About Labels

Labels are custom annotations, which can be instantiated, stored in catalogs, and can contain link templates.

This page discusses:

See Also
Creating a Label

Label Creation

You can create a label using a 2D component reference or another label.

You can create a label template so that it can be reused to create a required number of label instances.

Note: Once created, there is no link between the label instance and the reference label template. Therefore, modifications done on the label template properties or properties of annotations in a label template are not reflected to the label instances.

A label can be instantiated in 2D Layout for 3D Design in the background view, in the main view, or in any view in a detail sheet or in a design sheet. A label is managed as an annotation and all the following commands are available with it:

  • Add Leader: You can add or remove a leader on a label by right-clicking it and selecting Add Leader or Remove Leader.
  • Positional Link > Create: You can create a positional link between the label and the reference.
  • Orientation Link > Create: You can create an orientation link between the label and the reference.
  • Cut and Paste: You can cut a label and paste as all other annotations.
  • Associative positional/orientation link: You can select a label as a reference to create an associative positional or orientation link.

If a label is created using a 2D component reference, the various elements in the 2D component reference are embedded inside the label as depicted below:

Elements in 2D Components 2D Component Reference Label
Text Text Text
Table Table Table
Balloon Balloon Balloon
Arrow Arrow Arrow
Dimension Dimension Vector geometry + Text
Geometrical Tolerance Geometrical Tolerance
Roughness Roughness
Welding Welding
Datum Target Datum Target
Datum Feature Datum Feature
2D Component Instance 2D Component Instance
Sketched geometry Sketched geometry Vector geometry
Center Line Center Line
Axis Line Axis Line
Threads Threads
Area fill Area fill
Construction geometry Construction geometry No conversion
Picture Picture Image
Embedded object Embedded object

Properties

You can change the properties of a label by right-clicking the label and selecting Properties or using Object Properties. Similarly, you can edit the properties of an annotation inside the label using Object Properties, when it is declared as Modifiable in instance.

Note that annotation sub-elements are not modifiable in instance, by default.

The following properties are available for a label:

  • Text properties are available for all annotations inside the label. For example, Mirroring properties defined on annotation sub elements are taken into account when rotating a label.
  • Blank Background text property is available only on an annotation sub-element.
  • Anchor Point: Anchor point positions available in Object Properties, are based on the label's bounding box. You can change the anchor point position as per your requirement.
  • Frame: Various frame types are available in Object Properties. You can add or remove a frame on a label.
    Note: While adding a frame, the bounding box of the label is changed to include the frame.




  • Apply Scale: Scale of the sheet view or the parent component can be applied to the display of the text or label during instantiation.

    The following cases are possible according to the selection of Apply Scale check box:

    Text Label Display after Instantiation
    Selected Cleared

    Selected Selected

    Cleared Cleared

    Cleared Selected

    Notes:
    • For the annotation inside the label, the behavior depends on its own properties.
    • By default, Parent component is selected as reference for label texts.
    • If the Apply Scale check box is selected for the label text properties and cleared for the label properties, the text follows the scale of its parent component (label).

  • Reference: Orientation of the sheet view or the parent component can be applied to the display of the text or label during instantiation.

    The following cases are possible according to the selection of Reference:

    Text Label Display after Instantiation
    Sheet Sheet

    Parent component Sheet

    Sheet Parent component

    Parent component Parent component

    Note: If Parent component is selected as reference for the label text properties and Sheet as reference for the label properties, the text follows the orientation of its parent component (label).

For more information, see Label Properties and Text Properties.

Label Edition

You can edit a label by double-clicking it.

You can edit the label in a detail sheet as well as in a design sheet.

During the label edition in a detail sheet, you can:

  • Manipulate all the annotations of the label.
  • Declare annotations as Modifiable in instance and also set an annotation as a main annotation.
  • Edit texts and tables by double-clicking them.
  • Execute context menu commands Route Link Templates, Query Object Links, Isolate, and Properties on annotations of the label.
  • Modify the properties of all the annotations of the label through the Object Properties panel.

During a label edition in a design sheet, you can:

  • Edit texts and tables that are declared as Modifiable in instance by double-clicking them.
  • Execute context menu commands Route Link Templates, Query Object Links, Isolate, and Properties on texts and tables that are declared as Modifiable in instance.
  • Modify the properties of all the annotations of the label through the Object Properties.

During the label edition, you can:

  • Select the annotations by clicking each annotation separately. When you select an annotation, you can change its properties through Object Properties.
  • Select several annotations together by pressing Ctrl. However, if you want to change the annotation text, double-click the required annotation and change the text as per your requirement.
  • Select the annotations or change the selection by pressing Tab.
    • If you press Tab while one annotation is chosen, the annotation that is created after the chosen one, gets selected.
    • If you press Shift and Tab while one annotation is chosen, the annotation that is created before the chosen one gets selected. The annotations are selected based on their order of creation.
    • If you press Tab while no annotation is selected, the annotation that is created first in the label gets selected.

Scale Labels

You can perform the following actions on the labels:

  • Scale the width and height values.
  • Scale the label template non uniformly.
  • Lock the ratio of width and height scale.
For more information, see Scale.

Main Annotation

When a label is in edition mode, you can define an annotation as a main annotation. Once a main annotation is defined on a label, all font and text properties are handled by this main annotation and no more by the label itself.

The main annotation is considered to handle the following properties of the label:

  • Position: When a main annotation is defined, the position of the label refers to the position of the main annotation and not to the position of the label itself.
  • Leader: When a leader is added to a label for which a main annotation is defined, the leader anchor points refer to the main annotation and not to the label itself.
  • Frame: When a frame is added to a label for which a main annotation is defined, the frame is displayed around the whole label.