Text Tool

Use the Text Tool to insert Text entities into your model. Activate the Text Tool from either the Construction Toolbar or the Draw menu.

There are two types of text in SketchUp: Leader Text and Screen Text.

Creating and Placing Leader Text

Leader Text contains characters and a leader line that points (refers) to an entity. To create and place leader text:

1. Select the Text Tool. The cursor changes to an arrow with a text prompt.
2. Click on any entity to indicate the ending point of the leader line (the location where the leader should point).

3. Move the cursor to position the text. The leader line will grow and shrink as you move the cursor around the screen.
4. Click to position the text. A text entry box appears with default text, such as the name of a component (if the ending point of the leader line is attached to a component), or the square footage of a square (if the ending point of the leader line is attached to the face of a square).

5. (optional) Click in text box.
6. (optional) Enter text in the text box.

Note - Press the Esc key at any point during the operation to start over.

7. Click outside of the text box, or press the Enter key twice, to complete text entry.

Tip - Press the Esc at any time to cancel creation of the Text entity.

Note - There are two styles of leaders: View Based and Pushpin. A View Based leader will always retain its 2D screen orientation. A Pushpin leader is aligned in 3D space, and rotates with your model as you change your view. You can specify which type of leader is used from the Text panel of the Model Info dialog box.

Tip - Double-click on any face, while in the Text Tool, to display the area of the face as a Text entity.

Placing Screen Text

Screen Text contains characters and is not associated with an entity and is fixed to the screen regardless of how you manipulate or orbit the model. To create and place screen text:

1. Select the Text Tool. The cursor changes to an arrow with a text prompt.
2. Move your mouse to a blank area on the screen where you want the screen text to appear.
3. Click to position the text. A text entry box appears.
4. Enter text in the text entry box.
5. Click outside of the text box, or press the Enter key twice, to complete text entry. Screen text will stay fixed on the screen regardless of how you manipulate and orbit the model.

Editing Text

Double-click on text , with the Text Tool or Select Tool active, to edit the text. You can also context-click on a Text entity and select the Edit Text menu item from the Text entity's context menu.

Configuring Text Settings

Text entities are created using the settings found in the Text panel of the Model Info dialog box. Refer to the Text entity topic for further information.

Note - Text entities can have different attributes (font, size, and so on) while dimension settings are global.