Drawing ballooning software: every dimension found, numbered, read.

What is drawing ballooning?

Ballooning a drawing means numbering every characteristic to be inspected: a dimension, a tolerance, a GD&T frame, a title block note. Each balloon becomes a line of the inspection report, and on form 3 of an AS9102 FAI package, the line carries the same number as the balloon. That's what ensures no requirement on the drawing escapes inspection.

By hand, in Acrobat and then Excel, an 80-dimension drawing takes about an hour and a half: placing balloons, copying out every dimension, looking up ISO tolerances in the tables. It's slow, and a missed or miscopied dimension only shows up when the customer reviews the package. The rules are covered in our guide on how to balloon a drawing.

What the ballooning reads on the drawing

A balloon is no use if the dimension it points to still has to be copied out. CoteCote reads what each balloon points to and files it under the right type in the inspection table, whatever the text orientation: horizontal, vertical, slanted or along an arc.

The full list of recognised symbols is on the features page, and fit conversions can be checked with the ISO 286 calculator.

From ballooning to recording the measurements

Ballooning sets up the measurement record. Each balloon becomes a line of the inspection table, with its nominal size and its limits already computed. All that's left is to take the measurements, with a caliper, a micrometer or a roughness tester, and type them in: comma or point both accepted, as in a spreadsheet.

Each value entered immediately gives its pass or fail status, the deviation from tolerance and the part's conformity rate. Each dimension can carry the instrument that measured it, with an alert if its calibration has lapsed. The finished record exports as an inspection report, in Excel, PDF, Word or CSV.

By hand, from CAD, or automatic

There are three ways to balloon a drawing. They don't take the same time, and they don't need the same files.

Ballooning from CAD assumes you have the model and the licence. A subcontractor, though, usually receives a PDF, sometimes a scan, from the customer. That's the drawing CoteCote reads.

100% local: your drawings never leave the machine

Many automatic ballooning tools run online: the drawing goes to a server to be read. CoteCote does everything on your machine, from reading the drawing to exporting the report. The connection is only used to validate the subscription.

In aerospace, defence or medical work, a customer drawing is often covered by a confidentiality agreement. Keeping it on the inspection station is one less question to ask, and to answer at audit.

From ballooned drawing to AS9102 FAI package

Each balloon becomes a line of the inspection table. You enter the measurements, the pass or fail status is computed as you type, then AS9102 forms 1, 2 and 3 fill in from the project, under the same numbers as on the drawing.

Export produces the Excel workbook in the AS9102 template, a PDF whose measurements stay editable, or a Word or CSV table: it's all covered on the AS9102 FAI software page. For each form in detail: form 1, form 2, form 3.

Who it's for

• CNC machining and bar turning — first-part inspection without losing the morning to it.
• Moulds, tooling and gauges — dense drawings, tight tolerances.
• Aerospace, space and defence — complete AS9102 / EN 9102 FAI packages.
• Medical devices — dimensional traceability for every dimension and every instrument.

Frequently asked questions

What is drawing ballooning?

It means placing a number, the balloon, on every characteristic to be inspected on a drawing: dimension, tolerance, GD&T frame, note. Each number becomes a line of the inspection report, which ensures no requirement is missed and every measurement ties back to a precise spot on the drawing.

Can a scan or a photo of a drawing be ballooned?

Yes. A scan or a photo goes through character recognition, whereas a CAD PDF is read straight from its data. Image quality matters: a sharp, straight scan reads better than a skewed photo.

What if a dimension is misread or missed?

You stay in control. A value is corrected in the table, a missed dimension is added by drawing a rectangle around it, and a dimension read in the wrong direction is re-read once you trace its reading direction. A dimension with no tolerance on the drawing stays out of the verdict: the software never invents one.

Can a multi-page PDF be ballooned?

Yes. On import, each page is shown as a thumbnail and you tick the ones to inspect. Each page keeps its own balloons, numbering runs across pages, and every page ends up in a single inspection table.

Does the software send my drawings over the internet?

No. Reading the drawings, ballooning and reporting all happen on your Windows machine. The connection is only used to validate the subscription, never to send your files.

Ballooning, dimension recording, measuring: what's the difference?

Ballooning numbers the characteristics to inspect on the drawing. Measuring is taking the part's dimensions with an instrument. The measurement record lines those readings up against the drawing's tolerances, line by line. CoteCote does the first, prepares the third and leaves you only the second.

Which formats can the ballooned drawing and report be exported to?

Excel, Word, PDF, CSV and image. The AS9102 FAI package comes out in the official Excel template, or as a PDF whose measured values stay editable.

How much does CoteCote cost?

From €69 per user per month, excluding VAT, for ballooning and the inspection table, and €99 with AS9102 FAI packages. 10-day free trial, no card required.