Brand:

• AMX
• BSS Audio

Models:

• AVX Architect

Overview:

This article will cover annotations and Z-order in the AVX Architect workspace.

To see a video of this article, click HERE.

Description:

Z-Order

Z-order is simply where an object exists front to back in the workspace. As objects are added to the workspace, they are given their own layer, or z-order number, front to back. The most recently placed object will be at the front. Z-order can be useful for organizing annotations or other objects, to make them display correctly or to add visual aid or reference.

In this example there are three annotation objects, each one of them a different color. Notice how these objects sit on top of one another.

This is the result of their Z-order positions. The Z-order can be changed using the “Bring to Front" or “Send to Back" buttons on the top bar.

These options are also available by right clicking on the object directly.

After selecting send to back for this Annotation, notice how the red box has now moved behind the black box.

Annotations

Annotations can be found in the SYSTEM and VIRTUAL views of AVX Architect under their respective libraries in the left pane.

Annotations are a way to provide grouping, identification, and visual cues to objects in your design files.

Properties

In the properties window, the color can be changed by using the color picker or by entering a hex or RGB value.

Opacity can be changed by using th slider or entering the value in directly.

Double-clicking on the annotation object will allow you to enter text.

The text can be modified using the Text Styles section of the properties window.

Font style can be changed between normal, bold, and italics.

Font size and color can be changed here to the right of the style.

Finally, we have the alignment options below to adjust where in the annotation the text will sit. The alignment can be set for both x and y axes, and are left, center, right, and top, center, or bottom.

Use Exam​​ples

The following example uses annotations to create a site map. The annotations allow for labeling and color-coding each of the areas or zones.

Looking at the audio flows in the VIRTUAL view, notice that annotations are used to contain the audio processing circuits, and are also labeled and color coded to correlate with the site map above.

Zooming out to view the full scope of these isolated circuits shows how they can be used to group audio processing by function and area.

Having them laid out like this not only makes them easier to read, but easier to navigate when having audio issues with specific zones or areas.

Here, another annotation has been placed to highlight this logic circuit that resides within an Annotation for a zone to provide instructions for the function of this circuit.