TechDraw Balloon

Previous: LinkDimension

Next: LandmarkDimension

TechDraw

TechDraw Balloon
Menu location
TechDraw → Annotations → Insert Balloon Annotation
Workbenches
TechDraw
Default shortcut
None
Introduced in version
0.19
See also
TechDraw Annotation

Description

The Balloon tool can add balloons with leader line in a drawing.

Usage

1. Select one of the following:
   • A View (on the page or in the Tree view).
   • A vertex in a View. introduced in version 0.20
   • An edge in a View. introduced in version 0.20
   • A closed region in a View. introduced in version 0.20
2. There are several ways to invoke the tool:
   • Press the TechDraw Balloon button.
   • Select the TechDraw → Annotations → Insert Balloon Annotation option from the menu.
3. If a View or a region was selected:
   1. The cursor changes to a balloon icon.
   2. Click a point on the page for the origin of the Balloon.

To move the bubble of a Balloon, press and hold the left mouse button on its center and drag the mouse.

To change the properties of a Balloon double-click it on the page or in the Tree view. This will open the Balloon task panel.

Note: The position of a Balloon is relative to its Source View and uses the same scale factor.

Using separators

When using a rectangle shape, separators can be added using "|" in the text. For example "AAA|TEST|111" gives:

Properties

Data

• DataText: Text to be displayed.
• DataSource View: Source View for the balloon.
• DataOrigin X: Balloon origin x-position relative to the View.
• DataOrigin Y: Balloon origin y-position relative to the View.
• DataEnd Type: End symbol for the balloon line. Options: None, Filled Arrow, Open Arrow, Tick, Dot, Open Circle, Fork, Filled Triangle
• DataEnd Type Scale: Scale factor for the End Type.
• DataBubble Shape: Shape of the balloon bubble. Options: Circular, None, Triangle, Inspection, Hexagon, Square, Rectangle
• DataShape Scale: Scale factor for the Shape.
• DataText Wrap: Text wrap length; -1 means the text will never be wrapped and the result is in every case a single line.
• DataKink Length: Distance from the Shape to the leader line kink.
• DataX: Horizontal position of the balloon bubble relative to the View.
• DataY: Vertical position of the balloon bubble relative to the View.

View

• ViewColor: Color of the balloon text.
• ViewFont: The name of the font to use for the balloon bubble.
• ViewFontsize: Dimension text size in mm.
• ViewLine Visible: Whether the balloon line is visible.
• ViewLine Width: Balloon line width

Scripting

See also: TechDraw API and FreeCAD Scripting Basics.

The Balloon tool can be used in macros and from the Python console by using the following functions:

bal1 = FreeCAD.ActiveDocument.addObject('TechDraw::DrawViewBalloon','Balloon')
rc = page.addView(bal1)

Previous: LinkDimension

Next: LandmarkDimension

TechDraw

TechDraw

• Pages: Insert Default Page, Insert Page using Template, Redraw Page
• Views: Insert View, Insert Active View, Insert Projection Group, Insert Section View, Insert Detail View, Insert Draft Workbench Object, Insert Arch Workbench Object, Insert Spreadsheet View
• Clips: Insert Clip Group, Add View to Clip Group, Remove View from Clip Group

---

• Decorations: Hatch Face using Image File, Apply Geometric Hatch to Face, Insert SVG Symbol, Insert Bitmap Image, Turn View Frames On/Off
• Dimensions: Insert Length Dimension, Insert Horizontal Dimension, Insert Vertical Dimension, Insert Radius Dimension, Insert Diameter Dimension, Insert Angle Dimension, Insert 3-Point Angle Dimension, Insert Horizontal Extent Dimension, Insert Vertical Extent Dimension, Link Dimension to 3D Geometry, Insert Balloon Annotation, Insert Landmark Dimension
• Annotations: Insert Annotation, Add Leaderline to View, Insert Rich Text Annotation, Add Cosmetic Vertex, Add Midpoint Vertices, Add Quadrant Vertices, Add Centerline to Faces, Add Centerline between 2 Lines, Add Centerline between 2 Points, Add Cosmetic Line Through 2 points, Remove Cosmetic Object, Change Appearance of Lines, Show/Hide Invisible Edges, Add Welding Information to Leader

---

• Extensions: Draw circle centerlines, Cosmetic thread hole side view, Cosmetic thread bolt side view, Cosmetic thread hole bottom view, Cosmetic thread bolt bottom view

---

• Export: Export Page as SVG, Export Page as DXF
• Additional: LineGroup, Templates, Hatching, Geometric dimensioning and tolerancing, Preferences

User documentation

• Getting started
• Installation: Download, Windows, Linux, Mac, Additional components, Docker, AppImage, Ubuntu Snap
• Basics: About FreeCAD, Interface, Mouse navigation, Selection methods, Object name, Preferences, Workbenches, Document structure, Properties, Help FreeCAD, Donate

---

• Help: Tutorials, Video tutorials
• Workbenches: Std Base, Arch, Draft, FEM, Image, Inspection, Mesh, OpenSCAD, Part, PartDesign, Path, Points, Raytracing, Reverse Engineering, Sketcher, Spreadsheet, Start, Surface, TechDraw, Test Framework, Web
• Deprecated or unmaintained workbenches: Complete, Drawing, Robot

---

• Addons: Addon Manager, External workbenches, Scripting and macros

---

• Hubs: User hub, Power users hub, Developer hub