Annotations

You can add annotations for notes and for linking items to specific areas of a drawing.

When you add an annotation, it's private (visible only to you). However, you can make it public, so others can see it.

For example: You add some text annotations to a drawing to capture some rough notes. Later you edit your notes and add some annotations that are linked to related files. Then you make the annotations public, so other project members can see them.

When a new revision is published, only the annotations from the most recent revision are included. If you add annotations to an old revision after a new one is published, they aren't copied to the current version.

Filter annotations

You can filter annotations as needed.

  1. If the Layers panel is closed, selectLayers icon(Layers) on the navigation toolbar.
  2. Ensure that the Show Annotations toggle is on.
  3. To hide the public or private annotations, turn off the Show Public Annotations or Show Private Annotations toggle.
  4. In the Records section, filter the annotations based on linked records.
    • Record Types: The record types that you have access to.
    • Status: The statuses for the record types that you have access to. This list is filtered based on the selected record types.
    • Assigned To Contact: The project contacts with open assignments for linked records that are unlocked.
    • Assigned To Company: The companies of the project contacts with open assignments for linked records that are unlocked.
  5. In the Annotations section, filter the annotations by their properties.
    • Type: The annotation types.
    • Colour: The stroke and fill colours from the Annotation toolbar and Annotation menu. If the stroke and fill colours of an annotation are different, the annotation is displayed when you select either colour.
    • Created By: The users who added annotations that are visible to you. Your name is included even if you haven't added any annotations yet.
  6. To hide the labels for linked records, turn off the Show Annotation Labels toggle.
  7. To hide the linked or unlinked annotations, turn off the Show Linked Annotations or Show Unlinked Annotations toggle.
  8. To hide the measurement annotations, turn off the Show Measurements toggle.
    Tip: If you turn on the Show Measurements toggle and the measurement annotations aren't showing, check the Type filter. To make the measurement annotations visible, make sure none of the types are selected, or select the Measurements checkbox. Measurement filters
Note:
  • An annotation must meet all the selected filters to be visible in the drawing.
  • If you select any filters in the Records section, any annotations that are unlinked or linked to other items such as drawings are hidden.
  • The selected filters are applied as new annotations are added or linked records are updated. If an annotation disappears, you can select Remove Applied Filters to see all the annotations.
  • All the items in the Links panel are available even when the linked annotations are hidden.
  • The selected filters are still applied when you select Previous item icon(Previous) or Next item icon(Next) to navigate to another drawing.

If you want to restore the default annotation filters, choose from two methods:

  • At the bottom of the drawing, select Remove Applied Filters.
  • In the Layers panel, select Reset Filters.

Annotation visiblity

The visibility of an annotation depends on who added the annotation, whether it's public or private, and what it's linked to.

You can see an annotation if:
  • It's an annotation that you added to the drawing.
  • It's an unlinked public annotation.
  • It's a public annotation that's linked to an item that you have access to.
  • It's a photo annotation, which is always public.
For example: In a drawing, you see the following annotations:
  • A private annotation that you added and linked to a file.
  • A public annotation that another user added and linked to an RFI that you have access to.
You don't see the following annotations:
  • A private annotation that another user added.
  • A public annotation that's linked to a draft record created by another user.

Make an annotation public or private

  1. Select the annotation.
  2. On the Annotation menu, turn the Public toggle on or off:
    • Public annotation icon(Public)
    • Private annotation icon(Private)
    Tip: If you don't have permission to create and modify public annotations, you still have these options:
    • To make your own annotations public, link them to a record, specification, or specification set.
    • To make the annotation private again, unlink the item.

Annotation tools

The Annotation toolbar contains the tools for adding and styling annotations.

For styling tools with multiple options, the button displays the most recently used one. When you select an annotation on the drawing, the toolbar displays the styling options that were used for it.

The selected styling options, such as the color and border width, apply to any new annotations that you add. You can also style the annotation after you add it.

For instructions related to the use of these tools, see Edit an Annotation.
Default buttonNameTool typeDescription
Pencil annotation iconPencilAnnotationDraw a freehand line, straight line, or arrow.
Cloud annotation iconCloudAnnotationDraw a cloud shape.
Rectangle annotation iconShapeAnnotationDraw a rectangle, circle, or polygon shape.
Link annotation iconLinkAnnotationAdd an annotation with a predefined shape that links to a record, drawing, or file.

For more information about linking to annotations, see Links.

Text annotation iconTextAnnotationDraw a text box, and enter the text.
Photo annotation iconPhotoAnnotationAdd a photo annotation, and link multiple photos and videos.
Note: Photo annotations are visible only in the ProjectSight web app.
Color iconColorStylingSet the color for the text, stroke (line or border), and fill (background).
Note: This tool doesn't apply to quick link annotations and photo annotations.
Opacity iconOpacityStyling

For line annotations, set the opacity of the line.

For cloud and shape annotations, set the opacity of the background fill color.

Line width iconLine widthStylingSet the width for a line annotation or for the line around an annotation.
Text size iconText sizeStylingSet the text size.
Measurement iconMeasurementAnnotationAdd a measurement annotation for the distance, perimeter, or area.

Add an annotation

After you add an annotation, you can edit it or link it to an item.

Note: You can't copy and paste annotations.
  • To add a pencil annotation:
    1. On the Annotation toolbar, select the styling tools.
    2. Select {pencil icon}, and then select a tool.
      Tools to choose from:
      ButtonNameDescription
      PencilFreehand line
      HighlighterTransparent freehand line
      LineStraight line
      ArrowStraight arrow
      Multi-Point LineSeries of connected straight lines
    3. To draw the annotation, do one of the following:
      • (Pencil) or (Highlighter): Select the drawing and draw the line. There's a brief delay before the annotation is created so you can draw multiple lines.

        Example of multi-line annotation

      • (Line) or (Arrow): Select the drawing and draw the line. To adjust the line, select and move an endpoint.
      • (Multi-Point Line): Draw the first line, and then add the connected lines.
        1. To draw the first line, select the drawing, draw the line, and then select again for the endpoint.
        2. For each connected line, select for the endpoint.
        3. To finish the annotation, double-click for the endpoint.
      Tip: For lines and arrows

      To draw a straight line with a angle of 0, 45, or 90 degrees, press the Shift key as you draw the line, arrow, or multi-point line.

  • To add a cloud or shape annotation:
    1. On the Annotation toolbar, select the styling tools.
    2. Select Cloud annotation icon or Rectangle annotation icon, and then select a shape.
      Shapes to choose from:
      ButtonNameDescription
      CloudRectangular cloud
      Custom CloudUser-defined cloud
      RectangleRectangular shape
      CircleRound shape
      Custom ShapeUser-defined shape
    3. To draw the annotation, do one of the following:
      • For Cloud, Rectangle, or Circle: Select the drawing and move the pointer to draw the shape.
      • For Custom Cloud or Custom Shape: Draw the first side, and then add the other sides.
        1. For the first side, select the drawing, draw the side, and then select again for the endpoint.
        2. For each additional side, draw the side, and then select for the endpoint.
        3. To finish the annotation, double-click for the endpoint.
  • To add a quick link annotation with a predefined shape:
    1. On the Annotation toolbar, select Link tool icon, and then select an item type.
      ButtonItem typePredefined shape
      RFIRed cloud
      IssueBlue rectangle
      SnagRed location pin (can't be resized or rotated)
      Note: The center color of the annotation matches the status of the linked record.
      DrawingBlue circle
      Model viewBlue circle
      Note: This is for the Trimble Construction One version only.
      FileBlue circle
      Note: This is for the Trimble Construction One version only.
      Note:
      • You only see the item types that you have access to.
      • If a record is linked, a label with the record type and number is displayed below the annotation.
        Record type abbreviations
        • I: Issues
        • P: Snags
        • RFI: Requests for information
        (For the Trimble Construction One version only) The abbreviations can also be changed in the nomenclature.
      • If a new drawing revision is published, the new revision displays the link to the record. However, the record doesn't display a link to the new revision.
    2. To add a snag annotation, select the drawing, or for other annotations, select and draw the shape.
    3. Select the item to be linked, or for a record link annotation, create, copy, or select a record.
      Note: (For the Trimble Construction One version only) The Create and Copy options are available only if you have permission to create this record type.
  • To add a text annotation:
    1. On the Annotation toolbar, select the styling tools.
    2. Select Text annotation icon(Text).
    3. To draw the text box, select the drawing and move the pointer.
    4. Double-click the text box, and then type the text.
    5. To finish, select outside of the text box.
  • To add a photo annotation:
    1. On the Annotation toolbar, select Photo annotation icon(Photo).
    2. To place the photo annotation on the drawing, select the drawing.
    3. On the Annotation menu, select Upload from computer.
    4. Browse to and select one or more photos or videos from your computer.
      • Supported image types are .bmp, .heic, .heif, .jpeg, .jpg, .png, .tif, and .tiff.

        If you upload .heic or. .heif files, ProjectSight converts them to .jpeg files.

      • Supported video types are .mov, .mp4, and .webm.
      Note:
      • Photo annotations are visible only in the ProjectSight web app.
      • After you save the drawing, the linked photos are available in the Photos module, and the linked videos are available in the File Library.
      • If you don't link any photos or videos to the photo annotation, the annotation is deleted automatically when you save the drawing.
  • To add a measurement annotation:
    1. If the calibration isn't set yet, calibrate the drawing.
    2. Draw the measurement.
    3. If needed, edit the scale for the measurement.
    4. If needed, link an item to the measurement.

Add notes and replies

You can add notes and replies to annotations.

To open the Comments panel, on the toolbar, select select (Comments).

Filter and sort notes

You can filter and sort notes.

  • To filter the notes:
    1. In the Comments panel, select Filter, and then select the filters.
    2. Select Apply.
  • To sort the notes, select an option:
    • Position: Sort the notes by the order (top to bottom) that they appear in the drawing.
    • Created Date: Sort the notes by the date that they were created.
    • Modified Date: Sort the notes and replies by the time that they were modified.
    • Status: Sort the notes by the status.
    • Author: Sort the notes the author's name.
    • Type: Sort the notes by the annotation type.
    • Colour: Sort the notes by the annotation colour.

Add a note to an annotation

You can add a note to an annotation.

  1. In the drawing, select an annotation.
  2. On the toolbar, select (Comments).
  3. In the Comments panel, enter a note for the selected annotation.

Set the status of a note

You can set the status of a note.

  1. In the Comments panel, select the note.
  2. At the top-right of the note, select the status icon, and then select a status.

    Set status

Reply to a note

You can reply to a note.

  1. In the Comments panel, select the note.
  2. Enter your comment in the reply field, and then select Post(Post).

Edit or delete a note or a reply

You can edit or delete a note or reply.

  • You can edit but not delete the first note of an annotation.
  • (For the Enterprise version only) If you have permission to add and modify notes and replies for public annotations, you can edit the first note that you or another user added. Otherwise, you can edit only the first note that you added.
  • You can edit and delete only your own replies to the first note of an annotation.
  1. In the Comments panel, select the note.
  2. In your reply, select Notes panelEdit or Delete.

Edit or delete an annotation

You can edit and delete your own annotations, and public annotations if you have permission to do so.

Note: (For the Trimble Construction One version only) For snag annotations, the selected annotation colour only affects the record label.
  • To style an annotation:
    1. Select the annotation.
    2. On the Annotation menu, select Style button in the annotation menu(Style).
    3. On the Annotation menu, select Style button in the annotation menu(Style).
    4. Do any of the following:
      • To change the colour of an annotation, select a colour. Depending on the type of annotation, you can select a colour on the Text, Stroke and Fill tabs.

        Text, stroke, and fill style tabs

      • Depending on the type of annotation, you can set options in different sections, such as Text Style.
      • To adjust the opacity of an annotation, select and move the Opacity slider.
      • To adjust the stroke width of a line annotation, select and move the Stroke slider.
      • To adjust the text of an annotation, modify the options on the Text tab.
      • To change the line style of a shape annotation, select an option from the Style list.

        Line style

  • To move an annotation, select it and drag the middle of it.
  • To resize an annotation, select it, then select and drag one of the sizing handles.

    Annotation sizing handles example

  • To delete an annotation:
    Note:
    • If you delete a photo annotation, the linked photos remain available in the Photos area, and the linked videos remain available in the File Library.(Not available in Free or Go versions of ProjectSight)
    • If you delete a photo annotation, the linked photos remain available in the Photos area.(For Free version of ProjectSight only)
    • If you remove all the photos and videos that are linked to a photo annotation, the annotation is deleted when you save the drawing.
    1. Select the annotation.
    2. Choose one:
      • On the Annotation menu, select Remove icon(Delete).
      • Press the Delete key.