Any suggestions about the quickest way to change the detail on the left with its associated dimensions, into the detail on the right, which is the same assembly of elements, but the detail’s scale is different. Every time I try this, I have to start every dimension from scratch because the units of the previous dimensions won’t conform to the new scale whether they’re dragged to the right size or scaled to it. For a simple drawing like this it’s not much work to redo all the dimensions, but for anything with a lot of dimensions it’s quite time-consuming to change the scale.
Make a rectangle – put dimension on one side – select other side 2 points using shift key, so you can stretch it and the dimension is associated and stretch with it too.
I’m not near Rhino to check, but does it really work that way for you? the units don’t scale properly that way for me. The dimensions should stay the same if they shrink with the detail’s scale while the object’s size remains the same (only its displayed size is smaller) but they get smaller by that process.
I used temporary a trial version to check it as I knew that it’s working this way, from some reading about it. I don’t know what version you use and if this is the issue you are talking about it.
Thanks OS, but that’s a very different situation. It shows editing the size of an object and the position of dimension points by selecting both in model space
I am talking about dimensions in layout space which are snapped to objects in models space. Both object and dimension points cannot be selected at once in my situation.
Also, in my case there is not a change in size of the dimensioned object but a change in display scale of a detail view. I need to conform the dimensions’ units to display the same dimension - while the dimension points change their distance from one another in layout space, remaining anchored to the points on the object - to reflect that change in the object’s display scale. This is difficult to explain verbally but my o.p. image will I hope make it clear to many who work with detail views in layout space
I’m sorry I didn’t figure it out well what you mean unless you make a little video or GIF animation explaining what is happening.
anyway the same model I sent in video, it works well with scaling and the dimension will be adjusted accordingly.
Hi David -
That shouldn’t happen. Please post a simple file (ideally with only that rectangular plane and two dimensions as in your picture) and steps to reproduce this.
-wim
Thanks Wim
Here it is attached. I think the problem I may be having is that as insurance before I reduce the scale of the detail window, I copy both dimensions and detail and scale that detail. I think the copying is breaking the history of the dimensions.
Also, as I scale the original detail window, lo and behold it seems to work. But the dimensions follow history only after clicking out of the detail window, which up til now has given me the impression that it isn’t working.
ScalingDimensionUnits.3dm (1.7 MB)
Hi David -
That is correct, yes.
I’m not sure what you mean by that. The dimensions can be within the detail and I don’t need to click anywhere to have them update:
-wim
Thanks Wim
To explain - Dimensions don’t update until a detail is deactivated (by clicking) here - when zooming to determine the approximate new scale. I’m glad to see this, but I’d never gotten that far before. The pause in responsiveness may inhibit an intuitive understanding for other users - it has for me. When they haven’t followed the change in a detail scale while the detail is active, I’ve always assumed that they won’t, reverted to the previous scale before deactivating the detail, made a copy of the detail (that’s where things break down) and then tried other (unsuccessful, of course) methods. Print Display may exacerbate this problem.
On the subject of not selecting “associated” (AutoCAD term) dimensions to move them:
I’m finding that there are always a few dimensions which don’t associate/retain history properly. Now, to retain associativity, associated/history-linked Dimensions can’t be selected to move with a detail. So that requires dimensions not to be selected and moved, but only the detail, with the history-linked dimensions following the move. This inevitably leaves some dimensions orphaned in a move - because it’s not always possible to predict which dimensions these orphans will be (and thus to have selected only them) before a move. When moves of a detail and its dimensions are small in distance, the resulting errors in dimension placement are easy to miss and they are always finnicky to correct. I’m not sure it’s an effective situation. I’ve found that after a few detail moves (there are many over the life of a sheet even for a short project) it’s better to sacrifice history than risk dimensions getting out of place, and the very helpful feature of associative dimensioning is gone.
Also, leaders snapped to objects in a detail don’t retain history here.