The Preset Text feature - unique to 2D Rebar tools - provides a fast and intelligent method of annotating reinforcement details.

Any one of an unlimited number of commonly used bar labels is selected using a single datapoint selection. Typing is not usually required if the Preset Text entries are configured properly. A range of special keywords inserted within the label text allows reinforcement parameters for the current bar to be included dynamically into a label. No longer is it necessary to manually update your bar labels with new bar diameters, spacings, covers, or perhaps scheduled data. If a reinforcement parameter changes, the program makes a search of all occurrences of the associated keyword, then updates the labels accordingly.

All labels appearing in the Preset Text lists are user-definable within presets.sys in your Project Directories. Your label lists can vary from one Project to the next if necessary.

presets.sys is a text file that should be edited with your normal Text Editor.

The configuration file is divided into six categories. Each category represents and defines the Preset Text entries displayed with each of four bar label dialog boxes.

The file format is shown below. The entries enclosed in square brackets […] are the major Preset Label category names. Any lines not beginning with either a square bracket or double inverted quotes are regarded as a comment (or remark).

// Start of File
[Main Bar]
…
… (Unlimited number of preset text entries for Main Bar labeling) 
…
[Longitudinal Bar]
…
… (Preset text entries for Longitudinal Bar labeling) 
…
[Bar End Location]
…
… (Preset text entries for Bar End labeling) 
…
[Face Labels]
…
… (Preset text entries for Face labeling) 
…
[Dynamic Dimensions]
…
… (Preset text entries for Dynamic dimensions) 
…
[Schedule Remarks]
…
… (Preset text entries for Schedule remarks) 
…
// End of File 

For each of these categories, you can include your own lists of Preset Text entries. The program reads each line of Preset Text for each category and adds them to the Preset Text pull-down menu, within the bar labeling dialog boxes. You are then free to choose any one of these predefined labels at run-time, when the label is placed.

Preset Text is designed to eliminate the need for typing when placing bar labels. For each entry in the presets.sys file you must specify two pieces of information - the label shown in the dialog box list and, secondly, the actual text to be output to the drawing when this entry is selected. The format of each entry in the file is therefore:

"Dialog Box Label " Actual text output to drawing

Even though only one entry in the Preset Text list is selected at any one time, the entry can be designed to output up to 4 lines of text for any single selection. The " | " character is used to request a carriage return. Place it anywhere in the actual text to be output. The text is split into separate lines when the entry is selected if these special characters are found.

Another important feature of Preset Text is the ability to include live reinforcement variables into any part of a bar label. A large number of Preset Text Codes are provided for each category (above).