The Vectorworks Design Series products provide a full set of features for managing and creating complete and fully-referenced annotation of project files. These features can streamline the annotation process by providing a central location for storing, selecting, and placing frequently-repeated notes. Notes can be reused across files, either within a project, or across separate projects.
A callout is text with a leader line, displaying information about an item in the drawing; a callout object is included with the Vectorworks Fundamentals product. Its capabilities are extended in the Vectorworks Design Series products, allowing it to be used for keynotes in addition to ordinary notes. A keynote is a callout that references a note contained in a keynote legend. Placing callouts as keynotes also creates a keynote legend object. The keynote legend automatically numbers the notes, and ensures that multiple instances of the same note are assigned the same keynote number. General notes, also available in the Vectorworks Design Series products, contain text not associated with a particular item in the drawing.
The callout, keynote legend, and general notes objects can be used with manually-entered text, or in conjunction with external databases which store and retrieve text. When a database is used, text is entered only once into the database, and then pulled from the database for notes in the drawing. After notes have been placed, if changes are made to the database or to the notes, the differences can be reconciled with the Reconcile Notes command.
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The Callout tool places callout objects on a drawing. A callout object is a block of text attached to a leader line with an optional bubble surrounding the text. Use callout objects to annotate items in a file.
In the Vectorworks Design Series products, the Callout tool includes extended capabilities which allow it to be used for keynotes. A keynote legend is automatically created.
A keynote can be used without a database as described in this section, or in conjunction with an external notes database (see “Placing Database Callouts” on page 1300).
Mode |
Description |
|---|---|
Towards Target |
Click first where the callout text is to be placed, and then on the object to be annotated |
Towards Text |
Click first on the object to be annotated, and then where the callout text is to be placed |
Two Point |
Two clicks are required to place the callout object; in Two Point mode, the length of the shoulder is determined in the callout preferences or Object Info palette |
Three Point |
Three clicks are required to place the callout object; in Three Point mode, the third click determines the length of the shoulder |
Preferences |
Opens the Callout Preferences dialog box |
To create a callout or (for Vectorworks Design Series products) a keynote:
1 Click the Callout tool from the Basic palette.
2 Click the Preferences button from the Tool bar.
3 The Callout Preferences dialog box opens. Specify the default settings for callouts or keynote objects during this session and click OK.
Click to show/hide the parameters.
4 Click OK to set the callout or keynote preferences.
5 Click the desired insertion modes from the Tool bar, and then click in the drawing to set the insertion point of the callout or keynote object.
Depending on the mode, the first click defines the leader shoulder or the leader endpoint.
6 Click again to determine either the leader endpoint or leader shoulder, depending on the mode.
7 If in Three Point mode, click a third time to define the shoulder length.
The Notes Manager: Callout dialog box opens. Enter the callout or keynote legend text; text wraps if longer than the specified maximum text width. Press Enter to add a carriage return.
8 Click OK.
The callout or keynote is placed in the drawing; if a keynote is placed, a keynote legend object is also created.
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To edit the text of an existing callout object:
1 Either double-click the callout object with the Selection tool, or select the callout object and click Edit Note from the Object Info palette.
The Notes Manager: Callout dialog box opens.
2 Enter the text changes and click OK.
• Edit the callout parameters from the Object Info palette; see “Inserting Callouts or Keynotes” on page 1289.
• Use the Attributes palette to change the marker type.
• Set the text attributes using the Text > Format Text command. Alternatively, assign a text style to the callout.
• On the drawing, a callout object contains control points that can be moved with the mouse to change the callout text width, shoulder length, and endpoint position. A curved callout leader includes additional control points for adjusting the leader curvature.
• If there are several callout objects, use the Align/Distribute Leader Lines command to improve readability (see “Aligning and Distributing Leader Lines” on page 1087).
• Callout objects are specified and drawn in page scale; they draw to the same apparent size, regardless of the layer scale. The callout object automatically re-scales if the layer the callout is on is re-scaled, or if the callout is cut and pasted between layers of different scales.
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To specify bubble shadow edge and fill attributes:
1 In the Callout Preferences dialog box click Shadow Settings, or in the Object Info palette for a selected callout or keynote legend, click Bubble Shadow Settings.
To activate this option, Bubble Style must be set to a style other than None, Bracket, ISO, or Vertical Accent Bar, and Bubble Shadow must be selected.
The Bubble Shadow Settings dialog box opens.
Click to show/hide the parameters.
2 Specify the desired parameters and click OK.
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Editing
Keynotes and the Keynote LegendBoth the keynotes and keynote legend can be edited after placement. To edit a single keynote, select it and make the changes from the Object Info palette. To edit several keynotes, select the keynote legend and make the edits from the Object Info palette.
The keynotes bubble style can also display in the keynote legend; control the style with either the keynotes or the legend.
• Edit the text or graphics of an individual keynote the same as a callout; see “Editing a Callout Object” on page 1293.
• To convert an existing keynote into an ordinary callout object, deselect Place As Keynote from the Object Info palette. The keynote is removed from the keynote legend.
If you delete a keynote, the remaining keynotes are not renumbered. The keynote legend maintains a “gap” or placeholder displaying the custom text specified in Unused Position Text. However, if Re-use Unused Positions is selected and another keynote is placed in the drawing, the new keynote replaces the first “gap” keynote. Clicking Remove Gaps in the Object Info palette of a selected keynote legend also removes gaps; another way to remove gaps is to sort the keynotes in the Notes Manager: Keynote List dialog box.
Edit the keynote legend parameters from the Object Info palette.
Click to show/hide the parameters.
For information on formatting text, see “Formatting Text” on page 427. Text styles cannot be applied to keynote legends.
The keynote legend contains control points for adjusting the hanging indent and text width directly from the drawing.
To change the text or numbering of all keynotes at the same time:
1 Select the keynote legend and click Edit Notes from the Object Info palette.
The Notes Manager: Keynote List dialog box opens.
If the database controls are showing, click Hide Database Controls.
Click to show/hide the parameters.
2 Each keynote is listed by a description, which normally consists of the first 42 characters of the keynote. To change a description, select it and click Edit. From the Edit Note dialog box, deselect Use the first 42 characters, and then edit the Description. You can also edit the note text. Click OK to close the Edit Note dialog box.
3 Click OK to close the Notes Manager: Keynote Legend dialog box and save the changes.
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Placing General NotesNotes management includes a General Notes tool, for placing and numbering general notes.
To place a general notes object:
1 Click the General Notes tool from the Dims/Notes tool set.
2 Click the Preferences button from the Tool bar.
The General Notes Tool Settings dialog box opens. Specify the default settings for placing General Notes during this session and click OK.
Click to show/hide the parameters.
3 Click to place the general notes object in the drawing.
The Notes Manager: General Notes dialog box opens.
Click to show/hide the parameters.
4 To add a new general note, click Add.
The Add Note dialog box opens.
5 Enter the note text. Each note is listed by a description, which normally consists of the first 42 characters of the note. To change the description, deselect Use the first 42 characters, and then edit the Description.
6 Click OK to close the Add Note dialog box and add the note.
7 Create additional notes as needed, and then click OK to place the general notes object.
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Editing General NotesTo edit the text of an existing general notes object:
1 Either double-click the general notes object with the Selection tool, or select the object and click Edit Notes from the Object Info palette.
The Notes Manager: General Notes dialog box opens.
• To edit a note, select the note description and click Edit. The Edit Note dialog box opens. Enter the text changes and click OK.
• To delete a note, select the note description and click Remove. Click Remove All to delete all notes.
• To change the order of a note, select the note description and click Move Up or Move Down.
2 When you are done editing, click OK.
Edit the general note parameters from the Object Info palette.
Click to show/hide the parameters.
For information on formatting text, see “Formatting Text” on page 427 and “Using Text Styles” on page 431.
The general notes object contains control points for adjusting the hanging indent and text width directly from the drawing.
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Notes
Management with DatabasesInstead of manually typing the text for every callout or keynote and general notes object, text that is used repeatedly—by one or many users—across projects and files can be stored in a tab-delimited text file (referred to as a “database”). The use of a database for storing notes saves time and prevents errors, and standardizes compliant notes usage across files.
There is no limit to the number of databases that can be used for annotating a drawing. The databases can have an unlimited number of notes of any length. After placement, notes can be easily updated if changes are made to a database.
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Placing Database
CalloutsCallouts with database notes are placed with the extended capabilities of the Callout tool.
To place a database callout:
1 Click the Callout tool from the Basic palette.
2 Click the Preferences button from the Tool bar.
The Callout Preferences dialog box opens. For more information on the Callout tool, see “Inserting Callouts or Keynotes” on page 1289.
3 Select Get Text from Database; the current database file is displayed as a button.
4 To select a different database, click the database button.
The standard Open dialog box allows a different database file to be selected. Select the database file, and click Open.
A sample database is located in the Vectorworks application folder: [Vectorworks]\Libraries\Defaults\Notes\Callouts.txt
5 Click OK.
6 Click in the drawing to place the callout object.
Once the callout leader is drawn, the Notes Manager: Callout dialog box opens automatically, displaying the information from the selected database.
The notes in a selected section are listed by a description.
Click to show/hide the parameters.
7 To add a note to a selected section, click Add under Notes in Database.
The Add Note dialog box opens. Specify the section, description, and note text.
Click to show/hide the parameters.
8 Click OK to add the note to the specified section and return to the Notes Manager: Callout dialog box.
9 Change the note description by selecting the description and clicking Edit.
The Edit Note dialog box opens. Deselect Use the first 42 characters, and then change the Description. You can also edit the note text and associate the note with a different section. Click OK to save the edits and return to the Notes Manager: Callout dialog box.
10 The text of a selected note can be edited in Note Text.
11 To search easily for a note, section, or description, use a filter. Only notes, sections, or descriptions with the specified text are displayed. Select the desired filter from the Database Filter list in the Notes Manager: Callout dialog box. To display all notes, sections, and descriptions, select All Notes. In addition, if no items match a selected filter, all notes are displayed.
12 To edit the database search filters, click Edit under Database Filter.
The Edit Filter List dialog box opens. The filters are listed in order.
Click to show/hide the parameters.
13 Click OK to change the search filters and return to the Notes Manager: Callout dialog box.
14 Changes and additions to the notes database are saved automatically according to the preferences specified. Click Prefs to set these preferences.
The Database Preferences dialog box opens. Set the desired actions that automatically save database changes by selecting the associated check box. If no automatic saving is specified, you will be prompted frequently about saving the database.
The Locate and Hide Database options are available when editing a General Notes or Keynote Legend with database.
15 Click OK to return to the Notes Manager: Callout dialog box.
16 Once the desired note has been entered or located, select it and click Update to move it to the Callout Text list.
17 Click OK. The selected note is used for the callout text.
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Editing a Database Callout• To change the note text, either double-click the callout with the Selection tool, or select the callout and click Edit Note from the Object Info palette. The Notes Manager: Callout dialog box opens. Select a different note as described in “Placing Database Callouts” on page 1300, and click OK.
• Edit the database callout parameters from the Object Info palette as for an ordinary callout. See “Inserting Callouts or Keynotes” on page 1289.
• Edit the graphics of a database callout as for an ordinary callout; see “Editing the Callout Graphic” on page 1293.
• To convert an existing database callout into an ordinary callout, click Edit Note from the Object Info palette, and then click Hide Database Controls. The callout text can then be edited, and the database text is not affected.
• If there are several callout objects, use the Align/Distribute Leader Lines command to improve readability (see “Aligning and Distributing Leader Lines” on page 1087).
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Placing Database Keynote LegendsKeynote legends can take advantage of a notes database.
To place a database keynote legend:
1 Click the Callout tool from the Basic palette.
2 Click the Preferences button from the Tool bar.
The Callout Preferences dialog box opens. As described in “Inserting Callouts or Keynotes” on page 1289, select Place As Keynote and click OK.
3 Place the callouts in the drawing area.
4 Select the keynote legend. From the Object Info palette, click Edit Notes.
5 The Notes Manager: Keynote List dialog box opens.
6 If necessary, click Show Database Controls to access the keynote legend database parameters.
The dialog box is divided into two sections, with the database information on the left and the keynote legend information on the right. The buttons in the center of the dialog box move information from the database to the legend and vice versa.
Click to show/hide the parameters.
7 Click OK to change the keynote legend, replacing the notes with database notes.
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Placing Database
General NotesGeneral notes can take advantage of a notes database.
To place a database general notes object:
1 Click the General Notes tool from the Dims/Notes tool set.
2 Click to place the general notes object in the drawing.
The Notes Manager: General Notes dialog box opens.
3 Click Show Database Controls to access the general notes database parameters.
The dialog box is divided into two sections, with the database information on the left and the general notes information on the right. The buttons in the center of the dialog box move information from the database to the general notes and vice versa.
A sample database is located in the Vectorworks application folder: [Vectorworks]\Libraries\Defaults\Notes\GeneralNotes.txt
Click to show/hide the parameters.
4 The note in the Notes in the Selected General Notes Object list will be placed as a general note. Click OK to place the general note.
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Adding Text
to a DatabaseText objects can be added from the drawing to a selected database. This is convenient for retrieving text from older, converted files for use with the Notes Manager or when adding frequently-used text to a database for easy future insertion as an annotation.
To add drawing text to a database:
1 Select Text > Add Text to Database.
The Add Text to Database dialog box opens. Specify which text objects to select and indicate in which databases to search for duplicated text.
Click to show/hide the parameters.
2 Click OK. If any of the text is not found in the text search database(s), the Notes Manager: Add Text to Database dialog box opens.
3 The text to be added is listed on the right. As described in “Placing Database Keynote Legends” on page 1303, the text can be added to the active database in the desired section. Click OK.
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Reconciling Database
and Drawing NotesThe Reconcile Notes command handles differences between the database and the notes in the drawing. For example, if database callouts have been placed and the database is edited afterwards, differences must be reconciled.
To reconcile notes:
1 Select Text > Reconcile Notes.
The Reconcile Notes dialog box opens. Select the note objects to reconcile.
Click to show/hide the parameters.
2 Click OK to reconcile the notes. If any of the notes reference databases, the Notes Manager attempts to locate those databases. It searches first in the same folder as the current file; if not found, it searches in the same place relative to the Vectorworks program executable. If the databases still cannot be found, the Notes Manager tries to locate them with fully-qualified paths.
Place database files from another user in the same folder as the drawing file so that the Notes Manager can easily locate the databases.
3 If a database referenced by notes cannot be located, the Cannot Locate Database(s) dialog box opens. For each database that cannot be located, click Browse to specify the database location.
4 Click OK. Next, the Notes Manager searches the database(s) for the notes.
5 If one or more notes cannot be located in the database, an alert dialog box opens asking if you want Notes Manager to search for these notes in a database search list.
If there are no additional database files to be specified, click No and proceed to step 8. If the notes could be located in another database, click Yes to specify the database location.
6 The Specify Database Search List dialog box opens. Click Add to specify additional databases where the notes are located. Click Remove to delete a selected database from the list. The number of notes which have been located is displayed.
7 Click OK.
8 If some notes have still not been located, the Notes Manager: Reconcile Notes dialog box opens.
The dialog box is divided into two sections, with the database information on the left and the notes to be reconciled on the right. The buttons in the center of the dialog box move information from the database to the general notes and vice versa.
By using the center buttons, reconcile each note manually. As a note is reconciled, it is removed from the list.
Click to show/hide the parameters.
9 Click OK.
An alert message explains how the notes were reconciled.
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Locating Databases on a NetworkTo use databases efficiently in a multiple-user environment, the database files should be placed on a network. There, they can be accessed concurrently by several users who will then conform to office standards and will not need to retype notes.
On Windows, choose databases by browsing from the Network location rather than from a mapped drive letter. If you select databases from mapped drives, the database references are then dependent on drive mapping.
Database changes made by different users are merged automatically.
A conflict could arise if you and another user edit the same note in the same database at the same time. If this occurs, the Resolve Note Conflict dialog box opens when you close the Notes Manager dialog box.
On the left, your version of the note displays, and on the right, the other user’s version displays. Select which version of the note to save by selecting Mine is better or The other note is better. Click OK to resolve the conflict.
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Converting Notes
from Previous VersionsDatabases and notes created in Vectorworks software versions prior to version 11 can be converted for use in the current version.
Databases created in previous versions of the Notes Manager are automatically converted to the current version when they are selected by clicking Choose to select a database.
Callouts created in version 9 and above are automatically converted to the current format. They can be used as ordinary callouts, keynotes, or database callouts.
Other notes objects, such as Text Notes, Keynotes, and General Notes created by previous Notes Manager versions, as well as Vectorworks text objects, must be converted by command. Vectorworks text objects are converted to general notes.
To convert old objects to the current format:
1 Select Text > Convert Old Notes to New.
2 The Convert Old Notes to New dialog box opens. Select the type of old notes to convert.
Click to show/hide the parameters.
3 Click OK to convert the objects to the current version Notes Manager format.
4 The Conversion Results dialog box displays a summary of the objects converted.
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