NX 9 Dimensions ignore Alignment Position 1

[Kapalkal]

So I have tried replicating this in every drawing, as well as on two coworker's computers and without fail, this has happened. When utilizing the Linear, Radial, or Angular dimension commands, they ignore whatever the current Alignment Position is under Drafting Preferences. Arc Length, Thickness and Rapid Dimension don't seem to be affected by this bug, for whatever reason. I probably wouldn't have even noticed this bug if not for the fact that Angular Dimension now defaults to Top-Left instead of Middle-Center (which is what I always use). Even after making sure it is Middle-Center in Customer Defaults and Drafting Preferences, the Angular Dimension Alignment Position does not change.

I experimented a little further and noticed that if I change the Alignment Position (to Bottom-Right, just as an example) that none of the three Dimension commands above will change. Linear, Angular, and Radial all stay in their default Alignment Position state (with Linear and Angular as Middle-Center and Angular as Top-Left). I also noticed that using the Rapid Dimension command - regardless of which method you choose (linear, angular, radial, etc) - will in fact change with whatever you set as the Alignment Position under Drafting Preferences. So do Arc Length and Thickness dimensions for whatever reason.

Has anyone else experienced this? I'm running version NX 9.0.3.4 MP7 for the record. Also, just for clarification, I can go into the individual dimension settings and set the Alignment Position there. That will in fact stick. The issue is, is that these three specific dimension commands seem to ignore whatever you have set as the default under Drafting Preferences. Even stranger, other dimension commands do not ignore the preferences. I can't figure out why some commands ignore the preferences and others don't.

 

[Kapalkal]

So no one else has either noticed or been able to replicate the Alignment Position bug? I seem to be able to do it on every machine we have.

 

[Dave K]

Did you check the settings in your drawing format files (if master model)? or your seed file, if model and drawing reside in the same file?

-Dave

NX 9, Teamcenter 10

 

[Kapalkal]

Are you talking about the Drafting Settings? If so, yes. It doesn't seem to matter what I set either the Drafting Settings or the User Defaults to. The Dimensions have a mind of their own if you will when it comes to their alignment positioning.

 

[cowski]

The user defaults won't change the settings in already created template parts.

www.nxjournaling.com

 

[Kapalkal]

Right, I know that. But the Drafting Settings will change it in an already existing drawing. I'm just stating that regardless of whether it's a new template or not, whether it's changed in user defaults or drafting settings - the dimension alignment position seems to ignore the change.

I only just noticed it myself because for some reason the Radial Dimension was no longer acting as Middle-Center, regardless of what it was set to in the Drafting Settings.

 

[cowski]

I think this is a case of "dialog memory" taking over the setting. Try clearing the dialog memory to see if it reverts to the setting in preferences/user defaults.

www.nxjournaling.com

 

[Xwheelguy]

If you mean the dialog settings aren't matching the Customer Defaults, Preferences or Drafting Settings, I've ran into this before. You just need to change them in the dialog once, then they should be retained (until you need to change them to something else).

Try what cowski suggested and if that doesn't work, you're just going to have to change them on the fly in the dialog.

To be honest, I could care less where the cursor focuses when I'm placing a dimension because that really doesn't matter - I'm seeing it before I place it regardless of where the cursor is located. It can be compensated for before making the final click to place the dimension. I can see the issue if it's standalone text, but not really with dimensions. Don't get me wrong, it's not behaving as you'd expect - you're completely correct. Something like that doesn't bother me as much as some other things I run into from time to time.

If it's something you must have fixed, call GTAC and log an IR with them, if it hasn't been done already.

Tim Flater
NX Designer
NX 9.0.3.4 Win7 Pro x64 SP1
Intel Xeon 2.53 GHz 6GB RAM
NVIDIA Quadro 4000 2GB

 

[Kapalkal]

Here's the thing, I can't change them in the dialog box either before or during the placement of the dimension. It's simply not available as an option. The text justification is, but not the alignment position.

I know this seems like a small matter, but I like knowing where to grab a dimension or text box and how it will react. Too often I go and grab the middle of a dimension or text box with a lot of notes, only to have it spring to one corner or the other.

Cowski: I seem to remember having to wipe the dialog memory very recently as for some reason I wasn't allowed to even open the "Balloon" dialog box. It told me the diameter was too small and just closed immediately, so I had to wipe the dialog memory. You think I have to do it again so soon?

Also, I still don't get how this bug has affected literally every computer here at the office that I've tried it on. Some of them aren't even on using the MP7 pack, and they too are affected.

 

[cowski]

You might need to expand the "alignment" section of the dialog to see the anchor position option. If you do not see the "alignment" section of the dialog, click the gear icon on the left side of the dialog title bar and pick the "rapid dimension (more)" option. If you don't see the "origin" section of the dialog, you might also have to pick the "show collapsed groups" option in the dialog settings.

www.nxjournaling.com

 

[cowski]

If the anchor option is controlled by dialog memory (which I think it is), all you need to do is set the option as desired, create a dimension, and OK the dialog. The setting will be saved and set the same the next time you use the dialog. The dialog boxes are designed to save the last used value of certain options and reuse those values the next time the dialog is invoked. This is known as "dialog memory" and technically is a feature, not a bug. If you don't like this feature, you can turn it off in the customer defaults (Gateway -> User interface -> General -> save dialog memory between sessions). I believe turning off this option will also prevent NX from saving the settings within a session, though I've not tested that.

www.nxjournaling.com

 

[Kapalkal]

Thank you cowski, yet again! That seems to have fixed it. I see where I was missing the alignment position location - I was going under the Settings menu like you would after you have already placed the dimension and I couldn't find it.

That seems to have fixed it and it's staying defaulted to Middle-Center now. Still not sure how this was caused in the first place and why it's ignoring the Drafting Settings, but at least it's back to normal now.

Thanks again.