OVLFLAG-bgol (Find & Flag Overlapping Text)

Command Type: AutoLISP routine (works in AutoCAD, BricsCAD, ZWCAD and most AutoLISP-compatible CAD platforms)
Developed by: BGol Community, bgol.in

Inspired by the general concept of overlapping-text detection utilities used in CAD/survey drafting QA passes. This is an original, independently written routine, new file name, new command name, new source code, created so the CAD community has a free, editable, open-source alternative.

Overview

OVFX scans TEXT and MTEXT entities, either a selection you make or the whole drawing, and finds pairs whose insertion points sit at (or very near) the same location. Overlapping labels like this render as an unreadable smudge when a drawing is plotted, so catching them before submission matters. Any text found to be overlapping is moved onto a dedicated layer and recolored so it's instantly visible.

How to Use

1. Load OVLFLAG-bgol.lsp into your CAD session (drag-and-drop the file onto the drawing window, or use the APPLOAD command).
2. Type OVFX at the command line and press Enter.
3. Select the text entities you want to check, or press Enter with nothing selected to scan every TEXT/MTEXT entity in the drawing.
4. Enter the overlap tolerance distance when prompted (defaults to 0.05 drawing units).
5. Any text entity found overlapping another is switched to layer BGOL-OVFX (colour cyan), flagging it for review. Entities that don't overlap anything are left untouched.

Why Use It

• Fills a real gap, general duplicate-object finders catch exact duplicates, not near-coincident text at slightly different positions or content; this routine targets overlap specifically.
• Protects readability, catches label clutter before it reaches a plotted or PDF-exported drawing.
• Fast QA pass, checks an entire drawing's text in one command instead of eyeballing it label by label.

Where to Use It

• Pre-submission quality checks on survey, civil, or architectural drawings before plotting or sharing.
• Cleaning up drawings merged or compiled from multiple source files, where duplicate/overlapping labels commonly creep in.
• Any drafting workflow where legible, non-overlapping annotation matters for the final output.

Notes

• Overlap is judged purely by proximity of each text's insertion point, a practical approximation that works well for the short single-line labels (elevations, point numbers, remarks) this kind of routine is typically used on.
• The tolerance distance is user-adjustable at run time, so it can be tuned to the drawing's scale and text height.
• The original text entities are not deleted or altered in content, only their layer and color change, so the flag can be reviewed and reversed easily.
• Source code is fully open, feel free to study, modify, and redistribute it under the same open, free-for-all spirit.

Credits

Developed and shared for the CAD community by BGol Community. Website: https://bgol.in/ Free and open-source, use it, modify it, share it, for personal or commercial work alike.