AutoCAD 2016 - Field Background Display And Field Updating

By Martin Phelps 

Field background

By default, when inserting a “Field” whether it’s in text, in a table or in a block, the “Field” data has a grey background to distinguish it from normal text.

The example below shows “Text” and a “Field”, the “Field” by default is displaying the grey background, the grey background however does not print.

This grey background can be turned off by either removing the tick in the check box of the “Display background of fields” in the “Fields” section (lower left corner) of the “User Preferences” tab in the “Options” dialogue box, or by changing the “FIELDSDISPLAY” system variable to “0”, setting the value to “1” turns on the grey background.

Field Update Settings

Also by default if the data in the “Field” changes, for example the linked geometry changes, the information in the “Field” updates when one of the following commands are used “Open”, “Save”, “etransmit”, “Plot” and “Regen”, (to “Regen” or “Regenerate” the drawing type in “RE” ).

The five commands that allow the fields to update can be turned on or off via the “Fields Update Setting” at the same location in the “Options” dialogue box as the “Display Background of Fields”.

By default they are all turned on.