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Model dimensions by default stretched off the sheet

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brrian

brrian

Mechanical
Jan 21, 2004
164
I find that much of the time when placing drawing views, the model dimensions (that come along with the views) are stretched WAY off the sheet, and I have to spend some time arranging them as they should be. Have any of you experienced that? If so, any thoughts on what might cause that? Thanks,

Brian
 
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Check your Offset distances in Tools > Options > Documents settings > Dimensions

[cheers] & all the best.
 
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Offset distances are .375 to first dimension, and .250 to second.
 
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What version of SW & SP are you using?

Does this happen with new models & drawings or with older parts also?

Does this happen when using same files on other machines?

Are you sure all your units are matching. ie; you don't have metric & imperial mixed in somehow? {just guessing now)



[cheers] & all the best.
 
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Well, apparently this often happens to me when I ordinate dimension a part drawing. Break alignment a single dimension and try to move it..or even click on the dimension and hold your left mouse button.....next thing you see is all your ordinates move upto 20 feet away from the sheet!!!!! Sometimes it sure is irritating!

Doesnt happen all the time though...but when it does so, it does it for a while!
 
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I have also had this happen (SW2005) but it is so random that I cannot detect a pattern. Like Hisrik says, they are off of the sheet a matter of feet, not inches. I import the model dimensions to all views instead of checking them off while making the sketch.

A possibilty is that some of the dimensions were added in the isometric view instead of in the sketch plane. I do that sometimes and probably shouldn't.
 
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I never add dimensions in the isometric view. So I wud almost ignore that possibility! I agree with "jlwoodward" on the fact that there is no particular pattern it happens. It just happens and throws all the ordinates by several feet away from the sheet.
 
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Would you guys consider that a defect--that adding dimensions in an isometric view pushes dimensions far out of place? I'm going to do some testing to see if that's what my problem is, and submit this to my VAR. Thanks for the help,

Brian
 
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I don't think this is a bug or defect. Your placing a dim in space and you can't see exactly where in space it's placed. However SW knows and if you do a "normal to" that sketch you will see where SW placed it.

Regards,

Scott Baugh, CSWP [pc2]
3DVision Technologies
faq731-376
faq559-716 - SW Fora Users
 
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I understand what you're saying, but I disagree--I can tell with reasonable certainty where I've placed it. I also know from experience that, if I place a dimension in isometric and then switch to "Normal to," the dimensions are where I expect them to be, and not pulled far away as I see in the drawing.

Hopefully my VAR will have some thoughts or ideas. Thanks,

Brian
 
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Well...I do not import dimensions from the part. So I cud eliminate the possibility of the dimensions being thrown off the sheet due to that.

I ordinate dimension my part drawing manually each and every hole, edge etc. when you save it close it and open it again and try to work on it like lets say break the alignment of one of the ordinates ( as I have mentioned in one of my posts above) and thats all it takes to mess the sheet up!!!
 
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I'm three weeks into a new job with a brand new computer and a fresh copy of 2005 sp0.1. I have had instances where I am placing a reference dimension in a drawing and when I click to place the dimension it jumps out of view. No dynamic view of the dimension when moving the cursor to place it and when I click the dimension it is not visible until I confirm the value and zoom out. I have not been able to dependably reproduce this behavior. I seems to happen at random. I do not mark any dimensions for the drawing during the model build and I don't let SW auto place any dimensions. I do all the dimensioning on the drawing with reference dimensions.

Timelord
 
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Timelor ... Check that your video card & driver are SW certified for SW2005. Unless someone specified a SW certified card for your new computer, you probably have a card more suited for gaming/TV/Multi-media.

[cheers] & all the best.
 
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It's not my hardware. My new company bought me a top of the line dual 2.8GigHz processor box with a Quattro FX3400 video card, 1Gig of ram (I know the duals do me no good in SW, our IT guy didn't know that so he bought the best he could get). I am using the 6176 driver specified on the SW website.
I am having some problems with vanilla windows functions that our IT guy thinks may be a bad install. I mentioned my dimension problems here in the forum to see if others had the same problem. Since nobody chimed in, the problem is probably windows related. I'll know after the IT guy reloads my box.

Timelord
 
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Again, I am positive that we cannot attribute this problem to the video card or any other hardware issue because all the computers at our company are configured and equipped with the exact configuration recommended by solidworks website and our VAR!

Still all our engineers face this problem.
 
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I know exactly what these guys are talking about, this happens to me a lot also. I have been able to somewhat, but not consistantly, pin it down to the way the views are inserted into the drawing.

If I'm in a part and start a drawing (I have my template set to auto place the views and dims), the dimensions are usually placed just fine. But, if I'm already in a drawing and browse for a part, to insert views, that's when it seems the dims get tossed far outside the sheet. I have not experienced them getting tossed nearly as far as these guys seem to be, but it's enough that I have to zoom out to get the text.

I just don't think this can be blamed on a user or the hardware. That's just my 2 cents.

Have a good one,
Chris
 
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Thanks for the input Chris--I'll try your steps to see if that's my problem (& let you all know the results).

Brian
 
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