I am using Autocad Mechanical 2013 to build a 3D model of a plate that has a simple pattern of holes centered around a point. I am now dimensioning the part in paper space using Base and Detail views. I want to show a bolt circle diameter (or radius) dimension. But, there is of course no such arc to click on in order to define the dimension. Is there a way to do this? I was expecting to find some kind of hole pattern dimensioning command but have found no such thing. I could draw an arc in model space, but I don't really want to do that since it is not part of the 3D model. I would rather the model be 'clean', i.e. only 3D solids representing real objects.
Thanks
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Solved by steve216586. Go to Solution.
Could you upload the drawing?
I know of no command which inserts reference objects. When I have such objects, I consider them same as text, dimensions and other annotations.
e.g. If I am drawing a 3D flange, and I need to show the bolt hole diameter, I place a phantom line in paperspace manually on the section or detail view. That way it never gets lost in my model when switching views or when Orbit is active. It also will not show up, and possibly obscure an object, in any other viewport.
No not at all. If you draw your reference circle by snapping to the center of the flange diameter and then end the diameter at the center of a bolt hole, the diameter of the phantom line is true. You must use objects in model space to create reference lines and circles.
I think an example is in order. I'm attaching a file containing a simple 3D object with a set of holes that are centered about a flange. I'd like to provide a conventional bolt circle radius dimension for those holes. The radius is 2". Could you show me how you would dimension that? It's unclear to me whether you are placing the phantom circle on top of the view in paper space, or in model space. Note that I have inserted a view, NOT a viewport. If you are using viewports rather than views perhaps you could create another layout and show that.
Thanks very much!
Can you save the drawing down. I'm using 2012.
If you draw a reference line, arc, circle in paperspace and want to dimension it, you will have to adjust the variable DIMLFAC to equal your layout scale. I think that is the problem you are facing without looking at the drawing.
Correct. Since you wanted the model to be "clean", paperspace is the only alternative, and that "old school" method still works.
You could place the line, arc, circle in model space on a non-plot layer and identify it with a custom color. (I sometimes use a strange hue of orange since that is a very seldom used color.)