Annotate Part Lists

3-D Dimensioning + Text > Text > Leader > Automatic part annotation

HiCAD offers the option to annotate part lists, i.e. a selection of several parts, in one step. To define a part list, click the parts you require while holding down the CTRL key - either in the drawing or in the ICN.

You can freely select the template file with the annotation settings and use various filter settings. For instance, you can specify whether

• the filters defined in the Configuration Editor at Drawing > Annotations > Automatic annotation are to be used for part annotations,
• only BOM-relevant parts are to be annotated, or
• sub-parts are also to be annotated or not.

When you call the function, the following dialogue window will be displayed:

 

Configuration

• Favourites
  Activate this option if you want to use the predefined template files in the Configuration Editor. By default, these are:

• z:Positionsnummer.ftd for Item numbers as annotations.
• z:Sachnummer_Positionsnummer.ftd for Article numbers + Item numbers as annotations.
• z:PosNummerSTB_Profil.ftd for the annotation of Steel Engineering beams and profiles.

The settings can be found in the Configuration Editor at Drawing > Annotations > Automatic annotations > Favourites. There, you can also preset the template file for automatic annotation. It will then be displayed as the default setting in the Preferred selection list of the Automatic part annotation dialogue window.

• From file
  Activate this option if you want to choose an arbitrary annotation template. Click the icon to select the desired file.
• With part filter
  If this option is active, the filters specified in the Configuration Editor at Drawing > Annotations > Automatic annotation will be used for part annotations. This allows you, for example, to use different annotation templates for beams and profiles, Sheet Metal parts and Steel Engineering plates. The filters that are available in the Configuration Editor are the same as the filters for part search on the transparent toolbar. The paragraph Using part filters for automatic part annotation explains how to use such filters.

 

Filter

In this area you can set various filters, enabling you to exclude particular parts of the selection from editing.

The following filter options are available:

• Include sub-parts
  
  enables you to specify whether sub-parts are to be annotated or not.
  
  
• Only BOM-relevant parts
  enables you to specify whether only BOM-relevant parts, or all parts of the selection are to be annotated.
• Include hidden parts
  determines whether hidden parts are to be considered or not. This option is frequently required in Steel Engineering drawings, especially for halls or support structures. Please note the following:
• Parts are considered as "hidden" if they are completely invisible in the active view.
• Representation types Glass model and HiddenLine dashed:
  No hidden parts occur in these views
• Representation types Shaded and HiddenLine:
  Hidden parts may occur here.

An example:

The image below show the detail of a support structure. Let's take a look at the assembly with the item number 1.

The automatic part annotation will then produce the following result in the front view:

• Replace existing annotation tags
  enables you to specify how to proceed with already existing annotation tags.

 

Placing of annotation

Here you can determine whether the annotations for beams and plates are to be applied with or without leader line.

• Plates preferably without leader line

If this checkbox is active, HiCAD proceeds as follows: If there is enough space on the part, the annotation for the plate will be placed directly on the part. If there is not enough space, the annotation will be created with a leader line.

• Beams preferably without leader line

If this checkbox is active, HiCAD proceeds as follows: If there is enough space in the vicinity of the part, the annotation will be placed along the beam as shown below. If there is not enough space, the annotation will be created with a leader line.

The last specified settings that have been confirmed with OK will be the default settings when the function is called again.

 

Please note:
Dummy parts, sketches, point clouds and other parts with no facets will not be annotated.

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Using part filters for automatic part annotation

If the With part filter option has been activated in the Automatic part annotation dialogue window, the filters defined in the Configuration Editor at Drawing > Annotations > Automatic annotation are to be used for part annotations.

When you click on the symbol, the current assignment is displayed.

According to the ISD default setting, different annotation templates are used for sheets (Sheet Metal) and steel plates (Steel Engineering), namely, the templates that are offered in the table. For all other parts, the annotation template at the bottom of the window will be used.

Symbols and buttons:

	Deletes the marked assignments. You can also right-click on a table row and choose Delete.
	Moves the marked assignment up or down. The assignments are dealt with from top to bottom for the automatic annotation. Depending on which Favourites have been chosen here, the order will also affect the annotation (see Example 2)
	Selection of a Favourite, i.e. of the objects to which you want to assign a different annotation template instead of the standard annotation template. Selected can be the same Favourites as the ones for the Part filter function on the transparent toolbar - both the filters pre-defined by the ISD and the filters that you created yourself, e.g.:
OK	Applies the current assignment table and closes the dialogue window.
Cancel	Closes the dialogue window without applying the changed assignments.

 

Example 1: Defining a new assignment for I-beams

Let us assume that a special annotation template is to be used for I-beams.

Proceed as follows:

1. Place the cursor on an empty table row and click on the Favourites symbol.
2. Choose the desired Favourite - in this example, at Steel Engineering > Indiv. part, Steel Engineering > I-beam.
3. Then, choose the desired annotation template.

 

Example 2: Create a new part filter / Determine a new assignment for this filter / Effcts on the order

In this example we will use a part filter that we created ourselves. First, call the Part filter function in the transparent toolbar.

Activate the Manual filter tab in the dialogue window, choose Change > Part > Steel Engineering > Beam, click on the symbol, choose Save favourite and save the filter to Indiv. part, Steel Engineering with the name Alle beams.

The filter is now also available in the Configuration Editor, so that you can now define an own assignment for this filter, too:

Here, the order of the entries affects the annotation. In the assignment shown above, first the sheets, then the steel plates, then the I-beams, and then all other beams would be annotated.

 

Now we swap the rows I-beams and All beams.

Now, all beams will be annotated after the sheets and the steel plates, i.e. also the I-beams. This means that the assignment for the I-beams is not evaluated any more.

Texts and Annotations (3-D) • Part Annotations (3-D) • Change Annotation Settings (3-D)