Filtering Annotations

Filtering 3D annotations lets you concentrate on the annotations that are relevant for your reviewing needs. You can filter annotations by semantic criteria (feature type and form), by numeric criteria (value), or by a combination of both.

By default, all existing annotations are retrieved in a review document; they are displayed around the model. The 3D Annotation Filter dialog box reflects the content of the current document. You can filter annotations and types of annotations that are displayed in the document only— those are listed in the Annotations area.

Important: You can review 3D XML documents generated from the following releases:
  • All CATIA V5 releases since R17 SP5.
  • All CATIA V6 releases.

Before you begin: Open a product containing a 3D shape with annotations.
See Also
About Filtering Annotations
  1. Click anywhere in the work area to ensure that no annotation is selected.



  2. From the Tools section of the action bar, click 3D Annotation Filter .
    In the 3D Annotation Filter dialog box. The expanders, Annotation Sets, Annotation Views, and Annotations, are set to Custom.

    Note: If no annotation set has been previously loaded, those defined at the assembly root level are loaded and displayed.
    • All annotations of visible annotation sets are visible as specified in the model.
    • There is no filter based on type, tolerance, or default annotations.

    If one or several annotation sets have been previously loaded, the areas in the 3D Annotation Filter dialog box are initialized accordingly.

  3. Under Annotation Sets, select All.

    A message box appears informing you that displaying all the annotation sets might take a long time and it is advisable to activate the annotation sets one-by-one.

  4. Click Yes in the message box.
    All the annotation sets are visible in the work area. The content of the dialog box is updated dynamically. However, note that if any new annotations, views/captures, or annotation sets are created, those new elements are not immediately reflected in the 3D Annotation Filter dialog box.
  5. In the Annotation Views area, click the Custom list.
    It displays the (Select All) option and all the available annotation views in the current 3D area part.
  6. Click (Select All) (if not selected already) to display all the annotation views or select the (Select All) check box and select the required views.
    The selected annotation views are displayed in the work area.
  7. Select All under Annotations.
    All the annotations are displayed in the work area.
    Note: You can select only one option at a time. That is you can either display all the annotations by selecting All, or filter the annotations by selecting Of Type or Custom.
  8. Filter the annotations using the following steps:
    1. Select the Of Type option and click the arrow to display the list (if not displayed already).
      The list shows all the available types of annotations. You can display the specific types of annotations by selecting their respective check boxes.
    2. Select the Datum check box for example.
      The filtered datums are shown in the 3D area.

    3. Select Form.
      The filtered forms appear in the 3D area.

    4. Optional: Similarly, select the Custom option and click the arrow to display the list (if not displayed already).
      Note: You can select only one option at a time. That is you can either display all the annotations by selecting All, or filter the annotations by selecting Of Type or Custom.
    5. Optional: Select the required annotation types in the Custom list and click the arrow to display the details.

      Each annotation type displays the details of the chosen annotation type. For example, if you select Geometrical Tolerances in the Custom list, it displays the type of geometrical tolerances available in the current 3D area part: Cylindricity, Parallelism, etc.

  9. Optional: Select Only Default Annotations.
    It displays only the default annotations in the work area.
  10. Optional: Type 0.01 and select < in the Value list.

    The filtered forms that have a value less than 0.01 are shown in the 3D area.

  11. Click Apply.
  12. Click Close.