Need help, how to get space between annotation and line

[mieCREU6]

Hello. im trying to add a pipeline.size tag I can put betweens lines.

But im getting frustrated by the lines, that goes all the way up to text, with no spacing.

I cannot add space in the block/attributes

And if try to add a "-", it's offset from center

Any tips on how to make a small space between the P&ID line and the tag/annotation ?

[h_eger]

Dear @mieCREU6 ,

https://help.autodesk.com/view/ACD/2024/ENU/?guid=GUID-C16E8C64-1DB8-4706-A44D-3C5E0655540D

[Michiel.Valcke]

you can add a textmask or you can make a contour. Except you don't actually need to add any geometry to your contour.

A contour is also used in other annotation styles but it basically means you add a parameter with the same name as your text (so it can determine the length of the text) center it on the 0/0 point and create stretch actions on each side so your contour geometry will move with the length of your annotation. If you use minimalist geometry (in my example i just used 2 vertical lines, but you can use a point or probably even nothing (untested)) you can determine with better accuracy the amount of whitespace you want between your annotation and your line segment.

EDIT: this trick will only work with a pure reference, adding the text DN before the piping.size will stop the geometry from stretching. As a workaround you can create a new calculated property that combines the string 'DN' with the pipesize and then reference that calculated property without having to preface it with another text.

[mieCREU6]

Im a simpleton on Autocad parameters.
I gave it a try, with stretch action but im not sure if im doing it right.

Then I select the two lines as geometry, hit enter.

This is my end result, it is like the distance is not calculated properly.

Can it be, that im using a attribute definition for #(pipelines.size) and not text ?

[Michiel.Valcke · Accepted solution]

there should be 2 stretch actions, one for the left grip, one for the right grip. You can also set your parameter to start from the middle, so it will always stretch on both sides equally. The .gif in attachment is an example for the pipeline size

the space between the vertical line and the parameter will correspond with the space between your annotation and the vertical line in placement. Not accounting for the annotation scale (which is set in the project setup with edit annotation), also each font has a different 'soft' distance so if you want to be very precise, you have to take into account that that is also a factor in your final distance.

Lastly, you can look at other annotation styles to figure out how they do it. The Oval Tag Style (Engineering Items) uses the same principle. So we're basically copying that.

Through testing I've found the limitations to be that it doesn't work when combining multiple fields or regular text.

[mieCREU6]

Thanks for the GIF, helped me alot 😊 its working now.

Now im trying to add the "DN" to pipesize but I have run into troubles again...

I have created a property type String with value "DN"

If I try to use the "Size" properties it throws me a error

And since "Size" gives me error, I cant use calculated value like, ino_DN_STRING + Size

and if I try "ToString(ino_DN_STRING + Size)" its accepted but its not populated correctly.

[mieCREU6]

I just stumble onto this

AutoCAD Plant 3D P&ID property "Size" won't be recognized for calculated properties (autodesk.com)

[Michiel.Valcke · Accepted solution]

Yea the Size property is unfortunately bugged for calculated properties - has been for so long that I'm not even sure Autodesk considers it a bug.
You could just edit the tag format if you're not using it for anything else, and use the tag build-up as :

TargetObject.DN (a custom property with the string 'DN' as default value)
TargetObject.Size (the default size property)

Then in the annotation you can use the TargetObject.Tag reference (just as the original PipeLineTag Annotation)

[h_eger]

This is not an error because the value "Size" comes from a selection list and cannot be used to calculate database fields.

[Michiel.Valcke]

That doesn't seem to be correct since calculated properties do work with other selection lists. Just not with the 'size' one.

The link @mieCREU6 shared earlier, specifically states to create a custom selection list with the same values as the size selection list to circumvent the problem.