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Constraining Dimensions


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Starting with version 11 holding the shift key down while dragging a dimension will constrain the dimension along the dimension line.

This is a great new feature, but there seem to be some bugs when the dimension witness lines are of different lengths.

If you constrain a dimension with different length witness lines, you have to move your mouse diagonally across the screen to move the dimension.

Or actually, it is the screen hints that move diagonally, but the cursor moves at a different rate than the dimension you are dragging, so neither the cursor or the screen hint are anywhere near the dimension you are pulling. It is really hard to position the dimension where you want it.

Furthermore, if the "Full Screen Cursor" preference is chosen, the cursor "cross hairs" move diagonally across the screen with the screen hint, while the dimension you are dragging remains constrained horizontally, and the resize cursor stays 90? off the line that the screen hint is moving along.

If this description sounds confusing, it is equally confusing performing the action.

This can not be by design. Has anyone else noticed this behavior?

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Peter, as far as I can see adjusting either an existing constrained or unconstrained dimension length by dragging the endpoint of the witness line produces the reaction I would expect: shift will constrain along a direct path between the two points dimensioned. Holding shift, I can move the cursor anywhere I like and the dimension line reacts in a similar fashion to a simple line adjusted similarily.

Am I missing your point?

[ 06-27-2005, 09:15 PM: Message edited by: Delmer ]

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Hi Delmer,

Maybe I was not clear enough. I am not talking about grabbing an witness end point an dragging it. I am talking about grabbing the dimension text itself, and sliding it down the dimension line to reposition it. (such that if you were then to check "auto position text" in the object info palette, the text would return to the center of the dimension line)

If you do this to a rectilinear dimension where the witness lines are of equal length, holding the shift key allows you to slide the dimension text along the line with the line constrained relative to the dimensioned object, and the resize cursor and screen hint slide right along with the text you are moving.

Now, draw a horizontal dimension with unequal witness line length (let's say you pull one witness endpoint 10'-0" up and the other one 10'-0" down, so they are on opposite sides of the dimension line.)

Now if you hold the shift key and drag the text, the screen hint travels along the lin between your endpoints and the resize cursor detaches fron the text you are dragging and travels along the dimension line even with a line perpendicular to the path the screen hint is taking.

It is hard to describe, but it is just funky. Whe you drag anything else in VectorWorks, wheather you are resizing it or moving it, the cursor and the screen hint stay with the object you are dragging. You never have your screen hint moving diagonally while your cursor moves horizontally while neither are touching the object you are dragging.

And with "Full Screen Cursor" active, I have never seen any action where the cursor does not stay at the intersection of the "Cross Hairs" when you move the mouse, but it does in this case.

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With that I do see what you mean. I get everything you say except my cursor goes where I tell it. The easiest way for me to accurately reposition the text in this case is to deliberately follow the hint along the line between endpoints.

You're right, funky.

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