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C3D Notes vs annotative text

9 REPLIES 9
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Message 1 of 10
seattlesurvey
1098 Views, 9 Replies

C3D Notes vs annotative text

We are looking at a good long-term solution for notes (leadered and non-leadered) in our base drawings.  Do you use C3D Notes or annotative text or a combination?  Do you use View or World?  Read on if interested...

 

Our situation:  Back in our LDD days, we used MTEXT with qleader.  We could set a rotation which would hold with different dviews.  But, of course, no annotative capability.

 

With C3D, we'd like our text to scale properly with different viewport scales, and we've been experimenting with C3D Notes.  They seem a little cumbersome:  we have to have a different style for whether the leader is on the left or right (due to where our standards tell us the leader needs to go for each case - middle of top line, middle of bottom line), and we lose contents when we change styles.  And it seems the only way to have a C3D note hold to a specified rotation is to use a "Line and Curve" note aligned to an object (then any leaders applied would "point" to that object).

 

Then there is the choice between View and World.  What do you use in your environment?

 

Thanks for your opinion.

9 REPLIES 9
Message 2 of 10
mathewkol
in reply to: seattlesurvey

Instead of MTEXT, have you tried the AutoCAD annotative MLEADER object?  I would imagine this would fit the bill nicely.

 

Regarding the use of World or View, I'm not sure what you're asking.  That's simply a different UCS setting.  When I'm creating Civil 3D objects, I draw them while in World UCS.  In fact I rarely change the UCS in Model Space.  I create viewports in Paper Space and rotate the view as needed in there.

Matt Kolberg
SolidCAD Professional Services
http://www.solidcad.ca /
Message 3 of 10

Thank you, Matt.  I think we have some more experimenting to do;  the annotative text w/ mleader route might work for us. I know there will be some training hurdles.

 

And regarding World vs View, I should have been clearer - I'm referring to the Orientation Reference setting in the style.  I thought there would be some capability of C3D labels to be rotated and to hold a fixed position.  For example, when I use a World orientation reference in my point styles, I can set a rotation in the Properties pane to get them to orient however I like - this is what I'd like to be able to with labels.  But a label style that uses a World orientation reference doesn't seem to be able to be rotated.

 

We will be looking at this more in the coming weeks, etc.  Again, thanks for your input.

Message 4 of 10
Sinc
in reply to: seattlesurvey

I put a post up on Civil3D.com that summarizes the difference between the two.  It might be helpful.

 

http://www.civil3d.com/2010/11/civil-3d-lables-vs-annotative-text/

 

Sinc
Message 5 of 10
jmatthei
in reply to: seattlesurvey

I think I know what you're trying to do - try using UCS and Annotative multileaders.

 

The multileaders will be horizontal in whatever UCS you draw them in, and will stay at that angle regardless of how you rotate everything later.  If they're annotative, they will scale up and down.

 

Jeremy

Message 6 of 10

Sinc, thanks for the nice run-down of the similarities and differences between labels and annotative text - it's very helpful to see the two directly compared that way.  I have been reaching the conclusion that, for us, annotative mtext is the way to go for most of our base drawing needs (applying text tags to pavements, buildings, miscellaneous entities, etc.).  We'll probably use pipe network labelling for our existing storm and sewer runs.  We currently do use point labels to tag signs and trees.

 

Jeremy, your solution to use UCS-view paired with annotative multileaders is what I'm trying now.  "Don't mess with the UCS" has been my mantra, so this is a paradigm-shift for me - I just have to incorporate a UCS-world command at the end of my day!  We'll see if the rest of our surveying group will jump on this bandwagon.

 

Thanks all, for your suggestions. 

 

 

 

Message 7 of 10
jmatthei
in reply to: seattlesurvey

Thanks!

 

Something else that might make you feel better:  C3D coordinate labels (northing-easting labels) are independent of UCS, and always pull from the World coordinate system.  So regardless of where your UCS is, coordinate labels should do what you want them to.  (That doesn't apply to old-school LISP labeling routines however...)

 

Jeremy

Message 8 of 10

I'm wondering what types of notes you put in base drawings?  I prefer to have all my notes in my sheet files, but if there's a good reason to put some notes in the base files, I'm always looking to learn more 🙂

 

--Adam

Windows 7 x 64
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Civil 3D 2011, 2010, 2009 and occasionally 2008 still (unfortunantly)
Message 9 of 10

Adam, the base drawing 'notes' that I referred to in the original post might have been better described as "tags" or "labels."  We use them to label various drawing entities (usually NOT C3D objects - although I am also looking for solutions for storm and sewer call-outs).  Examples of such tags are "AC," "WOOD DECK," "3' CHLK," "4' BRICK."

 

We also have some more conventionally-termed 'notes,' which we do keep in model space.  These include datum notes and general notes regarding the surveying project (dates, utility locate information, contour interval, etc).  We want those noticeable and available for people using the base drawing as a reference.

Message 10 of 10
Sinc
in reply to: seattlesurvey

We generally use Annotative Mtext or Annotative Mleaders for those types of callouts.

Sinc

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