Import text from TXT and MS Word file in AutoCAD – review

You can directly import text from TXT and MS Word file in AutoCAD as Mtext using Import text option which is available in Tools panel of Text editor tab. The text formatting will not be retained if it is imported from notepad but the formatting will retain if you import it from RTF (Rich Text Format) file.

In this article, I will explain both the methods, let’s start with importing text from TXT file popularly known as Notepad file.

Importing text from TXT file:

Start MTEXT command and make a text box in the drawing area. A Text Editor tab will appear for as long as MTEXT command is active as shown in the image below. Select Import Text from expanded Tools panel of Text Editor tab, locate TXT file in which your text is saved and click on Open to import it into AutoCAD.

Import text option in Tools panel

After importing the text you can add formatting using the Text Editor tab in AutoCAD window.

Importing from Word file:

You can import text with its formattings from an MS Word file but the import text option, as shown above, recognizes only TXT and RTF format so you need to convert word file (.DOC) into an RTF file before importing.

To convert a word file into RTF (rich text format) file open it in MS word then select save as option from the File menu and choose Rich Text Format from format drop-down menu in the Save as window as shown in the image below.

Saving a file in rich text format from MS word

Now start MTEXT command again and select Import Text from tools panel of text editor tab. This time, change the format to RTF from the Open window as shown in the image below. Select the RTF file and click on Open, your text will be entered with all its formattings in AutoCAD.

Rich text format option in the import text window

Apart from these methods, you can directly import the table from an excel file as a data link and also as a standalone drawing entity, More details about importing table in AutoCAD can be found in this article.

Do you have questions related to the tip? Let me know in the comments below.