More About Making an Existing Annotation Associative

Elements that annotations can be linked to

This sub-topic provides information about elements that annotations can be linked to.

Annotations can be linked to the elements listed below:

Annotations
Annotations	text
	datum feature
	datum target
	balloon
	geometrical tolerance
	roughness symbols
	welding symbols
	tables

Dimensions	extension line
	dimension line
	dimension value
2D elements
Generative edges (Generative Drafting context)

For more information, refer to Working with Annotations.

This sub-topic provides information about associative annotations.

If you create a link between an annotation and a dimension system, remember that the link can only be made on a single dimension of the system.
In a Generative Drafting context, certain types of generated elements (such as Pipe elements) are not associative. For this reason, positional links between an annotation and such elements is not taken into account.
If you copy an annotation and paste it on an element that can be linked to an annotation (refer to Elements that can be Linked to Annotations above), an associative link is automatically created between the pasted annotation and this element.
The rigid character of positional links created on text, table or geometrical tolerance bodies depends on options selected in the settings (via Tools > Options...) using creations commands and the copy/paste operations.
When the annotation is isolated, the positional link is removed, rigid or not. Flexible positional link of roughness symbols have a peculiar behavior. The relative position of roughness can be modified while the distance between the roughness symbol and the reference element remains unchanged. This allows the annotation to slide along a line and turn around a point or a circle.
Annotation positional links created in pre-R19 versions are flexible positional links.
Annotations created in Functional Tolerancing and Annotations workbench do not support creation of rigid positional links when views are generated from it.

A positional link creates a link between the annotation and another element. When the reference element moves, the annotation moves with it. You can create positional links for every type of annotation.
There are two types of positional links:
- Flexible_positional_links: You can modify the relative position between the annotation and the reference element by manipulating the annotation.
- Rigid_positional_links: You cannot move the annotation manually relative to the reference element.
You can create positional links for every type of annotation.
If you create a link between an annotation and a dimension system, remember that the link can only be made on a single dimension of the system.
Creating an orientation link between the text and the reference activates the orientation link when a reference is provided during text creation. This option can be inverted by pressing Shift key during reference selection. Notice that this option requires the snapping to be on, with a snapping mode that includes orientation snapping.