Model elements vs. view annotations

Last updated: September 30, 2026

Some things you add belong to the model and appear in every view. Others belong to a single view and appear only there. Knowing which is which keeps your drawings clean.

The model and its views

In Motif Design you always look at the model through a view: a floor plan, section, elevation, or 3D view. Even when you first open a model, you're in its default 3D view.

What you add goes to one of two places:

  • The model. Walls, floors, ceilings, doors, furniture, model lines, and linked models. These show up in every view.

  • The view you're in. Annotation lines, text, and dimensions. These show up only in that view.

If you've used Revit, this is the same split between model elements and view-specific annotation. In AutoCAD terms, it's like drawing notes over an Xref: the notes live in your drawing, not in the Xref.

Why it matters

Say you draw lines over a floor plan to sketch a layout idea, and add a note. You don't want those lines and notes showing up in your 3D perspectives or sections. Because they belong to the floor plan view, they don't.

The walls you draw belong to the model, so they appear in every plan, section, and 3D view automatically.

Add annotations to a view

  1. Open the view you want to annotate.

  2. In the toolbar at the bottom right, click the Annotate tool (the pencil with a wavy line).

  3. Choose Line, Text, or Dimension and draw in the view.

What you draw appears only in this view. Switch to another view and it's not there.

Change an annotation line into a model line

An annotation line can be switched to a model line so it appears in every view.

  1. Select the line.

  2. In the Properties panel, uncheck Annotation line.

The line now belongs to the model. Check the box again to return it to the view only.

💡 Model lines are useful as construction lines. You can snap to them, or turn them into walls with Pick line wall.

Good to know

  • Images can go either way. An image can be part of the model or an annotation in one view.

  • Linked models always go to the model. When you place a linked model, it appears in every view, not just the one you're in.

  • Each view has its own settings. Scale, crop, and visibility are set per view, so changing them in one view doesn't affect others.

  • Duplicating a view doesn't copy its annotations. They stay with the original view.

Need help? Reach out to us at community.motif.io