Dimensioning Plane

Is there a way to control the plane (front, top, or right) that an
isometric (3d) dimension can be placed on in an isometric drawing view?

If there is a setting for this it has eluded me.

SW2004 - SP1

 

you might be able to force it if you dimension to a specially oriented
sketch in the model, then insert that dim on the drawing. The rule of
thumb I follow is that it always does precisely the opposite of what I
think it will.

matt

 

hit spacebar, that will bring up the view orientation box. Now rotate
the model and get it to what you want the front view to be (use normal
to face or whatever). In the view orientation box, single click on
front, then hit the icon for update standard views. Now look at your
isometric view. Is is what you want? If you still want your front
view the way you had it, save your new iso as a "new view" (I call it
iso2)then hit the icon to reset standard views. What you have now
done is created a new iso view that you can reference in your
drawings.

 

Thanks for the suggestions. I tried several approaches to getting a
dimension to line up predictably in an isometric drawing view. The word
predictably is the key here.

In the default model view, it looks like any dimension I apply to an
isometric view in a drawing wants to appear on or parallel to the TOP
plane. Redefining views in the model as Dustin suggested seems to change
the behavior of the dimensions but I have not yet determined the
relationship that lets one predetermine the alignment.

Frustrating.

 

Isometric view dimensioning is tricky. With a little practice it's not to
bad. It's really all about selection. If you select points then the
dimension is free to align itself how it sees fit. If you select edges the
dimension will align itself with the same plane as the edges. If you select
and edge and a point the dimension will align itself with the edge you
selected. If you select and edge and a hole the dimension aligns itself
with the edge. If you select a hole and a hole the dimension is free to
find its own alignment because you are really dimensioning between two
center points. To work around this I do this. Open my model and start a
sketch on the same plane as my holes. Draw a tiny center line horizontal or
vertical (which ever way you want the dimension to align) from the center
point of the hole. Close the sketch and then hide it in the feature
manager. Open the drawing. Find the sketch in your drawing view and show
it. The lines you just sketched are now visible. Instead of selecting the
hole select the lines with the dimension tool. The dimension will align
itself with sketched lines.

Hope this helps.

Let me know if you would like some examples.

 

Even if you get the orientation worng the first time it is not the end
of the world.

First set your arrow key rotation to 5 degrees.

now if you look at the model from a flat veiw, ie front or right etc,
you can get to any iso veiw by doing the following.

press the up or down arrow key 7 times and then the left or right
arrow key 9 times, and there it is a different iso veiw.

you can save these various iso veiws in orientation!

When i do drawings of machines for people who do not understand 2d
projection drawings i use this and maybe put 4 different iso veiws on
the drawing so they can appreciate what the machine looks like.

Would be nice if SW had the same feature as good old 3d auto cad,
where you could select various isometric veiws like south west veiw,
north east veiw etc!!!


Hope this helps

Graeme

UK

 

Hi Farley.

You might want to try to model a cube, make a drawing and play with
that for giggles.

I have been thwarted by this as well in the past and found that the
dimension tends to lay on the plane that is common the the items being
dimensioned.

In our cube example, selecting edges will almost always illustrate the
behaviour while selecting corners will give more variable results.

With the cube example, I ask myself if the object that I am
dimensioning is common to two planes, in which case, the system will
decide which way to go (for example the nearest edge lies on two
visible planes). If I choose the top and bottom edges on the left
hand side to dimension the height, then the dim will lie on this plane
(i.e the two lines line on only one plane, which is the resulting
dimension's plane).

Have fun - this one can be tamed with a little work (mostly).

Regards,

SMA