Update: We released a free e-book that you can use to learn annotation scaling. You can download it here: Free e-book: Working with AutoCAD Annotation Scaling. We suggest you to download it because it contains more information than this article.
Annotation scaling was introduced first time on AutoCAD 2008. I love this feature. This feature adds benefits to AutoCAD layout. There is some work around AutoCAD users do before this feature exist. But now, presenting our drawing in different scales is very easy and quick. If you are interested in learning this feature, this tutorial will be an excellent reading to start.
First, what are annotations?
Annotations are every object in your drawing which is not a model or geometry. We use it to show dimensions, text as description, symbols, and pattern to show sections, materials, etc.
The problem with annotation occurs when you need to represent your drawing in different scales.
Two images above are the same model in two different viewports, with different scales. If we draw the model and prepare it for a particular scale, say 1:100, when we need to represent the drawing in 1:200, the text, hatches, and all other annotations will be shown in half size to what we expected.
AutoCAD users used to create annotations in the layout. But there are some downsides.
- It works for text and dimension, but not for hatches.
- You may need to create more than one annotation to the same object if you show them in different viewports. When you need to change the text content, you will have to change them all manually. Sometimes you left some of them unchanged.
- When you move the viewport, some annotations might be left behind.
So, if you have those problems, you may love this feature.
Download and open this drawing. We are going to continue using the same drawing. Change your active scale from annotation scale list. It’s on your status bar. Change it to 1:100. We are going to set our drawing for 1:100 first.
Now open your dimension style. You should see a style named ‘1-100 3mm’. Right click on it, and rename it to ‘3 mm’. Click Modify button on the right side of this dialog box.
On the FIT tab, scale for dimension features section, activate Annotative.
- On the Text tab, change text height to 3, offset from dimline to 1.
- On Symbols and Arrows tab, change arrow size, center marks, and break size to 2.5.
Close the dimension style dialog box.
You see all your dimension text and arrow too small? Don’t worry. We need to update them to apply the changes.
Activate update in dimension panel, annotation tab. When AutoCAD ask you to select objects, just type ALL then [enter]. Now you should see your dimension correctly.
Now we are going to add another scale to these dimensions. Activate ‘automatically add scales …bla..bla..bla…’ in annotation scale group.
Change the annotation scale to 1:200. You should see the dimension size adjusted for 1:200 scale! Turn off the ‘automatically add scales…’ again. Try to change it to 1:50. What happen? Nothing.
Open your layout. Select the left viewport border, and change the scale to 1:100. Press [esc] to deselect the viewport. Select the right viewport, and change the scale to 1:200.
Compare the dimension size on those two viewports. Even the viewports have different scales; the dimension size will always be the same! When you plot this sheet, the text in all viewports will be 3mm.
We will discuss more about annotation scale in the next post.
Hello Edwin. I am following the instruction and it worked the first time in the drawing you have posted here, but when I am trying to add another scales acept these two and fallowing all the steps when i am getting to apdate dimentions-all enter, my dimentions are still highlited aftef that and I press enter again or spacebar or esc the dimentions are returnig to the previous unscaled condition… what am I doing wrong?
Have you tried the next article? Annotation scaling is probably a bit hard to understand at the first time. You need to do several exercise before you get comfortable with it.
You may want to try adding scales manually instead of automatic scaling.
sorry to bother, but I just can't get this thing… I'm an autoCAD student, so I've never learned any other method. Annotation is the only one I've ever tried. Well the problem is, when I'm drawing a floorplan for example, and I write the text as an annotative style I've created, and I set the paper size to 2.0, the text gets simply huge in model space for a 1:50 scale (i draw in real size and then scale things down to plot). I've never really plotted anything so far, and I don't know if it the text would come out at the right size. At the moment what bothers me most is the text size overwhelming all my model. Am I doing something wrong? or is that what it's supposed to be? thank you for your attention and sorry for any grammar error (English is not my first language)
If you set the paper size to 2mm, then that's the correct size for 1:50 scale. You may want to try to plot to DWF or PDF to give you better idea how it works. If you think the size is not correct, do you use ISO or other metric template? Using imperial template for metric drawing can be confusing…
you have to type DIMSCALE and set it to what ever scale you need on a PAPERSPACE, if 1:50 then set DIMSCALE to 50… and so on
do you have it with autoCAD 2012? i dont get it :( my numbers are too small to read. How do I change that?
Is it posible to have the Annotative dimensions NOT go really large when you are editing them through viewports? It gets really frustrating in long projects where you have to often add or remove dimensions and readjust the existing ones.
my point is if we use the annotation option can we get the drawings in same height text in each scales
That's what annotation scaling is for. You will get consistent annotation size when you plot them.
Can you please show me how to do this in 1 meter : 1 drawings unit? We always use this ratio in our office and i can't to make it work in paper space. I never had problems plotting in scale without using this feature. But now I want to adapt it in our workflow but can't seem to make it work.
Kinda getting frustrated, sorry.
Robin
Robin,
If you're already familiar with plotting, then it should be the same.
The only thing that different is you set the text height in plotted size, not in drawing size.
Can you elaborate, which part that you have problem with?
I think i got it!
The problem is, we draw in meters in Model space BUT set out plots in millimeters in Paper space. After setting everything in Meters, thing worked as I expected.
Thanks for the tip Edwin
Glad to hear that you can solve it Robin… :)
My boss gave me a drawing and said to be done exactly as drawn in the hardcopy.. So as a new user in AutoCAD, i started autocad 2007 with all its default without making any changes if metric or imperial.. So as goes on,when the drawing indicates 10mx12m, I just draw 10×12 line,in short,I draw as a kid as I looked at the orginal one. And then,finally done.. My question is, what is the default unit in autocad 2007 or on the other versions?As I open the software?is it metric already?and what is the default scale of this?is this 1:1?and upon finishing the drawing and using its default,how can I make it the scale of 1:100 and 1:150?Honestly, autocad is not my priority job but I sit here and do this,do that. I am interested on this, just a beginner and I am happy that i learn more in your site. Thanks si edwin. Im a big fan of your's,and I keep on reading and practicing your tutorial even in microstation..
Melvin,
We always draw the objects in full scale 1:1. If the object is 1 m long, then we draw it 1 m. We scale the objects when we place it to our layout. You may want to read this 5 steps plotting guide here. HTH.
Dear Edwin,
Hello.. I am writing this mail in utter distress and confusion. I really hope you would be able to resolve my problem.
It’s to do with the Annotation scale. I have gone through your tutorial on Cad Notes and I have followed it and I have been able to assign annotation scale to the text. I thought that would be the end of the issue but unfortunately that was the start of all my problems.
What I had thought after reading various articles about this topic on net was that, by applying the annotation scale to the text dimensions etc, when I wanted the drawing to be plotted at various scales that text would automatically adjust to the scale in while I would be plotting.
For example I have a site plan which I need to plot at 1:1000 and 1:400. I have given the annotation scale to the mleader text in the model space. The text height is 2.5mm. And then assign the viewports to the said scales. Now when I look at the dwg in 1:400 I can see the text at perfect height i.e.: 2.5mm and when I look at the site plan at 1:1000 the height of the text remains the same but it covers my drawing. I mean the text becomes too large for the 1:1000 drawing.
So what is the use of this new feature when the drawing is not readable or I should say that drawing gets messed up due to the large text size.
No I don’t know if that is how its suppose to happen or I am doing something wrong. If you have understood my query can you please let me know a way out at the earliest as I have the presentation to be handed in next few days.
How would you go about giving text heights if it’s a very large drawing such as a town planning projects where there is a lot of text and the plotting scale would be 1:2000 or 1:1000 and you don’t want your text to overpower the drawing?
Mahendra,
I believe the problem is not about annotation scaling. Either you use it or not, the text will cover your drawing anyway.
You need to decide how you should place the text, and remove unnecessary texts.
Probably you can read this to see what I meant: https://www.cad-notes.com/2009/09/controlling-annotati…
Thankyou for this tutorial! Very informative and helped me a lot with my thesis :)