Troubleshooting: Why I can’t find text using Find & Replace?

When we want to batch find & replace text, we can use Find & Replace function, but sometimes we can see the text, but just can’t find it using Find command, how is that?

1. Wrong search range

This happens when we only want to find and replace text in certain range instead of the entire drawing, and we would click the Select objects button after “Find where”, and when prompted to select object shown as below, normally we would assume that we will get the right results if we window select objects that contain the text, however, since text can be part of a block, when we window select a block from left to right, the block isn’t selected and therefore the text within the block cannot be found using Find command.

2. Inappropriate search options

This happens when the text to be searched doesn’t conform with the search options we have selected, for example, you have entered wildcards without checking the box before “Use wildcards”; or let’s say you have check the Match case box, but the text you entered is not case-sensitive, all causing you unable to find the text.

We don’t need to pay extra attention to the Search Options, but if we can’t find text that’s visible, we can check those options.

3. Spacial text objects

Some users tend to use attribute text as normal text, and don’t include attribute into blocks, they seem like text but they are not normal text and can’t be found using Find command, shown as below,