The boys and girls at Autodesk Labs have been busy with a great tool for Inventor 2011 which allows the creation of 3D annotations. This is intended for conceptual modelling where you need to get a simple concept across without the need for traditional 2D drawings.

The tools have been designed for simple and easy use and what I really liked was the PMI browser that allows you to quickly control visibility,  track and edit all 3D annotations. The 3DA (3D Annotations) application automatically groups annotation objects such as Text, Symbols and dimensions.

It is definitely worth a look if you have the need to create quick design concepts and do not want to create 2D drawings.

You can download 3DA at:

http://labs.autodesk.com/utilities/inventor3da/

LawrenceH