Autocad Annotative Vs Standard

I am the only one out of 20 CAD drafters who would like to use annotative objects, particularly in dimensions. My supervisor asked me once to use it for awhile and then give a report to the group after. I think I wasn't that convincing and we're still using standard dimensions.
In a few weeks we will be upgrading to 2011 and I'd like to bring this up again. It would help my case a lot if I could tell my group how many of you out there are using annotative scaling (in general I guess, and not just in dimensions)
Thanks in advance,
R

Autocad Annotations Not Visible

Just like with text, dimensions can also be annotative, this means we never haveto guess when it comes to sizing the dimensions we place in a drawing.In this lesson, we'll use the annotativeproperty to create some predictably sized dimensions.On my screen I have a conceptual design for an AM/FM clock radio.I have created a layout for this drawing,let's click the layout tab and take a look.This layout is configured for an eight and ahalf by 11 inch sheet of paper.I have already cut a viewport in the layout.And I've left the viewport edge turned on.

If I zoom in you can see that thegeometry is being displayed in this viewport at half scale.Let's do a zoom extents and we'll return to model space.I would like to add some dimensions to this drawing.Just like when we create text it's a good idea to waiton your dimensions until you know the size your geometry's going to plot.Now that we know the scale, one to two, we're ready to create dimensions.If you look at the layer control you can see I'm practicing good form.I've created a layer for my dimensions.The next thing I'm going to do is create a dimension style.

I will do that by opening the Annotationpanel and I'll click the dimension style icon.I'll select New and I'll call this style Annotative Dims.Initially their settings will match the standard dimension style.I'm going to come down and put a check in the Annotative box.By making the style annotative AutoCAD will do allthe work when it comes to sizing these dimensions.Let's click Continue.It's important to note that when you create anannotative dimension style, any of the size settings that yousee in this dialogue box, you will set tothe size you want that object to appear when printed.

May 25, 2011  I am the only one out of 20 CAD drafters who would like to use annotative objects, particularly in dimensions. My supervisor asked me once to use it for awhile and then give a report to the group after. I think I wasn't that convincing and we're still using standard dimensions. In a few weeks we will be upgrading to 2011 and I'd like to bring this up again.

I'm going to start by going to the Lines tab, and I'll change the extensionline distance to 0.10. We'll go to symbols and arrows.And I'd like the arrowheads to be a little smaller.So I'll change this to 0.125.We'll go to the text tab.I'll make the text height a little smaller, 0.125.Finally, I'm going to go to the primary units tab.AndI'll set the precision for these dimensions to be two decimal spaces.When I'm finished, I'll click OK.

If we look at the dimension style, you can see the additionof the annotative icon, so we know these dimensions will scale automatically.I'll click close when finished.Since I'm working with an annotative style, whenever I create dimensionsAutoCAD is going to look right here to set the size.So I'll open the view port scale and I'll setthis to one to two, same scale that I'm using in my view port.I will then create a linear dimension.We will dimension the overall length of the part, so I'll start fromthe quadrant at the top and we'll dimension to the quadrant at the bottom.

If I drag this over, you can see that thedimension appears to be properly sized for a half-scale plot.I would also like to create a dimensionthat represents the overall width.We'll go from the quadrant on the left side tothe quadrant on the right, and I'll pull this out.And click.Now that I'm finished we'll go back to the layout tab and take a look.As you can see these dimensions are very easyto read, they are properly sized for this plot.Let's try something else now.

I'm going to create a copy of this view port.I'll launch the copy command and select the view port edge.I will pick it up from a point on screen here.And I'll drag the copy over here to the right.When I'm finished I'll press Escape.Now that I've created a copy, you can seethat geometry in this view appears using the layer color.What I'm going to do is type R E A and press Enter.That stands for regen all.That will regen not only the contents of the layout, but model space as well.

Autocad Annotative Vs Standard Form

So now the geometry is assuming thepen colors. Let's create a detail of this switch.To do that, I'll double-click in the view.I'll come down here and unlock it and then I will roll my wheel forward.We'll zoom in on this geometry.Then we can come down to the scale list, and try and find a usable scale.Let's try two to one.That's not too bad, I think we can try four to one, might work better.That's perfect,the switch is now being displayed four times its normal size.

I'll lock the view port again, I will double-click outsidethe boundary to get my cursor back on the lay out.And then I am going to click the viewport edge and I'll adjust the grips slightly.I'm being mindful of my running object snaps.If I hold F3 down I can disable the running object snaps until such timeas I take my finger off the F3 key. I'll drag this corner up and click.When I'm finished I'll press Escape, and then we'll return to model space.

Now, let's apply some dimensions to the switch.First thing I'll do is come down andchange the annotation scale to four to one.I'll launch the dimension command, and we'll do theoverall length from the quadrant here to the quadrant here.Let's do the width as well.I'll select end point to end point and pull this out.I'll press my space bar to relaunch the commandand I will dimension the width of this tab.

Finally I'll click to select the last dimension.I'll hover over this number and select Move TextOnly and we'll put the 13 above the dimension line.That looks good. When I'm finished I'll press Escape.We'll go back out to the layout.Once again, notice the dimensions are perfectly sized for this view.If you use the annotative property, you neverhave to worry about the size of your dimensions.One more thing, I don't know if you noticed this, take a look at this view.Notice that those dimensions don't show up over here.

If I double-click in this view port, and hover over this geometry, you can see thatit's the same geometry in both views. Let's double-click back out.If you use the annotative property, your annotations will onlyshow up in the view port for which they were intended.Now that I'm finished setting up my drawingI am going to copy the scale label.I'll pick it up from a point on screen here and I'll place it next to the detail.I will then double-click and edit the text.We'll make this four to one and when I'm finishedwe'll zoom out and turn off the view port edges.

Autocad Annotative Vs Standard

Since the view ports are on their own layer,I can do that very easily using the layer control.As you can see, if you assign the annotative property to adimension style, you will always havepredictably sized dimensions on your plots.Not only that, the annotative property also guarantees thatonly the appropriate annotations will display in each view port.