Tube and Pipe - Minimum Dimensions

[paul.carsonVQFZ9]

I'm working on an assembly with tube and pipe and running into a problem with a custom valve being too far away from a flange.

Shown below, the minimum distance is about 150mm - if I go less, the route goes into "comatose" and breaks until I increase the distance to the 150mm again. My valve in this case is orientated to open the other way, is there a way around this so I can bring the valve closer to the flange on the left?

[paul.carsonVQFZ9]

I'm working on an assembly with tube and pipe and running into a problem with a custom valve being too far away from a flange.

Shown below, the minimum distance is about 150mm - if I go less, the route goes into "comatose" and breaks until I increase the distance to the 150mm again. My valve in this case is orientated to open the other way, is there a way around this so I can bring the valve closer to the flange on the left?

[CGBenner]

@paul.carsonVQFZ9 

You should be able to set this in your tube & pipe style.  On the rules tab you can set the minimum and maximum segment length for each style.  The smallest allowable number is (in inches), .001.  Determine this by what style of piping you are designing, and what is the smallest segment that your fabricator can cut and assemble… consider glue depth if this is PVC, for example.

[CGBenner]

@paul.carsonVQFZ9 

You should be able to set this in your tube & pipe style.  On the rules tab you can set the minimum and maximum segment length for each style.  The smallest allowable number is (in inches), .001.  Determine this by what style of piping you are designing, and what is the smallest segment that your fabricator can cut and assemble… consider glue depth if this is PVC, for example.

[paul.carsonVQFZ9]

Thanks, yes I checked this and changed it to 25mm.

I then changed my distance to 50mm and the error shows again?

[paul.carsonVQFZ9]

Thanks, yes I checked this and changed it to 25mm.

I then changed my distance to 50mm and the error shows again?

[CGBenner · Accepted solution]

@paul.carsonVQFZ9 

Keep in mind that this sketch dimension is going from the connection point on your flange, to the center point on the valve which may take your 50mm sketch dimension, and result in less than 25mm segment length after the valve is placed.  Route sketch dimension does not always equal segment length, depending on where your connection points are.  The segment length becomes more of a resultant.

Take a look at this older blog post, the techniques mentioned still work and might help here.  My suggestion would be to place the valve in a spot where you know it will not fail, and then using the technique in this blog post... tweek the dimension until it does fail.  That will give you a better idea of how close you can get based on your segment length rules.  Once you know how far you can go, tweek the dimension again to the smallest number that works.

[CGBenner · Accepted solution]

@paul.carsonVQFZ9 

Keep in mind that this sketch dimension is going from the connection point on your flange, to the center point on the valve which may take your 50mm sketch dimension, and result in less than 25mm segment length after the valve is placed.  Route sketch dimension does not always equal segment length, depending on where your connection points are.  The segment length becomes more of a resultant.

Take a look at this older blog post, the techniques mentioned still work and might help here.  My suggestion would be to place the valve in a spot where you know it will not fail, and then using the technique in this blog post... tweek the dimension until it does fail.  That will give you a better idea of how close you can get based on your segment length rules.  Once you know how far you can go, tweek the dimension again to the smallest number that works.