Topic: (General AutoCAD) Dimension between separate viewports

[Josh Nieman]

Dimensioning between multiple viewports seems to set me up for major failure.

It takes the paper distance between the points and multiplies that by the scale factor of the viewports. (I am not sure what it does when the viewports are not the same scale... but that's never [yet] the case in my situation)

Anyways... if I have a 100'-0" long trough in my foundation drawn to scale in all it's full length glory, for example, and I have three viewports showing the beginning of this trough, and the end of this trough, and the middle of the trough.. I thought "Cool, I'll just dimension the points from one vport to the other, and it should work" buuuut then again, that's what I get for thinking I knew what Autocad would do, before I did it.

It makes very much sense why it does what it does... that's how paperspace dimensions work... they take paper distance, multiply it by vport scale, and voila. 

I have, however, seen mention of being able to dimension between viewports, here and on the Adesk boards and I'm wondering... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, man, how?

[t-bear]

Sure wish I could do that!  Not possible in 2K4...evidently not ALL THAT easy in 2K8 either....


"Whiskey Tango Foxtrot"?  LOL

[Josh Nieman]

I posted over in the Autodesk Discussion Group, just to get a response from a "different crowd" and see what other minds may turn over (sometimes it's good to cast a line in a different pond) and the only definitive response I've gotten so far is a short "Nope"

[mjfarrell]

come in Whiskey Tango Foxtrot we have a Fire Mission for you...
Pieces to follow:
Draw your model spaced object
Create your View ports
Set DimScale in your DimStyle to 1
Activate the Viewport, and use any Dim command on the object.
Then use CHSPACE to move the Dim string into Paper Space if you want to show it continous.

I think the correct drafting process is to show the Dimension Line as broken such that the end user doest attempt to scale an object that is not shown complete (spanning viewports) to omit large distances, etc. I this instance Just leve dimensions in MS and add break line symbols where the view/dimension line is broken.

Give it a Shot over, and let me know with a Splash where it lands, Out.......

[Josh Nieman]

come in Whiskey Tango Foxtrot we have a Fire Mission for you...
Pieces to follow:
Draw your model spaced object
Create your View ports
Set DimScale in your DimStyle to 1
Activate the Viewport, and use any Dim command on the object.
Then use CHSPACE to move the Dim string into Paper Space if you want to show it continous.

I think the correct drafting process is to show the Dimension Line as broken such that the end user doest attempt to scale an object that is not shown complete (spanning viewports) to omit large distances, etc. I this instance Just leve dimensions in MS and add break line symbols where the view/dimension line is broken.

Give it a Shot over, and let me know with a Splash where it lands, Out.......

That brings the dimension in at the actual length.  It doesn't stretch the dimension shorter at all, unfortunately.  It bring the dimension in, based upon the viewport you select (change space always asks you what viewport to bring it in from) and then you end up with a dimension scaled by the viewport scale... but unfortunately, it's still as long as if you had one viewport... eh... screenshot time... I am confusing MYSELF as I write that... see below.

You're right about the broken dim-lines, too.  I do the same.  At least that's how I was taught.

[Josh Nieman]

oh, and speaking of which.... whiskey-tango-foxtrot is up with that new dimension-jog feature... it seems to be based upon the total text height of the dimension text!??!  How utterly illogical can you GET, Autodesk?!

[Josh Nieman]

Going from left to right, it appears the first one is proper, the second one is slightly larger because of the parenthesis in the dimension text (I always hated how it does that) The third one is properly sized... then the fourth one with multiple lines of text in the dim is huuuuuuuuuugemongous

[mjfarrell]

correct, the scaling of dimension lines is hacked when they change space, so the best option is to leave them in model space.  As DIMASSOC 0-2 will dimension and scale objects correctly as long as they do not span view ports.

[Josh Nieman]

correct, the scaling of dimension lines is hacked when they change space, so the best option is to leave them in model space.  As DIMASSOC 0-2 will dimension and scale objects correctly as long as they do not span view ports.

dangnabbit, it looks like I'm going to have to dimension in model space... EEWWWWW I feel all slimey now.  (just kidding, don't start a paper/model war)

[ronjonp]

... How utterly illogical can you GET, Autodesk?!

They are programmers, not users of a certain discipline...

[Josh Nieman]

... How utterly illogical can you GET, Autodesk?!

They are programmers, not users of a certain discipline...

That's exactly why I think this is rather absurd.  This isn't anything discipline specific.  I've done architectural, mechanical (machinery) drawings, metal fabrication design drawings, shop drawings, structural drawings, civil drawings... and this is a universal oddity.  I would think that it would sound just as random and unnecessary to be confronted with the decision to draw the jog size from something... and just... throw a dart at the board and pick "overall text height of the dimension" .. I mean.. WHAT?

If I'm shown a reasonable scenario, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt, and I usually do give Autodesk the benefit of the doubt, as I've learned over the years... but this one... just silly.  I've found threads in the Discussion Boards over on Adesk bringing this issue up before SP1 came out, so it's apparently a known issue that they also failed to address so far.  This certainly seems like a bug, not a feature.

[CADaver]

I posted over in the Autodesk Discussion Group, just to get a response from a "different crowd" and see what other minds may turn over (sometimes it's good to cast a line in a different pond) and the only definitive response I've gotten so far is a short "Nope"

As i recall, an early beta version of R2002 had the capability (with DIMASSOC=2) of throwing a dim between two viewports (with the same scale) and returning the measured distance of the point in modelspace.  Anything you did to it after that freaked it out completely, sometimes just opening the file freaked it out.  A subsequent beta version removed the feature all together.  You may be able to resurrect some old discussions about it from comp.cad.autocad back in 2000.

[Josh Nieman]

Hmm... I always have DIMASSOC=2... I may go fishing around there in a bit.  For now, these dimensions in model space work out, as it's on a specific section cut detail that is only appearing in one singular place for the whole job.  I can count it as a simple exception to the rule I use, if need be.  Thanks for the tip.

[Birdy]

Our workaround is to create a third viewport between break lines to pick up the dimension string(s).  Not pretty, or perhaps "good drafting standards" but it works, and we move on.  Been doing it that way since .... long ago, and I"m not real satisfied.  We show a lot of stuff at larger scales and often need break lines, but need to dimension across them.

[CADaver]

dangnabbit, it looks like I'm going to have to dimension in model space... EEWWWWW I feel all slimey now. 

Feel your pain.  That is the ONLY allowance we make for modelspace dims.  I have gone to coordinates (DIMORD) to avoid placing dims in MS.

[Josh Nieman]

dangnabbit, it looks like I'm going to have to dimension in model space... EEWWWWW I feel all slimey now.

Feel your pain.  That is the ONLY allowance we make for modelspace dims.  I have gone to coordinates (DIMORD) to avoid placing dims in MS.

I don't think ordinate dims would be very welcome on foundation sections, unfortunately, but that is a good solution I'll have to make sure I don't overlook, if I run into it on steel drawings.

Interesting side note... looks like the same trolls that haunt the Adesk boards today were around 8 years ago, too... guess there are many things that don't get better with age...