dimension arc length

Re: dimension arc length

mlm — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 15:18:05 GMT

@Michael,

yes go ahead and file a Service Ticket. I was sometims thinking it would be good to explicitly exclude some settings - or define a default that is NOT changed when changing the dim style - (the same goes for textstyles) . This way when you change the style it does not change such settings - like the angle units here or e.g. the exclude the justification of a text. This way the number of styles required may be reduced?

Re: dimension arc length

Lorys — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 15:49:15 GMT

I never thought I would ever have to correct Inga but here are the correct keyins for v8i

DIMSTYLESET ANGLE UNITS LENGTH;dimcreate angular arcsize

DIMSTYLESET ANGLE UNITS ANGLE;dimcreate angular arcsize

Either use a macro to run each or a function key for each or alternatively make a homemade icon in your dgnlib file so every one can use it.

I prefer a macro one called arcL and the other called arcA could we make an alias or accudraw keyin to do this?

Re: dimension arc length

Paul Barton — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 20:06:34 GMT

Re: dimension arc length

Michael Stark — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 19:13:51 GMT

I found this thread because I've got (once again) a customers question for a faster switch between angle and length. I agree with Kirk, that having each style doubled is definitively not an option. (Gerd, have you ever seen the number of dimension styles at BMW or Daimler ?)

Wouldn't this be a good case for a CR ?

The keyins are nice, but I know to many users, which wouldn't know how to implement this in a taskbar or even a function key (an customization by an external company is expensive).

Re: dimension arc length

Kirk — Tue, 31 May 2011 22:39:35 GMT

Gerd

I created buttons with the keyins. I find for my workflow to be the easiest way of switching between degrees and length.

I don't stay in one mode of operation or task. I tend to bounce around between drawing to placing text dimensions back to drawing. So I should customize my task bars to all the tools I need are visible

Re: dimension arc length

mlm — Mon, 30 May 2011 14:23:25 GMT

To switch to lengths or angle use alternatively the keyins: "dimstyleset angle units length" or "dimstyleset angle units angle". Would you need to switch that often? Do you think you need to have substyles or just to create buttons for that? I came up with element templates as I thought they may be helpful here as they help to define standards AND allow to use the Utilies>Standards Checker as elements "remember" which template they were created from. (They yet do not help for switching angle/length though). Gerd

Re: dimension arc length

Kirk — Fri, 27 May 2011 23:34:29 GMT

thanks Henk

I have all my dimensions and text styles in a dgnlib file

Re: dimension arc length

Kirk — Fri, 27 May 2011 23:32:12 GMT

Gerd Dimension styles do not have to be hooked to a level but under the Advance option there is a place where you can designate which level you want a dimension style placed on. This is my preferred work flow since my dimensions are design to correlate with certain data.

Re: dimension arc length

mlm — Fri, 27 May 2011 20:57:30 GMT

DimStyles are not hooked to a level. I do not think(or understand) why you would create substyles. Create a file TextAndDimesion.dgnlib in your projects /dgnlib folder and import your Dimstyles there (and the textstyles) then you can use them in all your files immediately. You swithch Styles and Levels as you go. If you use that a lot you should look into "Element Templates" define any combination there and then create Tools/Tasks to switch everything requied with one click. Regards, Gerd

Re: dimension arc length

Henk Ligtvoet — Fri, 27 May 2011 20:45:07 GMT

Hi Kirk,

If you have not already done so:

Define the needed dimension styles (and textstyles) once and make MS_DGNLIBLIST point to that file, so that the styles are available in any file that you open from then on.

Best regards,

Henk

Re: dimension arc length

Kirk — Fri, 27 May 2011 20:26:24 GMT

You know I haven't spent the time to create a dim style for this. I have numerous styles all base on a level.

Casework

Counter tops

curbs\ base

Booths

RCP

So in my case I would need to create another sub style for each level

I use multiple styles in plan and elevations to dimension different types of elements. It makes it easier for fabrication. All the dimensions print in different colors

Re: dimension arc length

Henk Ligtvoet — Fri, 27 May 2011 02:52:38 GMT

Hello Kirk,

The keyins do work in my MicroStation V8i Selectseries 2 version.

Did you create the dimension styles that you activate in your file, and gave them the proper names and settings as shown below (Element>Dimension Styles)?

Without those styles the keyin will not work.

ArcLength: Units set to Length

ArcAngle: Units set to Angle

Don't forget to click the save button after they are created (diskette like icon).

Hope this is of help.

Best regards,

Henk

Re: dimension arc length

Kirk — Thu, 26 May 2011 22:11:58 GMT

Im Not having any luck with the Inga's keyin for

"Dimstyle active arclength;dimcreate angular arcsize"

Its not setting for length. I'm stuck in degrees and havve to use the dimension units length keyin instead

V8i ss2

Re: dimension arc length

Paul Barton — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 17:43:51 GMT

I agree, this is a real let down. I'v used arc dimensions every day for around 12 years and I cannot believe what a tedious slog Bentley have provided of getting to such a basic tool. I watch the visualisation side of Microstation progress in leaps and bounds and am amazed that such a basic dimensioning function has been totally neglected.

It's almost comparable to the curved multi-line fiasco!!!

Re: dimension arc length

Dale J Ekberg — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 04:18:35 GMT

I have been asking for a true arc labeling function, arc length, degree of curvature, tangent length etc..,in Microstation for almost 20 years now so I doubt it will ever be created. My ACAD users use this as another reason why Microstation sucks and I have no come back. Bring up the element info and calculating the other dims from that is a poor work around and it is actually embarrassing to tell my ACAD users that is the only way.

Re: dimension arc length

Jose Pinho — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 22:23:24 GMT

For years I was hoping that Bentley included this in Microstation... And all the time it was hidden in key-in commands... once again.

Why doesn't this just jumps out of the box to a button inside dimension??? Just like many others things like this:

http://communities.bentley.com/products/microstation/microstation_v8i/f/19565/p/62282/153425.aspx#153425

Re: dimension arc length

Inga Morozoff — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 02:17:34 GMT

[quote user="Marc Freshley"]Even when I have it set to length or degrees, I can't get the dimension element to dimension the length. It wants to do a radius.[/quote]

What is the 8-digit version of MicroStation you are using. See Help > About.

Please provide a dgn file that clearly shows what's not working. Add notes and labels as needed.

Note that I had a typo in my original keyins. The post has now been corrected and is shown in action in the following video.

communities.bentley.com/.../7711.arc.mp4

Re: dimension arc length

Marc Freshley — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 01:52:41 GMT

Inga,

the more I think about it, you didn't hit the space bar but you would right click and it would cycle between dimension radius and degrees I think, but maybe you were right that it was the spacebar.

Even when I have it set to length or degrees, I can't get the dimension element to dimension the length. It wants to do a radius. If I key-in Dimension arc Size, it goes into the command I want, but I'm looking for the icon for this command and can't find it. I would have thought that the dimension element command would switch to this for arcs, but it goes to radius. The dimcreate angular arcsize does it also but in a different order.

Re: dimension arc length

Inga Morozoff — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 01:08:00 GMT

[quote user="Marc Freshley"]There used to be a way to dimension an arc length. You could cycle between degrees and length by pressing space. Why this was changed[/quote]

In MicroStation /J, the tool Dimension Arc Size or Dimension Element was used to dimension an arc. The (Angle) Units, which sets whether the degree measurement or the length is dimensioned, is set in the Dimension Settings dialog box - specifically the Unit Format category. There was no option to toggle between the length and degrees via the space bar.

Having said that, you could use the space bar to cycle between a variety of dimension orientations by using the space bar - but only when using the Dimension Element tool. For arcs, this included dimensioning the radius, radius extended and length.

In MicroStation V8, the concept of icon bars in the tools setting box made it's debut. This resulted in change to how the the Dimension Element tool operated and rather than pressing the space bar to toggle between the various orientations, you simply selected the orientation via the icon bar. This made the operation of the Dimension Element tool consistant with other tools that also use icon bars such as Pattern Area. In MicroStation V8 2004 Edition, the Angular Dimensioning tool included an icon bar to dimension an arc's length.

As noted (even as far back as MicroStation /J), the units that determine whether the arc is dimensioned in degrees or a length measurement is a dimenion setting. As you've seen this needs to be set in a dimension style which can easily be seleted when you use the dimensioning tool of your choice. Or, if you prefer you can put this keyin strings on a pair of function key or custom buttons:

dimstyle active arclength;dimcreate angular arcsize

dimstyle active arcangle;dimcreate angular arcsize

Hope that helps.

Re: dimension arc length

mwlong — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 00:59:42 GMT

What version were you able to that in? The thing I knew to change with the space bar was accudraw. By hitting the spacebar with accudraw you could change from liner to angular readout.