Jump to content

DIMENSIONS PROBLEM


BAZ

Recommended Posts

VERSION 9.5.2

WINDOWS 2000

I AM CURRENTLY DRAWING A CEILING PLAN. THERE IS A BULKHEAD WHICH I HAVE FORMED USING A SERIES OF CURVES AND LINES

I HAVE JOINED ALL THESE INTO ONE LINE USING THE COMPOSE CURVE TOOL SO I CAN OFSET IT TO SHOW STEPS IN THE CEILING.

THE PROBLEM COMES WHEN I WANT TO DIMENSION THE BULKHEAD. THE RADIUS DIMENSION TOOLS WONT SELECT THE CURVED SECTIONS AND IF I DECOMPOSE THE CURVE IT TURNS INTO A SERIES OF FACETTED LINES.

I END UP HAVING TO DRAW A CURVE OVER THE TOP OF THE LINE USING THE 3 POINT SELECTION TOOL AND DIMENSIONING THIS THEN ERASING IT!!

THIS ISNT VERY PRACTICAL , IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO??

Link to comment

Use the angular dimension tool, dimension between two objects mode.

Click on one end of the polyline, then click on the other end. You should get an arc with a dimension reading.

[ 01-17-2003, 09:27 AM: Message edited by: Katie ]

Link to comment

The radius dimension tool should produce the radius of the arc and a center, e.g.:

R 0.50" with a leader to the outside of the arc, in the exterior radius mode, or a leader from the arc center to the inside of the arc in the interior radius mode. I have noticed the same effect which BAZZ describes when making a solid, combining elements, etc. The arcs then become linear elements arranged along the original arc, and apparently can't be directly dimensioned. Like BAZZ, I usually overlay the original with an arc using three points, then use the radius dimension tool to indicate both the radius and the center. Is there a better way to do this?

Link to comment

So are you saying you are trying to dimension objects that have been added or combined using the connect combine or add surface, etc commands and the dimension tool is not displaying that information correctly ?

Link to comment

Katie,

Now youve got it. say you had to give this line to a contractor to set out on a building site. the length of the curve would be no use to him.

what i want to dimension is the radius and also to be able to locate a centre point for setting out.

I assume mike needs the same!

Link to comment

Bingo!

This is also important in fabrication drawings. Although this may not be critical when providing drawings to a facility with the latest generation CNC machines, it is essential for manual machine work when laying out shapes, creating metal spinning mandrels, etc., particularly when my source drawing is a rendering from a third party. It's not a deal killer: I love my Vectorworks; it is just an occassional nuisance

Link to comment

For whatever it is worth, when I use the compose command to create a complex polyline from arcs and lines, I get a polyline consisting of arcs and lines. If you activate the "edit polygon" tool, you will see the various vertices. The arced portions of this polyline can be dimensioned using the radius tool. However, if you offset this polyline, you will get a series of straight segments instead of a set of lines and curves. Since there are no true arcs, the arc dimension tool will not recognize anything with a radius. This, I think, may be the source of your problem.

In my experience, offsetting any polyline creates this kind of many-segmented entity. Mathematically, it would seem that when we start with a polyline consisting of arcs and lines, an offset polyline consisting of similar arcs and lines would be the more logical result. I think that there is a flaw in the logic of the offset tool.

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...