CoastWatch Data Analysis Tool Help: Shape and Text Annotations

In this section:

What are annotations?

Annotations allow you to place text, lines, polygons, and other shapes on the data view. You can choose the default color, line style, fill, and text font, and manipulate the annotations as layers, similar to data overlays and surveys.

Annotation tools

The following figure shows the annotation controls, with the annotation tool buttons and current list of annotation layers:

Each Annotation Tool adds a different type of layer:

Line (click and drag)
Draws a line in the current color and style.
Polyline (click endpoints, double- or right-click to end)
Draws a series of connected line segments in the current color and style.
Box (click and drag)
Draws a rectangular box in the current color and style, and fills with the fill color.
Polygon (click corners, double- or right-click to end)
Draws an irregular polygon in the current color and style, and fills with the fill color.
Circle (click and drag)
Draws a circle from the center to radius point in the current color and style, and fills with the fill color.
Curve (click control points, double- or right-click to end)
Uses a set of polyline control points to draw a Bezier curve in the current color and style.
Text (click for placement and enter text)
Places the specified text in the current font and color. The text font size is relative to the screen, and so remains constant if the data view zoom factor is modified. The text anchor point moves with the view.

Annotation list

Once added to the annotation layer list, annotations are similar to surveys and overlays, in that they can be modified, renamed, set visible or invisible, moved up or down in the list, and deleted (see the overlays section for details).

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