6 replies to this topic

[Russell Unruh]

How do you all deal with this in elevation views annotated? I've reached out to support but they did not have a good answer. For starters, I want to turn off Mask, but cannot. Secondly, I want a smaller font size, but that is a general setting tied to Detailed Notes. I do not want to change the Detailed Note size everywhere, but that does help this unreadable dimension labels, to make the font smaller. But if I make this font to be the right size here, it is way too small elsewhere. This needs it's own font size AND mask control.

 

I would draw my own extension lines and labels, but I have not found a way to extension from the subfloor or top of plate. Those are hidden in the structure. Is this something that anyone else has an issue with? What do you do? Thank you for any input. I was hoping this would be addressed in the 2026 version, but I guess it's not important enough   I honestly do not know what to do!

 

[Mark Petri]

It is one of those things that is nice to have, but not quite as user friendly as one would want. There are a few settings that can be changed in the drawing, project, or system level. To me, it looks like your text is huge, but that may be the way you prefer for all other detail notes. One option you might consider to work around the issue is to change the drawing level options for annotated elevations and sections to a different project template. You can make the changes at the drawing level and then save that as a template for all annotated drawings. That way you can have separate text sizes, arrow sizes, etc. You could also make the elevation marker lines a little longer to offset the text away from the structure.

 

With regard to the invisible floor level or other items that are not easy to see, I find that by the time I am creating the elevations I have a fairly good sense for where those parts of the model are. So, if I don't have the bottom of a door or a foundation to reference I just copy another elevation marker and set it where I know that part is. Another option would be to go back into the model mode and turn off the visibility of the siding and other parts that are in the way of what you want to reference, set your markers, then go back and turn those things on again.

 

Another thing I try to do is turn off the automatic elevation marker tool as soon as I have the first round of "final" elevations so I don't keep having to adjust and clean up what I don't want.

[Keith Almond]

I create my own from scratch ... My OCD won't let me use the mess that Softplan presents.

 

I know where all the heights are so adding lines/notes and dimensions isn't a problem.

 

I don't use AUTO LABELS for the same reason.

[Russell Unruh]

You both have a lot of good ideas. I will use them. Part of my problem is that most of my correspondence with my customers is by email including sending the plans. They seldom have a large printer and so I have to increase the font size so they can read it. Just thinking that if those dimension labels could be controlled by themselves, my problem here would be pretty much taken care of. Especially if I could turn off the Mask!! That hides the other dimension lines and extensions.

I did send this in as a suggestion, hopefully this has been suggested by others too. Thank you!

[Bill Wimberley]

Annotated elevations use the character settings from the Default drawing template. You can assign different drawing templates to individual drawings. So make a copy of your Default drawing template and call it something like Drawings template. Assign the Drawings template to your floor plan. Edit the Default drawing template and adjust the character settings to what you want your elevations to use. This way you can control the elevation and drawing character settings separately.

[Russell Unruh]

Annotated elevations use the character settings from the Default drawing template. You can assign different drawing templates to individual drawings. So make a copy of your Default drawing template and call it something like Drawings template. Assign the Drawings template to your floor plan. Edit the Default drawing template and adjust the character settings to what you want your elevations to use. This way you can control the elevation and drawing character settings separately.

 

I appreciate that and I'm still learning what all can be done with SoftPlan. Drawing templates for these kind of uses will be high on my list.

[Mark Petri]

I try not to print anything if I don't have to. I do occasionally check to be sure the prints on site will be good for those using them. Almost everyone uses PDF versions of plans and can zoom in and out as needed. But, sure is nice having the option to control the details and sizes of things with our drawings. I do like that we do not have to use the default labels as I do not like most of them.