The Asset Annotation Editor is a canvas-based tool for adding visual markup to assets. Use it to place numbered callouts, draw arrows, add text frames, overlay shapes, draw freehand strokes, and create right-angle leaders directly on an asset.
Important
The Asset Annotation Editor is in Beta, available to select Pergamon tenants as part of a controlled early access rollout. As indicated in the editor itself, this feature is not intended for production use in its current state. Additionally:
- Interaction behaviour is not yet fully consistent across all annotation types. These are active development items, not defects against a stable specification.
- The feature set is scoped to asset annotation workflows — purpose-built for how your team works with assets in Pergamon, without the overhead of capabilities your workflow does not require.
- New capabilities will be introduced according to our internal roadmap. User feedback and real-world usage are heavily weighted in shaping what gets built and when.
Watch the video below for a quick visual orientation, or continue reading for full documentation.
A quick overview of the Asset Annotation Editor and its annotation tools.
Opening the Asset Annotation Editor
There are two ways to open the Asset Annotation Editor.
From a document: Click the asset in the document editor, click Edit (bottom left) in the Asset view preferences modal, then click the Asset Annotation icon (top right) in the Properties panel.
From the Quick Action Menu: Open the Quick Action Menu in the document editor, go to the local assets tab, click the edit icon next to the asset, then click the Asset Annotation icon in the Properties panel.
Info
Both entry points open the same full-screen editor. Any annotations you save are attached to the asset and reflected wherever that asset appears in your document.
Workspace overview
The editor is divided into three panels.
The Asset Annotation Editor with a toaster asset loaded and ready to annotate.
Properties panel
The properties panel runs along the left side of the editor. At the top it shows the Preset dropdown and Save as default button, followed by the seven tool tabs. Below the tool tabs is a scrollable area that updates based on the active tool, showing annotation properties, canvas settings, layers, and zoom controls. The Save button sits at the bottom of the panel.
Canvas
The canvas fills the centre of the editor. Your asset is displayed on an artboard, a white surface you can resize independently of the asset. All annotations are drawn on top of the artboard.
Note
When no asset is loaded, the canvas displays a "Waiting for image..." placeholder. The annotation tools are unavailable until an asset is present.
Right toolbar
A narrow toolbar runs along the right edge of the editor. It is organised into two sections:
File — undo, redo, copy, grid toggle, and clear all annotations.
Tools — alignment controls (align left, centre, right, top, middle, bottom), join arrows, group, and ungroup. Alignment controls are available when two or more annotations are selected.
The close button (X) sits at the very top of the right toolbar.
Tools
Seven tools are available from the tabs at the top of the properties panel. Click a tab or press the keyboard shortcut to switch tools.
| Tool | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Select | V | Select, move, and edit existing annotations |
| Callout | C | Place numbered or lettered markers on the asset |
| Text | T | Draw a text frame and add typed content. Supports rotation. |
| Line | L or A | Draw arrows and lines. Supports waypoints for multi-segment leaders. |
| Elbow | E | Draw a right-angle (L-shaped) leader that auto-inserts one bend. |
| Shape | S | Draw circles, squares, and rounded rectangles. Supports rotation and border line styles. |
| Scribble | B | Draw a freehand stroke directly on the canvas. |
Tip
Press Esc at any time to switch back to the Select tool without closing the editor.
Annotation types
Callout
A labelled marker placed at a single point on the asset. Callouts auto-increment their labels in numeric (1, 2, 3), lowercase letter (a, b, c), uppercase letter (A, B, C), or Roman numeral (i, ii, iii) sequence. The marker shape can be a circle, square, rounded square, or text-only. Callouts can be rotated about their centre using the rotation handle or the Rotation slider in the properties panel.
For a toaster asset, you might use callouts to identify the bread slots (1), lever (2), browning dial (3), second dial (4), body (5), and feet (6).
Arrow (Line)
A line segment between two points, with independent arrowhead styles on each end. Supports multiple intermediate waypoints for multi-segment leaders. Line style can be solid, dotted, dashed, dash-dot, and dash-dot-dot. An optional outline can be drawn behind the main stroke for contrast.
Use arrows to draw attention to a specific component, for example, pointing from a label outside the asset boundary to the toaster's browning dial.
Elbow
A right-angle leader that auto-inserts one bend on draw, producing an L-shaped line. The bend and endpoints are editable as waypoints after placement. Use the Elbow tool when you need a leader that turns a corner to point to a component without crossing other annotations.
Text frame
A rectangular text area drawn by dragging on the canvas. Supports full typography controls including font family, size, weight, alignment, line height, and vertical alignment. The frame can have a background fill, a styled border, and can be rotated about its centre.
Use text frames to add descriptive labels alongside a component, for example, a note next to the control panel explaining the browning range.
Shape
A filled geometric shape: circle, square, or rounded rectangle, with independent fill and border colour controls. Border line style can be solid, dotted, dashed, dash-dot, or dash-dot-dot. Shapes can be rotated about their centre. Use shapes to highlight a region of the asset, such as drawing a rectangle around the toaster's control panel to group related callouts visually.
Scribble
A freehand stroke drawn by clicking and dragging on the canvas. Use scribbles to add informal markup, circle a region of interest, or draw attention to an area that does not map to a fixed geometric shape.
Artboard and canvas settings
The artboard is the white surface your asset sits on. You can resize the artboard beyond the asset boundaries to create space for annotations outside the asset area, for example, arrow labels or a legend placed beside the toaster diagram.
Artboard settings are visible in the properties panel when the Select tab is active.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Width / Height | Artboard dimensions. Minimum is the original asset size. |
| Presets | Apply a common aspect ratio: Original, 1:1, 4:3, 16:9, or A4. |
| Background | Artboard fill colour. Defaults to white (#ffffff). |
| Units | Sets the unit of measurement per category: General, Stroke, and Type. Options are px, pt, and mm. Preferences are saved per browser. |
| DPI | Dots per inch used for point-to-pixel conversion. Defaults to 72 (1 pt = 1 px). Set to 96 for screen parity or match your output format. |
Note
Resizing the artboard does not scale or crop the asset. The asset stays at its original dimensions inside the expanded canvas area.
Zoom and navigation
| Action | How |
|---|---|
| Zoom in | Ctrl/Cmd = or the + button in the properties panel |
| Zoom out | Ctrl/Cmd - or the - button in the properties panel |
| Reset zoom to 100% | Ctrl/Cmd 0, or click the zoom percentage label |
| Fit to window | Click the Fit to Window button in the zoom controls to scale the artboard so it fits entirely within the visible workspace. |
| Zoom to cursor | Ctrl/Cmd + Scroll |
| Pan the canvas | Hold Space and drag, or press and drag with the middle mouse button. |
The zoom range is 5% to 400%.
Saving
Click Save to save your annotations. The editor saves your work and returns you to the document with the annotated asset updated.
Info
The Save button is enabled when at least one annotation exists, or when the artboard dimensions have been changed from the original asset size, or when an existing annotation's properties have been modified.
Warning
Do not close the editor or navigate away before clicking Save. Unsaved annotations cannot be recovered.
Keyboard shortcuts
Click the keyboard icon next to the Save button to open the full shortcuts reference panel inside the editor, or see Keyboard shortcuts for the Asset Annotation Editor.
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