Power dimension gets wrong scale factor, where dimlinear works fine

[Anonymous]

Why does power dims have a problem with selecting points in blocks through viewports and getting the correct scale?

I am a pretty advance AutoCAD user, who is just getting used to the idiosyncrasies of AutoCAD Mechanical.  So far I'm not very impressed, because Inventor does it (annotation) better.  Yet there are some very fundamental problems that regular AutoCAD does not have that are driving me nuts in Mechanical (even now in the latest 2012 version). 

Example: I have a drawing that contains a few X-refs (some even nested to the 3rd level or so), Blocks and other basic line work in Modelspace.  Then in Paperspace I use all viewports (mview) with my dimensions and leaders pointing through the viewports to the Modelspace resident entities.  I thought everything was setup fine, until I watched a member of my staff attempt to use the Power Dimension command '_ampowerdim' to draw a dimension that I usually create using 'dimlinear'.  His didn't translate the scale throught the viewport correctly, and gave him paperspace 1:1 scale.  So I began to experiement.  Turns out this problem only works when you select a block object, not x-ref, not modelspace resident graphic entity.

Is there a setting somewhere, or a bug to be fixed somehow that is preventing ampowerdim, from extracting the proper scale from a regular block?

More info:  Block's created using flatshot from 3D Solids (most of the time).  Blocks scaled 1:1 in modelspace.  Blocks may be rotated, but test problem wasn't nor was it mirrored.  Block is not annotative. Block is scaled uniformly.  Block has no nested blocks inside, and consists of all lines, arcs, circles, ellipses.

Does anybody else have this same problem?

Thanks,

jvj

[VinodBalasubramanian]

Hi,

Power dimension command works differently than the AutoCAD dimensions. Can you able to give me a sample drawing and the steps to reproduce your issue. This would give us a better understanding of the problem.

[Anonymous]

Sure love too:

1. In modelspace: draw a circle of 1 in radius.
2. Copy the circle to a diagonal position away from the first, say about 4 5/8".
3. Draw a line from tan to tan of each circle (as a control).
4. Window the entire collection.
5. Drag with the RIGHT mouse button, and release, when the menu pops up, select paste as block.
6. Place the block near the normal linework, but not overlapping.
7. In Paperspace, draw a viewport (mview) of random size and scale (dont use 1:1).
8. Type AMPOWERDIM, then select the non-blocked linework using CEN of circle to CEN of circle object snaps to get an aligned dimension.
9. Remain in command to select the out of block line, and confirm the same dimension.
10. End command.
11. Repeat AMPowerDim and select Cen to CEN (type in object snaps) of circles within the block.
12. Remain in command to select the in block line, and confirm a different dimension.

That about does it.  Explore with circular based snap points (Center, Quadrant, etc.) and you will fine this problem persists all over the place.

jvj

[Anonymous]

Also, I have already installed SP1 for 2012, and the problem still persists (that demo was on sp1).

jvj

[VinodBalasubramanian]

Thanks for the detailed steps. Can you provide me a drawing file, if you have one. This would be easier for us to analyze the problem better.

[Anonymous]

I did, look above.

jvj

[Sridhar-Autodesk · Accepted solution]

Hi,

We suggest you to create viewports using amscarea command in AutoCAD Mechanical.

Switch to model space>>command amscarea>>Draw a window around the model space objects>>Select required scale in the 'Scale area' dialog>>Select check box on "Automatic view creation in" option>>place the viewport in the layout.

Now try to dimension using ampowerdim and verify the issue.

Hope this helps

Thanks,

[Anonymous]

Wow, that is all kinds of messed up.  Let me explain.  First, you took a normal think an funked it out to the point where it no longer jives properly.  MView command simply creates a viewport.  AMSCAREA created a viewport, a polyline and even tried to scale my line work ( a big no-no for proper drawing management).  Then after I created the viewport (without allowing it to scale the line work), I slapped some dimensions on it in Paperspace.  Yes the AMPowerdim created the proper scaled dimension, so I went to investigate why...  AHA!, the dimension is not associative, so if I move the viewport, or line work, or change the scale, your dimension acts like a dumb R14 dimension and stays there, while all the other root command Autocad created dimensions move around and track the objects.  Then after I scaled the viewport, I ran another AMPowerdim on the scaled viewport, and your dimension used the old scale factor that was in the viewport. 

The point?  You have attempted to cause the user to run a viewport update command every time he/she changes something.  While your dimension have lost the functionality of the normal and current dimension system in AutoCAD.  So why purchase, buy or even consider using AutoCAD Mechanical?  Not for its Power Dimensions and Viewport tools, because they are behind the times and not reliable.  From an AutoCAD programmer's point of view, there are lots of events you can hook into to autoupdate the viewports, and dimensions.  Yet it would be better to create the properly assocated object in the first place, that way the user wouldn't know the difference, and use Power Dimensions for its smart angle snap and dimension selection features.

Please Fix, becuase I have lots of users who don't know the difference, the just expect it all to work right.

Thank you,

jvj

[Anonymous]

i'm having trouble with power dims as well, I can get the proper dimlfac when inserting vertical dims, but when I try to do a horiz. dim right after the vert. dim it reverts back to a dimlfac of 1, power dims is driving me crazy is there a point to all this maddness.

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

I had the same issue with my power dimensions until i found out this.

The funny thing, DIMSTYLE editor still shows scaling factor to be 1 but here it shows 0.625.

I assume this stuff happens sometimes when we export drawings from Inventor to autocad.

I hope it helps someone. Just give it a shot on your drawing.

Best Regards and keep the community alive

Rahil Patel.