Text Strings

igds_type: igds_text

Text string features correspond to IGDS element type 17. Normally, text strings are grouped together into a single complex element within MicroStation by text nodes. However, such text groups are handled in FME by the igds_multi_text type and not by this type, which is used only for single, free standing text strings. Text string features are point features, and only have a single coordinate.

Note that the V8 reader is capable of reading texts in Unicode (UTF-16) in Windows only.

Tip  Some applications may use the graphic group field to logically group related text elements together.

Text strings have the following attributes:

Attribute Name

Notes

Contents

igds_original_justification

 

This attribute contains the original justification of the element when it was placed in the Design file. Once placed, all text elements are stored in the Design file using lower left corner (code 2) justification. Therefore, all text elements returned by the reader have an igds_justification of 2.

The IDGS reader returns the original justification code in this attribute. The IGDS writer stores the value of this attribute in the justification bits of the placed text element, but it does NOT use its contents to determine placement of the text.

Range: 0..12

igds_text_string

Reader only

The text string to be output.

Text strings longer than 255 characters cannot be stored in a Design file and will be broken into multiple separate text elements.

Range: Any string

Default: No Default

igds_font

Reader only

The IGDS font number for the text string.

Values from 0..511 are RSC fonts, while values from 512..1023 are SHX font, and values above 1023 are True Type fonts.

Range: 0

Default: 25

igds_rotation

Reader only

The rotation of the text string. The rotation is measured in degrees counterclockwise up from horizontal.

Range: -360.0..360.0

Default: 0

igds_justification

 

The justification code for the text string. See the Text Nodes section for documentation on the mapping of numbers to alignments.

Note that if this is specified, the IGDS writer will compute the lower left corner of the text as best it can and use that when the element is written to the Design file. Text elements in a Design file are always stored using a lower left corner.

The igds_original_justification may still be used in addition to this value, to override the justification bits of the placed text element.

Range: 0..2,6..8, and 12..14

Default: 2

igds_text_size

 

The text size of the text, measured in ground units. This is stored as the height of the text element.

Range: Any real number > 0

Default: 20

igds_text_width_multiplier

 

The text width of the text. The text width is measured in ground units.

If this is not supplied, then igds_text_size is used.

Range: Any real number > 0

Default: value of igds_text_size

igds_text_num_lines

 

If this is specified and is greater than 1, it will cause the text string to be broken into the number of lines specified, and output as that number of text elements stacked vertically.

If this is not supplied, then igds_text_size is used.

Range: Any integer > 0

Default: 1

igds_text_horizontal_flip

 

Indicates whether or not the text should be flipped horizontally when it is displayed. This is represented in a Design file by storing the text width as a negative number if the text should be flipped.

(Not included in Version 8 DGN files.)

Range: Yes|No

Default: No

igds_text_vertical_flip

 

Indicates whether or not the text should be flipped vertically when it is displayed. This is represented in a Design file by storing the text height as a negative number if the text should be flipped.

(Not included in Version 8 DGN files.)

Range: Yes|No

Default: No

igds_insertion_x

igds_insertion_y

igds_insertion_z

Reader only

The x, y, and z location of the original insertion point for the text, before the justification was applied.

Range: Any real number > 0

igds_lower_x

igds_lower_y

igds_upper_x

igds_upper_y

Reader only

The lower left and upper right x and y coordinates of the bounding box of the text.

For text members of split text node elements, these bounds represent only those of the text member, while the more generic igds_xlow, etc. attributes represent the bounds of the overall text node element.

Range: Any real number > 0

igds_textstyle_id

 

The ID of the textstyle being used.

When writing, this ID may associate an existing text style definition in the seed file with this text element. If a matching ID is found, then that text style information is applied to this text element as the default style. Any text style specification for this text element on the feature as igds_textstyle_* attributes will take precedence over the matched default text style information.

Default: None

igds_textstyle_bold

 

A flag indicating that the text should have a bold style.

This takes precedence over the bold flag integrated into the igds_textstyle_exflags attribute.

Default: None

igds_textstyle_char_spacing

 

Textstyle character spacing between characters.

When writing, this is not used if an existing text style is found that has either inter-character spacing, fixed-width spacing, or AutoCAD-related spacing flags already set.

Default: None

igds_textstyle_slant

 

This is the angle in degrees that the text slants, clockwise for horizontal, left-to-right text, as specified by the text style. This is a property which is part of the specification of italics.

An angle of 30 degrees is usually used to apply an italic style.

This takes precedence over the slanted flag integrated into the igds_textstyle_txflags attribute.

Range: -180.0..180.0

Default: None

igds_textstyle_underline

 

A flag indicating that the text should have an underline style.

This takes precedence over the underlined flag integrated into the igds_textstyle_txflags attribute.

Default: None

igds_textstyle_underline_spacing

 

Textstyle underline spacing

Default: None

igds_textstyle_underline_color

 

Textstyle underline color

Default: None

igds_textstyle_underline_style

 

Textstyle underline style

Default: None

igds_textstyle_underline_weight

 

Textstyle underline weight

Default: None

igds_textstyle_overline

 

A flag indicating that the text should have an overline style. This takes precedence over the overlined flag integrated into the igds_textstyle_exflags attribute.

Default: None

igds_textstyle_overline_spacing

 

Textstyle overline spacing

Default: None

igds_textstyle_overline_color

 

Textstyle overline color

Default: None

igds_textstyle_overline_style

 

Textstyle overline style

Default: None

igds_textstyle_overline_weight

 

Textstyle overline weight

Default: None

igds_textstyle_line_offset.x

igds_textstyle_line_offset.y

 

Coordinates of textstyle line offset

Default: None

igds_textstyle_codepage

 

Textstyle codepage. Specified as the integer portion of a Microsoft Windows code page, i.e., 1252 for Latin I.

Default: None

igds_textstyle_bg_color

 

Textstyle background color

Default: None

igds_textstyle_bg_style

 

Textstyle background style

Default: None

igds_textstyle_bg_weight

 

Textstyle background weight

Default: None

igds_textstyle_bg_border.x

igds_textstyle_bg_border.y

 

Coordinates of textstyle background border

Default: None

igds_textstyle_bg_fill_color

 

Textstyle background fill color

Default: None

igds_textstyle_color

 

Textstyle color

Default: None

igds_textstyle_font

 

Textstyle font

Default: None

igds_textstyle_tnode_word_
wrap_len

 

Textstyle word wrap length

Default: None

igds_textstyle_overrides_style1

igds_textstyle_overrides_style2

 

Textstyle override style flag

Default: None

igds_textstyle_txflags

 

Textstyle flags. A reasonable setting to enable text style on write is 512.

The bits of this integer value indicate the different text style properties to be applied to this text element. In general, these properties are specified by the other igds_textstyle_* attributes. If those attributes are set when writing a text element, the associated bits of this flag will automatically be set. For interpretation when reading, the following values are the base values for flags, which are added together to create the integer value of this attribute.

  • inter-character spacing = 1
  • fixed-width spacing = 2
  • underlined = 4
  • slanted = 8
  • vertical= 16
  • right to left = 32
  • reversed multi-line = 64
  • kerning = 128
  • offset = 256
  • codepage = 512
  • shx big font = 1024
  • background color = 2048
  • subscript = 4096
  • superscript = 8192
  • extended text = 16384
  • text style = 32768

Range: Valid unsigned 16-bit integer

Default: None

igds_textstyle_exflags

 

Textstyle extended flags are like igds_textstyle_txflags, but apply to extended textstyle properties.

This attribute will be set from text styles during reading, and will be used to create text styles when writing. The bits of this integer value indicate the different text style properties to be applied to this text element. A limited number of these properties are specified by the other igds_textstyle_* attributes. If those attributes are set when writing a text element, the associated bits of this flag will automatically be set. For interpretation when reading, the following are some of the base values for flags, which are added together with other bits to create the integer value of this attribute.

  • overlined = 1
  • bold = 65536
  • underline style = 131072
  • overline style = 262144
  • style overrides = 524288
  • word wrap text node = 1048576
  • color = 4194304

Range: Valid unsigned 32-bit integer

Default: None

Note  When a text string feature is reprojected, its rotation and text size are also automatically adjusted to be correct in the new coordinate system.
Note  When writing textstyles, make sure that all the textstyles are added to the seed file being used.