ENGINEERING has two places to annotate: inside a model space (on the design itself) and on a sheet (the page you print). Knowing the difference — including the units you’re drawing in — keeps your drawings clean and to scale.
Good to know: Both places use the same Draw and Modify tools. What changes is what the annotations attach to and the units you draw in. |
Model space annotations
These attach to the design. You add them in Plan, Wall Elevation, Product Face, or Part Face views. Because they live on the model space, they travel with it and can be generated automatically (see Automatic Annotations). Use them for information that belongs to the design itself.
Sheet annotations
These are placed on a drawing sheet — the page layout you print. On a sheet you’re always in annotations mode, so every Draw and Modify tool is ready immediately. Use them for page-level callouts, title-block notes, and anything specific to how the drawing is laid out.
Units you draw in
Model space is full size
In a model space you draw at real-world size. A 24-inch part is 24 inches, and a dimension you draw reports the true size of the design. Draw model-space annotations whenever the measurement needs to reflect the actual part.
A sheet is page size, at a scale
A sheet has a physical page size (its Width and Height) and a Default Scale. Scenes you place on the sheet are shown at that scale — for example, the model shrunk to fit the page. Anything you draw directly on the sheet is measured on the printed page, not on the model: a 2-inch line is 2 inches on paper, regardless of the scene’s scale.
Tip: If a measurement must match the real part, dimension it in the model space (or inside the scene), not freehand on the sheet — a line drawn on the sheet is in page units and won’t reflect the model’s true size. |
Which to use
Annotate in model space when… | Annotate on a sheet when… |
The note describes the design (a dimension, a part callout) | The note describes the page (a sheet title, a revision note) |
The measurement must be real-world / full size | The mark is sized to the printed page |
You want it to appear anywhere the view is shown | You want it only on this sheet |
Quick checklist
• Design information, at full size → annotate in the model space.
• Page-layout information, at page size → annotate on the sheet.
• Real measurements belong in the model or scene, not freehand on the sheet.
• The same Draw and Modify tools work in both places.