Struggling to edit 3D annotations after upgrading to Creo 4

[dcokin]

I have some complicated simulation templates I set up in Creo 2.0 which are controlled by lots of parameters; some in the local model, some in flexible components.  To demystify what all the options are, I collected everything into one on-screen control panel; an annotation feature with flat-to-screen text.  It includes all the user adjustable parameters, some instructions, and various outputs.  Parameters that can be adjusted are surrounded with a box, so it's clear which parts are meant to be edited (e.g. "@[&parameter_name@]").  This is a lot easier than browsing the parameters dialog, since that is also filled with lots of boilerplate PDM stuff, and your typical novice user wouldn't know how to find component level parameters that way (or even that they should).

The control panel worked great in Creo 2.0!  If on the "Annotation" tab of the ribbon, you could simply double-click on any of the boxes, and be prompted to edit a new value for the parameter.  If on another tab of the ribbon, Alt-double-click would work.

I can't make sense of the new functionality in Creo 4.0.  Most often, when I double-click (or alt-double-click), it highlights all the text from the spot I clicked through the end of the annotation.  The behavior seems inconsistent though.  Sometimes I am able to get it to prompt me to edit the value, but usually not.  A few times, I've started typing the new value not realizing it was actually highlighting annotation text, rather than prompting for a new value.  So, this overwrote the parameter's entry in the annotation.  And unbelievably, there is no undo feature for annotation edits!  Typos are forever.  Save your work often, there is no other way to go back from accidental edits.

Have any of you figured this out?  The online help is no help.  I would like to learn how to consistently and reliably:

• Click to select the entire annotation.
• Click to specify cursor position within the annotation.
• Drag to move the annotation about the screen.
• Drag to select a portion of the annotation text.
• Edit the value of a parameter that is included in the annotation.

[barryschaeffer1]

Are you still having trouble editing 3D annotations in C4?  If not, what build of C4 are you using?

Barry

[dcokin]

Yeah; I never figured out how to do any of that reliably, but I finished my work with that complicated model with the on screen control panel, so I just don't use 3D annotations much anymore.  There is some similar weirdness editing drawing annotations though.  Cursor is usually white, but often turns black, matching the background, making it hard to find.  It often takes many clicks to edit a parameter or symbol in an annotation, as you have to first get your cursor over it, so it displays the code, and then double click on that, not the actual symbol or annotation value itself.  And since the pagination shifts when it displays the code, it's sometimes not obvious which bit of code you need to double click on, since it's not in the same spot where you had been hovering your mouse...

We're on Creo 4.0 M040 I think; maybe M060.  (Not on that machine right now.)  Haven't tested Creo 5.0 or 6.0, but I've been told the plan is to adopt Creo 7.0 later this year; which should be out in March.  (Can't find a list of improvements; I've looked.)

[aprescott]

same issue.  is there a video/data sheet , something that explains how to edit annotations in 4.0?