Chapter 22: Using Annotations and Symbols
In this case, text has been combined with custom properties, but custom properties can also
appear alone. To access the Custom Properties interface, choose Tools ➪ Properties.When you activate the note, you may want to see the syntax, or you may want to see the actual
text value of the custom property. You can find the setting that controls which one is displayed by
choosing View ➪ Annotation Link Variable.Hyperlinking text
Hyperlinking text is sometimes useful on drawings to provide a link to reference documentation,
specification, test results, and so on. The first button in the third row of the Text Format panel of
the Note PropertyManager enables you to add a hyperlink to text in the note. Figure 22.9 shows
this panel. Either copy the URL to the hyperlink dialog box that appears, or browse to it from the
dialog box.Adding Notes and symbols
Notes and symbols are regularly combined in SolidWorks. Symbols are discussed more fully later
in this chapter, but are mentioned here because of the frequency with which they are used with
notes. In reference to Figure 22.9, the image to the right shows the Text Format panel, which con-
tains a button to the interface where you can add symbols.Using Blocks in Drawings
Blocks in SolidWorks can contain sketch elements and notes. When used in drawings, blocks have
several common uses, including the following:l (^) You can use standard note blocks for tolerances, disclaimers, or default requirements.
l You can put together a mechanism in 2D where each block represents a part.
l (^) You can use flow direction for fluid systems.
l You can use drawing stamps such as “Not For Release,” “Preliminary,” “Obsolete,” and
so on.
l You can use symbols for schematics that can be snapped together.
l (^) You can save drawing formats as blocks to make them easier to place as a single entity.
Like styles, blocks reside in the document in which they are created, but you can save them out to a
*.sldblk file, load them into other documents, and save them as a part of a document template.