adding component to cylinder

[Anonymous]

I am trying to make a cylinder with a protruding shape 12mm below the lip of the cylinder. I can connect the shape to the cylinder. However, I can't used the dimension tool on the side of a cylinder to mark the distance of my shape from the lip. I can use the measure tool once my protruding shape is in place but that just gives me a measurement and won't move the shape to my desired length like the dimension tool normally would. 

Is there a simple way of making this distance accurate?

[robduarte · Accepted solution]

It's almost always best, in my experience, to work from sketches. I'd approach this design like this:

1. Make the cylinder
2. Create a sketch on a workplane that is tangent to the side of the cylinder (ie: you're looking at the cylinder from the side as you sketch)
3. Use the Project command to bring the outline of the cylinder into your sketch.
4. Draw the protrusion that you're adding to the cylinder, using Dimensions and Constraints to get it exactly where it needs to be.
5. Extrude the protrusion (or Revolve it if that's more appropriate).

If that doesn't make sense, you might reply with a public link to the design so we can see what you're trying to do specifically.