Take Me to Your Leader

1. Take Me to Your Leader How to create leaders to indicate details or callouts in AutoCAD.

2. Basic Parts of a Leader Object A leader object is a line or a spline with an arrowhead at one end and a multiline text object or block at the other. (See below examples)

3. Types of Leaders LEADER • Creates a line that connects annotation to a feature. MLEADER • Creates a multileader object. QLEADER (LE) • Creates a leader and leader annotation.

4. Leader Addition Choices NONE This multileader object contains a leader only. BLOCK Several default blocks are available such as circle, slot, and triangle. The default block options contain attributes. You can also specify your own block. You are prompted for values when you create the multileader. MTEXT This is the default multileader type and consists of mtext objects.

5. Follow the Leader A leader is designed to come into your drawing as one solid object, similar to a block. This means that while you can use grips to stretch different sections, it is all one piece and will move together. When associative dimensioning is turned on (DIMASSOC system variable), the leader arrowhead can be associated with a location on an object using an object snap. If the object is relocated, the arrowhead remains attached to the object and the leader line stretches, but the multiline text remains in place

6. Getting Leaders in ribbons These commands are found on the Leader panel in the Annotate tab.

7. Modify Leaders Using Grips You can make many leader edits directly using multi-functional grips. You can add and remove leaders, add and remove vertices, lengthen or move the landing line, or move the leader text. ■ From the Landing grip, you can choose: ■ Stretch to move the leader landing. ■ Lengthen Landing to extend the Landing line. ■ Add Leader to add one or more leader lines. ■ From a leader endpoint grip, you can choose: ■ Stretch to move the leader endpoint. ■ Add Vertex to add a vertex to the leader line. ■ Remove Leader to delete the selected leader line. ■ From a leader vertex grip, you can choose: ■ Stretch to move the vertex. ■ Add Vertex to add a vertex on the leader line. ■ Remove Vertex to delete the vertex.

8. Multileader Style Manager Ribbon: Annotate tab > Leaders panel > Multileader Style Manager You use the Multileader Style Manager to manage and edit multileader styles. The dialog box and options work almost identically to the Dimension Style Manager. You use this dialog box to create, edit, delete, and set current multileader styles.

9. You use the Modify Multileader Style dialog box to edit the properties associated with the multileader style. Style properties are organized on three tabs with each tab containing specific types of properties. As soon as you exit the Multileader Style Manager, changes you made to an existing style are reflected automatically on any multileaders that are using the style.

10. To create a leader with straight lines To create a leader with straight lines • Click Home tab ➤ Annotation panel ➤ Multileader. • At the Command prompt, enter o to select options. • Enter l to specify leaders. • Enter t to specify the leader type. • Enter s to specify straight leaders. • In the drawing, click a start point for the leader head. • Click an end point for the leader. • Enter your MTEXT content. • On the Text Formatting toolbar, click OK.

11. To create a leader attached to block content at an angle • Click Home tab ➤ Annotation panel ➤ Multileader Style. • In the Multileader Style Manager, click New. • In the Create New Multileader Style dialog box, specify a name for the new multileader style. • In the Modify Multileader Style dialog box, Leader Structure tab, under Landing Settings, uncheck Automatically Include Landing. • On the Content tab, next to Multileader Type, choose Block content. • Under Block Options, next to Attachment, choose one of the following: ■ Center Extents: Attaches the leader line to the center extent of the block content ■ Insertion Point: Attaches the leader line to the block content from any point you specify • Click OK. • In the Multileader Style Manager, click Close. • Do one of the following: ■ Create a multileader object ■ Apply the new multileader style to an existing multileader object

12. To create a spline leader with text or a block • Click Home tab ➤ Annotation panel ➤ Multileader. • At the Command prompt, enter o to select options. • Enter l to specify leaders. • Enter t to specify the leader type. • Enter p to specify a spline leader. • In the drawing, click a start point for the leader head. • Click the end point for the leader. • Enter your MTEXT content. • In the Text Formatting toolbar, click OK.

13. To define a leader style Once a multileader style has been defined, you can set it as the current multileader style to be used when the MLEADER command is invoked. • Click Home tab ➤ Annotation panel ➤ Multileader Style. • In the Multileader Style Manager, click New. • In the Create New Multileader Style dialog box, specify a name for the new multileader style. • In the Modify Multileader Style dialog box, Leader Format tab, select or clear the following options: ■ Type. Determines the type of landing. You can choose a straight landing, spline landing, or no landing. ■ Color. Determines the color of the landing. ■ Linetype. Determines the linetype of the landing. ■ Lineweight. Determines the lineweight of the landing. • Specify a symbol and size for the multileader arrowhead. • On the Leader Structure tab, select or clear the following options: ■ Maximum Leader Points. Specifies a maximum number of points for the multileader landing line. ■ First and Second Segment Angles. Specifies the angle of the first and second points in the landing. ■ Landing - Keep Horizontal. Attaches a horizontal landing to the multileadercontent. ■ Set Landing Distance. Determines the fixed distance for the multileaderlanding line. • On the Content tab, specify either text or block content for the multileader. If the multileader object will contain text content, then select or clear the following options: ■ Default Text. Sets default text for the multileader content. A field can be inserted here. ■ Text Style. Specifies a predefined text style for the attribute text. Currently loaded text styles are displayed. ■ Text Angle. Specifies the rotation angle of the multileader text. ■ Text Color. Specifies the color of the multileader text. ■ Paper Height. Sets the height of the text as it will display in paper space. ■ Frame Text. Frames the multileader text content with a text box. ■ Attachment. Controls the attachment of the landing to the multileader text. ■ Landing Gap. Specifies the distance between the landing and the multileader text. If block content is specified, then select or clear the following options: ■ Source Block. Specifies the block used for multileader content. ■ Attachment. Specifies the way the block is attached to the multileader object. You can attach the block by specifying the extents, the insertion point, or the center point of the block. ■ Color. Specifies the color of the multileader block content. ByBlock is selected by default. • Click OK.