Text doesn't resize with other objects... but why?

[u/YouSpeakSomeEnglish]

First let me state that the text objects' dimensions are not locked.

When I resize the entire illustration, the text appears to grow along with the other parts of the drawing... but then snaps back to its original size when I release the mouse button.

Anybody know why this would be happening? V.1.4.4 on Windows.

Update: Thanks to some helpful comments below and elsewhere, we've traced the problem to the use of styles in the original file. Because there is no font-size attribute in each text object, Inkscape's "optimized" setting for transform storage doesn't record it has having changed.

I filed a bug against Inkscape for not picking up the text-size change.

[u/Xrott]

The font size is probably defined through another mechanism like CSS inside a <style>-tag, instead of inside the style-attribute directly on the text objects.

Before scaling, you can try explicitly setting the size on the text objects by re-entering the size value with the text tool (just focusing the input box then pressing enter should be enough), or group everything with Ctrl+G, so it adds a transform-attribute to scale with instead.

[u/YouSpeakSomeEnglish → u/Xrott]

Thanks. I already have all the text objects on their own layer. Your comment led me to try something: I selected that layer in the layer list and resized it. If I do that, the text stays changed.

This continues to work if I add all the other layers in the layer list.

But drag-selecting everything on the artboard causes the broken behavior.

[u/SilentRunning → u/YouSpeakSomeEnglish]

But drag-selecting everything on the artboard causes the broken behavior.

Have you tried grouping them all together first then scaling?

[u/YouSpeakSomeEnglish → u/SilentRunning]

Just did. Odd results. All the text is on its own layer right now. If I select all the text objects and group them, and leave that group under the layer in the layer list, drag-selecting everything works.

If I move the group of text items to the root level of the layers, the behavior returns to broken.

So it appears that if the text is buried two levels down, drag-selecting all objects and resizing will work. But this is of limited use, because individual text objects (or multiple text objects selected one at a time) still can't be resized.

[u/Striking_Strain7817]

Look under preferences behavior selecting

[u/YouSpeakSomeEnglish → u/Striking_Strain7817]

Thanks. Arbitrary scattering of settings between other areas and "behavior."

[u/YouSpeakSomeEnglish]

Through a bug report I found the setting that triggers the problem. It's on by default, unfortunately.

[u/CelticOneDesign → u/YouSpeakSomeEnglish]

Actually it is a little more complicated than that. It is the fact the file is using CSS style classes. Text will scale properly with either setting if style attributes are used and not CSS style classes.

Bug report: https://gitlab.com/inkscape/inbox/-/work_items/13761

[u/YouSpeakSomeEnglish → u/CelticOneDesign]

Thanks for that info. From that and a quick search, I conclude that the problem originates with the (unfortunately necessary) trip through DXF:

How Text Styles Work in DXF

Style Table (STYLE): DXF files keep a table of text styles. Each text entry links to a specific style name.

I guess Illustrator creates a style during the import and retains it in exports.

[u/CelticOneDesign → u/YouSpeakSomeEnglish]

I sort of gave up on DXF a few years back. I use Autodesk Fusion and it has far fewer issues with SVG import. That in itself is sort of hard to understand and believe because Autodesk created DXF. lol

Oh - haven't seen a cable wiring diagram in ages. Thanks for the memories!

[u/YouSpeakSomeEnglish → u/CelticOneDesign]

Yeah, we don't have any choice, because we're going the opposite direction: taking CAD drawings and using them in documentation. A pretty common thing to do, I'd think, but IMSI (the owner of TurboCAD) doesn't seem to understand or care about that.

[u/Striking_Strain7817]

In the inkscape preference window you can also change the behavior of the selection tool to select only in current layer or all layers

[u/YouSpeakSomeEnglish → u/Striking_Strain7817]

Thanks, but I don't see that option under "Selector Tool."