How to align dimention with edge.

[MatsNorway1]

How do i align with edge?

Of particular interest is to align with ordinate set on interference edge.

[kacper.suchomski · Accepted solution]

Hi

The orientation of a dimension is defined when it is created. Under the RMB there is a section called Dimension Type, and there you can choose: vertical, horizontal, rotated, aligned.

Coordinate dimensions, on the other hand, only support vertical and horizontal directions.

[MatsNorway1]

Improvement proposal: https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/inventor-ideas/coordinate-dimensions-only-support-vertical-and-horizo...

[torbjorn_heglum1]

In this particular case you could use a chain set.  You could create a new chain set,  or try to highlight the closest 100 dim, click chain set and select the end point.

Torbjørn

[SBix26]

The ability to align an ordinate dimension (not 'coordinate') or ordinate dimension set with a view feature sounds really good to me.  In the meantime, it's not too difficult to produce something like this:

As long as you have an edge or some other feature to begin dimensioning, the rest will follow.  The first point could even be a center mark, because center marks can be aligned with an edge after placement.

Hope this helps.

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Sam B

Inventor Pro 2026 | Windows 11 Home 24H2

[kacper.suchomski]

Hi Sam

Can you demonstrate your method?
I checked it before writing the post and also now and I don't see any such possibilities.

[SBix26 · Accepted solution]

Here is a demonstration using Ordinate Dimension Set.  In this video Application Options > Drawing tab > Enable ordinate dimension geometry selection is selected, but it works equally well with it deselected.  As you can see in the video, aligning requires the first selection to be oriented in the direction you wish to align with.  The origin of the set can be altered later, which is also seen in the video.

This works the same for the other tool, Ordinate Dimension.  This tool requires the view origin to be established first, and I have found no way to align the origin marker other than the default, but I can live with that.

Hope this helps.  I will vote for the Idea linked above, though, because workarounds should be temporary, not the only usable method for the past 20+ years...!

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Sam B

Inventor Pro 2026 | Windows 11 Home 24H2

[MatsNorway1]

Drawing tab > Enable ordinate dimension geometry selection  is on by default. But i have no edge to align to. There is no 90degree snap to edge to do so with. I have a intersection point between two sheet metal plates being bent. On each side.

Trying to make it snap/align:

Yeah my improvement suggestion is still needed.

[MatsNorway1]

Unable to edit. Made new post.

[MatsNorway1 · Accepted solution]

I was able to align it after center marks where added and aligned to edge. Ordinate will then follow the center mark alignment. Still a need for improvement but at least its possible. (Just add same menu for ordinate set etc.) Normally i add dimention before center marks as dimention error with center mark is worse than plain hole missing. From vague memory that habit is because when you remove a hole the dimention disappears on center mark you get error that persists and needs editing.