Angular Dimensions
Scott Roberts
I am trying to dimension an angle (5 degrees) and have the dimension
text appear outside the angle. If I try moving the text with grips
the text moves outside but the dimension changes to 175 degrees.
I can't find any dimension variables to control this.
Thanks in advance,
Scott
Bruce Gempp
Scott -
Check to see if your DIM variable DIMTIX is set to zero. If not then
change it and you will be able to move your text to the outside without
the dim changing
Hope this helps
Bruce
Your Friendly Neighborhood Cadman
Dennis Shinn
Scott Roberts <rob...@dao.nrc.ca> wrote:
>I If I try moving the text with grips
>the text moves outside but the dimension changes to 175 degrees.
>I can't find any dimension variables to control this.
Neither could I, Scott. Definitely an item for discussion with the Autodesk
folk!
Dennis Shinn
Seattle AutoCAD User Group
SAUG-BBS [206] 644-7115 PCGNet 9:517/215
email: jee...@halcyon.com
BBS: dennis...@saug.wa.com
G Rajesh
Scott Roberts wrote:
>I am trying to dimension an angle (5 degrees) and have the dimension
>text appear outside the angle. If I try moving the text with grips
>the text moves outside but the dimension changes to 175 degrees.
>I can't find any dimension variables to control this.
>Thanks in advance,
>Scott
The value of the angular dimension depends upon the direction (180 degrees) of
the point picked while placing the dimension arc line . Hence when you use GRIPS
or TEDIT command , if you try to place the text outside the dimension line you
will have the effect mentioned by you. To overcome this you can place the text
while placing the text for the first time or you need to move the text within the
area of the angular extension lines using Grips of Tedit command.
Hope this helps.
G.Rajesh
//Autodesk Product Support on the Internet//
Dennis Shinn
Bruce Gempp <bge...@commserv.ucsb.edu> wrote:
>Check to see if your DIM variable DIMTIX is set to zero.
Didn't work for me, Bruce. I tried setting the arrow size to 0 both in DDIM
and at the command line.
What's at issue is the ability to grip edit the dimtext, pulling it outside
the interior angle and have it retain the inside angle measurement. Once the
dimension is placed, subsequently pulling it outside will cause the dimension
text to update to the outside angle.
But I suspect that this is somewhat according to plan since the placement of
the dimtext for angle measurements is determined by where one picks when
creating the dimension in the first place. About the only way I can see to
accomplish what's being asked is to explode the dimension or to turn off
associative dimensioning for angular measurements.
TJUT647
Under "units" set your angle settings to clockwise, not counterclockwise.
This should correct it. Let me know if you have any more questions.
TJ
Dennis Shinn
hop...@giasdl01.vsnl.net.in (G Rajesh) wrote:
>The value of the angular dimension depends upon the direction (180 degrees) of
>the point picked while placing the dimension arc line . Hence when you use GRIPS
>or TEDIT command , if you try to place the text outside the dimension line you
>will have the effect mentioned by you. To overcome this .......
I just had a reply via email from "TJ" that I haven't seen echoed here yet so
I'll pass it on for what it's worth.
If you change the default direction for measuring angles from counterclockwise
to clockwise, the angular dimensions can be grip edited outside the interior
angle without updating or changing. Very, very bizarre but it does in fact
work that way on my system.
Thanks, TJ.
Bruce Gempp
jee...@halcyon.com (Dennis Shinn) wrote:
>Bruce Gempp <bge...@commserv.ucsb.edu> wrote:
>
>>Check to see if your DIM variable DIMTIX is set to zero.
>
>Didn't work for me, Bruce. I tried setting the arrow size to 0 both in DDIM
>and at the command line.
Dennis and Scott -
The arrow size has nothing to do with the text being in another location. I know
you know and were probably just testing me!
Further you are correct I should have said set DIMTIX to 1 (ON). I have just tried
this by setting the variable and trying it under both conditions. With DIMTIX set
to zero (OFF) you get the problem that was described and I was able to duplicate
this somewhat. I was unable to get the 175 degree angle the person was talking
about but I assumed that the angle he was referring to was coming off another
angle.
However when I set the DIMTIX variable to 1 (ON) I am able to move the text where
ever I wish.
Try this by drawing two lines about 10" long at a 5 degree angle. Check DIMTIX to
see what value you have and then put an angle dim on the one line. Change the
DIMTIX to a new value and do the same to the other line. Now hightlight then to
active the grips and grip the text. Try moving the one that have the DIMTIX value
set to 0 (OFF) first.
The text should change to 355. Then do the same to the other one and lo and behold
the text stays the same 5 degrees. Move it anywhere you want.
>What's at issue is the ability to grip edit the dimtext, pulling it outside
>the interior angle and have it retain the inside angle measurement. Once the
>dimension is placed, subsequently pulling it outside will cause the dimension
>text to update to the outside angle.
This I realize and understand this. Another way is to put the dimension in the
proper location when it asks for the text location. But you are still able to do
this by setting the DIMTIX variable.
>But I suspect that this is somewhat according to plan since the placement of
>the dimtext for angle measurements is determined by where one picks when
>creating the dimension in the first place. About the only way I can see to
>accomplish what's being asked is to explode the dimension or to turn off
>associative dimensioning for angular measurements.
You are correct in your first part of your statment but uncorrect ole buddy in
your latter part. Try what I have stated above and let me know you results. If it
still doesn't work then I will email you all my dim variables so that you can
compare them and see which ones are different. However you will find that because
DIMTIX is trying to keep the dim text inside the dim lines therefor the text
changes when you try to move the text outside the ang lines.
Scott and Dennis I'm sorry for the earlier mistake in telling you the wrong
setting but try what I have said above and let me know the results.
Dennis Shinn
Scott Roberts <rob...@dao.nrc.ca> wrote:
>I am trying to dimension an angle (5 degrees) and have the dimension
>text appear outside the angle. If I try moving the text with grips
>the text moves outside but the dimension changes to 175 degrees.
Scott!!
Something I just "discovered" may hold the key to this problem.
As you no doubt know, associative dimensions have nodes (points) at the
control locations associated with the extension line locations, dimension line
location and text location. For angular dimensions, the dimension line
location lies on the dimension arc.
Now if you use the STRETCH command to grab the dimension text, chances are
pretty good you'll grab the defpoint node for the arc as well. This being the
case, you'll drag the arc defpoint outside the acute angle along with the text
which will cause the dimension text to reflect the OUTside angle instead of
inside. BUT - if you zoom in and use the crossing window carefully so as not
to enclose the arc defpoint, you should be able to move the text without
affecting it's value.
For grip editing the dimensions, again, zoom into the drawing to the point
where you can see, when the dimension is selected with grips turned on, that
there are to grip boxes, one for the dimension text which (in my
configuration) is middle center justified - the grip box is in the middle
center of the text string. The other is centered on the dimension arc. When
you're zoomed out from the dimension, the text grip is pretty much obscured
from view. So the impression is, most likely, that to grip edit the dimension
text you would pick the visible grip that's on the dimension arc. This has the
same affect as selecting it with the stretch command - the dimension value
gets updated when you drag that box outside the angle.
This makes a lot of sense when you think about it since the arc control point
is what govern's the choice between the obtuse and acute angle measurement.
Please let me know if this is at all relevant to your problem. It's been
driving me nuts ever since I first read your original post.
Bruce Gempp
Scott Roberts <rob...@dao.nrc.ca> wrote:
>I am trying to dimension an angle (5 degrees) and have the dimension
>text appear outside the angle. If I try moving the text with grips
>the text moves outside but the dimension changes to 175 degrees.
Scott -
Well you certainly have gotten a few of us going on your problem.
A couple of questions that I have to ask you. First what version
of Autocad are you using? Second, when I have tried to duplicate
your problem my dimension changes to 355 degrees, so are you using
an angular dimension off another angle? Have you tried the dim
variable that I suggested? the first post was incorrect as DIMTXT
should be set to 1 (ON). For R12 this works just fine. I have as
of yet to try the suggestion that TJ stated but will do so soon.
Also how about a update progress report so that we know how your
doing?
Plaese email as I am most interested in how you get 175 degress.
Thanks in advance
Bruce
Your Freindly Neighborhood Cadman
Scott Roberts
Hi Bruce,
I'm using R13c3. The 175 degrees or 355 degrees depends on how you
draw the lines you are dimensioning. I don't think it affects the
problem.
I find that if I set my dimension styles under ddim/format/fit to
"leader" the dimension will be drawn with a leader and it can be grip
modified without any trouble. If I move it outside the angle it will
still show 5 degrees. In this respect, the problem seems solved.
However, if I start with my dimension styles as "best fit", create the
same dimension and then use ddmodify/format/fit to set an override to
"leader" the dimension text will not change position (i.e. a leader will
not appear) and if I try to move the text outside the dimension
the angle will change to 175 or 355 depending on the geometry you
picked.
As Dennis Shin has mentioned this may be a problem with grips. Perhaps
I am not in fact grabbing the correct grip to move the dimension text
location and am in fact moving the dimension line location.
The grips for text location and dimension line location may be on
top of each other. However, no matter how much I zoom in I can only see
one grip.
Thanks for your help,
Scott
K.C. Jones
Again, I missed the begining of this thread. But here is the scoop as I know it
about angular dimensions:
The angle measured is a function of the placement of the dimension line
defpoint, not the text position. If the defpoint (which is also a grip point) lies in
the small angle range, the dimension measures the small angle.
The "problem" here is that, by default, we are moving the dimension line in
synch with the dimension text. This is true for DIMFIT<4. When the dim
text is forced outside and later moved by the user, we (arguable mistakenly)
jump the dimline grip point to follow the dim text, thus changing the
measurement.
If you set DIMFIT=4 or DIMFIT=5 you will be able to move the dim text
without perturbing the dim measurement.
Cheers,
|<-- K.C. Jones --------->|
| Autodesk Dim Wit |
| k...@autodesk.com |
| |