"My annotation text is very large when I open or import a model..."

Rhino
1

There is an fast fix here, and there is a smarter one.

1. Disable Layout Space Scaling

First, fast fix, is to uncheck “Enable Layout Space Scaling.”

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2. Modify your Annotation Style

The second more powerful fix, is to adjust your Annotation styles to use a Font and other values that reflect “1=1” layout space sizes. For example, if you want text and arrow sizes to be .125 inches, then in the use those values. You will probably find that the original annotation style defaults will get you close than the one that you are using.

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You can assign the existing dimension to the new style that looks more appropriate in the Layout.
Layout scaling will keep all the text and dimensions the same size regardless of whether they are in a detail, in a details with a different scale or on the layout. This is the concept behind Layout Space Scaling.

Why Does This Happen

IF Layout scaling is enabled, text both in the details, even details of different scale and on the layout are displayed the exact height that is set by the Annotation style or property overrides.

If you not want this, the Layout Scaling can be unchecked and disabled in
Options → Document Prop → Annotation (see image above).

In this video we explain the Layout scaling feature.
This Layout tutorial was recorded with Rhino 5.To use with Rhino 7, see these details. The basic concepts are the same, but the UI has bene improved for newer Rhinos.
(This is on the list to update for Rhino 8.)

In these towards the end of these tutorials, layouts are used to get views of the model setup on a title block.:
Simple Part Model
Rhino Wheel Barrow Tutorial

Summary

If your text and annotations are too big in model space or on the layout:
Enable layout space scale is likely checked and should be unchecked. When unchecked, this setting will allow the model space text height to be displayed on the layout, instead of forcing the text to be displayed at the Annotation (or object property) font or text height.
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  • If Enable layout space scale is unchecked or disabled, the text is displayed in the model units,. So lets say the text height is 8 units and the display scale on the detail is 1/24, then the text will be scaled to display 1/4 unit high on the layout.

  • If Enable layout space scale is checked or enabled, the text will always be displayed at full height on the Layout. This can be 8, 10, 12 or more units high. This is very large on a layout that may be only 24"×18". To solve this, uncheck Enable layout space scale or change the sizes of components in your annotation style to something more reasonable for your model.

You can also change the text height and arrow size (for example) in Annotation style the annotation style to something that looks better like .125", .25" or 2.5mm or 5mm.
The SCALE button will scale all values in your Annotation style by the factor that you enter resizing all annotation elements. For example, if you you enter 1/10 or .1, all the settings in the style, text, gaps, arrow sizes will be scale by 1/10.
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Try it.

  1. Download this file.
    annotation scale.3dm (77.1 KB)
  2. Open the file in Rhino 7 or later.
  3. Go to Options → Document Properties → Annotation and check "Enable Annotation Scaling.
  4. Pick OK to return to the Layout.
    See the video here.

If you continue to have issue, please attach a file or email it to tech@mcneel.com and reference this Forum thread.

Sincerely,
Mary Ann Fugier

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