3D Annotations and View/Annotation Planes

This reference describes the types of annotations and their relation to views/annotation planes.

3D Annotations are dimensions, tolerances, notes, text or symbols displayed in 3D according to the same type of 2D annotations defined by standards (ISO, ASME, ANSI, JIS, DIN...).

Note that geometrical tolerances require some settings to be defined in addition for their numerical display, see Tolerances settings.

The following topics are discussed:

Related Topics
About View/Annotation Planes
Respecification of Geometries in Semantic Annotation

Non-semantic 3D Annotations


  • Annotations that are not defined in ISO or ASME/ANSI standards:
    • Text
    • Flag Note
    • Note Object Attribute (NOA)
  • 3D annotations where only their graphical attributes are take into account. There is no control on attribute values. There is no control of consistency regarding the geometry on which it is applied and the other annotations. There is no control of the syntax regarding the standard in use.
    • Roughness
    • Datum
    • Datum target
    • Geometrical tolerance
    • Dimension

Semantic 3D Annotations

3D annotations on which attribute values, consistency with geometry and syntax are controlled. The annotation validity is warranted along the life cycle application to be re-used and well understood by other applications like tolerance analysis, inspection, manufacturing, assembly process, etc.

  • Datum
  • Datum target
  • Datum reference frame
  • Geometrical tolerance
  • Dimension

3D Annotations and View/Annotation Planes

For semantic 3D annotations rules for convenient view/annotation planes are the following:

  • Circle: diameter/radius dimension will be created in a view/annotation plane parallel with the circle.
  • Cylinder: diameter/radius dimension will be created in a view/annotation plane perpendicular with the cylinder axis or containing the cylinder axis.
    Important:

    For Body in White holes, the diameter/radius dimension can be created in a view/annotation plane which is not exactly parallel nor perpendicular to the hole axis. This allows user to put dimensions on several holes in the same view/annotation plane.

  • Cone: angle dimension will be created in a view/annotation plane containing the cone axis.
  • Sphere: diameter/radius dimension will be created in a view/annotation plane containing the sphere center.
  • Torus:
    • torus diameter/radius dimension will be created in a view/annotation plane containing the torus axis.
    • tube diameter/radius dimension will be created in a view/annotation plane perpendicular with the torus axis.
  • Tab/slot: dimension will be created in a view/annotation plane perpendicular with the planes.
  • Cylindrical Tab/slot: dimension will be created in a view/annotation plane perpendicular with the axes or containing the axes.

User Surface

Depending on the way the parts or products have been designed the surface to be considered can be made of one or several geometrical elements.

Group of Surfaces

A group of surfaces is a set of user surface or group of surfaces. It is used to model Tab/Slot, Profile and Pattern features as defined in standards.