Creating Ruler for Engraving

[Latheboy]

I am attempting to sketch a ruler .875" in height x 30" long that I would like to engrave on a steel fence of a machine.  I started with the sketched size, then a new sketch with vertical lines .0625 apart and horizontal lines that will represent the lengths of each vertical line once trimmed.  i.e., 1/16", 1/8", 3/16" etc.  I used a rectangular pattern for the vertical lines without issue and then as I added each horizontal line, everything slowed down to a crawl with a lot of "not responding" and eventually catching up.  What am I doing wrong here.  I imagine that there is a better way to sketch a ruler, but I am not familiar enough. Thanks

[Latheboy]

I have made some progress and think I have the layout the way I want it (without the numbers that I will add), but after extruding the ruler, I can seem to do an extrude of the lines even with a thin extrude.

[jhackney1972 · Accepted solution]

You do not want to Pattern your sketch, only Thin Extrude the one inch section and then Pattern the feature.  Make sure you use Optimize as you Compute Type as it takes long enough even with it selected.  Also, even after all the discussion about you "properly" constraining your sketch, it was not done.  The bottom set of lines were not joined to the bottom edge line and they were not Collinear to the top lines.  Even the width of the ruler was missing in the sketch!  Model attached.

Edit: By the way, I used 0.010 inch for the engraved line width (centered) and depth as a guess.

[Latheboy]

I can't seem to extrude the lines after extruding the ruler itself. I have tried thin extrude and I can capture some of the lines, but the cut seems to move the extrusion off to the side of the sketched line. I attached the file again. Thank you, Steve

[jhackney1972]

Please take a look at message #22 and my model.  You will see the answer to your questions.

[Latheboy]

Sorry, I missed this response.  I will review and proceed.

Thanks,

Steve

[Latheboy]

I followed along carefully and when finished, I have what you see here.  Not sure why the original 1" sketch still appears with the dots. Sorry to be a pain and I really appreciate all of your help.  Steve

[jhackney1972 · Accepted solution]

I had an error in my last model I sent to you which I explain in the video, sorry about that.  In the model you just attached I solve the length problem and the location problem with one mirror.  In the process I used on your model, once the sketch is finished the Thin Extrusion must be repaired due to the fact I erase the bottom lines then mirrored.  The mirrored lines must be added back into the Thin Extrude.  I did not show this in the video.Your model, with this correction is attached.

[Latheboy]

Good morning John,

When I went back to my model, I don't see what you indicated with the bottom lines able to move.  I did notice that the extreme right vertical line of the overall rectangle was blue even though I see the constraint and dimension.  I was able to dimension all 4 sides which seemed to resolve that.  I followed your video, but still no resolution of the first set of lines remaining with the points and the inability to select them for machining.  Attached is a photo of the screen.

Thanks,

Steve

[jhackney1972 · Accepted solution]

I have attached an Animated GIF file to illustrate the unconstrained bottom lines you say you could not see. If you look at my previous post, I give you a quick solution to constraining all the sketch lines.  Also I have attached a model illustrating the machining of the first 2 inch divisions of the ruler.  I am not sure how you want to set up the whole ruler.  You could simply duplicate the setup for the reset or create a machining pattern.

[Latheboy]

I do see what you show in the GIF, but for whatever reason when I went back to my model and tried to move them they didn't move. I must have done something.. Anyway, thanks for that. 

I am still not understanding how your graphic looks like a 30" long ruler without the first 1" looking like my model with all of the lines and points.  By that I mean, I get 29" long ruler to machine and the first inch still has the sketch dots and I can't select it to program for machining as seen in the attached.  Do you see that?  What am I doing wrong?

[Latheboy]

I just realized why I was seeing what the lines and points that I just referenced in my last note.  Dumb move, the eyeball for the sketch was still on.  Sorry about that and thanks again for sorting this for me..

Steve 

[Latheboy]

Hi Gunther,

Circling back on how the unique numbers can be easily placed in a new sketch.  Using a text box at each interval seems cumbersome.  Should it be a point dimensionally located or constrained at each location and then a text box?  Please let me know if you have a chance. Latest file that @jhackney1972 helped me to get this far along.

Thanks,

Steve