Does your company use annotative scaling?

In a 2007 Cadalyst magazine article Lynn Allen wrote the following:

 

"Tip: When you use the new annotative objects, you can move them independently in each viewport even if the same objects display in multiple viewports. Fabulous!"

 

The thing is she did not elaborate on the method of doing so and a search of the AutoCAD Help file returned "0 item found". Does anyone know the secret?

Remark,

In a viewport simply move the text, only the anno text for that scale will move.

rkent:

Funny thing is I tried just moving it in one viewport but it moved it in the other as well! Not sure what I did wrong.

Sorry ReMark, I've tried to have a go setting up annotative text in layout, but I can't seem to set it up correctly for some reason.

Possible reasons being:

1) I have not used layouts in about 4~5 years.

2) I have only started recently using annotations.

3) Maybe my experience is not as vast as it may seem.

Set up annotative scaling (text, dimensions, etc.) in model space not in layout.

Shouldn't be this hard gentlemen, I finished three drawings while you have been trying to set up the miracle text adjuster.

I finished four using my left hand only while my right hand moved text around.

What took you so long?

I finished four using my left hand only while my right hand moved text around.

 

What took you so long?

You forget... I'm old -

Older = Slower

You forget... I'm old -

 

Older = Slower

You know "Dirt"? He's my younger brother.

rkent:

 

Funny thing is I tried just moving it in one viewport but it moved it in the other as well! Not sure what I did wrong.

Did you try the Synchronize Multi scale position option?

Did you try the Synchronize Multi scale position option?

Yes, I did and finally got it to work by using grips. Thanks Sparky. You have enlightened me. I just crack myself up sometimes.

I have the same problem some days, Merry Christmas!

You know "Dirt"? He's my younger brother.

Hey guy's, it's like a bumper sticker I read a few weeks ago

"I'm not old, I'm chronologically gifted"

All notes, dims, leaders in paperspace. Every time. No fussing with scale factors; no worries about setting a dimstyle based on what scale the VP is set to. It just makes things easier and leaves modelspace looking less cluttered.

Annotative scaling was the stepping stone that I used to get everyone on board with putting everything in paperspace. Now it's the way we do it all, unless we have to go back into an old drawing (which is becoming a rare thing since we don't have to do it too often).

Up until this foray into the mysteries of annotation scaling I did much as you SuperCAD. All notes, dims, leaders, titleblock and border go in my layout. Everything else stays in model space where it belongs. I have to agree that it does seem more efficient that way. This exercise was to educate myself so at least I could make an informed decision as to moving over to annotation scaling or not. It also gives me some confidence knowing that should we get a drawing from an outside source that uses annotation scaling I won't be entirely clueless.

The thing to be careful of with annotative scaling is make sure you limit how many scales are associated with each dimension/note/leader/block, otherwise your file size will balloon to astronomical proportions.

And for the love of all that is AutoCAD, DO NOT turn on the option to automatically add a new scale each time you change the annotative scale. One of the people here did that and the computer crashed since everything had 6-8 scales associated with them.

You're talking about the setting for maintaining visual fidelity control for annotative objects right?

All notes, dims, leaders in paperspace. Every time. No fussing with scale factors; no worries about setting a dimstyle based on what scale the VP is set to. It just makes things easier and leaves modelspace looking less cluttered.

...

For us, this poses a potential problem. We often need to send our dwgs out to be used as xrefs in our client's or other design team members' dwgs. Sometimes we have trouble with annotative features not working due to some firms using older versions, but this is becoming more and more rare.

In short, annotative (usually) works for us.

I think it really boils down to what your company is drafting up. There are some drawings things that annotative setups should be used on whereas there are some that don't benefit one single bit from annotative styling.

That being said, the company I work for is pushing to use annotative/dynamic (all the new bells and whistles) that ACAD can provide as a 'efficiency measure'. We have only recently began to push this forward but some have been utilizing the annotative/dynamic entities for a while, including myself.

As I stated though, I don't think there is a right way or a wrong way to it, it really depends on company content required for the drawings. If your doing typical drawings, ie: not using multiple viewports within a layout to focus on detailing an area, etc, as an example, then there is no need to go annotative. If all the work consists in this genre, then so be it, stick with not using annotative (wasted steps). If you do require detailing/multiple viewports at different scales, then proceed to the annotative situation.

I do think though, for consistency throughout the company, either 100% annotative or not, no half/half (discipline specific). Consistency with standards and general drafting proceedures is a necessity within a company to avoid time loss and overall frustration.

While I agree that utilizing one way or the other 100% of the time makes complete sense there will always be that one drawing that wants to be the exception to the rule.

I don't think there is a right way or a wrong way to it, it really depends on company content required for the drawings.

Exactly. What works for me may not work for you. Most of our stuff that gets sent to architects is only used to show a picture. They don't need details of our fixtures, so we just send a pretty picture as a block and they plop it on their drawings. They leave the detailing to us.