Display the Area of an Enclosed Figure

October 16, 2006

Suppose that you would like to insert a label that displays the area of an enclosed figure. While the AREA command can show you the area, it doesn't create a label in your drawing. If you insert the area at the end of a leader, that area doesn't change if your object changes in size.

You can use fields (introduced in AutoCAD 2006) to display information about objects. In this tutorial, you create a leader that displays the area of a tub. You can do this in model space or paper space.

1. Set up a text style for your leader text and a dimension style for the leader.
2. Start the QLEADER command (Dimension > Leader).
3. Specify first leader point.
4. Specify the next point and press Enter to stop specifying points.
5. At the Specify text width <0">: prompt, specify the endpoint of the text, leaving enough room for the expected text.
6. At the Enter first line of annotation text <Mtext>: prompt, press Enter to open the Multiline Text Editor, as shown here.

7. Type Area: and a space.
8. Right-click in the text area and choose Insert Field.
9. In the Field dialog box, choose Objects from the Field Category drop-down list. This makes the field you want easier to find.
10. Choose Object in the Field Names box.
11. In the Object Type area, click the Select Objects button.
12. You return to your drawing, where you should select the object. The Field dialog box comes back and it should look like the one you see here.

Note: If your enclosed area isn't one object, you may be able to use the BOUNDARY command to create a polyline. That's what I did with the tub.

13. Choose the property you want to display. I chose Area.
14. Choose a format; I chose Architectural.
15. Click OK.
16. If necessary, adjust the width of the text by dragging on the edge of the Multiline Text Editor's ruler.
17. Click outside the editor to close it. Here you see the result.

About the Author

Ellen Finkelstein has been using AutoCAD since 1986. She has been consulting and teaching AutoCAD since 1993. Now she writes computer books and teaches management courses. She is the author of AutoCAD 2006 and AutoCAD LT 2006 Bible. You can find more tips and tutorials at www.ellenfinkelstein.com. Ellen can be reached at info@ellenfinkelstein.com

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