Footing Annotation

Places dimension lines and an optional tag on footing elements in plan view, in one pass across any number of selected footings.

General Description

Select the footings to annotate, choose a dimension type and which sides to dimension (Top/Bottom/Left/Right), optionally add a tag at one of the four corners, and set the offset distance from the element to the annotation line. A live placement preview shows the layout before you commit.

Key Features

Selective sides: Toggle Dim Top, Dim Bottom, Dim Left, Dim Right independently — dimension only the sides you need.
Optional corner tag: Place a tag at Top Left, Top Right, Bottom Left, or Bottom Right of the footing, or skip tagging entirely.
Configurable offset: Set the distance from the element to the annotation line.
Placement Preview: A live canvas shows exactly where dimensions and the tag will land before you place anything.
Batch placement: Annotate multiple selected footings in a single run.

Requirements

Works in plan views on footing elements; run it from a view where the footings are visible in plan.
At least one dimension side or a tag corner must be enabled — annotating nothing isn't allowed (see FAQ).

Usage Procedure

Open Footing Annotation from the Drafting panel on the Frata ribbon tab.
Set the Dimension Type, and optionally a Tag Type if you want a tag placed as well.
Toggle the sides to dimension (Dim Top, Dim Bottom, Dim Left, Dim Right) and, if using a tag, pick its corner (Tag: Top Left / Top Right / Bottom Left / Bottom Right).
Set the Offset — the distance from the element to the annotation line.
Check the Placement Preview canvas to confirm the layout looks right.
Follow the prompt "Select footing elements" and pick the footings to annotate, then press Place Annotation.

Recommendations

Use the Placement Preview before selecting elements — it reflects your current side/tag/offset settings, so you can catch a wrong configuration before running it across many footings.
Increase the Offset when footings are closely spaced, so dimension lines don't overlap between adjacent elements.

Frequently Asked Questions

I got the message "Please select a dimension type before placing annotations." Why? No Dimension Type is set. Choose one before pressing Place Annotation — Tag Type is optional, but Dimension Type is required.

I got the message "Enable at least one dimension side or select a tag corner." Why? You have a dimension type selected but no side toggled on and no tag corner picked, so there's nothing to place. Enable at least one Dim Top/Bottom/Left/Right, or pick a tag corner.

I got the message "No footing elements found in the current selection." Why? The elements you picked when prompted aren't footings. Reselect, picking only footing elements.

Can I annotate footings with different sides/tag settings in the same run? No — the current side toggles, tag corner, and offset apply to every footing selected in that run. Run the tool again with different settings for footings that need a different layout.