Abbreviation dictionary for annotation feature class

Question

I've been able to create and use an abbreviation dictionary using the Maplex labeling engine easily enough; however, when I tried to recreate labeling using an annotation feature class in a geodatabase, no dictionaries show up to be selected. I was doing this mostly as an exercise and don't need to use an annotation feature class, but I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this and if it's just a glitch.

Edit: To clarify, I was attempting to create abbreviated labels in an annotation feature class using this process: Create new annotation feature class in Catalog > set up label and placement properties > Populate annotation feature class by selecting features in an attribute table > Right-click on layer, Selection > "Annotate Selected Features".

While setting up placement properties, I was unable to select any abbreviation dictionary, even though they were available when I labelled features simply through Label Manager in the Labeling toolbar.

Answer 1

Abbreviation dictionaries are applied to individual labels classes of a layer within a map document. Dictionaries only work with dynamic labels at document level. After labels to which abbreviation directories were applied have been exported to annotations, map-level abbreviation directories as well as any label placement maplex algorithms are no longer in effect in the exported annotation class.