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Architectural - How to show 0 inches?

16 REPLIES 16
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Message 1 of 17
mmckean
1107 Views, 16 Replies

Architectural - How to show 0 inches?

Hello, I'm using Inventor 2010.

 

I've been told to create new dimensioning styles for the company to use as standards when making a drawing. One thing mentioned in particular was the inclusion of 0 inches in architectural drawings.

 

For example: say a part is 14 feet, 1/2 inches long. Inventor shows this: 14' - 1/2" , but they want this: 14' - 0 1/2" . They've had a problem before with the 1/2 being printed strangely, and the machinist thought it said 1 1/2.

 

They say that including the 0 is standard, and I need to make it happen. Suggestions?

 

Thanks!

-Mike

16 REPLIES 16
Message 2 of 17
mmckean
in reply to: mmckean

Oh, I might add that AutoCAD has an option for this. A little frustrating that Inventor does not.

 

Thoughts please?

 

Thanks,

-Mike

Message 3 of 17
mmckean
in reply to: mmckean

While I'm here, I may as well ask a second question:

 

I've included the company logo in a custom title block that will change size for different sheet sizes. However, the image will not move, as it can't be constrained to do so. Is there a way to constrain it, or am I going to have to make a new template for each paper size we use? :I

 

Thank ya,

-Mike

Message 4 of 17
jeanchile
in reply to: mmckean

I think it was IV 2011 that added the "included zeros" option to the dimensions but you could go to your style editor and see if you have this option:

Included Zeros.png

Inventor Professional
Message 5 of 17
jeanchile
in reply to: mmckean

Can you post a screenshot of this by chance? Our logos in our title blocks don't move but from what I remember you should be able to dimension this from geometry in the title block to have it move. Can you provide a little more information about the issue please?

Inventor Professional
Message 6 of 17
mmckean
in reply to: jeanchile

Hey, sorry about that; I didn't get back to the office until today.


@jeanchile wrote:

I think it was IV 2011 that added the "included zeros" option to the dimensions but you could go to your style editor and see if you have this option:


   Well, that check box is the only difference between your style editor and mine. It's not there.


@jeanchile wrote:

Can you post a screenshot of this by chance? Our logos in our title blocks don't move but from what I remember you should be able to dimension this from geometry in the title block to have it move. Can you provide a little more information about the issue please?


As shown, the logo is in the title block at the bottom, placed using Insert Image. It is surrounded by a black border line, which was sized manually (meaning I could not snap it to the logo's edges). The drawing is fully constrained, so Inventor doesn't seem to recognize the logo as something that can be constrained.
inventor_template_screenshot.png
I've already redesigned and saved different template files for different sizes, so I guess it won't really matter now. However, I am still curious as to why this doesn't work.
However however, the first issue is my main concern, and I would like to find some sort of workaround if possible.
Thanks,
-Mike
Message 7 of 17
jeanchile
in reply to: mmckean

[EDIT:  I just re-read your latest post and it answered my question. You're trying to get the logo to re-size and relocate for different size title blocks, I get it. Sorry, I am not aware of a way to accomplish what you are after but there are about 10,000 people on this board smarter than me. Good luck]

 

 

Okay, so looking at our templates and speaking with my CAD manager I have learned that although you can re-size the logos, and place them where you want using the grips on the image, you cannot dimension to them or use geometric constraints. She said that she originally attempted to find a way to just so everything in her sketches was fully constrained but never found a way to do it. Our logos are currently unconstrained and my memory from learning how to do TB's 2 years ago was flawed, my apologies.

 

That being said, I am still a little unclear as to why the logo needs to move? We use only one two different title blocks here (one for 22x34 & 11x17 and one for 8 1/2 x 11 sketches) but I can't seem to figure out a situation where I would need the logo to move parametrically. Just curious as to why yours needs to.

Inventor Professional
Message 8 of 17
mmckean
in reply to: jeanchile

Ha, no worries. If only someone could shed some light on this situation!

 

I'm assuming the image doesn't move because it is placed with absolute positioning, using the bottom-left corner of the page as (0,0). So, in a way, it has its own set of dimensions to the left of the page and the bottom of the page. I guess the trick would be to find those numbers somewhere.

 

Any ideas as to where this hidden dimension could be stored?

 

~Mike

Message 9 of 17
dennymet
in reply to: mmckean


@mmckean wrote:

 

I'm assuming the image doesn't move because it is placed with absolute positioning, using the bottom-left corner of the page as (0,0). So, in a way, it has its own set of dimensions to the left of the page and the bottom of the page. I guess the trick would be to find those numbers somewhere.


Can you not put your image into the title block definition?

I put our company logo into that and it stays with the title block.

 

That doesn't really help your resizing issue, but you could make more than one version and then have the sheet formats load the appropriate one. 

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Message 10 of 17
mmckean
in reply to: dennymet

Oh... now I think I see what the problem is. Here's the thing: I didn't start the templates from scratch; someone had already made a (somewhat poor) template, and I reconstrained it to make it look better and to create different sizes.
The Border and Title Block were part of the same drawing, which I didn't think much of until today. Now comes the question with a somewhat predictable answer: are they supposed to be separate? It makes sense that the title block as a separate file would hold the logo in place within the border.
My apologies, but I kinda messed up my wording early on. When I first said 'title block,' I meant border. As noted, the title block and border are part of the same drawing. The border is being resized, which only changes the position of the title block. 
So, partly the (former) employee's fault for making the template wrong, moreso my fault for not knowing the proper etiquette used to create templates. Whoops...
I guess the answer to the very FIRST question is a simple "can't be done" then?
~Mike
Message 11 of 17
dennymet
in reply to: mmckean

It could be the case that the person who initially made the templates was bringing them in from AutoCAD... who knows.

 

I would say that what you're asking to do, as already implemented, would not be easily possible... you could use iLogic or a macro. Then again, now that you have been "enlightened" how about going about it the "better" way?

 

Cat Happy 

 

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Message 12 of 17
AlisonDavis
in reply to: mmckean

Hi Mike,

 

Yes sorry the feature to show 0 inches was added in Inventor 2011.  It is not available in 2010.

 

Regards,

Alison Davis

Autodesk, Inc.

 

 

Message 13 of 17
mmckean
in reply to: AlisonDavis

Well, I've informed them that the slightly outdated Inventor does not have the option for showing 0 inches. They said that they've been meaning to update, but haven't gotten around to it. So, I'm off the hook.

 

I *would* get kudos for writing something to do this, but I don't know iLogic, as I haven't had to use it yet. I think I'll leave it at that; thanks for all the info!

 

One last question, if I may: Now that I know the title block should be separate from the border, how should I go about it? I really don't want to redraw it if I don't have to, but you can't simply delete the outer border and save as a title block. I tried dragging the current Border file into the Title Block section, but it won't accept it. Any ideas? 😕

 

-Mike

Message 14 of 17
jeanchile
in reply to: mmckean


@mmckean wrote:

I really don't want to redraw it if I don't have to.... Any ideas? 😕

 


I don't have any ideas on how do streamline this for you but I do have some advice. I would start this over completely and get it right. If the person who did this the first time misunderstood the TB/Border process, there is no telling what else may be messed up with this template. These templates can be like a virus, if you don't complete these the proper way they have a habit of finding there way into everything and causing problems. I would set a proper CAD standard and re-create the titleblock perfectly using the proper iProperties in the fields and avoid prompted entry text where possible (makes updating the title block easier down the road).

 

Just my 2 cents... good luck!

Inventor Professional
Message 15 of 17
mmckean
in reply to: jeanchile

Well, I started from scratch, and I like it much more now. There were so many weird dimensions and lines in the first one that I didn't want to change. I've designed it a lot cleaner this time. I can avoid prompted entries, but there are still custom iProperties (building, location, etc) that need to be included. Usually, I won't know the value of these fields when I first create the file, so not having prompted entries makes sense. I'll have to assume that other employees know where to find the custom iProperties to edit them.

 

Also, I was thinking of having one template file with multiple border sizes and title blocks inside. That way, it can be used for different sheet sizes (different margins and such). If I do, will the file end up being very large? I don't want it to take up too much space when people start using it more.

 

Thanks,

-Mike

Message 16 of 17
jeanchile
in reply to: mmckean

One of the templates we use for one of the services we provide has fifteen different sheet formats, four different borders, 15 different title blocks, and 11 different sketched symbols. The file size is 1,224 kb but that is becuase we use the ".dwg" file type. The sizes are much smaller if you use ".idw" from what I remember but we also have people who need to open these drawings in AutoCAD so we use that file type instead.

 

No one here has noticed any slow downs by having all of our needs met by this one template. There doens't seem to be any noticable difference between this template and another one we use that just has two sheet formats. Our computers seem to be plenty beefy though.

 

As far as the iProperties thing goes, you should look around on Youtube for a video done by Rob Cohee using iLogic to prompt people to fill in the iProperties if they haven't. We haven't used it becuase we don't know iLogic at this point, but once we implement it it's one of the first things we are going to do. It's nice because when you close the drawing, if the iProp's aren't filled in with the information it will alert the user. Using iProperties instead of using prompted entry text will make it easier if you change the title block later or use the Drawing Transfer Wizard to update older drawings at any point. If you use prompted entry text, you'll lose that stuff when you transer the new TB over.

 

Good Luck!

Inventor Professional
Message 17 of 17
mmckean
in reply to: jeanchile

Ah, good to hear. That's what I'll do then, thanks! 🙂

 

I'll definitely keep that in mind. I haven't learned iLogic yet, but it may come in handy for little things that need to be messed with.

 

That's all I can think of for now; thanks for the advice!

 

-Mike

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