Defining annotations

An annotation is a piece of descriptive text which can be sized and located anywhere within the gauge control.

All gauges are created with two text annotations, a title and a footnote. These can be edited, but not added or deleted. Additional text and image annotation can be added to, deleted from, or edited on a gauge.

To define an annotation:

  1. On the Style tab, in the Annotations group, click the dialog box launcher.
  2. Click Add.
  3. Specify a name for the annotation.
  4. Click OK.
  5. Select the type of annotation you want, Text or Image.
  6. In the Text/Image URL box, do one of the following:
    • Specify the Text to use for a text annotation.
    • Specify a fully qualified URL specifying an image file. The supported formats are .gif, .jpg, .bmp, .wmf, or .png.
  7. From the Position list, select the position for the annotation.
    • Top
    • Top Left
    • Top Right
    • Bottom
    • Bottom Left
    • Bottom Right
    • Left
    • Center
    • Right
    • Custom. Selecting this option enables additional controls. Specify the horizontal position of the anchor point (X). The range is -100 (left edge) to 100 (right edge). Then specify the vertical position of the anchor point (Y), from -100 (bottom) to 100 (top). The Angle option rotates an item in a range of 0 to 359 degrees. Title and footnote annotations can only be positioned at the top or bottom of the gauge.
  8. From the Placement list, select where in the gauge to place the image. This list is enabled if you have specified an image file.
    Option Description
    Fill Control This option places the image in the background of the entire gauge control.
    Inside Gauge This option places the image in the background of the gauge portion of the control.
    Behind Gauge This option places the image in the background of the gauge portion of the control.
  9. From the Format list, select how to render the image. This list is enabled if you have specified an image file.
    Option Description
    Center This option positions the image in the center of the selected placement. The image size and shape are not adjusted.
    Fit The image size and shape is adjusted, stretched or squeezed, to fit into the selected placement.
    Tile Starting in the upper left corner, the image is tiled, repeated going left and then down, untl the selected placement is filled.
    Clip This option places the image in the upper left corner of the selected placement. the image size and shape is not adjusted in any way, with the result that images smaller than the selected placement will not fill it, and images larger than the selected placement are clipped.
  10. Specify the Font settings for a text annotation.
  11. Click OK.
  12. Click Save Changes.