3-D Layouts

[FiltrationEngineer]

I'm doing a few 3-D drawings using AutoCAD. In model, I'm mostly extruding 3-D solids.

My questions are:

1. In the layout what is the best way to handle dimensions? In the past I have dimensioned in model space, but when I dim on the 3-D, the dims show up screwy in the other views. I have been moving the dimensions so they don't interfere with other views. Is there a better way?

2. In the layout, I have some issues with some lines showing up and others not. For example, I have a cylinder with a hollow center. The outline of the hole shows up even when I use the hide in the viewport.

3. Is there a way to hide some things and not others? I seem to remember something about being able to turn off some layers in different viewports. I would like to show a dashed line for one thing behind a surface but hide everything else behind that surface.

Thanks in advance.

 

[MikeHalloran]

3. Look up VPLAYER.

1. If you want to dimension in model space, move the UCS origin away from the model (in all 3 directions) before dimensioning. That will put the dimensions in planes that are not visible on edge in any usable orthographic view. Or put the dimensions in each plane on a separate layer, and freeze that layer using VPLAYER in viewports where you don't want those dimensions to show up. The key to understanding is that the UCS origin determines what planes the dimensions exist in.

The trick of moving the UCS origin away from the modeled object is particularly effective when you use SOLVIEW/ SOLDRAW, which construct nice 2D views in orthogonal planes intersecting the current origin. If you don't move the origin, the views get superimposed on the object and make visualization impossible.

Or, dimension in paper space, after locking your viewport so the scale doesn't change on you. I've come to like dimensioning in paper space, but AC2k has some odd or nonintuitive behaviors, as you mention in (2). I'd hope that newer versions are less flaky, but I have no knowledge of that.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[FiltrationEngineer]

Mike:

Thanks, I appreciate the help.