Category: Drawing

Controlling how flag notes are attached to leaders (part 1)

This entry is part 1 of 2 in the series Controlling how flag notes are attached to leaders

SolidWorks provides the ability to support many different shapes for flag notes.  In addition to shapes, there are several methods in SolidWorks to create flag notes on a drawing.  Each method gives a slightly different result in how the flag note symbol looks and how it is attached to the leader line.  Part 1 of this article will cover shapes and the flag note symbols.

Flag note symbol shapes

There are two general methods to add flag note symbols to an Annotation Note.

The first (and older) method is to use the symbol library.  There are literally hundreds of symbols included within the library.  The library supports triangle, square and circle symbols for numbers and letters, with or without the period.  This method inserts a tag into the Annotation Note, which then generates the flag note symbol, based on existing data in the gtol.sym file.

Using the Flag note symbols from the symbol library

To use this method, create the Annotation Note with a leader.

While in the edit mode, click on the Add Symbol button in the PropertyManager.

This opens up the Symbol Library.  Pick the appropriate flag note symbol and OK.This opens up the Symbol Library. Pick the appropriate flag note symbol and OK.

This will insert the symbol into the Annotation Note.

If the triangle is chosen, the resultant symbol is not an equilateral triangle. The square and circle symbols are truly squares and circles, respectively.  Note the gap between the flag note and leader.  This gap can get bigger or be completely removed with a different method, which I will go into in part 2 of this article.

I am a SolidWorks employee

As some already know, DS SolidWorks Corp recently hired me as the new Product Definition Specialist for drawings.  As such, I am no longer a neutral outsider in affairs related to SolidWorks Corp or any products created by Dassault Systemses.  I will no longer be posting commentary about future capabilities in SolidWorks, nor business plans of the corporation.  I will also likely scale back the types of product reviews that I conduct.  I will still contribute other types of articles to SolidWorks Legion, such as how-to’s, tips and tricks, coverage of public announcements, etc.

This website will still remain my own, and will still not be promotional in nature.   Its content is not reviewed by SolidWorks Corp.  It will not be an official channel for information from SolidWorks Corp.  No specifics about my role at SolidWorks nor any projects, nor customers will be discussed on this website.  I will still cover events, particularly those that I attend, such as user group meetings, SolidWorks World and SolidWorks Technical Summits.

That said, this website is called a Legion for a reason.  There are other contributors to SolidWorks Legion are still free to express themselves.  As always, each contributor is responsible for their own submissions.

I may post SolidWorks related communications via my new Twitter account @swsuper.  That account will likely be used for any official SolidWorks work, such as survey links.

Your comments about this news are welcome.

Balloon Note – REBUILT

Howdy,
I have to admit my original Balloon Note macro was quite quirky. It was the most complicated VBA project I’d done at the time, so I don’t feel too bad about it. I finally had a chance to try out the SolidWorks 2010 implementation – SO – I decided to rethink the whole thing. WOW – I really have to apologize, I’m surprised that old code worked at all. However, if you liked the general idea found in my original Balloon Note macro, I’m sure you’ll like this completely rebuilt version.

If you have no idea what I’m writing about:
Balloon Note is designed to add a Reference Note to an existing Item Balloon and Group them together automatically. It can add an automatically updating Quantity Text object. The result is similar to a function SolidWorks added in 2010, but, you can adjust the location of the text using the ALT + Select and drag method. The strange squiggle (QTY variable) in the text box represents the selected part quantity, until you apply the Reference Note location (Top, Right, Bottom or Left). Balloon Note uses your current document setting for the Note font height to create the Reference Note. The Links button uses a plain text file “BalloonNote_07.ini” located in the same directory as BalloonNote_07.swp to store your lists of links and symbols. The download includes two versions, BalloonNote_07.swp for SW 2007 (you could possibly change the Reference Libraries to your version) and BalloonNote.dll for SW 2010 x32.

Enjoy

Melissa Appel is at it again on the SolidWorks Forums

Some time ago, Melissa Appel of SolidWorks started a thread in the SolidWorks forum for “silly” drawing workarounds.  This thread got a lot of attention.  Well, she’s at it again.  This time, she’s started a thread called “Show me what we can’t do in SolidWorks annotation formatting“.

There’s already a ton of suggestions that have been posted to this thread.  There’s a mention or two of bugs.  The notorious balloon quantity spacing issue is there.  Several issues with GD&T callouts are on the list.  Better control over breaks in extension lines, extension line termination and other dimensioning issues show up all over the thread.  I even suggested the creation of a SelectionWizard so that users can set up the order precedence when they want to select from several overlapping objects in SolidWorks drawings (and where the selection filter is not desired or is ineffective).

There’s plenty of room for more input in the thread for others who have ideas for improvement with annotation formatting in SolidWorks.  What’s been bugging you about SolidWorks annotation formatting limitations?

Strong response to DraftSight for Linux

Dassault Systemes dives head first into uncharted waters with its beta release of a no-cost Linux based 2D CAD application called DraftSight for Linux, announced earlier this month.  Though DraftSight for Linux is not open source, it is free to download and use, and the community of users will direct its development via 3D SwYm.  There are two Linux versions available for download, Ubuntu and  Fedora/Suse/Mandriva.

File compatibility

DraftSight reads and saves .dwg and .dxf file formats.  It can read those formats from any version 2.5 and after.  It can save to any versions from R12 to R2007-2010.  It can also export to PDF, PNG, TIF, SAT and STL.

Free!

What makes this stand out in the Linux community is that DraftSight for Linux is the first non-GPL release of a 2D CAD application from a major corporation that is free for both commercial and personal use.  Even ARES does not offer that!  DraftSight for Linux will have a paid subscription service for educational and commercial customers who want phone support, network licensing, and access to API.  Other than that, free activation of DraftSight for Linux is required to access certain functions.

Linux community response

The response from the community has surprised Dassault Systemes’ Aaron Kelly, Senior Director of DraftSight, who states,

Over 11,000 [downloads] since yesterday (3/16/2011).  A little over 1,000 a day on average.  80% choose the Ubuntu download.  I am surprised by this number as it is about what the MAC uptake was.  These are not users we typically reach. 

An article about DraftSight for Linux appeared on Slashdot, and threads are appearing on Linux related forums.  (These have generated a substantial amount of traffic to SolidWorks Legion.)

System requirements

Ubuntu 9.10 Gnome, Fedora 14 Gnome, Suse 11.2 Gnome, Mandriva 2010 Gnome and KDE, or higher versions, 32-bit

  • 1GHz x86 processor
  • 1GB RAM (2GB recommended)
  • 1GB hard drive space
  • 1024×768 display (1680x 1050 or higher recommended) with True Color graphics card
  • Mouse (wheel mouse recommended)
  • DVD-ROM, only needed if installing from a DVD (who’s doing that?)

64-bit installation

Now, there’s been some comment from the Linux community that DraftSight for Linux is not 64-bit.  Leave it to the Linux community to address its own complaints!  Check out this solution at Courira.ca for Ubuntu 64-bit users.

Other versions

DraftSight for Windows and DraftSight for Mac OS (beta) are also available.

Trying to move an annotation arrow but drawing view moves instead?

Lock View Position - Shortcut menu

Have you ever tried to move an arrow of an annotation note, but instead the drawing view itself moved?   To fix the mistake, you are forced to undo and retry again.  The problem can pop up fairly frequently when trying to move balloons on an assembly drawing.  If a balloon is pointing to a vertex of the model, it is very difficult to select the arrow instead of the vertex point.  This can be very annoying.

So, how does one gain control over these wily drawing views?  SolidWorks allows users to lock the view’s position on the drawing.  Locking the view will prevent it from accidentally shifting when trying to move the annotation arrow.  To lock a view’s position, RMB click on that view.  This will open the Shortcut Menu.  Select Lock View Position.  This setting will lock the view’s position.  Of course, you can undo this by returning to the Shortcut Menu and selecting Unlock View Position.

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Update for SOLIDWORKS 2014: You no longer have to lock view focus or filter selection.  In SOLIDWORKS 2014, you can now simply select the balloon first, then select the tip of its arrow.  This will allow you to move the arrow (reattach it somewhere else) without any workarounds.