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Add annotations or measurements

Describes tools that let you create labels and measurements that automatically update based on the geometry they are attached to.

Create a label

Use the Annotate tool to create a label with a leader line pointing to a specific point on the model.

Create a label pointing to a point or object

Choose Locators > Annotate .
Do one of the following:
Click a reference point, or a point on a curve, surface, or mesh.

If more than one object are under the cursor, the pick chooser appears. Point to the hand icon next to the object you want. Keep the mouse button down to position the reference point.

Click a point in space to create a reference point.
Type 3D coordinates to create a reference point.
Click the point in space where you want the text of the label.
Type the label text and press .

What if...?

] I don't want to show the arrow from the label to the object?

Use the Locators > Move locator tool to pick the label, then open the information window and turn off the arrow option.

See View or change the properties of objects and locators

Create linear or angular measurements

Describes tools that let you measure linear distance or angles.

Measure a linear distance between two points

Choose Locators > Measure > Distance .
Do any of the following to choose two points:
Click a reference point, or a point on a curve, surface, or mesh.

If more than one object are under the cursor, the pick chooser appears. Point to the hand icon next to the object you want. Keep the mouse button down to position the reference point.

Click a point in space to create a reference point.
Type 3D coordinates to create a reference point.

Measure the shortest distance from a curve to a reference point

Choose Locators > Deviation > Closest Point .
Do one of the following:
Click a reference point, or a point on a curve, surface, or mesh.

If more than one object are under the cursor, the pick chooser appears. Point to the hand icon next to the object you want. Keep the mouse button down to position the reference point.

Click a point in space to create a reference point.
Type 3D coordinates to create a reference point.
Click the object whose closest point you want to find.

Measure the angle between three points

Choose Locators > Measure > Angle .
Do any of the following to choose three points:
Click a reference point, or a point on a curve, surface, or mesh.

If more than one object are under the cursor, the pick chooser appears. Point to the hand icon next to the object you want. Keep the mouse button down to position the reference point.

Click a point in space to create a reference point.
Type 3D coordinates to create a reference point.

What if...?

] I don't want to show the arrows?

Use the Locators > Move locator tool to pick the label, then open the information window and turn off the arrow option.

See View or change the properties of objects and locators

Create radial measurements

Describes tools that let you measure radius and diameter.

Measure the radius of a curve or arc

Choose Locators > Measure > Radius .
Click the curve you want to measure. The locator shows the radius of the curve at that point.

Measure the diameter of a circle

Choose Locators > Measure > Diameter .
Click the circle you want to measure.

What if...?

] I want to see all the radius values along a curve at once?

To see a continuous comb plot of radius values along a curve, use Locators > Curve curvature with the Plot Value option set to Radius.

] I don't want to show the arrows?

Use the Locators > Move locator tool to pick the label, then open the information window and turn off the arrow option.

See View or change the properties of objects and locators

Edit a label or measurement object

How to move, edit, or relabel an existing label or measurement.

Edit a locator

Choose Windows > Information > Information window to open the information window.

The information window allows you to change many useful settings of whatever objects are picked.

Choose Locators > Move locator .
Click the annotation you want to edit.
Do any of the following:
Drag the locator to move it (if this is possible).
For comb plots, drag theto change the quill scale, or drag theto change the quill density.
Drag a label to move it.
Change the locator's settings in the information window.
See View or change the properties of objects and locators

Measure the length of a curve

Use the object editor to measure the real-world length or a curve or surface.

Show the absolute and arc length of a curve

Pick the curve.
Open the information window (Windows > Information > Information window ) and open the Curve Geometry Info section.

Measure the arc length to a point on a curve

Choose Locators > Measure > Arc length .
Press theon the curve and drag the locator along the curve.
The prompt line shows the arc length from the start of the curve to the locator.
A window shows the arc length of the entire curve.

Measure the arc length of a surface

Choose Locators > Measure > Arc length .
Press theon an isoparametric curve or edge and drag across the surface. A window shows the length of the isoparametric curve.

What if...?

] I want to measure to a point on a curve from the end instead of the beginning?

The Arc length tool always measures from the beginning of the curve. To measure from the other end you must reverse the curve first.

See Reverse the direction of a curve or surface

Create or edit text comments on an object

Use Edit comment tool to attach a text file to any object.

Add a comment to an object

Pick the object you want to add a comment to.
Choose Object edit > Edit comment .
Type or edit the comment using the editor. You can type any text and use more than one line.

The Edit comment tool runs your default editor on a temporary file. Do not change the name or location of the file when you save, or the comments will be lost.

Save the file and exit the editor.

Display any comments on an object

Choose Object edit > Query edit .
-click the object.

What if...?

] I want to change the text editor that AliasStudio launches?

Choose Preferences > General Preferences and set the option in the General section.