The Label Tool

[Seiss Wagner]

I have never bothered using the label tool for key notes because in AC 7 the text blocks could only be displayed as transparent. Does anyone know if this has been corrected in AC 8.1?

If you make your own .lsm label objects, can you provide a mask to hide the offending background behind the label? And lastly, does anyone know if there is a specific package of .lsm labels for sell. The labels provided by Graphisoft are rather limited in scope, and at my billing rate, I really don't have the time to play around learning how to make symbols like circles, diamonds, squares etc. that can vary their size and provide a mask.

[Seiss Wagner]

I spent sometime this afternoon exploring my dilemma with using the ArchiCAD Label Tool for keynoting. The solution I arrived at is as follows: using the keynote object from "AutoKeyNotes" by Undecillion found on "Objects on Line", I imported Undecillion's keynote symbol object as a label into the ArchiCAD keynote tool using the command (File>Open library part>As a label.) I then saved the imported symbol into ArchiCAD's Custom Label folder.

I now have thirteen symbol shapes, ranging from circles to stars, created by Undecillion. These symbols can be made any size, rotated in any direction, use any font and most important of all, be masked in any color, all inside ArchiCAD's Label Tool.

If I click three times I can place the keynote automatically with a leader, or remain stationary, and place only the symbol. Unfortunately, the symbols cannot be edited on the fly, because they are now labels and not objects, so they cannot be accessed by the ID dialog of the "Information Box". Instead, after placing the label it must be selected and then with Tool Settings (Command T) open the label for editing.

The process may sound cumbersome, but believe me, it's twice as fast, and twice as easy, as pasting objects for keynotes, selecting, and then using Drag a Copy (Option Command D) to move them around, and then placing an object leader, and then editing the keynote text.

Using the Label Tool, keynotes are now a smooth and seamless operation when used in conjunction with Undecilion's "AutoKeyNotes symbol object.