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Angular Dimensioning

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rhobere

rhobere

Mechanical
Jan 30, 2013
18
Hello All,

Using NX 7.5.

I have a general question about dimensioning that has been frustrating me for a while now. Why does angular dimensioning in the drafting environment function different than angular dimensioning in the sketching environment? In sketching, if I dimension two lines that are acute with respect to eachother, I'm given the smallest angular distance between them which is ideal in pretty much every case. In drafting, however, if I select the exact same two lines, one of the lines is projected through the intersection point of the other line and I'm given either the compliment of the angle (180 degrees - sketch angle) or by selecting Alternate Angle I get the cyclic compliment of that angle (360 degrees - (complimentary angle)).

e.g. Imagine two lines that are dimensioned in the sketch environment to be 45 degrees from each other. When I attempt to dimension them in drafting, all I can get are 180 - 45 = 135 OR 360 - 135 = 225. The arrows only point to one of the lines I selected while the other arrow points at the projected extension of the other line. This is absolutely NOT what I'm trying to show.

This is consistent whether I'm dimensioning centerlines to features, features to features, lines to feature, whatever to whatever. Its frustrating because in order to get the dimension that I'm trying to represent, I have to draw a line on the sheet that drafting will dimension "properly," dimension from that, then hide that line.

Is there something I've been doing wrong here or a work around that isn't as sloppy as what I've resorted to? Any advice would be appreciated.

-R
 
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Thanks for the reply, but I already pointed out that I selected the Alternate Angle option referred to in that thread and it gives me a result that is 360 degrees minus the compliment of the angle that I'm actually interested in defining. This is the 225 degree angle that I referenced in my example. I'll try to attach a picture to this reply.

By selecting the Alternate Angle option, I get the entire circle excluding the angle I'm actually interested in...

 
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Of course the picture doesn't show... Here's a different one that should work.

In this picture, the angle of interest would be the blue angle, but the angle returned by the angular dimensioning tool returns the green angle. Selecting the Alternate Angle button returns a value for everything except for the blue angle.

clip-image010.jpg
 
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If I remember right, and NX has not chnaged it, the position on the lines selected for an angular dim,ension influenced what angle was displayed on the drawing. If you pick closest to the angle convergence the display is different than if you pick at the far end of the lines or pick one close and one far. Pick both of your lines in a clockwise direction will give different results than selecting counterclockwise, too. Try some experiments with what I mentioned and see if you can get the diminsioning value you are looking for.


"Wildfires are dangerous, hard to control, and economically catastrophic."

Ben Loosli
 
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So you're saying that you have 2 lines, P1 to P2 and P3 to P4, correct? If so, how does the so-called 'Blue' dimension have anything to do with anything other than the P1 to P2 line? And if you're really trying to dimension ONLY the P1 to P2 line, then that's NOT possible without something that represents the horizontal axis, either another line, or something like a datum CSYS.

John R. Baker, P.E.
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Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
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Siemens PLM:
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To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.
 
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You should dimension as P1->P2 and P4->P3 to get the 135deg angle
Autocad always required a specific order of picking in ccw directio. But I'd be suprised if that was an issue in any nowadays systew. But I seem to remember what looslib is getting at although it was more of an issue with Start, End chain selection. Try all the possible location of line seletion and placement click combos and one is bound to give you the correct result.

Does UGNX allow for doing Angles as center point point 1 and point two for angles? or start center end for angle or do you get Arclen?
This should be possible to achieve without your workaround method.


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no, don't read into the picture too much. That is just some random picture I found because this site won't let me put in a url for a picture I have of the actual situation on my google drive. I'm not going out of my way to start an account somewhere that I can host a photo on so I can post a url of the image. In hindsight, I shouldn't have even posted that picture because it isn't close enough.

But thanks to WolframAlpha, I have a more accurate graph.

MSP262421918e85hd62gfb800001c99h7i90484dh93


The line at 45 degrees is a feature on a part and the +x axis is a centerline through a hole that doesn't actually extend far enough to interesect with the feature. I want the 45 degree representation, but no matter what order I select: CW, CCW, farthest from intersection, closest to intersection, combinations of the possibilities: NX projects the centerline through to the other side of the feature and gives me the 135 degree angle shown. If I select Alternate Angle, I get 225 degrees.

I apologize for the confusion, maybe this graph will clear things up.
 
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It might be useful to know that some companies block out image hosting sites but attachments aren't blocked out. I'd suggest posting both the URL and attaching images for maximum benefit.

Tim Flater
NX Designer
NX 7.5.4.4 MP8
WinXP Pro x64 SP2
Intel Xeon 2.53 GHz 6GB RAM
NVIDIA Quadro 4000 2GB
 
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Most images in a note in here are blocked. I have no problem with an attachment from engineering.com.
What is weird is that I only see the second image posted by rhobere on 29 Mar 13 16:30.
The images posted in notes on 29 Mar 13 16:26 and 30 Mar 13 16:14 show up as a box with a red X.





"Wildfires are dangerous, hard to control, and economically catastrophic."

Ben Loosli
 
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Same with me, I only see the second image.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.
 
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The preview worked in every one of those cases so I'm not sure why none of the images show when I submit the post. The last one was posted from my personal computer so not sure why it isn't working.

I've given up. Thanks anyways.
 
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