Dimensions & Annotations
Related: Details Printing Annotation Styles Reference
How do I place material tag leaders on a drawing?
Use the Leader command on the Notes layer. Press Shift to enable ortho for straight leaders. Then Insert Block and choose the appropriate tag block: material tag, material tag + finish tag, or specialty hardware tag. Enter the material code (e.g., “PI01”) and place. Add grain direction, grain match, and aligned symbols as needed.
How do I set the annotation style for a detail view?
Select the annotation and change its style in Properties. Four standard styles are available: GEN (default/general), A-SITE (site context/architectural reference), VIF (verify-in-field dimensions), MTL (material-specific annotations). See Annotation Styles Reference for when to use each.
Dimensions
- Space dims 0.25 units apart.
- Placement:
- Maintain a gap between dimension line and geometry (prevents merging and improves readability).
- Place dimensions off the drawing geometry to avoid clutter.
Material Tags
- Use the Leader command for material tags and other annotations.
- Workflow: 1 Use Leader command, then go under Notes layer. Press Shift to enable ortho for straight leaders.
- Tag Types: 1 Material tag, material tag and finish tag, specialty hardware tag - all are blocks with attributes.
- Inserting Tags: 1 Insert block (e.g., “material tag”), enter material code (e.g., “PI01”), place tag.
- Additional Annotations: 1 As you work through details, use grain direction, grain match, grain direction annotations, and aligned symbols as needed. All important to include.
Leader Line Cleanup
- For leaders intersecting linework:
- Use mask background in properties to hide geometry behind text.
- Optionally add a frame around the text.
Next Steps
- Learn about Printing Considerations