Keynoting is a consistent way of annotating the different types of drawings in a set of construction documents to identify building materials or to provide special instructions or explanations. AutoCAD Architecture 2023 toolset provides a flexible tool-based method of inserting keynotes that are linked to a keynote database and thus can be modified globally as well as individually. This method supports both reference keynoting (where the keynote key corresponds to a section in an accompanying specification and may appear on different drawings) and sheet keynoting (where keynote keys are sequentially numbered for each drawing).
AutoCAD Architecture 2023 toolset supplies pre-specified keynotes for its size-specific default detail components and for architectural objects that represent assemblies with multiple components (for example, 8” CMU wall). For variable-size objects and material definitions, a keynote classification group is pre-specified, and you specify a size when the keynote is inserted. For detail components, these keynotes and groups are based on the widely used MasterFormat 2004 standard maintained by the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI). For assemblies, the CSI Uniformat standard is used. However, because the software accommodates multiple keynote databases, it also supports other common or locally developed keynoting systems, so your localized version of AutoCAD Architecture 2023 toolset may vary. Whatever the source of the keynote, you can also associate it with a particular object style or material definition. This lets you use the keynote insertion tools on individual components of an object or on linework in two-dimensional (2D) sections or elevations. In cases where no keynotes are pre-specified, you select a keynote from the available database(s). You can also configure a keynote insertion tool to insert a particular keynote, regardless of the insertion point.
In addition to tools for inserting keynotes (derived from the basic annotation tool), the software includes tools for generating keynote legends that list selected keynotes from one or more drawing sheets and help you to quickly locate all instances of a particular keynote. You can also generate a keynote legend for a drawing prior to inserting keynotes; in this case the legend would include all keynotes that are likely to be used.
Other keynoting features include the ability to toggle the format for all keynotes within a drawing to display keys only, notes only, or both keys and notes. Moving the cursor over a keynote in the drawing lets you view keynote text without having to toggle the format or zoom in.