# Creating Sticky Notes & Frames
URL: https://docs.valsight.ai/creating-sticky-notes-frames/
Description: The Annotations feature enhances collaboration in the Valsight Model Editor by allowing users to visually comment on, organize, and highlight areas of a mode…
The **Annotations** feature enhances collaboration in the **Valsight Model Editor** by allowing users to visually comment on, organize, and highlight areas of a model. It provides a clear and flexible way to communicate logic, context, or suggestions directly within the modeling environment.

Whether clarifying a calculation, marking key nodes, or guiding team members through a complex model structure, annotations help streamline collaboration and support model transparency.

## Key benefits

With Sticky Notes & Frames, users can:

* Add **contextual notes** directly on the canvas using customizable sticky notes
* Use **colored frames** to group related areas of a model
* Easily **toggle visibility** of all annotations to reduce visual clutter
* **Reposition, edit, and delete** annotations freely as the model evolves
* **Reuse annotations** across models and projects via copy and paste

### Example use case

In a car manufacturing scenario, the finance team might use a **frame** to highlight all nodes related to “EV production cost drivers” and add **sticky notes** to explain assumptions for battery pricing. This helps ensure consistency across departments reviewing the same model structure.

## Setup and usage

### Recommended preparation

To use annotations meaningfully and effectively:

* Use **clear, concise naming** for frames and comments to enhance readability
* Place annotations **near relevant nodes** to provide immediate visual context
* Avoid excessive overlapping of annotations to maintain a clean canvas
* For multi-user environments, establish internal guidelines for color usage or note structure
* Consider using visibility toggles during presentations or walkthroughs to focus the view

### Creating sticky notes & frames

To create a sticky note or frame:

1. Open the **Model Editor**
2. Click **“Add Annotation”** (next to the “Add Node” button)
3. Choose one of the following options:

   * **Add Sticky Note**
   * **Add Frame**

Video: [Sticky Notes](https://vs-documentation-assets.fsn1.your-objectstorage.com/videos/6175326235_Sticky-Notes.mov)

#### Sticky note setup

* A dialog titled **“Add Sticky Note”** opens
* Enter text into the **formatting-enabled field**
* Choose a **color** using the color picker
* Click **Save**, then place the note anywhere on the canvas
* Notes display a **scrollbar** if the text exceeds the field height
* Selected notes show a **dotted border** and can be moved freely

#### Frame setup

* A dialog titled **“Add Frame”** opens
* Enter a **name** (e.g., “Revenue Drivers”)
* Choose a **frame color**
* (Optional) Enable **background color** using the checkbox
* Click **Save**, then draw a **rectangle** around the relevant area
* Frames display the title and can be **resized, repositioned, or edited** later

### Interacting with annotations

* Click any annotation to select it and open its settings in the **Editor Panel** (top right)
* For sticky notes:

  * Click **“Edit Text”** to modify content
* For frames:

  * Edit **title, color, or background**
* To remove an annotation, click the **trash icon** in the object or editor panel
* To manage visibility:

  * Use the **toggle button** next to the zoom controls to **show/hide all annotations**
  * This toggle is **user-specific** and does not affect other users

Video: [Show-hide annotations](https://vs-documentation-assets.fsn1.your-objectstorage.com/videos/6175162421_Show-hide-annotations.mov)

## Managing, configuration and limitations

### Supported configuration

* Annotations include:

  * **Sticky Notes** with text formatting and color
  * **Frames** with title, border, and optional background color
* Annotations can be **moved**, **copied**, **edited**, **deleted**, or **hidden**
* Annotations are compatible with **keyboard and mouse input**, supporting drag-and-drop positioning
* Copy & paste functionality is supported:

  * **Within the same model**
  * **Across different models**
  * **Across projects**

![Copy paste annotations.png](./images/6175457310.png)

### Error handling and system limitations

* Overlapping or excessive annotations may lead to visual clutter but do not affect model performance
* If an annotation cannot be pasted (e.g., incompatible data), a clear **error message** is shown
* Long sticky notes will automatically scroll rather than resize
* Annotations are purely **visual aids** and do not affect the model’s logic or calculations

### Data synchronization and integration

* All annotations are stored **per model** and saved with the model state
* **Visibility settings are stored per user**, ensuring a personalized experience
* **No special rights** are required: any user with model edit access can use and manage annotations
* Annotations are preserved during **project duplication, import, or export**

## Summary

**Sticky Notes & Frames** support clearer communication, better documentation, and more efficient teamwork within the Model Editor. With rich formatting, intuitive placement, and full copy/paste support, they allow users to:

* Provide helpful comments directly in the canvas
* Visually organize and explain model logic
* Reuse and manage annotations across models
* Reduce complexity by toggling visibility on demand

This feature helps make even the most complex models more accessible, navigable, and team-friendly - essential for transparent and collaborative modelling.