Dimension annotation on 3d isometric view

[kpyoung333]

I have been racking my brain as to how to make this work and am at a loss so please help me figure this out.

 

I have a simple assembly of a pin and hood. The pin has a spherical end and the hood has a fillet edge that continues to wrap spherically inward. When trying to dimension the OAL on the side view it is easy and obvious. When trying to do it on the iso view the measurements are never correct. I do not have a good point to choose from on the hood as it has a fillet edge not a square point, which would be easy. Without a flat surface to go off of and in the paper space there is no way to specify quadrants/edges/planes when annotating. The space bar trick helps but does still does not dimension to the right point.

 

When I try to use the RETRIEVE DIMENSIONS action, I can get the OAL of the pin and OAL of the hood separately, but not as an assembly OAL. I tried to go into the assembly and create random sketches, planes, fake dimensions that might be used by the retrieve dim action, but to no avail.

 

This is the simplest part I am using as a reference, I have much more elaborate parts that are giving me the same issue. It would seem straightforward, but for the life of me cannot find an easy way to get that simple OAL.

 

Thanks for the help.

 

Go Sun Devils!

[Bishop]

Don't think you really can get what you need in an iso view. I try to avoid dimensioning in iso views, pretty much for this reason. I use iso views mostly just as a visual reference to help my customers or fab shop people to interpret the rest of the views, sections, etc.

 

 

EDIT:

 

You can, however, put a sketch on the iso view, draw sketch geometry over top of your view that matches the dimensions that you need, and then dimension it. After you've dimensioned it, you can make the sketched geometry "sketch only," and the dimensions will still remain.

[kpyoung333]

Thanks for the reply, but using the sketch is not gonna work. Dimensions would not change during revisions. We have a hood assembly in the corner with the final view and OAL, which works the best for our conceptual purposes. Anyone else out there have any ideas or am I truly stuck not dimensioning this in the view?

[JD Mather]

.... Dimensions would not change during revisions.

 

A sketch in the view can be made associative to changes.

[Bishop]

A sketch in the view can be made associative to changes.

 

 

 

Yep. Project geometry from the view and then constrain your sketched geometry to the projected view geometry.

 

This is why your section / breakout / etc / views don't break when you make changes to the models. (Assuming, of course, that you constrained the base sketches!)

[kpyoung333]

Thanks JD. So if I understand I can "Create Sketch", which lines are made in real measurements, not at the view scale. For instance, when I draw a line that is 1.728 it is way too small for the 2:1 scale view. When you say draw sketch geometry over top of it, are you talking about "Project Geometry" which is grayed out? Do you mean to trace the outline with an arc on the ends? Doing so the measurement is in real dimension size, not to the view scale. I understand the "sketch only" command, but the dimensions come in blue and disappear once I "finish sketch". I can bring them back by selecting "Retrieve Dimensions", but again are in the incorrect measurement. As far as making the dimensions associative to changes, they have to be referencing something at the correct measurements, and that is what I am having trouble with. Drawing sketches and setting up associative constraints just to get an OAL dimension on an iso view seems like it may be more trouble than it's worth. We just want to have a small iso view in the corner with the entire assembly's OAL rather than have 2 views; a side view with this OAL and the iso view alone like Bishop says he does. I'm either missing the idea entirely or trying to do something that isn't going to work in an easy and repeatable manner. Trying not to get the classic drafter frustration today and break my keyboard over my knee. Thanks!

[Bishop]

Select the view before you create the sketch. Then you'll be able to project the geometry from the view, and you'll be tied to the view scale.

 

In the sketch itself the dimensions you apply shouldn't matter so much as how you constrain it.

[kpyoung333]

Thanks Bishop, that got me to the Project Geometry ability for the view. I think my main problem is originating due to the spherical ends not being easily measurable. The project geometry gives me the quadrants on the cylindrical sides, and center point of the sphere, but not the overall end points. Think this picture illustrates my Bo Jackson fury.

[Bishop]

Can't you use the center points / quadrants / etc to draw a line in the plane of your view that get you the dimension you need?