Element Constraints

Leader line restriction

Specifies a limitation on the leader line direction.

Select True from the drop-down list to restrict the leader line from doubling back on itself when the whitespace calculation is performed. The example displays a leader line that is doubling back on itself.

Select False from the drop-down list to omit the leader line restriction when the whitespace calculation is performed.

Minimum AP distance

Specifies the preferred minimum annotation label distance for SLAB/GLAB and LDIM, measured from the attachment point.

Input a value in the field or select a value from the drop-down list to modify the minimum annotation label distance.

Optimal insertion dist.

Input a value in the field or select a value from the drop-down list to define the preferred connection line length (applied to a SLAB/GLAB).

The value works in conjunction with optimize connection line length. The value also controls the distance penalty for other placement modes.

The example displays three annotations all with a preferred connection line length value of 30mm.

Placement direction

Limits the movement of annotations to a single direction which is determined by the Angle value.

Angle

Input a value in the field or select a value from the drop-down list to specify the annotation movement plane. For example, input a value of 90deg to limit the movement of annotations to a vertical plane (up or down).

Select By element from the drop-down list to calculate the label placement angle from the direction of the model element it is attached to. This setting is subject to further element implementation rules.

Intervals (user)

Input a value in the field to limit the annotation movement distance along the direction line, measured from the starting point. For example, input a value of -20:20 to allow the annotation to move -20mm to +20mm along the direction line.

Select By element from the drop down list to calculate the label placement from the key points of the model element it is attached to.

Placement mode

Select Don’t Move from the drop-down list to effect no modification to the annotation position when the whitespace calculation is performed.

Note:
Locked annotations are calculated in the same way as annotations with a Don’t Move placement mode. Locked Sheet (SHEE) or Note (NOTE) elements do not prevent whitespace calculation on the drawing unless the lock all command is used.

Select Prefer original position from the drop-down list to specify that the annotation should remain in the original position. The annotation moves only when a better position is calculated that is close enough to the original position using the defined Whitespace objective preferences.

Select optimize connection line length from the drop-down list to specify that the annotation uses the Optimal insertion dist. value as a preference.

Select Free from the drop-down list to specify that the annotation is moved to the optimal position on the drawing canvas. Annotations are positioned as near to the original position as possible. There is no distance penalty and the distance from the original position is less important than any other constraint.

For example, a Free label will prefer to be 200mm from its original position if it satisfies its XA configuration. (Rather than being 5mm from its original position and violating XA configuration, even if the violation is worth only 0.01 penalty points.)

If white space is limited on the drawing canvas, Free annotations always give way to annotations with other placement modes.

Placement priority

Input a value in the field or select a value from the drop-down list to define the annotation placement priority.

For example, It may be preferable to have a certain label type optimized first and then another type second, to increase the likelihood of the first label types criteria being met when the whitespace calculation is performed.

The higher the value, the more important it is to place the annotation in the optimal position when the whitespace calculation is performed. This may be at the cost of placing another annotation, with a lower value, in a worse position than it would have been placed if both the annotations had the same priority.

Relation to view

Select No preference from the drop-down list to specify that the annotation can be positioned both inside and outside of the owning VIEW/REGN element boundary.

Select Inside preferred from the drop-down list to specify that the preferred annotation position is inside of the owning VIEW/REGN element boundary. The annotation can be positioned outside of the owning VIEW/REGN element boundary when other constraints are non compliant.

Select Must be inside from the drop-down list to specify that the annotation must be positioned inside of the owning VIEW/REGN element boundary.

Select Outside preferred from the drop-down list to specify that the preferred annotation position is outside of the owning VIEW/REGN element boundary. The annotation can be positioned inside of the owning VIEW/REGN element boundary when other constraints are non compliant.

Select Must be outside from the drop-down list to specify that the annotation must be positioned outside of the owning VIEW/REGN element boundary.

The calculated annotation positions are also dependent on other AVEVA E3D Whitespace Optimizer settings. Refer to Relation to View Rules for further information.

Preferred sides

The functionality becomes available if outside preferred or Must be outside is selected from the Relation to view drop-down list.

Select the required check boxes from the drop-down list to define the available annotation positioning settings.

The calculation can be a combination of any of the following: Top, Right, Bottom, Left. At least one check box must be selected.

Note:
If a non-preferred side is specified, annotations are not positioned on that side within the area that spans the view frame. Annotations may be placed outside of the span of the view frame.
For example, if Bottom is disabled, annotations may be positioned below the bottom of the view frame on the left or right side of the view frame.

X-Angs

Displays the preferred annotation connection line angles.

Select None from the drop-down list to omit a preferred angle for annotation connection lines.

When None is selected from the drop-down list, the Expected angle 1 field becomes active which allows you to define a preferred annotation connection line angle.

Expected angle 1

Input a value in the field to define the preferred angle for annotation connection lines.

+Angle Deviation

Input a value in the field to define an acceptable positive angle deviation from the expected angle.

-Angle Deviation

Input a value in the field to define an acceptable negative angle deviation from the expected angle.

Angle Penalty

Input a percentage value in the field to set the angle penalty.

Deviation Penalty

Input a percentage value in the field to set the deviation penalty.

Expected angle 2

The field is created when the Expected angle 1 field is populated. The process is repeated allowing you to create multiple expected angles.