How long is a line

Or even how for is it from A to B.

I was trying to dim up a drawing and thought I was going mad. Then I found the problem, just throwing this into the forum for comment. The attached drawing just has a couple of simple blocks, but if you apply a scale factor to the block, you can no longer get a dim to register the size in paper space. In model space there are no problems.

How long is a line.dwg

The attached drawing ...

I don't see one.

It was there all the time honest

I'll believe you ...

Your paper space has a scale of 1:2 so your 100 mm model space distance is only 50 mm in paper space. Just as you have it.

If you set your dimension style - primary units to:

then you should get what you want.

That was deliberate, The items are dimensioned in paper space using osnaps to model geometry. It shouldn't matter what scale your viewport is, dims automatically take that into account !!! except when the item are blocks and those blocks have a scale applied to them from the properties palette. If you draw a line at 100mm long in model space next to the block, then the line will be correctly dim'd in paper space

This might make it a bit clearer. All the dims are in paper space, the objects are in model space. Model space is a mixture of normal ACAD entities and blocks.

How long is a line.dwg

It's a convoluted process trying to snap PS dimensions to MS objects. I have not seen this one documented before.

It's a convoluted process trying to snap PS dimensions to MS objects. I have not seen this one documented before.

I must be doing something wrong then. I've dimensioned in paper space layouts for years. Anomaly?

I usually dimension in PS, this really threw me, I don't scale blocks normally (I use dynamic blocks) I just couldn't work out why a couple of dims just looked wrong. You cannot create an assosiative dim to a stretched block in model space either.

I must be doing something wrong then. I've dimensioned in paper space layouts for years. Anomaly?

I doubt you're doing it wrong, but the process of dimensioning real objects based on the projection onto an arbitrary 2D plane with no regard for the actual distance/dimension of the model is what's convoluted. They're classified as "associative" but clearly they're not as changing either the model, or the view breaks them. There are lots of examples where the process breaks down, steven's example is but yet another.

I'm in no way suggesting the alternatives don't also have their downfalls, but PS dims certainly require the most complicated process of determining where the dims should be placed, and what scale factor should be applied.

Then I must be one lucky SOB because I've never had any issues determining the scale of my viewports nor placing my dimensions unless, and this seldom happens, I have disabled the associative feature.

Most of the drawings I have done this way are fabrication drawings for tanks, platforms, stairs, railings and in rare instances small scale structural framing (ex. - a roof over a dike or a process building addition).

I think if I were working in an architectural office or maybe back in a civil engineering office I would choose to use annotative scaling for my text and dimensions as I can see where it would be most beneficial.

I think it depends on what you are modelling, but I find it the simplest method, there is nothing to set up, dim style has a text of 3mm. There is no need to worry about dimensions in one view having to be turned off in another layout, no worries about scaling dims for different viewports, and up until this showed up I have never had any issues, dims are associative so any editing in model space is adjusted automatically, but generally I don't dimension until the last minute anyway. And this little quirk may never be an issue again, but it is weird never the less.

This might make it a bit clearer. All the dims are in paper space, the objects are in model space. Model space is a mixture of normal ACAD entities and blocks.

That is an interesting drawing. You used a point to create a block and the point is 75 thick due to thickness being set when you created the point.

Using point is always dicey since the pdmode value could be changed at any time. Try it again with a circle in your block and with out the thickness setting.

I still got the 50 dim even with circles. Then I toggled DIMASSOC to 1 and back to 2 and it is working properly now.

The geometry used is of no real importance I used a point purely to show that a block with a scale applied looses the ability to be properly dimensioned in a viewport (and I only changed the pdmode just so it would show up), same for the line, it is not the Z scale value that has any usefulness, I only choose that because it actually has no effect on the geometry (though I didn't realize the thickness was set, so in this case it would), an X scale value on the line block would cause the line to be twice as long but still not dimension properly through a scaled viewport. All the osnaps work correctly from in paperspace, even with a more complicated block everything else seems quite normal, and in model space you would never see any problems, it's just that dimensions won't scale through a viewport.

PS. I redid the line without thickness it still doesn't dimension correctly.

See my post #14.

See my post #14.

Did that, still no difference