dimension snaps to wrong line


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How do I control what line in a cad detail the dimension snaps to?  I often have a problem in cad details that the dimension snaps to part of the drawing much further away than the thing I'm trying to measure.   For example, I have an elevation of a house in a cad detail.  I draw two cad lines (on the cad default layer) 10' from the house to show the height of a porch roof.  I pull a dimension from one cad line to another.  Instead of snapping to those lines, it snaps to a point on the elevation instead.  When I click on the dimension line to change the snap point, it doesn't recognize the line as something to snap to.  In the dimension dbx, I have "cad objects, lines/sides" checked.   It seems like there should be a way to control have far the dimension tool "reaches" for an object to measure.

 

Thanks!

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You're talking about dimensioning in an elevation / section view, correct? For pulling your own dimensions, and avoiding the described problem, there are several options:

1 make sure "cross section lines" layer is on and locked.

2 zoom in and be careful to 'hit' a cross section line with your dimension...preferably the correct one!

3 place your dimension within the boundary of the room first...then drag it to the exterior if desired.

4 place cad points and dimension to those

5 place text markers and dimension to those (these can display the z-axis height which is helpful)

6 use cad grid lines distributed in the z-axis and dimension to those to create your own story pole

7 use the story pole dimension tool. Learn how to set its default settings if you haven't already.

 

There may be other tips from other users but I usually stick with #5 and #6. I only use #1 and #7 for preliminary work.

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On 12/3/2019 at 6:13 PM, DzinEye said:

Probably not the ultimate solution you're looking for, but you could maneuver the model or plan within CA to show what you want to show, then take a screenshot to mark-up using whatever program your Wacom tablet will support

 

On 4/2/2020 at 11:48 AM, Renerabbitt said:

@Lighthouse Temp Dimensions follow your Active Dimension Defaults. Consider making a new dimension default with 1/4" arrows

Sorry, to clarify, this is in CAD detail, not elevation or section.  I was referring to an elevation in a cad detail

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Robert, I'm a complete idiot!   I saw "reach", and confused it with the extensions to and from object.  So that solves it.  But the odd thing is that it still doesn't explain why it would initially choose a line further away than choosing the line I put the cursor on.

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The only thing I could suggest there is to drag your dimension from the ends of those cad lines you drew as opposed to somewhere along that line. But that may be what you did?

I don't work in CAD details for elevations or sections so I'm not really familiar with behaviors for those views. I keep everything (text, dimensions, notes etc) in the section or elevation view and send that view to layout. 

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it's an interesting phenomenon.  When I have "reach" set to 6", it easily finds the line my cursor is on, but when reach is set to 36", it finds a line further away.  So I guess my understanding of 36" reach was "reach anything within 36", starting with the closest thing", but CA's version is "look for something 36" away to snap to".   Good to know, and thanks again

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