Dealing with Annotative Text & Objects

       Objects that are commonly used to annotate drawings have a property called Annotative. This property allows you to automate the process of scaling annotations so that they plot or display at the correct size on the paper.

       Instead of creating multiple annotations at different sizes and on separate layers, you can turn on the annotative property by object or by style, and set the annotation scale for layout or model viewports. The annotation scale controls the size of the annotative objects relative to the model geometry in the drawing.

o    The following objects are commonly used to annotate drawings and contain an annotative property:

§  Text

§  Dimensions

§  Hatches

§  Blocks

§  Attributes

§  Linetype scale is also affected by annotation scale

o    You define a paper size for annotative objects. The annotation scale you set for layout viewports and model space determines the size of the annotative objects in those spaces.

       Add and Modify Scale Representations

o    When you create an annotative object in your drawing, it supports one annotation scale: the annotation scale that was current when you created the object.

§  You can update annotative objects to support additional annotation scales.

§  Select the annotative object (s) & right click for the short cut menu-

§  Pick “Annotative Object Scale”

§  Then either “Add Current Scale”, “Delete Current Scale” or Add/Delete Scales…

§  You can also get there via the properties palette by clicking on the “…” button that appears when you click into “Annotative Scale” field.

o    When you update an annotative object to support additional scales, you add additional scale representations to the object

§  For example, if an annotative object supports two annotations scales, it has two scale representations.

o    When you select an annotative object, grips are displayed on the scale representation that supports the current annotation scale.

§  You can use these grips to manipulate the current scale representation.

§  All other scale representations of the object are displayed in a dimmed state when the SELECTIONANNODISPLAY system variable is set to 1 (default).

§  To NOT display the other scale representations set the SELECTIONANNODISPLAY system variable is set to 0.

o    To manipulate different scale representation of an annotative object

§  MOVE command moves ALL the defined scale representations the same

§  STRETCH command or grip edit moves ONLY the currently displayed scale representation.

§  Use the ANNORESET command to reset the location of all scale representations for an annotative object to that of the current scale representation. 

·         Select the annotative object (s) & right click for the short cut menu-

·         Pick “Annotative Object Scale”

§  Then “Synchronize Multiple-scale Positions”

       Linetype Scale

o    Please don’t change the LTSCALE value

o    After you change the annotation scale use the REGENALL (REA) command to refresh the view and the linetype scale with adjust automatically to the proper dash spacing for the new scale.

WALLS, CLEANUPS & TRIANGLES OF DEATH

 

      When drawing a wall you can switch the justification by hitting the CTRL key while you are drawing.  This can be useful when you wish to align one face of two walls of different width.

o    Walls have justification lines (where the grips are)

§  mid grip can move wall

§  end grips move wall ends (AVOID using these to lengthen a wall.  You could unintentionally rotate a wall by a very small degree and not know it)

§  triangle grips change wall length along the axis of the wall (VERY VERY USEFUL FOR KEEPING WALL ORTHAGONAL!)

§  arrow grip reverses wall direction or flips justification line to other side of wall

       Clean ups – The… triangles of death happen when walls don’t clean up right.

o    Walls clean up better when justification lines are touching.

§  “Fillet” & “Chamfer” command  works on the justification lines to join them

§  try flipping walls to get them to align or touch - click arrow near midpoint to flip the justification line.

§  extend walls using triangle grips at each end

§  check the walls to make sure they are not rotated only slighting or misaligned by a very small dimension

§  Newton’s Second Law – make sure you don’t have two walls drawn in the same place…

o    If that don’t work, try monkeying with the “Cleanup Radius”

§  select one or more of the walls in question

§  right click & select “Cleanups”

§  select “Toggle Wall Justification Display”

§  pick the wall that is the most trouble

§  each end of the wall with have a second lighter cyan triangle grip

§  pick the new grip and stretch out the circle that appears to enclose the nearest other wall intersection

o    If that don’t work try editing the clean up in place.

§  Type AECwallcleanupedit (if you like this command can be added to a toolbar or shortcut menu)

§  Use the grips to adjust the boundaries of the wall components

§  Click the “save” button (the one with the picture of a floppy disk)

o    If that don’t work try adding a “Wall Merge Condition”

§  select one or more of the walls in question

§  right click & select “Cleanups”

§  select “Add Wall Merge Condition”

§  Pick all the walls you want to merge and hit enter

o    If THAT don’t work, I guess you can come get Rick K so he can try all of the above and then bust your chops for either not trying the above or doing it wrong.  And if he can’t figure it out, then go find some white out and a pencil.

       Endcaps – for low walls, veneer returns and other walls

o    Change the endcap style

§  Pick the wall & right click for the shortcut menu

§  Select “Endcaps” and then “Override Endcap Style”

§  Put the cursor near the end of the wall you want to change and left click

§  Select one of the preset endcap styles

o    Edit in place

§  Pick the wall & right click for the shortcut menu

§  Select “Endcaps” and then “Edit in Place”

§  Put the cursor near the end of the wall you want to edit and left click

§  Grip edit the lines of the endcap and click the save button when you’re done

§  Select “Save as a new style”, give it an appropriate name and click “OK”

XCLIP – avoid it whenever possible when dealing with floor plans.  It only makes walls     invisible and invisible walls will still try to clean up with your visible walls causing more…      triangles of death

First Post

So this is just a way for me to distribute information to everybody.  I might use it, I might not.