Positioning and Orienting Labels

DRAW Reference Manual

Labelling : Creating and Manipulating Labels : Positioning and Orienting Labels

When a Label is created, its origin (held as the XYPS attribute) is placed at a fixed offset (default x 25mm, y 25mm) from its attachment point. The Label origin (and hence the Label) may be moved by the AT @ command, which resets XYPS to the position specified by the cursor. This command calls up the Point Construction Option form, which contains the point construction Option list button which allows positions to be defined in terms of end-points, intersection points, etc.

If the Label’s OSET attribute is TRUE then the origin is held as an offset from the attachment point; if OSET is FALSE then the Label origin is held as an absolute Sheet coordinate.

Note that the coordinates specified with the AT command (whether explicit or from cursor input) are always taken to be absolute coordinates, irrespective of the OSET setting. To avoid any potential confusion when positioning labels explicitly, several alternatives are available. For example:


OFFS X45 Y45	Set Label origin to given offset coordinates. XYPS set to offset coordinates (from Label attachment point)
OFFSET	Convert XYPS (absolute coordinates) to offset coordinates (Label will not move). This is equivalent to OSET TRUE.
ABSOLUTE	Convert XYPS (offset coordinates) to absolute coordinates (Label will not move). This is equivalent to OSET FALSE.
AT X300 Y200 ABS	Set Label origin to given absolute coordinates. XYPS set to absolute coordinates.
AT X300 Y200	Set Label origin to given absolute coordinates. XYPS set to offset coordinates (from Label attachment point)
XYPS 20 20	Set Label origin as given coordinates, taken as offset if OSET TRUE, absolute if OSET false. (XYPS @ is also available).

Note:

When a Pipe element is labelled directly, the Pipe origin is assumed to be the position of the HEAD of the first Branch visible in the VIEW region, if any. If no Branch HEADs are visible in the VIEW region, then the position of the HEAD of the first Branch is used.

Constructed points (refer to Point and Line Construction for further information) may also be used for Label positioning operations. Refer to Summary of Commands for further information.

Labels may be oriented by the ANGLE command, which sets the Label’s ADEG attribute if an angle is specified explicitly, or the PPDI attribute if the orientation is specified as a p-point direction. (The p-point must belong to the associated Design item DDNM but need not be the same as the Label’s attachment point). For example:


ANGLE 30	Set angle of turn to 30 degrees
ANGLE IDP @	Specify orientation as p-point direction using cursor
ANGLE P2 OF BOX 1 OF /1502B	Specify p-point direction explicitly
ANGLE PPLIN NA OF /SJ1-1	Specify orientation as p-line direction (of secondary joint)

Figure 12:4.

Label Orientation