Parametric dimensions

[Anonymous]

I have been trying to have printable dimensions based on the parametric (driving) ones that don't print. In Inventor and Solidworks for example you can have the parametric dimensions driving line length etc and then later on decide if you show them on print and such.

In AutoCAD Mechanical 2012 I have to basically re-do the dimensioning work on the layouts and it just seems like a case of "there has to be an easier way to do this". 

If anyone knows of that easier way, please inform me.

[Anonymous]

Why couldn't you just make the dimensions on a different layer and then turn them on and off when you want?  Maybe I am missing something.

[Anonymous]

When you add parametrics to your drawing in modelspace, you can also add driving dimensions - as part of the parametrics. With these you can set the length (etc) of the line you add them to (and the rest, if that is parametrically connected). These parametric dimensions appear as grey entities and don't seem to print.

In Inventor and Solidworks you have the same type of dimensions and when you make a 2d drawing there you can select which of them actually appear in print. So far in ACM it looks as if you need to redo them as regular dimensions.

[Anonymous]

ahh, I see.  I was doing the the parametric dimensions but hiding them and then creating regular ordinate dimensions to be able to view.  I then assigned each of those dimensions to respective layers and turn them on and off as needed.

[michaelsu]

Hi,

If you need to plot dimensional constraints, use properties palette to change dynamic constraints to annotational constraints. see snapshot.

Wish it could help.

Thanks.
Michael
SQA Engineer
Autodesk

[Anonymous]

When I'd do that, I'd get very strange dimensioning on my drawings - even when I set them to AM_5 etc. See snapshot.

[michaelsu]

Hi,

If you want them to look like normal dimensions, please set

CONSTRAINTNAMEFORMAT to 1

DIMCONSTRAINTICON to 1

But it's still a dimensional constraint even if it looks like normal dimension.

Thanks.
Michael
SQA Engineer
Autodesk

[Anonymous]

Thank you. I guess from your reply there is no way to do it like in the solid modellers (where you'd select in paperspace which parametric dimensions are also displayed as regular dimensions.) and I guess we'll have to manage.

[Anonymous]

It's very simple , Click on the parametric tab , open constraint settings, in the Dimension Name format , use the drop down to change it to value. To have the dimension print set it to annotative, as written above , you can also right click it , and change properties to annotative that way.