Analytics Menu with Audits Option highlighted

Create and edit callouts (balloons) with a leader line. Callouts are associative with the part metadata of the document, a BOM table (when present), and a Cut list table (when present). When a BOM or Cut list table is present, the callout defaults to use the Item Number in the table.

If the table order is changed, use the Update Drawing feature Update drawing feature icon to update the callouts.

Creating a Callout

To create a callout:

  1. Click Balloon Feature Icon.
    1. To place a callout with a leader, hover over a view (or a face in a view) to activate a snap point. Click to anchor the leader, then click to set the balloon. The leader includes a moveable node along the horizontal segment (when Border shape = None):


      Click and drag the node to extend or shrink the horizontal segment of the leader line.

      2. You can also place callouts on centermarks, manually placed centermarks, linear dimensions, and angular dimensions.

    2. To place a callout without a leader in the white space of a drawing, simply click in the white space to set the callout.

    Callouts placed on faces are indicated by a solid circle, not an arrowhead, as shown below.

     

  2. Make specifications in the dialog before placing the callout in the drawing.

    Example of the callout dialog to create a callout (balloon)

    Click Accept checkmark icon to save your specifications and close the dialog.

    While moving the mouse to place the callout, you'll notice thin, dashed lines as the cursor passes near other entities. These are inferencing lines that you can align the dimension to; simply click when you see the line appear to align the dimension to that line.

    Call Out Inference Example

  3. Use the options to dictate the style and content of the callout:
    • Part property - Select from the metadata for the part to create associative links to that data:

      Callout part property dropdown list

    • Table property - Select from the fields included in your table to create associative links to that table:

      Callout table property dropdown list

    • Flag properties iconFlag note property - Add a flag to an item in a note styled as a list. See Note for more information.
    • Cut list table property - Select from the fields included in your Cut list table to create associative links to that table:

      Cut list table property dropdown list

    • Enter text for above, below, and to the left and right of the callout data.
    • Select a symbol from the dropdown menu to insert into the callout.
    • Select height, border shape, and border size for the callout text.

    • When selecting a Callout, the target (face, edge, hole) is highlighted blue:

      Callout region highlight

Right-click the callout to open the context menu:

  • Edit - Open the callout dialog to edit the callout specifications.
  • Copy - Copy the callout.
  • Add leader - Add a leader (or another leader) to the callout.
  • Remove leaders - Remove all leaders from the callout.
  • Group annotation / Remove annotation from group - Select multiple callouts, right-click and select Group annotation to create a group of annotations that can be moved together. You can also group callouts with dimensions, welds, surface finishes, and datums. Select one or more callouts in the group and select Remove annotations from group to remove those items from the group so they can be moved singly.
  • Copy/Paste - Copy, and paste a copied callout; callouts move as one until you attach one to a part in the drawing (via the leader).
  • Move to - Move a callout to a different layer of the drawing: Border frame, Border zones, or Title block. Once on another zone, you have the option of locking the layers (through Drawings properties, Formats tab), in order to stabilize the position of entities on that layer. When a callout is moved to different layer, that layer's formats (for example, color, line thickness, and font) are applied to it.
  • Clear selection - Remove any highlighted items from the selection queue.
  • Zoom to fit - Zoom appropriately to fit the entire drawing in the field of view.
  • Delete - Delete selected entities.

To align callouts with each other, select multiple callouts, right-click to access the context menu and select either:

  • Align horizontally
  • Align vertically

Keep in mind that the callouts are not locked into the place. You can still drag to place them separately, or multi-select and select the alignment commands again.

  1. Click to select the callout or leader. Onshape selection is additive so you can select multiple items and then execute a command. (Use right-click Clear selection to remove all selections from the queue.)
  2. Press the Delete key.

Deleting a dimension with an attached callout also deletes the callout.

You can group callouts to other callouts, as well as to dimensions, welds, surface finishes, or datums. You can then move them as a group, if desired.

To group an existing callout:

  1. Click to select the callout.
  2. Drag the callout to an existing callout, dimension, weld, surface finish, or datum. When the entity gains a highlight, release the drag.

    Callout being grouped with a dimension

A callout being grouped with a dimension.

To group a callout during creation:

  1. Once the Callout dialog is open, make your necessary changes in the dialog.
  2. When placing the callout in the drawing area, click on the callout or dimension, weld, surface finish, or datum to which you wish to group it.

To move the callout group together, click and drag the second entity to the new location. Alternately, click on the callout to select it. Then click anywhere outside the grip point (shown by the cursor below) to move the entities together to a new location.

Callout grip point

Use Shift+drag to change the position of the callout only, in relation to the other grouped items. When using Shift+drag, the grip point is ignored.

When you are using BOMs with your drawings ( Insert BOM) the Balloon tool adjusts to create automatic identifiers in the balloon, according to the data in the BOM you have inserted into the drawing.

With a BOM already inserted into your drawing:

  1. Click Balloon Feature Icon.
  2. Click the start point of the leader.
  3. Click the end point of the leader.
  4. The dialog opens for further detail input:

    Step 4 for using callouts (balloons) with BOMs

  5. Use the icon drop downs at the top to specify which properties in the table to pull the balloon identifier from:
    • BOM Part Properties Icon - Select from a list of all Part properties
    • BOM Table Properties Icon - Select from a list of all columns in the BOM table (if present)
    • - Select from a list of columns in the Cut list table (if present)
  6. Supply additional details (optional) for above, below, and to the right and left of the balloon identifier.
  7. Select a point size for the text, the shape of the balloon, and how many characters wide you want the balloon to be.
  8. Click Accept checkmark icon to save your specifications.
  1. Right click on the leader and click Add node:

Screenshot of Add node highlighted in context menu in drawing

A node will appear on the leader. To add another node, right click on the leader and select Add node again.

  1. To remove a node from a leader, right click on the node and select Remove node.
  2. You can also add leaders to nodes by right clicking on the node and selecting Add leader. This will add a leader starting from that node and ending wherever you click next.

  1. Click on the callout you want to style, then click the Styles panel icon on the right side of the page:

    Drawings styles panel icon

  2. Edit the callout Font, Text height, Color, and Arrowhead:

    Note Styles panel

  • When selecting a callout, the target (face, edge, hole) is highlighted blue:

    Callout region highlight

  • If a callout is grouped with other annotations, and the callout is selected, the grouped annotations are highlighted yellow (as the note is in the following example):

    Grouped annotation highlight