In this tutorial, we will learn how to edit an auto balloon in SolidWorks. Auto balloons are a useful tool that automatically creates and updates balloons for your parts or assembly drawings. By editing the properties of an auto balloon, you can modify its appearance, content, and position to better suit your needs.
Step 1: Inserting an Auto Balloon
To begin with, let’s insert an auto balloon into our drawing. Open the drawing document in SolidWorks and navigate to the Annotations tab in the Command Manager. Click on the “Auto Balloon” button to activate the tool.
Tip: You can also access the Auto Balloon tool by right-clicking on a drawing view and selecting “Auto Balloon” from the context menu.
Step 1.1: Selecting the Drawing Views
A dialog box will appear, prompting you to select the drawing views that you want to include in your auto balloon. You can choose individual views or select all views by clicking on the “Select All” button.2: Configuring Auto Balloon Options
After selecting the drawing views, click on the “Options” button in the dialog box to configure the auto balloon settings. This will open a new dialog box with various options for customizing your balloons.
- Balloon Type: Choose between various balloon types such as circular, square, or hexagonal.
- Balloon Style: Select a predefined style for your balloons or create a custom style by modifying individual properties like line color, text font, etc.
- Balloon Scale: Adjust the size of your balloons relative to the drawing views.
- Balloon Content: Specify the content of your balloons, such as item numbers, part names, quantities, etc.
Note: The available options may vary depending on the version of SolidWorks you are using.3: Placing the Auto Balloon
Once you have configured the auto balloon options, click on the “OK” button to close the dialog box. Your cursor will now turn into a balloon symbol. Simply click on the desired location in your drawing to place the auto balloon.
Step 2: Editing an Auto Balloon
If you need to make changes to an existing auto balloon, follow these steps:
Step 2.1: Selecting the Auto Balloon
In order to edit an auto balloon, you first need to select it. Hover your mouse over the balloon until it is highlighted and then click on it.
Step 2.2: Accessing Edit Options
After selecting the auto balloon, a small toolbar will appear nearby with several editing options. Click on the “Edit Auto Balloon” button (represented by a pencil icon) in this toolbar to access further editing options.3: Modifying Auto Balloon Properties
A dialog box will open, allowing you to modify various properties of the selected auto balloon such as text font, line style, color, etc. Make any necessary changes and click on “OK” when finished.
Note: You can also edit other properties like content and position by right-clicking on an auto balloon and selecting “Properties” from the context menu.
Congratulations! You have successfully learned how to edit an auto balloon in SolidWorks. By utilizing the editing options available, you can customize the appearance and content of your auto balloons to meet your specific requirements.