AutoCAD 2016 - Placing a box around text

By Martin Phelps 

It’s been a long time requirement in draughting to place a box around text, this could always have been done by adding “Multi-line” text to a drawing and simply drawing a rectangle around it. However if the text is changed, and since the text and the rectangle are not associated the rectangle has to be updated separately.

A possible solution, would be to create a “Multi-leader” style, set the “Leader line” to “None” and “Frame” the text.

Now with AutoCAD 2016 this function has at long last been added, but it’s not located in the “Multi-line” text ribbon where you would expect to find it, but it’s actually in the “Properties” dialogue and can be added after the placement of the text

To apply a box around text, add textual data using the “Multi-Line text” command, and confirm by either left clicking away from the text in the drawing area or close the command.

Make sure the “Properties” dialogue is in the working area, if not press “CTRL + 1” to display.

Select the text, at the bottom of the “Text” panel in the “Properties” dialogue there is the option “Frame text” which by default is set to “No” change this to “Yes” to frame the text.

The text can now be edited and the surrounding box will automatically update.