The GD&T Annotation tab is located within the SA Toolkit. If it is not visible, select GD&T >Annotations>Build. This toolbar is the starting point for building annotations and setting up GD&T evaluations when not importing annotations with a CAD model. With a logical work flow starting from the top and working toward the bottom, the toolbar begins with the:
Creation Options
This sets the orientation of the text for the annotation to be added. Selecting Current View sets the annotations to the current screen orientation and allows them to rotate to always face the user. The view orientations available are drawn from the Preset Views list which can be accessed and edited by going to View > View Control > Preset Views. The view selected, as well as the text size, can be edited within the annotation properties once the annotation is created.
The Feature Type settings within the Creation Options section defines and limits the type of objects to which an annotation may be added. You can choose from CAD Faces, SA Objects or SA Objects (fit to Points). In all cases the GD&T annotations must be added to the nominal (design) features. If these nominal features do not exist in your job they must be created because they define the baseline for the evaluation. Only the SA Objects (fit to points) option allows you to select measurements.
When you select CAD Faces, the annotation will be added to and include the specific selected CAD faces you chose from
Selecting SA Objects allows selection of any primitive SA geometry type as the nominal feature.
SA Objects (fit to points) is a special case which allows you to add an annotation directly to measured points. When you select this option you will be limited in your choices to building Da- tums, Form, and Orientation Checks. When adding annotations you will be prompted to define the geometry type you wish to fit to the points. Doing so will perform the following actions:
Datums and Form Checks. The selected feature type will be built fit to the selected points, an annotation will be added to this feature, and the check will be evaluated based on the specified tolerance.
Orientation Checks. Form checks require the nominal feature to be built at a nominal angle to the specified datum. There- fore, the feature fit to the selection points will not be RMS fit but will be align to the points while holding this nominal angle. Once built, an annotation will be added to the features and it will be evaluated using the specified tolerance.
Selecting Gr Objects is another special case which allows selection of Compare to Nominal Geometry Relationships directly. This creates a bridge between a standard inspection and a true GD&T inspection by doing the following:
The nominal SA Object defined within the GR-feature will be automatically assigned as the reference object for the GD&T Annotation.
The associated points from the selected GR-Feature, used to build the measured feature, will be used by the resulting feature checks.