Editing arrow annotation attributes

You can change the following attributes of arrow annotations:

  • Name (use the Annotation Manager to rename existing annotations).

  • Line thickness and line style.

  • Color.

  • Anchor point and offset for each end.

  • Endpoint style.

  • Gap between the endpoint and the arrowhead or tail position.

See Also
What are arrow and text annotations?
The Annotation Manager

Context:

If you are creating a new annotation, Abaqus/CAE applies many of your customizations not only to the current annotation but also to any new annotations you subsequently create. If you are editing an existing annotation, Abaqus/CAE applies your changes only to the selected annotation.

You can also copy an arrow annotation and its attributes and edit them to create a new arrow annotation. For more information, see The Annotation Manager.

  1. Use one of the following methods to access the Arrow Editor dialog box:

    • Select an arrow annotation from the Annotation Manager, and click Edit.

    • Select ViewportEdit Annotations or in the Viewport toolbar, and double-click an arrow annotation in the viewport.

    • Create a new arrow annotation in the viewport; Abaqus/CAE opens the editor after you select the endpoints in the viewport.

  2. If you are creating a new annotation, you can edit the name of the arrow.
  3. Select the desired line style; you can choose a solid line or several styles of dashed line for your arrow.
  4. Select the desired line thickness.

    Note:

    Changing the line thickness also changes the size of the arrowheads.

  5. Choose the arrow color.
    1. Click the color sample .

      Abaqus/CAE displays the Select Color dialog box.

    2. Use one of the methods in the dialog box to select a new color. For more information, see Customizing colors.
    3. Click OK to close the Select Color dialog box.

      The color sample changes to the selected color.

  6. Click the Start Point tab or the End Point tab.

    Abaqus/CAE highlights the selected point and its anchor point in the viewport.

  7. Select a new anchor point; the following methods are available:

    Tip: To avoid changing the position of the annotation, use the Pick Anchor button to change the anchor point and recalculate the Offset between the anchor point and the annotation.

    Predefined

    Select this method to anchor the annotation to a predefined point of viewport geometry. The available points are the viewport corners, the center, and the midpoint of each edge. The anchor point definition changes if you modify the viewport shape.

    % Viewport X, Y

    Select this method to anchor your annotation to a point based on the position of the lower left viewport corner and the viewport size. Enter the anchor point as a percentage of the total width and height of the current viewport. As with the Predefined method, the anchor point definition changes if you modify the viewport shape.

    Model point X, Y, Z

    Select this method to anchor your annotation to a point on the model. Enter the model coordinates of the new anchor point in the text field. The anchor point definition, and any annotation linked to it, changes if you manipulate the model. For example, if you rotate the model in the viewport, the anchor point and the arrow endpoint will rotate with it.

    Pick Anchor button

    Select this method to change the anchor point without changing the current position of the annotation.

    Abaqus/CAE hides the Arrow Editor dialog box and prompts you to select a point from the viewport. Alternatively, you can pick one of the predefined viewport points from the list in the prompt area or click Pick From Model to pick a model node or vertex from the viewport or to enter the coordinates of a model point in the prompt area.

    Each selection type corresponds to one of the preceding anchor point selection methods. After you make your selection, the Arrow Editor dialog box reappears with your selection indicated in the appropriate anchor selection method and the offset value recalculated for the new anchor point.

  8. Enter new X- and Y-values to change the Offset, in millimeters, between the endpoint and its anchor point.

    Note:

    After you close the Arrow Editor, you can also change the Offset by dragging each endpoint, or the entire arrow, in the viewport. For more information, see Manipulating annotations in the current viewport.

  9. Select the desired arrowhead symbol.

    The defaults are a plain line for the Start Point and a filled arrow for the End Point.

  10. If desired, add a Gap between the endpoint position and the start or end of the arrow annotation. Adding a gap is comparable to leaving a space between dimension lines and object lines in the Sketcher or in a CAD drawing; it can increase the clarity of your annotation. For example, you can indicate a specific point on a model and add a gap so that the arrowhead does not obscure the point.
  11. Repeat Steps 7–10 to edit the remaining endpoint of the arrow.
  12. Click Apply to see your changes in the viewport.

    Note:

    Once you have applied your changes in the viewport, you cannot recover the original settings except by recreating the annotation or editing the options again.

  13. Click OK to close the Arrow Editor.