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Annotation Tools ​

Annotation tools add text, dimensions, leaders, and tables to the drawing. All annotation entities are placed on the active layer and inherit the current style.

Dimension ​

Command: DIMENSION Alias: DIM

Places a dimension annotation that automatically measures and displays a geometric value. PlanCAD supports six dimension types, selectable from the toolbar sub-menu or by switching modes before clicking.

Dimension types:

TypeMeasures
LinearHorizontal or vertical distance between two points
AlignedTrue distance between two points along the line connecting them
AngularAngle at a vertex defined by three points
RadialRadius of a circle or arc
DiameterDiameter of a circle or arc
OrdinateX or Y coordinate of a single point from the drawing origin

General step-by-step (Linear / Aligned):

  1. Type DIM and press Enter, or click the Dimension tool.
  2. Select the dimension type from the toolbar if needed (Linear is the default).
  3. Click the first measurement point. Snap indicators help you pick exact endpoints or intersections.
  4. Click the second measurement point.
  5. The dimension is created with the measured value auto-calculated and displayed. The dimension line is offset from the measured segment, with extension lines connecting the measurement points to the dimension line, and triangular arrowheads at both ends.

Angular dimension:

  1. Click the vertex (corner point).
  2. Click the first ray endpoint.
  3. Click the second ray endpoint. The angular dimension is placed.

Radial / Diameter dimension:

  1. Click anywhere on the circle or arc. The dimension attaches to the nearest point on the curve.
  2. Move the cursor to position the leader and label. Click to place.

Ordinate dimension:

  1. Click the point to annotate.
  2. Move the cursor to set the leader direction (horizontal or vertical). Click to place.

Snap attachment: When a dimension start or end point snaps within a threshold of an existing entity endpoint, the dimension records an attachment reference to that entity. This keeps the dimension associated with the geometry if it is moved.

Editing: Select a dimension and drag the middle grip point (on the dimension line) to adjust the offset distance. Use the Properties panel to change style.

Rendering: All dimensions display with extension lines, an offset dimension line, triangular arrowheads, and a compact text label (max 11 px, sans-serif) positioned above the dimension line.

Text ​

Command: TEXT

Places a single-line text entity at a clicked position.

Step-by-step:

  1. Type TEXT and press Enter, or click the Text tool.
  2. Click to set the text insertion point.
  3. An inline text input appears at that position.
  4. Type your text. Press Enter to commit. Press Escape to cancel.

Properties: Text height, font, color, and rotation are set via the Properties panel after placing. Text height defaults are unit-aware (0.3 m, 30 cm, or 300 mm).

MText (Multiline Text) ​

Command: MTEXT Alias: MT

Places a multiline text block within a defined width. Unlike single-line text, MText wraps content within a bounding box and supports multiple paragraphs.

Step-by-step:

  1. Type MT and press Enter, or click the MText tool.
  2. Click to set the insertion point (upper-left corner of the text box).
  3. A dialog appears with the following fields:
    • Text — enter the text content. Use \n in the input to insert line breaks.
    • Text height — font size in drawing units.
    • Box width — the width of the text wrapping region in drawing units.
  4. Click OK (or press Enter in the last field) to place the MText entity.
  5. The tool stays active for chaining additional MText placements. Press Escape to return to the Select tool.

Default values are unit-aware: height 0.3 m / 30 cm / 300 mm, width 5 m / 500 cm / 5000 mm.

Table ​

Command: TABLE Alias: TB

Inserts a structured table with configurable rows, columns, and cell dimensions.

Step-by-step:

  1. Type TB and press Enter, or click the Table tool.
  2. Click to set the insertion point (upper-left corner of the table).
  3. A dialog appears with the following fields:
    • Rows — number of data rows (default 3).
    • Columns — number of columns (default 3).
    • Column width — width of each column in drawing units.
    • Row height — height of each row in drawing units.
    • Font size — text size inside cells in drawing units.
  4. Click OK to place the table. All cells start empty. The first row is marked as a header row.
  5. The tool stays active. Press Escape to return to the Select tool.

Editing cells: Select the table and double-click a cell (or use the Properties panel) to enter or edit cell text.

Default values are unit-aware: column width 1 m / 100 cm / 1000 mm, row height 0.5 m / 50 cm / 500 mm, font size 0.2 m / 20 cm / 200 mm.

Annotation / Leader ​

Command: ANNOTATION

Places a leader line with an attached text callout. The leader consists of a start point (the arrowhead end, placed on or near the annotated geometry) and an end point (where the text label is displayed).

Step-by-step:

  1. Type ANNOTATION and press Enter, or click the Annotation tool.
  2. Click to place the leader start point (the tip of the arrow, near the object being annotated).
  3. Move the cursor — a ghost leader line and placeholder text are shown.
  4. Click to place the leader end point (where the text will appear).
  5. An inline text input appears next to the end point.
  6. Type the annotation text and press Enter to commit. Press Escape to cancel without creating the annotation.
  7. The tool resets for the next annotation.

Text height defaults are unit-aware: 0.3 m, 30 cm, or 300 mm.

Editing: Select the annotation and use the Properties panel to change the text, leader endpoints, height, or style.

Stand Number ​

Command: STAND-NUMBER

Assigns sequential booth or stand numbers to closed shapes (rectangles, closed polylines, hatches). Each numbered entity displays a cartouche label at its center. Stand numbers are stored on the entity and synchronised with PlanExpo when connected.

Interactive Mode ​

  1. Activate the Stand Number tool from the toolbar.
  2. A floating panel appears with settings: Prefix (e.g. A-), Start number, and Increment step.
  3. Move the cursor over a closed shape — the next number is shown as a ghost label at the shape's center.
  4. Click inside the shape to assign the number. The tool automatically advances to the next number.
  5. Continue clicking shapes to number them sequentially.
  6. Press Escape to deactivate the tool.

The status bar shows what will happen on the next click, e.g. "Click to assign A-1" or "Click to replace A-5 with A-6".

Batch Numbering ​

Select multiple entities, then use Edit > Number Stands to open the batch dialog.

  1. Set the Prefix, Start number, and Padding (e.g. padding 3 produces A-001, A-002).
  2. Confirm to apply. Entities are sorted by Y position (rows) then X position (columns) and numbered sequentially.

Number from Labels ​

Select stands that already contain text entities inside them, then use Edit > Number from Labels. PlanCAD finds the first text entity within each selected stand's boundary and uses its content as the stand number. This is useful when importing plans where booth numbers are placed as text rather than stored as entity properties.

Repositioning Labels ​

After numbering, the cartouche label is displayed at the entity center by default. Select a numbered entity and drag the label to reposition it. The offset is stored as labelOffset on the entity and preserved across saves.

Stand Dimensions ​

Automatically generates technical dimension annotations on stand boundaries, measuring every edge so exhibitors and builders can read stand sizes directly from the plan.

Generating Dimensions ​

From the menu:

  1. Select one or more stands (entities with a stand number).
  2. Open Select > Dimension stands.
  3. Aligned dimensions are created on the outside of each stand:
    • Rectangles receive 2 dimensions — width (bottom edge) and height (right edge). Opposing sides are identical and not duplicated.
    • Closed polylines and hatches receive one dimension per edge segment.
  4. All generated dimensions are grouped as a single undo step — press Ctrl+Z to remove them all at once.

From the Properties panel:

  1. Select one or more stands.
  2. In the Properties panel, find the Dimensions toggle.
  3. Click Off to generate dimensions, or On to remove them.

Removing Dimensions ​

  • Select > Remove stand dimensions — removes auto-generated dimensions for the selected stands, or all auto-generated dimensions if nothing is selected.
  • Properties panel toggle — click "On" to switch dimensions off for the selected stands.
  • Both operations are undoable with Ctrl+Z.

Appearance ​

Auto-generated stand dimensions use a muted blue-gray color (#7A9AB5) to remain readable without competing with the white stand borders. They include:

  • Extension lines from each measurement point to the offset dimension line.
  • Triangular arrowheads at both ends of the dimension line.
  • Compact text label showing the measured distance, positioned above the dimension line.

Technical Details ​

  • Dimensions are placed outside the stand polygon. The outward direction is computed from the polygon centroid — for each edge, the dimension is offset to the side opposite the centroid.
  • The offset distance depends on the drawing unit: 0.2 m, 20 cm, or 200 mm.
  • Each generated dimension stores an attachedEntityId linking it to its parent stand. This reference is used for filtering and removal.
  • Dimensions can be selected by clicking the dimension line, the extension lines, or the text label area. The selection box also captures the full offset extent.