Importing coverage and CAD annotation
Computer-aided design (CAD) and coverage data models store multiple themes of information in a single file or folder of information. For example, lot numbers, lot dimensions, and street names may all be in the same coverage annotation subclass. These data models differ greatly from the geodatabase.
Coverage annotation and CAD annotation are both measured in map units when they are created. When they are converted to geodatabase annotation, they are still measured in map units. Depending on the reference scale chosen, the geodatabase annotation font size in points will change to maintain the measurement of the font size in map units. For example, if an item of coverage text measures 10 feet in ArcInfo Workstation, the corresponding item—when converted to geodatabase annotation and displayed in ArcMap—will measure approximately 10 feet when measured with the Measure tool. This measurement is approximate as different fonts will measure different sizes even though they are displayed using the same point size.
Learn more about how fonts are displayed
You can import annotation from coverages with the Import Coverage Annotation tool or text from a CAD file with the Import CAD Annotation tool. For this reason, you should carefully set up the display of the annotation in ArcMap before you import. If you're importing several tiled annotation feature classes at the same time, you need only set up symbology for the first annotation feature class you list in the Import Coverage Annotation or Import CAD Annotation tool. These tools allow you to apply the same symbology to all the other feature classes you import.
If you run the tools from ArcCatalog, you import the annotation directly without the layer symbology setup you would have in ArcMap. Therefore, all imported annotation is assigned the default font Arial, and if the $Size value is zero, the default size is 14 point.
If you have ArcInfo or ArcEditor, you can create annotation classes within the output annotation feature class—one from each of the drawing layers or levels you convert. Each annotation class you create will be named after the drawing layer or level. You can rename these in ArcCatalog with the Annotation tab on the Feature Class Properties dialog box.
If you are working with an ArcSDE geodatabase, import the annotation before you version your data whenever possible. This will eliminate the processing time required for reconciling and posting the edited version back to the parent version.
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