What specific functionality from MS Word would you like to see in SOLIDWORKS annotation note tool?

Hey Matthew,

I'd really like the capitals/lower case button to be added if it isn't already.

Also, perhaps make it compatible with Antidote so that we can use it to correct what we wrote.

I'll add more as I think of them. I passed the word around my office to get some suggestions.

I don't do a lot with notes, but it would be nice to have some of the standard MS Word keyboard shortcuts -

Ctrl + I/B/U (Italic/Bold/Underline)

Shift & Ctrl+Shift + Arrow Keys (Quickly selecting text)

Ctrl+Shift+</> (Decrease/Increase Font Size)

There are a bunch of others that I do without thinking, but these are the ones that I use the most.

Thanks!

Matthew Lorono wrote:

Examples: Is there a formatting style that SOLIDWORKS doesn't currently support? What about highlighting? Do you think it would valuable to double-justification, where the test is kerned to fit within the space, but not compressed or stretched? How about superscript and superscript?

1) I would like to see this functionality.  The kerning that is represented in Solidworks right now doesn't make sense to me.  I don't know anyone who would want their text stretched or compressed to fit a space.

2) I don't know the programming behind it specifically, but the way that notes work right now is kind of flaky.  There seem to be a lot of graphical issues with being able to see the placeholder (carat?) or knowing where it is. (See my reply here: drw note, text box caret ).

On this same note, I would love to see something similar to how tables work hand in hand with Excel, where you double click on a note and you can edit your note in Word, then save and close and your note is ported in from Word.  Of course, I could see things going wrong with this as well.

3) I would like to see the ability to add columns to notes, similar to Word's columns.

4) Of course (we have talked about this before in other threads, and even in different ways), but Word has a "restrict Editing" function that I would like to see in our notes.   Something that would keep people from accidentally grabbing a note and moving it.   Of course the way we talked about it before was possibly adding a layer in the drawing that you could put a note on that would be viewable, but not editable until you changed the layer function.  But alternatively, you could add a "restrict Editing" function to a specific note so that it can't be moved or edited unless the check box were turned off.

Hope I didn't go off on too much of a tangent. 

On a slight tangent, I'd be grateful if you didn't lock us into having to buy MS Word.

How about some type of "show special characters" function where the SWML is shown for the note as-created?  Or even some official documentation on it.   I guess it's mostly API-related, but there have been a number of times that it's been helpful to understand how to create formats with the <> type tags.  Currently (as far as I'm aware) the only way to learn that stuff is to create a note manually, apply whatever formatting you want, then use API to read the text of the note to get the formatting tags. 

Please add super and subsript and enlarge allowable number of characters in stacked note. it is limited to 8 characters only.

I would very much like to have the ability to quickly change text color by simply highlighting the note and making the selection from the Property Manager. As it is now I have to d-click the note to get into edit mode then select the text and finally change the color. Lots of extra steps. I don't know if that counts because it's not something directly related to the MS text editing interface but I'll give it shot just because other formatting options do become available on the left side of the screen like Text Format.

Sorry for a little deviation from original question but it is old and adjacent problem.

Please add vertical alignment of sketch text to guide line. This simplify our life a lot. Now it is necessary to set Font Size in two places.

I would like to be able to set the numbering value. The finish note below would need a boxed number 5 for our application. I can't use numbering in Solidowrks 2015 so I manually place them. See below:

I would like to have this...

And I would like this...

Pop-up says that it is possible to apply stack formatting to selected text, but it is not true, it creates a new one instead.

Moreover it is impossible to unstack stacked text.

Hi Matthew,

a) Here is one...not having to double-click a note or text first to get to the formatting options & to change or add text.

Simple window select or RMC. Waiting for that ole object to activate is sooooooooooooo sloooooow.

b) Editing text notes in the drawing is cumbersome. The fastest way to do it is RMC then hit X/Key to open the edit text window.

Well its good for data entry. No formatting available. Why not combine a) & b) to something like a one stop interface.

We have the feature manager, then we have the format bar, then we have edit text window, then we have tables...I would think
all those should be in one function.

c) Then have a look at the selection options RMC selected text...has mostly nothing to do with text.

d) Add table functions to the text format. So I can add table formatting in the text dialog. They are related.

e) And make sure whatever changes are coming that they can be exported to all industry formats without looking like scramble Hieroglyphen.

f) Make copy & paste keep format.

g) Make drawings not faster but FAST & lower priority for text cosmetics unless it really makes a difference

Elmar

As a SIDE "NOTE"...LOL...Whatever functionality is added....please allow or include the ability for the API to have functional access as well..Please

oh ya...Please again...LOL

From my Production Manager:

" A few come to mind:

• Select and drag text
• Columns
• Auto number across
  sheets
• Highlight text.
• Fill text box
• Move to front/back
• Edit images "

(Some items may have already been mentioned.)

I would add: Ability to lock the annotation note at a particular size.

Matt,

Still on SW2014 so some of this may already be in place...

I would like to see Note Anchors that would act like table anchors so that a specific type / name note would either snap to or automatically appear in the drawing at the said anchor point. The anchors would be placed in the sheet format just as you do for BOM and other table anchors. You should be able to set identifiers for multiple anchors so that a specific note will attach only to its specific anchor.

I try to operate with a minimum of drawing templates. Some drawings get additional standard notes that are not in the template. I prefer to add the note vs. maintain two identical (except for the note) templates. Currently the note must be placed manually and approximately. The note anchor would assist in this.

Additionally, I would like to see a method that would mimic configurations in a note. As an example our template has a standard boiler plate note that has material call out linked back to the material property. However, when the part is sheet metal, we also add the thickness (also linked) to this same call out and add a line related to bend details.

My current process is to have two identical notes differentiated only by the above mentioned details. In a sheet metal drawing I must delete the standard note brought in with the template and paste in the sheet metal version of the same note (in the same location where a note anchor would really help). Instead, it would be great if I could RMC on the note and select the other configuration / version.

Yes, a far cry from "Word" functionality...

Thanks,

Daen

Hi Matt,

I would like to have this

If I copy and paste from word I get

Another vote for text columns.  This makes it easier to run notes along the top of a sheet rather than down the side (last job was all long cylindrical bodies so sheet width was at a premium, but loads of room to play with vertically).

Also for numbered lists to continue across pages automatically.

Our engineers often write several pages of test procedures for assembly / production drawings. These test procedures are usually in a stepped outline format with multiple tiers of indents, and sub-bullet lists. Trying to do this in native SolidWorks is problematic at best.

You mention kerning... definitely need this functionality, and I would add that the ability to adjust the line spacing between paragraphs needs to be more flexible so that it can be adjusted between the sub-indented steps as well as the hard carriage returns between the main steps in the list. Matthew Lorono thanks for continuing to move these changes forward.

Matthew Lorono wrote:

 

...

 

Examples: Is there a formatting style that SOLIDWORKS doesn't currently support? What about highlighting? Do you think it would valuable to double-justification, where the test is kerned to fit within the space, but not compressed or stretched? How about superscript and superscript?

I would like to have the ability to control the spacing (uniformly) between letters of a string of text.  Each letter would take up the same amount of space (Monotext) but be able to adjust the spacing. Word calls it "Character Spacing"; here's the link and screenshot:

https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Change-the-spaces-between-text-E9B96011-1C42-45C0-AD8F-E8A6E4A33462

Nothing to do with Word, but I would like to see GD&T frames work with notes from the Design Library. At least for SW2016, it is not working.

Dwight

There is one other functionality that I would like to see in Solidworks that is present in all of the MS office area.  Maybe this isn't what you are looking for here...but I know that it has been mentioned before.

Inside MS Word (or any of the Office softwares), if you open a 2nd document, it opens it in a completely separate window,  Almost like there are two sessions of Word going.

I would like that see that functionality.

Reason:

Right now, I would like to be able to use both of my monitors at the same time.

I know that there is a "Span Displays"....but I don't like how it works.   My monitors have a 1/2" black border around them...this means that there is a minimum of a 1" gap between the displays.  While I can use the tile left and right buttons to get a part in one screen or another, it really isn't practical at this point, because the toolbars don't side over to the other screen.

Also, lets say I have spanned displays, and I have a part file open in the left side and a drawing file open in the right.  Well switching between them means that the icon setup changes.

Example: I have a toolbar to the the left of the command manager that I like to have up for part files.  That toolbar isn't there for drawings.

I am working in the part file, and then switch over to the drawing.  As soon as I activate the drawing by clicking in it, the icons adjust.  and that toolbar to the left disappears.  That is fine.  Now, when I switch back to the part file, I am intent on selection a particular area, so I zoom in (which I can do without "activating" the part window with my space mouse....my mouse pointer only need to be in the window)....I zoom into the area and go to select what I want.....and suddenly the entire window is 1/4" farther to the right then I expected.   Its not a huge deal, I can handle it....but when I am in the "zone" so to speak.....it pops me right out of the "zone"....if that makes any sense at all.

Creating one entire window with toolbars and everything for each file that is actively open (like MS Word does it) would resolve all of this.  I could have one open in each monitor and maximize them.

I know that I can get this same functionality by simply opening a 2nd session of Solidworks, but in other CAD programs that could cause some pretty serious errors, so I am hesitant to go that route.  Also, I have not checked, so I am not sure if opening a 2nd session snags another license.

I have no idea of the programming required to achieve this, or whether or not it would degrade performance......but I would at least like someone to look into it.