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MText to Leader

Converts selected MText into multileaders: the text stays exactly in place and only gains a leader; contents, inline formatting, height, style, layer, color, mask, rotation, and annotative state all carry over. The leader is built from an MLeader style you pick (blank = the active style), with optional per-run landing / arrow overrides .

Command VDCMTEXT2MLDR · VDC Lots tab › Labels panel
Converts selected MText into multileaders: the text stays exactly in place and only gains a leader; contents, inline formatting, height, style, layer, color, mask, rotation, and annotative state all carry over. The leader is built from an MLeader style you pick (blank = the active style), with optional per-run landing / arrow overrides.
Text stays put, only a leader is added. Pick the arrow point, or Enter for a short auto leader down-left. BEFORE, plain MText SAW-CUT & MATCH EXIST. PAVEMENT (no arrow) convert AFTER, multileader (text unchanged) SAW-CUT & MATCH EXIST. PAVEMENT landing dogleg + leader (from active MLEADERSTYLE) existing pavement edge arrow point (you pick) NOTE 4 Enter → auto leader, length = 4 × text height, down-left
MText / target feature   Added multileader   Picked arrow point   Enter = auto leader   Convert step

What it does

  • Per MText: the prompt shows a snippet of that note's contents, then you pick the arrow point or press Enter for a short auto leader; Escape skips that one.
  • Text does not move, only a leader is added; the new multileader lands at the text.
  • Carries over verbatim: contents (incl. inline formatting), text height, text style, layer, color, background mask, rotation, and annotative state.
  • Style source: leader color, linetype, lineweight, arrowhead, and straight/spline come from the MLeader style you pick in the dialog (blank = active), with optional overrides below.
  • Annotative: heights carried verbatim, so plotted size doesn't change.
  • One command = one Undo group; U reverses the whole batch.

Settings & options

  • MLeader style: pick one in the dialog, or leave blank for the active MLEADERSTYLE.
  • Landing & arrow overrides: each defaults to From style, optionally set the landing distance (the usual fix is ≈0.1), horizontal landing, landing gap, arrowhead size, or text frame.
  • Keep original: off by default, the MText is replaced by the multileader; on = both remain.
  • Auto-leader length on Enter: the length in text heights (default 4) of the short leader dropped down-left when you press Enter instead of picking an arrow point.
  • Selection: a pre-selected set is honored; otherwise window / crossing / pick the MText.
  • Dialog values persist at %APPDATA%\VDC\MTextToLeader\settings.json (env override VDC_MTEXT2MLDR_SETTINGS).
  • Ribbon: VDC Lots tab → Labels → MText to Leader.

Dialog

MText to Leader dialog
MText to Leader, VDCMTEXT2MLDR

When to use it

  • A plain note needs an arrow - or a whole sheet of them does.
  • Standardizing legacy text-plus-line callouts into real multileaders.

How to run it

  1. Run VDCMTEXT2MLDR; pick the MLeader style (or leave blank for the active one), set keep-original and the auto-leader length, and set any landing/arrow overrides; click OK.
  2. Select the MText; per text, pick the arrow point or press Enter for the auto leader (Escape skips one).
  3. Check the result - if the style's landing reads too long, tick 'Set landing distance' (~0.1) and re-run.

Options

  • MLeader style: blank = the active MLEADERSTYLE. This drives leader color, linetype, lineweight, arrowhead, and straight/spline.
  • Landing & arrow overrides: each defaults to 'From style' - optionally set the landing distance (the usual fix is ~0.1), horizontal landing on/off, landing gap, arrowhead size, or text frame.
  • Keep original: off by default - the MText is replaced by the multileader; on = both remain.
  • Auto-leader length on Enter: the length (in text heights, default 4) of the short leader dropped down-left when you press Enter instead of picking an arrow point.

Watch out for

  • Aesthetic properties come from the chosen MLeader style - pick the right style (or set MLEADERSTYLE current) so color/linetype/arrowhead are correct.
  • Annotative MText converts to an annotative multileader with heights carried verbatim - plotted size doesn't change.
  • One command = one Undo group; U reverses the whole batch.

Related: Feature Line Slopes · Pad Labels · Adjoiner Labels