Creating Dimensions along a Reference Direction

You can create dimensions along a reference direction, that is measure the projection of a segment/distance onto a direction. This direction is determined using either a linear element, a fixed angle in the view or a combination of both.

Dimensions along a reference direction can be created for length, distance, diameter tangent, radius tangent, and overall curve dimensions, as well as on linear (that is not angular) cumulated or stacked dimensions.

Before you begin: Open a drawing representation.
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More About Creating Dimensions along a Reference Direction

  1. Click Dimension in the Annotations toolbar (Dimensions sub-toolbar).

  2. In the Tools Palette, click Intersection Point Detection . Refer to Creating Dimensions between Intersection Points for more information about this functionality.

  3. Click the first element, in this case, an intersection point.



  4. Click the second element.



    The dimension to be created is previewed.

  5. In the Tools Palette, click Force dimension along a direction .

    Several options are then displayed in the Tools Palette:




    • Dimension along a direction creates the dimension using a linear element (line, axis line, center line) as the reference direction, or using an angle to define the reference direction relatively to a linear element. In the latter case, key in a value in the Angle field.



    • Dimension perpendicular to a direction creates the dimension perpendicularly to a linear element.



    • Dimension along a fixed angle in view creates the dimension using a fixed angle in the view. In this case, key in a value in the Angle field.

      Note that such a dimension follows the view rotation. Thus, a dimension line with a 30 deg angle in a view which is set at 45 deg (relatively to the sheet) will be equivalent to a dimension line with a 75 deg angle relatively to the sheet.

    Important: These options are also available in the contextual menu that you can display during the dimension creation.

  6. Click Dimension along a direction . For the purpose of this scenario, leave the Angle field set to 0 deg.

  7. Select a linear element to use as the reference direction. Once created, the dimension will be associative to this element.



    The dimension is updated so as to measure the distance between the selected points once projected onto the reference direction.

  8. Drag the mouse to position the dimension as wanted.

  9. Click to validate the dimension creation.