TechDraw Balloon

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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)

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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, Move View, Share View
• Clips: Insert Clip Group, Add View to Clip Group, Remove View from Clip Group

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• 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

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• Extensions:
  • Attributes and modifications: Select Line Attributes, Cascade Spacing and Delta Distance, Change Line Attributes, Extend Line, Shorten Line, Lock/Unlock View, Position Section View, Position Horizontal Chain Dimensions, Position Vertical Chain Dimensions, Position Oblique Chain Dimensions, Cascade Horizontal Dimensions, Cascade Vertical Dimensions, Cascade Oblique Dimensions, Calculate the area of selected faces, Customize format label
  • Centerlines and threading: Add Circle Centerlines, Add Bolt Circle Centerlines, Add Cosmetic Thread Hole Side View, Add Cosmetic Thread Hole Bottom View, Add Cosmetic Thread Bolt Side View, Add Cosmetic Thread Bolt Bottom View, Add Cosmetic Intersection Vertex(es), Add Cosmetic Circle, Add Cosmetic Arc, Add Cosmetic Circle 3 Points, Add Cosmetic Parallel Line, Add Cosmetic Perpendicular Line
  • Dimensions: Create Horizontal Chain Dimensions, Create Vertical Chain Dimensions, Create Oblique Chain Dimensions, Create Horizontal Coordinate Dimensions, Create Vertical Coordinate Dimensions, Create Oblique Coordinate Dimensions, Create Horizontal Chamfer Dimension, Create Vertical Chamfer Dimension, Create Arc Length Dimension, Insert '⌀' Prefix, Insert '〼' Prefix, Remove Prefix, Increase Decimal Places, Decrease Decimal Places

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• Export: Export Page as SVG, Export Page as DXF
• Additional: Line Groups, 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

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• 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

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

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