Stacking and associativity of dimensions and notes

[DaSalo]

Can anyone help me out with how to adjust stacking and associativity settings to get drafting objects to behave as I expect? Examples:

1) Get two ID symbols to stack horizontally and centered to each other without a space between them. This should work even if symbols are different sizes.

2) Get a note to stack horizontally and with the top line centered to an ID symbol with a single space between them. If the view moves both the note and ID symbol should move with it and maintain their relationship to each other and to the view.

I have trouble grasping the logic behind how the associativity and stacking settings work. Sometimes I think I have it figured out and then I am away from the drafting module for a couple weeks and when I go back to it the thin thread of understanding has snapped and I have to stumble through it all over again. I can't seem to find a group of settings that will give me good global behavior. It is always good for one thing but not for another and there is no way to save different settings for different types of symbols or relationships.

Things get even more complicated when I need to use a different font. I was working on a print the other day for a major OEM who has their own fonts defined in NX and none of the feature control frames or datum symbols would stack correctly under any settings I could find.

Are there some good rules of thumb that anyone can share that will help me get this fuzzy picture in focus?

NX 7.5.4, NX 8.0.1.5
Tecnomatix Quality 8.0.1.3
PC-DMIS 2011 MR1

 

[JohnRBaker]

To get ID symbols stacked, try selecting the ID symbols of interest, press MB3 and you should see a couple of options titled 'Group Horizontally...' and 'Group Vertically...'. Select the desired one and then hit OK.

As for the general issue, it does require some practice to get the hang of how one annotation snaps to another and forms a relationship. On the screen you should see some feedback showing alignment 'lines' and 'boxes' to show the implied relationships.

While you have the 'Note' dialog open, press the 'F1' key and the Help page will come up. From there you can use links on the page to go to those Help pages which explains in more detail how to do these alignment tasks.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA

http://www.siemens.com/plm

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