Help - How to hide dimensions in sketches

[tmccar]

Can I  hide or "switch off" dimensions in Fusion?

[mattCQMJY]

Andrew - any update on this?  Is the ability to hide dimensions on the roadmap?  It seems ridiculous that something so basic as hiding dimensions is still unavailable.  I'm having to constantly delete dimensions after drawing each line which really sucks.  It's super annoying.

[lichtzeichenanlage]

1. If you are drawing lines with a two click action (one for the start, one for the end) you don't have to enter a dimension.
2. If you're not adding dimensions and constrains to your sketches, you're using Fusion 360 on a horrible wrong way and you'll getting unstable designs.
3. Often you could dramatically reduce the number of dimension if you're using constrains. And constrains can be hidden

All that said - it would be nice to have the option to hide dimensions.

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@mattCQMJY wrote:

Andrew - any update on this?  Is the ability to hide dimensions on the roadmap?  It seems ridiculous that something so basic as hiding dimensions is still unavailable.  I'm having to constantly delete dimensions after drawing each line which really sucks.  It's super annoying.

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[bradanlane]

Constrains are handy but when you start to use parameter tables, you are always using dimensions. This, sketches become very confusing with all those dimensions overlapping when you zoom out to see the entire sketch.

[TrippyLighting]

In that case your sketches are too complicated.

There are two ways yo dress this.

One is to break the sketch up not several smaller ones.

The other one replaces sketched "things" with more solid modeling features.

[bradanlane]

Breaking up a sketch is an artificial solution which doesn’t work well when everything is related and dependent and in a single plane.

[mattCQMJY]

Hey lichtzeichenanlage - thanks for the response. 

I'm coming from Sketchup which is much simpler to use (although i'm sure Fusion 360 is much more capable overall).  It seems like measurements serve a different purpose in Fusion 360 as changing the dimensions actually changes the line length (it sounds as though there maybe be other implications to dimensions as well) and there is a much tighter relationship between a dimension and it's corresponding line. 

In my opinion, this type of functionality (that affects the line itself - length, thickness, color, etc.) should be accessible through a separate "right-click -> properties" UI and visual dimensions should be simply a way to show a line's length and nothing more.  And even with the reduced functionality (visual reference only) dimensions should still be hide-able.

[TheCADWhisperer]

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@lichtzeichenanlage wrote:All that said - it would be nice to have the option to hide dimensions. 

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Perhaps the Fusion team could "walk across the hall" and consult with their Inventor teammates on Sketch Blocks?

[chrisplyler]

I think it would go a long way if sketch dimension display color could be controlled. If you set them to a light gray color, and had them drawn "behind" all actual sketch elements, you would be able to actually see what you had sketched despite any dimension clutter.

I think something like that has already been in the Idea Station for a thousand years. Biff (commonly referred to as "The Development Team") can't find his Zig Zag rolling papers he had written his self reminder notes on, and as such won't be getting around to any of this for a long, long time.

[lichtzeichenanlage]

It might be a workaround, but not for the reason of the topic. Fusion 360 works best (stability , performance etc.) if sketches are small and the work is done with features. This again might not be ideal, but different tools require different workflows. 

[bradanlane]

I agree that discrete sketches make for manageable designs. The problem is when there is a high degree of interdependence and constraints between sketch elements. In this case - which is common for my basic projects - breaking elements across multiple sketches creates significant extra maintenance.

I am getting the feeling we are being given a number of work-arounds, all of which have compromises. What is really needed is the ability to hide or minimize the clutter of dimensions. It’s seems clear the intent is already recognized as the capability exists for constraints. In Fusion 360, dimensions act as constraints (as well as documentation).

[Anonymous]

I also would like to be able to hide dimensions and constraints.  A kind of brutal work-around I have devised is to extrude the drawing out a small amount (like, 1 mm).  The resulting 3D object can be viewed face-on (showing the outline of the object only) with the sketch hidden (click the light bulb next to the sketch icon (located in the "browser" stack) so that it goes gray).  Effectively, this shows your sketch, minus the other stuff. 

[lichtzeichenanlage]

But why?

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@Anonymous wrote:

I also would like to be able to hide dimensions and constraints.  A kind of brutal work-around I have devised is to extrude the drawing out a small amount (like, 1 mm).  The resulting 3D object can be viewed face-on (showing the outline of the object only) with the sketch hidden (click the light bulb next to the sketch icon (located in the "browser" stack) so that it goes gray).  Effectively, this shows your sketch, minus the other stuff. 

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[Anonymous]

When sketching, everything I create, sizing by use of the editing boxes, also creates a dimension.  Very quickly, all of these dimension seriously clutter up my design and it's time consuming to have to go thru and delete all of them.  Is there a way to create without having this feature visible?

[lichtzeichenanlage]

@Anonymous: Have you read any of the recommendations regarding to not sketch everything in one sketch? Fusion 360 works best set way. Speaking about working best, not fully defining a sketch by constrains and dimensions (or even worse deleting them) will end in an unstable design. 

[TrippyLighting]

Could you share a screenshot of such a sketch ?

[Anonymous]

I due respect, this might be the most horrible and useless answer I have ever seen on this forum.
Have you ever designed something with alot of drill holes?
Maybe a small "simple" part that is irregular and has radii?

Some parts are by their nature complicated and not being able to hide dimensions can be a real hassle.

If I wanted to hear a "you are using it wrong" answer I would use Apple products where that sort of behavior is tolerated.

If the feature does not exist, say that, and ask they create a feature request or offer a work around.

[lichtzeichenanlage]

And if the answer  really was not good (which I do not think so), you countered it with ignorance and polemic. Well done 😉

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@Anonymous wrote:

I due respect, this might be the most horrible and useless answer I have ever seen on this forum.

... 

If I wanted to hear a "you are using it wrong" answer I would use Apple products where that sort of behavior is tolerated.

... 

If the feature does not exist, say that, and ask they create a feature request or offer a work around.

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[TrippyLighting]

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@Anonymous wrote:

If the feature does not exist, say that, and ask they create a feature request or offer a work around.

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Let me first clarify that I would consider this a useful feature.

Let me also clarify that most new Fusion 360 overuse sketches, for example fillets usually don't belong in sketches. 

That somewhat informs how I answer some posts.

The feature of hiding dimensions while editing a sketch does not exist, which is pretty obvious. 

I did offer an alternative workflow, which suggested breaking the one big sketch into a number of smaller sketches.

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@Anonymous wrote:

If I wanted to hear a "you are using it wrong" answer I would use Apple products where that sort of behavior is tolerated.

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If you want to contribute that would be appreciated, however, fact-free opinion is not welcome!

[Anonymous]

Sketches containing features at a range of scales (1mm, 10mm,100mm) quickly become illegible - everyone here knows that, regardless of their opinion on the dim-hiding feature under discussion

• Periodically interrupting workflow to delete dimensions wastes time and interrupts thought process.
• Splitting what could be a single sketch into multiple sketches as a workaround might work/be acceptable for some, but to many it's clearly not a solution.

It's very simple to hide constraints - a checkbox right under "Show Constraints" enabling dimension-hiding would easily address this feature.

Only Autodesk (or someone who has the source-code) can knowledgeably comment on the ease or difficulty of implementing this feature.

Autodesk - what do you say?

[TheCADWhisperer]

At the risk of repeating myself, I'll repeat myself for the 3rd time.

Can someone, anyone, File>Export a completed *.f3d file that would have significantly benefited from the desired functionality described within this thread if it were to be implemented?

The best way to bolster an argument is with solid foundation facts - a real example.

Did anybody read Message #2 & #4 responses from Autodesk?