Annotations allow labels and additional information to be displayed directly within a VU.CITY scene. They can be associated with drawn elements, imported models, public library models and viewpoints, making it easier to identify elements, communicate information and analyse a scene spatially.

Annotations are positioned in 3D space and remain associated with their parent element as the scene is navigated.

Adding an annotation

Annotations can be added to the selected element from the Properties panel.

1. Select an element in the scene.
2. Open the Properties panel.
3. Locate the Annotation section.
4. Click the ‘+’ button to add an annotation.

Annotations can be added to:

• Drawn points
• Drawn lines
• Drawn areas
• Imported models
• Public library models
• Viewpoints

A new annotation is added to the scene and appears above the selected element. Each annotation appears as a separate section in the Properties panel, where its settings can be configured.

Annotation settings

Each annotation can be customised using the following options:

• Type - choose between Detail field and Free text.
  • Detail - select the information to display, such as the element’s name, creation date, last edited date or source (where available). The annotation updates when the underlying detail changes.
  • Free text - display custom text entered by the user, up to 400 characters.
• Anchor line visibility - toggle the line connecting the annotation to the element on or off.
• Position - switch the annotation between horizontal and vertical placement.

Annotations can also be repositioned directly in the scene by dragging the annotation label. The anchor point remains attached to the element while the label is moved. For vertical annotations, the label can be moved up or down. For horizontal annotations, the label can be moved from one side of the element to the other.

Multiple annotations

Multiple annotations can be added to the same element, with each annotation configured independently. New annotations are automatically stacked above existing annotations to help prevent overlap.

Each annotation is numbered sequentially in the Properties panel, for example Annotation (1), Annotation (2) and Annotation (3). If an annotation is removed, the remaining annotations are renumbered, while their existing positions remain unchanged.

Up to 50 annotations can be added to a single element.

Removing an annotation

To remove an annotation:

1. Select the element containing the annotation.
2. Open the Properties panel.
3. Locate the annotation to remove.
4. Click the ‘-’ button to remove the annotation.

Annotations remain associated with their parent element as the scene is navigated and viewed in different modes. They remain anchored to the element while the camera is moved or orbited, and the annotation label remains readable from different viewing angles.

Annotations also follow the visibility of their parent element. For example, annotations are hidden when their element is hidden by timestamp settings and follow the visible version of an element when projection is active.