DFTG 2419 Intermediate CAD

Student Guide

WORKING WITH ANNOTATIONS

Definitions
An annotation describes a type of drawing object, including text and multiline text,
dimensions, leaders and multileaders, tolerances, blocks, attributes, and hatches.
An annotation scale is a setting that is saved with Model space, layout viewports, and
model views. When you create annotation objects, they are scaled based on the current
annotation scale setting and automatically displayed at the correct size.
An annotative scale is a property of annotation objects that helps you scale these objects
correctly. An object's annotative scale is the same as the annotation scale that is current
when the object is created. An annotation object can have more than one annotative scale
assigned to it.
Annotations also have a property called annotative that is set to Yes or No. If the
annotative property is set to No, the object does not have an annotative scale property and
is not affected by annotation scale settings.
Concepts
Annotations have historically been challenging to work with in AutoCAD due to
scaling issues. If you display an annotation object in multiple viewports at different
scales, it appears to be a different size in each viewport (see Figure 1).

Figure 1. Incorrectly scaled annotation objects

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Up to now, drafters have solved scaling problems by dimensioning in paper space or

by creating multiple copies of text or dimensions at different sizes that appear the
same height when scaled in different viewports.
Beginning in AutoCAD 2008, special annotation tools are provided to help you scale
annotations correctly (see Figure 2).

Figure 2. Correctly scaled annotation objects

Set the annotative scale property of an annotation to the scale of the viewport where
you intend to display the object.
Annotation objects display a special icon when you rest your pointer over them (see
Figure 3). The icon represents the end of a drafting scale.
Each icon represents
an annotation scale
assigned to the
highlighted object.

Figure 3. Annotation icon represents a drafting scale

When you create a new text style or dimension style, you can choose to make it an
annotative style. Objects created in that style automatically have their Annotative
property set to Yes.

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Procedure for Annotating

A
D
Drawings
Folloow these step
ps to scale annnotations auutomaticallyy.
1. Create
C
annotaative styles (see
(
below).
2. Inn Model space, set the annnotation scale to the scale
att which the annotations
a
w be plottted or
will
displayed. Yo
ou can selectt an annotatiion scale by
cllicking on th
he Annotatioon Scale in thhe status barr
(ssee Figure 4)).
Figure 4. Annotation
A
Scale
e in the status ba
ar

3. Create
C
annotaative objectss in annotativve styles.
If an annotative object
o
needs to be displaayed at an addditional scalle in a differrent viewporrt,
follow
w these steps to add an annotation
a
sccale to the obbject.
1. Select the objject,
thhen right-clicck
annd choose
Annotative Objject
A
Scale and then
n
A
Add/Delete
Scales from
m the

shhortcut menu
u
(ssee Figure 5)).
Figure 5. Adding an annotatio
on scale

2. Inn the Annotaation

O
Object
Scale dialog
d
box, click on Add
(ssee Figure 6)).

Fig
gure 6. Adding an
n annotation sca
ale

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3. In the Add Scales to Object dialog box,

select the scale you want from the list
and click on OK (see Figure 7).
Select the
annotation
scale you
want to add.

Figure 7. Adding an annotation scale

4. When you return to the

Annotation Object Scale dialog

box, the selected scale appears

in the list (see Figure 8). Click
on OK to return to your
drawing.
The new scale
appears in the list.

Figure 8. Adding an annotation scale

5. Set the annotation scale to the new scale (the

annotative objects that support the new scale will be
resized based on the annotation scale) (see Figure 9).
Figure 9. Annotation Scale in the status bar

6. If you select an annotation with multiple annotative scales,

you see "ghost" images that represent the object at the other
(i.e., non-current) scales (see Figure 10). Change the
Annotation Scale setting to make a "ghost" image visible.
Each image has its own grips that let you manipulate it
separately from the other images.
Figure 10. Selected object with multiple
annotation scales

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7. Y
You may neeed to repositiion or modiffy some annootative objeccts to adjust for the new
sccale. In the door
d
label shhown in Figuure 10, the juustification has
h been chaanged to
m
make
the num
mbers appearr correctly inn both annotative scales.
Whenn you create your layoutts, follow theese steps.
1. Create
C
a new layout or make
m
a layoutt current.
2. Create
C
viewports.
3. Set the viewp
port scale to the annotatioon scale. Yoou can easilyy set a viewpport scale by
seelecting the viewport
v
boundary (makke sure you are
a in paper space) and clicking
c
on
V Scale in th
VP
he status barr (see Figuree 11).

Select the
viiewport
bo
oundary.

Set the VP
Scale in
th
he status
ba
ar.

Figure 11. Set the VP Scale to the Annotation Scale

S
in the statu
us bar

4. L
Lock the view
wport when you
y
arre finished. Click
C
on the
padlock icon in the statuss bar
(ssee Figure 12
2).
Figure 12. Locking a vie
ewport in the sta
atus bar

5. W
When a viewp
port is lockedd, you
caannot changee either the VP
V Scale or
thhe Annotatio
on Scale settiing (see
Figure 13).
Figure 13. Status bar ind
dicates a locked viewport
v

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Creating an Annotative Text Style

To create an
annotative text
style, check the
Annotative box in
the Text Style
dialog box (see
Figure 14). Text
objects created
in this style are
automatically
annotative (i.e.,
have their
Annotative

property set to
Yes).
Figure 14. Creating an annotative text style

Creating an Annotative Dimension Style

To create an
annotative dimension
style, check the
Annotative box on the
Fit tab of the Create
Dimension Style

dialog box (see Figure

15). To make an
existing dimension
style annotative,
check the Annotative
box on the Fit tab of
the Modify Dimension
Style dialog box. Also
make sure you select
an annotative text
style on the Text tab.

Figure 15. Creating an annotative dimension style

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Creating an Annotative Block

Annotative block definitions create annotative block references. To create an annotative
block:
1. Invoke the BLOCK command to display the Block Definition dialog box (see Figure 16).
2. Check the Annotative box in the Behavior section of the dialog box.
Remember the following points when you are creating and working with annotative
blocks and annotative objects within blocks:
You cannot change the Annotative property of individual block references. Therefore,
to set an annotative blocks paper size, either define the block in Paper space or in
Model space with the annotation scale set to 1:1.
Annotative block references and attributes are assigned the current annotation scale at
the time they are inserted. You should insert annotative block references with a unit
factor of 1.
Non-annotative blocks can contain annotative objects, which are scaled by the blocks
scale factor in addition to the annotation scale.
Annotative blocks cannot be nested in annotative blocks.
Annotative block references are scaled uniformly by the current annotation scale as
well as any scale you apply to the block reference.
Blocks that contain annotative objects should not be manually scaled.

Figure 16. Creating an annotative block

If you wish, you can set the orientation of annotative blocks to match the orientation
of the paper. In the Block Definition dialog box:
o Check the Annotative box in the Behavior section.
o Then check the box labeled Match Block Orientation to Layout (see Figure 16).

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You can set the ANNOTATIVEDWG system variable to specify whether or not the
entire drawing will behave as an annotative block when inserted into another
drawing. The ANNOTATIVEDWG system variable becomes read-only if the
drawing contains annotative objects.

Creating Annotative Attributes

You can define annotative attributes for either annotative or non-annotative blocks. To
create an annotative attribute:
1. Invoke the ATTDEF command to display the Attribute Definition dialog box.
2. Check the Annotative box (see Figure 17).
3. You can define and select an annotative text style for an attribute.
If you define annotative attributes with non-annotative blocks, the geometry in the block
is displayed on the paper based on the viewport scale, but the attribute text is displayed at
the Paper Height property defined for the attribute.
Note The INSUNITS setting is ignored when you insert an annotative block into a drawing.

Figure 17. Defining an annotative attribute

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Creating Annotative Hatches and Gradients

Create annotative hatches and gradients just as you would any hatch or gradient, but
check the Annotative box in the Hatch and Gradient dialog box (see Figure 18). Note that
the orientation of annotative hatches always matches the orientation of the layout.

Figure 18. Defining an annotative hatch

By assigning annotative scales to hatch objects, you can:

control hatch scaling.
control which viewports a hatch appears in.
In Figure 19a below, you see the Model space representation of four hatches with two
different annotation scales assigned.
The annotative scales of the two upper brackets are both 1:1; the annotative scales of
the two lower brackets are both 1:2.
The hatches appear at different scales.
All four hatches are visible in Model space.

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Annotative
scale = 1:1

Annotative
scale = 1:1

Annotative
scale = 1:2

Annotative
scale = 1:2

Figure 19a. Annotative hatches in Model space

In Paper space, the hatches appear as shown in Figure 19b below.

The hatches whose annotative scales match their viewport scales are visible in those
viewports.
The hatches whose annotative scales do not match their viewport scales are not
visible in those viewports.
The hatches appear to be the same scale.

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VP Scale
= 1:1

VP Scale
= 1:2

Hatch
appears
where
annotative
scale =
VP Scale

Hatch
does not
appear
where
annotative
scale <>
VP Scale

Hatch
scale
appears to
be the
same

Hatch
does not
appear
where
annotative
scale <>
VP Scale

Figure 19b. Annotative hatches in Paper space

151

Hatch
appears
where
annotative
scale =
VP Scale