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Create Custom Annotation Scales
Tip# 3327 By Dawn Pearl On 31-Jan-2010
4.5
Rated By 2 users
Categories : Edit Text
Software type : AutoCAD 2010
Rename File To : No Files to download.
Annotated text and dimensions work by telling objects what size they need to be when printed out on paper.

CAD Technician Dawn M. Pearl needed to show labels at multiple scales in one file with many layout tabs.

"The project included several drawing types — plan, utility, and grading — each with its own annotation. The project was split into two phases, with the entire project area appearing on every sheet, but with only the annotation for the specified phase appearing on any one sheet. In other words, we had drawings for Phase I Plan, Phase II Plan, Phase I Utility, Phase II Utility, etc. To complicate things further, all the sheet layouts were contained in a single file.

"The designer got around the problem of splitting out the annotation per sheet and phase by putting all his callouts and dimensions in paper space. Then the project design was updated and the viewports were shifted. When the drawing file was assigned to me for further updating, I could not bring myself to annotate in paper space and break the file into separate drawings, and setting up layers for annotation in each viewport would really upset the designers.

"My solution was to add a new annotation scale for each viewport with the ScaleListEdit command. For example, I called the scale that corresponded to my 1:50 scale Phase I Plan sheet '50_Plan 1.' I kept the units the same as the viewports they were being set up for, then went to my layouts and reassigned each one with its new scale. I made sure that annotation visibility (AnnoAllVisible) was off and add automatic scale (AnnoAutoScale) was on.

"By then annotating through the viewports, annotation 'scales' could be added depending on the viewports they were to appear in. The multileader or text could also be copied and the assigned scale of the copy changed to that of another viewport to keep the drawing file easy to work with. Best of all, there was no need to create and juggle several additional layers."

Notes from Cadalyst Tip Patrol: Annotated text was added to AutoCAD in the 2008 release. Annotated text and dimensions work by telling these objects what size they need to be when printed out on paper. They will then resize themselves to be that height at the scales listed. This way, you can enter the text once in model space and it will always print from a paper space layout at the right size. Managing the scales can be difficult, but if you follow the tips above, it will work out for you. You can make text annotated by clicking on the annotation setting in the style manager. You will also enter the desired size there as well.

 

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