Community
Inventor Forum
Welcome to Autodesk’s Inventor Forums. Share your knowledge, ask questions, and explore popular Inventor topics.
cancel
Showing results for 
Show  only  | Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Dimension in Sketch, driving me bonkers

30 REPLIES 30
Reply
Message 1 of 31
tommy-z
10316 Views, 30 Replies

Dimension in Sketch, driving me bonkers

Hi

 

Anyone know why the power that be have decided that dimensioning a reference-line is a nice feature?

 

I create (in a part) a new Sketch, use the "Project Geometry" to place, say, the X- and Y-axis and then draw a line on the Y-axis, from origo to somewhere half up the Y-axis.

 

I then want to dimension the length of the line, but for whatever unfathomable reason Inventor picks the projected Y-axis first, asking me to state the length of the axis, rather than the length of the drawn line.

 

It is annoying.

 

It is also totaly ridicolous, why would I need to, or indeed want to, dimension the length of one of my axes?

 

Axes are, by definition, infinite and therefor do not have any definable length.

 

Yes, I know that by pausing for half a second, and the using the wheel on my mouse, the drawn line offers itself to the dimension-command, but why is this not first choice?

 

Anyone?

 

 

 

30 REPLIES 30
Message 21 of 31
Curtis_Waguespack
in reply to: tommy-z


@tommy-z wrote:

Sketch Projected Axes Dimension3.jpg

 

I'll try with a pic, althoug I'm not sure it shows correctly.

 

BTW, I changed - for clarity - the projected axes after i dimensioned it.


If I understand correctly, the image you show is the result you're trying to avoid. Using one of the methods suggested so far will help you avoid selecting the projected axis.

 

I hope this helps.
Best of luck to you in all of your Inventor pursuits,
Curtis
http://inventortrenches.blogspot.com

 

 

Message 22 of 31
tommy-z
in reply to: Curtis_Waguespack

"If you need an angled line then drawing an angled construction line as JDMather suggested would generally be the best approach."

 

Sorry, I did not wat to have an angled line, I just pointed out to JDM that if I did, I'd have to dimension that angle relative to one of the axes and therefore I'd need to project one of them to my sketch.

 

But, enough already, I'll just suffer and soldier on.

 

 

Message 23 of 31
tommy-z
in reply to: Curtis_Waguespack

"If I understand correctly, the image you show is the result you're trying to avoid. Using one of the methods suggested so far will help you avoid selecting the projected axis."

 

Yes, I do know that, if you refer to my second post I already said so.

 

And, as also repeatedly stated ad nauseam, I realy do not enjoy having to be forced do that.

Message 24 of 31
Curtis_Waguespack
in reply to: tommy-z

Hi tommy-z,

 

My apologies if I've added to your frustration, I was attempting to offer an alternative method or two, and then to explain why it works / doesn't work as it does (while working on other things here). When I see a post such as this I tend to assume that it is from someone who is new to Inventor who is looking for answers, and forget that often more experienced users come here to vent frustrations.

 

Best of luck to you in all of your Inventor pursuits,
Curtis
http://inventortrenches.blogspot.com

 

 

Message 25 of 31
LT.Rusty
in reply to: tommy-z

Sorry Tommy, looks like you're complaining just to complain at this point.

 

Why don't you just dimension the new line that you've created from point to point instead of just trying to grab the whole line?

Rusty

EESignature

Message 26 of 31
tommy-z
in reply to: Curtis_Waguespack


@Curtis_Waguespack wrote:

Hi tommy-z,

 

My apologies if I've added to your frustration, I was attempting to offer an alternative method or two, and then to explain why it works / doesn't work as it does (while working on other things here). When I see a post such as this I tend to assume that it is from someone who is new to Inventor who is looking for answers, and forget that often more experienced users come here to vent frustrations.

 

Best of luck to you in all of your Inventor pursuits,
Curtis
http://inventortrenches.blogspot.com

 

 


I am, on my part, extremely sorry if I came on to you a little strong, but when I see a reply like this (and bearing in mind that you still, even after several exchanges, do not seem to grasp neither what my problem is, nor why I am frustrated) I tend to believe that either the respondee is paid by Autodesk to appear helpful and serviceminded, or is a person who gets off by being a condescending knowitall . . . .

 

In either case we might both be wrong, I have used Inventor since version 3 or 4 (around year 2000 or so), and while this may not be the right forum to vent my frustrations, I can assure you that this approach has provided me with help and consolation at a level near to, if not above, that which has been provided to me, over the years, by the local retailer as well as by direct contact with the nearst Autodesk regional office, in Sweden.

 

So, to end this short, but interesting albeit futile discussion, let me again offer my apologies for disturbing your circles, dimensioned reference-lines or not.

Message 27 of 31
tommy-z
in reply to: LT.Rusty


@LT.Rusty wrote:

Sorry Tommy, looks like you're complaining just to complain at this point.

 

Why don't you just dimension the new line that you've created from point to point instead of just trying to grab the whole line?


You may very well be correct.

 

And, although I my self can, and indeed have, and indeed have had to, come up with several alternative solutions to my 'problem' the fact remains: I shouldn't have to.

Message 28 of 31
ampster402
in reply to: tommy-z

while I can't recall a specific situation where I did apply a ref dimension to a projected line, I'd like to see an option where you choose to be able to dimension projected geometry or not.

 

Having an option like that would make your life easier it sounds!

Message 29 of 31
JDMather
in reply to: ampster402


@ampster402 wrote:

while I can't recall a specific situation where I did apply a ref dimension to a projected line, I'd like to see an option where you choose to be able to dimension projected geometry or not.

 


One very good reason to dimension the length of a projection is to then use that driven dimension in a formula (as in my icecube tray tutorial).

But I think what the OP is referring to is Inventor surely should give selection priority to user created sketch geometry over projected geometry in dimensioning.  In any case, nothing in this forum of users that can be done about it, accept offer other workflow techniques.  The tip to post to the wish list forum could have put this issue to the right people hours ago.


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Autodesk Inventor 2019 Certified Professional
Autodesk AutoCAD 2013 Certified Professional
Certified SolidWorks Professional


The CADWhisperer YouTube Channel


EESignature

Message 30 of 31
Curtis_Waguespack
in reply to: tommy-z

Hi  tommy-z,

I just want to try once more. As it seems I've still handled this all quite clumsily.

 

At the beginning of this thread I interpreted the question as being from a novice user, who was simply going about things the wrong way. Looking back now, it's clear to me that wasn't the case.

 

As a rule, I try to avoid posts where someone is just venting, and reserve my time and energy for those who are looking for help. However, there are many times where a novice user mixes their question with complaints about the results they're getting, and so I've grown accustomed to looking past that and just trying to provide help. I would hope that it would be difficult to find anyone on this forum who thinks I am here to do anything other than help. And to be clear, I do not work for Autodesk, and I certainly do not "get off by being a condescending know-it-all". If I've ever come across as such, it was purely unintentional.

 

Anyway, as I replied back throughout this thread it was with the assumption that I was addressing a new user who was asking for help, and looking for an explanation of the results they were getting. But somewhere toward the end of this thread it finally occurred to me that you were an experienced user taking my replies as me talking down to you, rather than me trying to help a new user. At that time I tried to applogize, but it seems that offended as well.

 

So, indeed I was missing your point all along, and I think JDMather and I both originally thought you were a new user asking for help with the tools. It seems I was slow to the idea that you understood why you were getting the results that you were getting, and just didn't like that the tools worked that way.

 

I certainly don't mind that users vent, I just don't have anything to add to those posts.  Had I realized that the goal of your post was merely to express your opinion about how you would like the tools to work, I assure you I would not have replied as I did, if at all.

 

Hopefully, that helps explain where I was coming from now that I finally understand where you were coming from.

 

As always, I hope this helps.
I wish you the best of luck to you in all of your Inventor pursuits,
Curtis
http://inventortrenches.blogspot.com

Message 31 of 31
tommy-z
in reply to: Curtis_Waguespack

All forgiven, Curtis.

 

I was less than cordial myself when I posted here, but -believe it or not - I did actually hope that there could be a reasonably logical answer, or a trick or hack which might have been applied.

 

Or, at least the relief that someone more experienced than myself could, offer an explain to this apparently weird behavior.

 

But, I shall try in the future to behave myself, and also to address my frustration towards the proper forum and/or personnel

 

Thanks anyway for your time.

 

Have a nice day 

Can't find what you're looking for? Ask the community or share your knowledge.

Post to forums  

Autodesk Design & Make Report