What is a ʼMultileaderʼ in BricsCAD?

ByCADbrief Staff

Short Answer

A Multileader in BricsCAD is an annotation object that combines a leader line, arrowhead, and attached text or block into one editable object, typically created with MLEADER. It is the standard professional way to place callouts that stay organized and consistent. Limitation: older imported styles may not match your current drafting standard.

What You Need to Know Before

Warning: Multileaders often fail visually when the current multileader style uses the wrong text height, annotation scale, or block content type. In shared drawings, copied multileaders from external files can also bring inconsistent style definitions that override office standards.

How to Create a Multileader in BricsCAD

  • Command: MLEADER

  • Shortcut: MLEADER

  • Quick Steps:

    1. On the Ribbon, go to Annotate and start Multileader, or type MLEADER.
    2. Click the arrowhead location, then click to place the landing and leader direction.
    3. Enter the note text in the text editor, then confirm; if needed, set the content type in the current multileader style before placement.

Variables & Settings

  • Key Setting: Multileader Style

  • Expert Setting: In the Multileader Style settings, control the Content type (MText or Block), Dogleg length, Arrowhead, and Text height. This directly affects readability, office-standard compliance, and whether the multileader behaves correctly at your drawing scale.

Why it Fails

  • Cause 1 (Geometry): The leader landing or text placement is too tight to nearby geometry, so the callout overlaps lines, dimensions, or hatches and becomes unreadable.

  • Cause 2 (layers/Locks): The current annotation layer is locked, frozen in a viewport, or set to a poor plot style, so the multileader cannot be placed or does not display as expected.

  • Cause 3 (Command/Logic): The active multileader style is set to block content instead of text, or uses incorrect scale/text settings, so the result looks wrong even though the command worked.

Quick Fix & Best Practice

  • Quick Fix: Use MLEADERSTYLE and set the correct text height, arrowhead, and content type before creating new leaders.
  • Manager’s Verdict: Use multileaders for standard callouts, keyed notes, and detail references because they are faster to manage than separate text and leader objects. Avoid ad hoc exploded annotations if you need consistency across sheets.

FAQ

Can a multileader contain a block instead of text?
Yes, the multileader style can use block content instead of MText.

Can I edit a multileader after placing it?
Yes, select it and edit its grips, properties, or content.

Is a multileader better than a separate leader and text?
Yes, in most production workflows it is more consistent and easier to manage.

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