfer in AutoCAD

If you’re working with AutoCAD and trying to copy text not only for its content but also to retain its formatting – specifically the color – you're likely facing a frustrating issue. Many users have noticed that when executing certain commands, the color associated with the text doesn't carry over. Instead, it defaults to the layer color or gets ignored altogether. This raises the question: Why won't this match text work by copying not only the text but the color as well?

In this guide, we’ll explore the reasons behind this problem and walk you through a solution that ensures the properties you want to duplicate are successfully transferred to your new text objects.

The Problem Explained

In AutoCAD, every entity has properties which include color, layer, and type of object. When you attempt to copy text using Lisp routines, if that text's color is set to "ByLayer" (which is represented by the number 256), the code may not include the color property. As a result, the newly created text retains a default color that may not match your intentions.

Common Code Structure

The initial attempt to create a Lisp function might look like the following:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

As you notice, there's a section where the color property is supposed to be assigned:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

However, if the original text’s color is set to "ByLayer", the assoc 62 will not return anything, thus skipping color altogether.

A Working Solution

Updated Code Explanation

To address this, we need to modify the code. Here’s an updated version:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Breakdown of Key Changes:

Retrieve Entity Data:
The function checks whether the selected entity is valid and then retrieves its data.

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Determine Color:
Here’s where the key change happens. Instead of simply retrieving the color, we also check if it exists. If not, we assign it the "ByLayer" value explicitly.

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Copy Text and Color:
When you're repeating the action across multiple text objects, ensure you're handling the case where the color doesn’t exist in the original object:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Final Steps

Finally, it’s important to refresh the display so that the changes are visible:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Conclusion

By following the steps mentioned above and implementing the modified code, you should now effectively copy not only the text but also its associated color in AutoCAD. Remember that understanding how entity properties work is crucial for writing effective Lisp routines.

Feel free to experiment with this solution and make adjustments based on your specific needs. Happy drawing!