Making an Existing Annotation Associative

This task shows you how at any time and once an annotation has been created, you can add a link between an annotation and another element. You can add two different types of links:

You can also:

Elements that can be Linked to Annotations

  The elements that can be linked to annotations are listed below:
  • Annotations
    • text
    • datum feature
    • datum target
    • balloon
    • geometrical tolerance
    • surface texture
    • weld symbols
    • table
  • Dimensions
  • 2D elements
    • points
    • circles
    • ellipse
    • parabola
    • hyperbola

In a Generative Drafting context:

  • Generative edges

Positional Links  
Positional links create a link between the annotation and another element. When the reference element moves, annotation moves with it. You can create positional links for every type of annotation. There are two types of positional links:
  • Flexible positional links: The relative position between the annotation and the reference element can be modified by direct annotation manipulation.
  • Rigid positional links: The annotation cannot be moved manually relative to the reference element.
Open the Brackets_views03.CATDrawing document. Create a text.

  1. Click Select .

  2. Right-click any part of the text (text itself, frame or leader) and select Positional Link > Create.

  3. Select the element to which you want the text's position to be linked.

    A flexible positional link is created. If you now select the linked element and drag it in the drawing, you can notice that the text follows this element. You can move the annotation relative to the selected reference element.

  4. Right-click any part of text again and select Positional Link > Rigid.
    The positional link becomes rigid. The annotation cannot be moved relative to the selected reference element.
    To create a rigid positional link by default, select the relevant check boxes in Tools > Options > Mechanical Design > Drafting > Annotation and Dress-Up tab. For more information see Customizing : Annotation and Dress-Up.
    For the other annotation types (refer to Elements that can be Linked to Annotations above) flexible annotation links are initially created.

  5. To replace the reference geometry, right-click the text and select Positional Link> Replace. Select the new reference element. If you now select the new linked element and drag it in the drawing, you will notice that the text follows this element.

  6. To remove the positional link, right-click the text again, and select Positional Link > Delete.

Orientation Links

You can create orientation links for texts, texts with leader and surface texture.

  1. Right-click the text and select Orientation Link > Create.

  2. Select the element to which you want the text's orientation to be linked.

    The orientation link is created. If you now select the linked element and modify its orientation, you will notice that the text's orientation is modified simultaneously.
 

Place an Annotation on Another Annotation
  You can position an annotation on a reference annotation using its attachment points and automatically create positional and orientation links.
Create an annotation of any of the following types: text, text with leader, balloon, datum target, datum feature, table.
For the purpose of this scenario, you will create a text.

  1. Click Text in the Annotations toolbar.

  2. Move the pointer over the existing annotation.
    The attachment points are displayed.

    The nearest attachment point location is highlighted indicating that the annotation will be positioned on it if that point is selected. For more information about the attachment points, refer to Annotation Positioning.

  3. Click on a desired attachment point to position the text.
    An empty frame and the Text Editor dialog box appear.

  4. Enter the text in the Text Editor dialog box and click OK.
    The text is positioned at the selected attachment point of the reference text. Its angle is set to the same value as that of the reference text, and positional and orientation links are created between both annotations.

    The anchor point of the positioned text is set automatically so that the text is properly aligned with the reference text according to the attachment point.

    You can change the position of the text, if required.
 

More About Positional and Orientation Links
 

Positional Links
 

  • If you create a link between an annotation and a dimension system, remember that the link can only be made on a single dimension of the system.

  • In a Generative Drafting context, certain types of generated elements (such as Pipe elements) are not associative. For this reason, positional links between an annotation and such elements is not taken into account.

  • If you copy an annotation and paste it on an element that can be linked to an annotation (refer to Elements that can be Linked to Annotations above), an associative link is automatically created between the pasted annotation and this element.

  • The rigid character of positional links created on text, table or geometrical tolerance bodies depends on options selected in the settings (Tools > Options) using creations commands and the copy paste operations.

  • When the annotation is isolated the positional link is removed, irrespective of whether it is rigid or not.

  • Flexible positional link of surface texture has a peculiar behavior. The relative position of surface texture can be modified while the distance between the surface texture and the reference element remains unchanged. This allows the annotation to slide along a line and turn around a point or a circle.

  • Annotation positional links created in pre-R19 versions are flexible positional links.

  • Annotations created in Functional Tolerancing and Annotations workbench do not support creation of rigid positional links when views are generated from it.
    You can select the attachment points of an annotation during creation of a positional link.
    Select the Allow attachment points selection during positional link creation check box from Tools > Options > Mechanical Design > Drafting > Annotation and Dress-Up tab, under Annotation Creation.

 

Orientation Links
 

  • In a Generative Drafting context, certain types of generated elements (such as Pipe elements) are not associative. For this reason, positional links between an annotation and such elements is not taken into account.

  • When Create orientation link between the text and the reference option is selected in Tools > Options > Mechanical Design > Drafting > Annotation and Dress-Up tab, an orientation link is created during the text creation command. This option can be reversed by pressing Ctrl during reference selection. However, this option requires the snapping to be on, with a snapping mode that includes orientation snapping.
    The Create orientation link between the text and the reference option is ignored in case of positioning an annotation on another annotation using an attachment point. In that case, the orientation link and the positional link are created automatically regardless of the value (selected or clear) of this option.