Geometry | Dimension

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Geometry | Dimension

Why use 'Add Dimension'?

Use Add Dimension to define the Length or Radius of a sketch-element, or the Distance, or the Angle between sketch-elements.

You can also define the Distance, or an Angle, between the X-axis or Y-axis and a sketch-element.

Note: You can rename the Dimension in the Dimension dialog.

See below How to add dimensions

Add Dimension

Toolbar-SE-AddDimension

Toolbar :

Part-Editor : Geometry toolbar

Menu :

Part-Editor : Add menu > Geometry sub-menu> > Add Dimension

To Add a Dimension:

1.Part-Editor: Geometry toolbar > Add Dimension

2.Part-Editor: Click sketch-elements to add a distance, a radius, or an angle

The dimension shows near to your mouse-pointer.

3.Part-Editor: Click in the graphic-area to place the dimension and extension lines next to your mouse-pointer.

The Dimension dialog-box opens.

Dialog-13.2-Dimension

4.Edit the dimension in the dialog-box  

Negative Dimensions.

Do not delete the – sign. It is best to ignore it. Edit the dimension in the normal way.

See Why the dimension is negative.
See How to Edit Parameters in dialog-box.

5.Click OK-tiny-13-17 to close the Dimension dialog-box

The Dimension is now in the graphic-area.

 

Notes:

•When sketch-elements are fully defined, you cannot add a driven-dimension.  

You can add Measurement FB in the Mechanism-Editor as a driven-dimension.

•Generally, do not make a dimension zero. It is better to add a constraint (See Sketch-Constraints toolbar) to move Lines or Points together.

See also: Dimension Font Size

To edit a Dimension:

1.De-select all other commands

2.Double-click the arrowhead of a dimension element

Why the 'arrowhead'?

MechDesigner will not respond if you click the Dimension Number

And, simply, it is more difficult to click the dimension-lines or extension-lines.

See How to open a Dialog-box

How to add dimensions:

btn_delkeywordLocate a Point

Locate a Point in a Part in one of two ways:

Add Dimensions

Examples

Dimension

How?

Selection-Window

Geometry-Tree

Dimension-P2P

•Shortest distance between two Points

•Click each Point

DimPtoPn

Dimension-P2L

•Perpendicular distance between a Point and a Line

•You can also use the X–axis and the Y–axis as a line.

 

•Click the Point then the Line (note Arcs, Circles and Lines have Points)

•See Why is my Dimension Negative?

DimPtoLn

Lock & Specify in the Point Vector and Location dialog box

Example

Dimension

Selection-Window / Geometry-Tree

Dialog-PointVectors-PartCoords-1

•Lock and Specify the exact location of a Point in a Part.

•The Point cannot be moved accidentally.

Pointn

Note:

You cannot Lock and Specify the Point if the Point

•has a dimension,

or

•a constraint

How?

1.Double-Click a Point in the Part-Editor

- or -

1.Double-Click a Point in the Mechanism-Editor

The Point Vector Display and Location dialog-box opens.

Expand Point Coordinates

2.Select the Lock and Specify check-box.

3.Enter 'x' and 'y' values for the Point, with Part Coordinates
btn_delkeywordDistance

Example

Dimension:

How?

Selection-Window / Geometry-Tree

Dimension-L

•Length of a Line

 

1.Click the Line

Dimn

Dimension-LL

•Distance between two parallel Lines

•Distance from Y--axis(or X-axis) to and Vertical (or Horizontal) Line

 

1.Click a Point at the one end of the Line

2.Click the other Line (or axis).

DimLtoLn

Dimension-P2P

•Shortest distance between two Points

Note: Arcs, Circles, and Lines have Points.

1.Click each Point

DimPtoPn

Dimension-HorizontalLP

•Horizontal Distance between two Points

1.Add a Vertical Line from one of the Points

2.Click the Point and then the the Vertical Line

 

Dimension-VerticalLP

•Vertical Distance between Points

1.Add a Horizontal Line from one of the Points

2.Click the Point then the Horizontal Line.

 

Dimension-P2L

•Perpendicular distance between a Point and a Line (or axis).

Note: Arcs, Circles, and Lines have Points.

1.Click the Point then the Line (or axis).

 

DimPtoLn
btn_delkeywordRadius

Example

Dimension:

How?

In Selection-Window as:

Dimension-Radius

•Radius of a Circle

 

•Click the Circumference of a Circle

DimRadiusn

Dimension-Radius-Arc

•Radius of an Arc

•Click the Radius of an Arc

DimRadiusn
btn_delkeywordAngle

Example

Dimension:

How?

In Selection-Window as:

Dimension-Angle-3Points

•Angle between three Points

•Click the Point that will form the apex of the angle, followed by the other two Points.

DimAngPPPn

Dimension-Angle-Line

•Angle between two Lines

•Angle between an axis and a Line

The Lines do not need to cross.

•Click each Line

The displayed angle has rules. See Below

 

DimAngLtoLn

Angle between two Lines - Rules:

The dimension shows next to your pointer when you select two Lines. Before you click your mouse again to define the displayed angle, you can select which angle to display.

There are eight possible angle dimensions:

•Move your mouse counter-clockwise around the apex of the two Lines, the 'acute', 'obtuse', 'supplementary', or the 'vertical' angle <180° will show.

•Move your mouse clockwise around the apex of the two Lines, and the 'reflex' angles to the other angles will show.

Video:

'Expand' then 'Play'

How to...

Add 1 from 8 possible angles between two Lines