Columns in Multi-line Text

AutoCAD 2008 introduced the column functionality to mtext, enabling you to break a long section of text into columns without breaking it into separate objects. It makes working with long notes and trying to fit them into a defined space much easier!

To add columns in an existing mtext object, first double-click the text to open the mtext editor. The column option is available either by right-clicking or from the icon on the Insert panel of the Multiline text Ribbon tab. There are a lot of options here, so we'll go through them one at a time.

Dynamic Columns, Auto Height
With this option, you set one height for all columns, and AutoCAD LT splits the text into the appropriate number of columns.

Dynamic Columns, Manual Height
With this option, each column can have a different height. AutoCAD LT still automatically generates the appropriate number of columns.

Static Columns (Number Varies)
With static columns, you pick the number of columns you want. All columns have the same height, unless the last column contains extra text, in which case it continues down (instead of over, as a dynamic column would do).

With all the options, you can adjust column width, height, and spacing either with grips (outside the editor) or with the ruler controls (inside the editor). The image below shows the grips for the Dynamic Columns, Manual Height option.