Add and manage scales assigned to annotative objects

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When using annotative scaling,

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the scale associated with an annotative object like text or

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dimensions will determine how and when that object is displayed,

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this feature can work great or be

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very frustrating without the proper understanding.

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After completing this video, you'll be able to

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create and manage the annotative skills of annotative objects.

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Annotative scaling eliminates the need to

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duplicate annotations at different sizes,

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create multiple text or dimension styles and

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create multiple layers just to ensure that

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the right annotation displays at the right

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scales used throughout a set of drawings.

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Open the annotative properties drawing provided in the data set,

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if not already displayed, press control one

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to display the property's pallet.

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In this example, we have a paper space layout with view ports showing two plans.

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The top plan is a partial floor plan scaled at one quarter inch to a foot.

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The lower plan is an enlarged kitchen plan scaled at one half inch to a foot.

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The partial floor plan, the top is annotated.

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The enlarged kitchen plan is not

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with the proper use of annotation. Scaling.

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We can add annotation to the kitchen plan without

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having to create additional annotations specifically for that plan,

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click on the model tab to switch back to model space

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in model space.

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The status bar shows that the current annotation scale is one quarter inch to a foot.

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The annotation you see displayed is the same

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annotation that appeared in the partial floor plan viewport

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that was scaled at one quarter inch to a foot.

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If we change the annotation scale to one half inch equals a foot,

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the annotation disappears.

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Let's explore why. Switch the annotation scale back to one quarter inch to a foot

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and hover your cursor over the 22 ft horizontal dimension.

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Note the little triangular cursor badge that appears next to the crosshairs.

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This icon indicates that the highlighted object is annotative on the ribbons,

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annotate tab, click the add delete scales tool on the annotation, scaling panel,

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select the dimension and press enter

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in the annotation object scale dialogue,

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click add and select one half inch to a foot, click.

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OK and click. OK. Again, hover your cursor over the 22 ft dimension. Again

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note that the triangular cursor badge now appears doubled.

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Indicating that the annotative object has multiple scales

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assigned to it on the status bar,

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change the annotation scale to one half inch to a foot.

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The 22 ft dimension remains visible this time and has been

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resized to reflect its scale relative to the current annotation scale.

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Click the floor plan tab to switch to the floor plan layout.

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Note that the 22 ft dimension displays in both view ports

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and appears the same size in relation to paper space,

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double click in the enlarged kitchen viewport and select the dimension.

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It highlights that dimension in both view ports

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indicating that it's the same object

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press escape to deselect the dimension.

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Let's add some annotation scales to some of the other annotative objects

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on the status bar hover over the

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show annotation objects icon. It's currently set to at current scale.

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This means that the only annotation that is displayed

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is the annotation that matches the Viewport scale.

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Click the icon to change the setting to always

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the other annotation is now visible but it's

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incorrectly sized in relation to paper space.

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Let's look at a couple other ways to assign additional annotative scales.

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Select the kitchen room name, right, click

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and choose

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annotative object scale

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and choose add current scale.

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The room name is resized appropriately matching how

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it appears in the partial Planned Viewport above

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annotation scales can also be matched between similar objects

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on the ribbons. Home tab,

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click the match properties tool on the property's pallette,

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select the 22 ft dimension as your source object

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and select the 15 ft dimension as your

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destination object press enter to complete the command,

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select the 15 ft dimension and note that its

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annotative scale is now one half inch to a foot

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press escape to release the selection

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zoom into the kitchen plan.

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The room name in this Viewport could be repositioned to

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avoid overlapping the line work if we move the text,

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however, it will be moved in both view ports.

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It's possible

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though for annotative objects to have positions

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that are unique to each particular scale,

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select the room name.

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First note that there appears to be two copies of the room name.

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What we're actually seeing are the annotative versions within that piece of text.

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Select its middle grip to begin a grip edit stretch,

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reposition the text as desired press escape to release

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the text zoom back out and not that the

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repositioned room name did not affect the position of

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the room name in the partial floor plan above

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hatching can also be annotative in our drawing.

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We see that the hatch scale appears different in the enlarged

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kitchen plan than it does in the partial floor plan.

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Select the hatch pattern objects in the kitchen viewport

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in the properties palette,

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click the icon next to the current annotative scale.

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Click, add

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add half inch to a foot, click. OK. Click OK. Press escape to release the hatch.

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And the hatch scale is now consistent in relation to paper space in both view ports,

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double click outside the viewport

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and zoom out to see the entire sheet.

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After reviewing the sheet,

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we've decided to change the scale of the enlarged

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kitchen plan to provide more room on the drawing.

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This means that the visible annotation will also need to be updated with the new

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annotation scale rather than assign the new

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annotation scale to the annotative objects manually,

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we'll have AUTOCAD do it for us automatically

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on the status bar. Click the add scales to annotative objects.

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When the annotation scale changes

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icon,

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it's currently turned off. Click it to turn it on. By turning this on.

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The new annotation scale will be automatically

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applied to all the annotative objects.

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When the viewport scale is changed, select the Viewport,

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select its scale grip in the middle of the Viewport

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change its scale to 3/8 of an inch.

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Press escape to release the Viewport type regen all to refresh the view port.

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The annotation appears and has been resized double click inside the Viewport,

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select the 22 ft dimension again and note that

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the 3/8 inch annotative scale was automatically applied.

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When the Viewport was changed,

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press escape to release the selection,

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the add scales to annotative objects.

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When the annotation scale changes feature is convenient but

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generally should not be left on over time.

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It will degrade drawing performance

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as annotative scales continue to be added.

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Whenever Viewport scales change,

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click the icon on the status bar to turn it back off.

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It's good practice to limit the number of annotative skills

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assigned to objects to only those that are needed.

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Select the 22 ft and the 15 ft dimensions, right?

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Click choose annotative object scale,

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choose add delete scales and in the annotative object scale dialogue,

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select one half inch to a foot which was the previous viewport scale hit,

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delete and hit.

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OK.

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Now these dimensions have only the annotative scales

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that are necessary for them to appear properly.

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In this drawing.

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A similar process could be done with the other annotative objects in this viewport

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when understood and used properly,

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annotation scales can simplify working with multiple scaled views,

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eliminate redundant geometry

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and improve the visual quality of your drawings.