Creating Dimensions - Creo 3

Question

Creo 3, M070
 
I need to create a horizontal drawing dim between two arcs.  Because of draft, I need to zoom in tight to each arc to be sure I'm getting the outermost line.  However, after I pick the second arc, the helpful Creo gnomes assume that I want a vertical dim instead of horizontal.  I tried the RMB options before placing the dim, but horizontal isn't a choice, only vertical, perpendicular to and parallel to.
 
I tried clicking on the little horizontal icon on that dimension mini dashboard, but then the tangent was unselected.  So I selected tangent again, horizontal still showing, and tried again. Still got a vertical dim (that wasn't actually tangent either, yay!)  I tried just picking the horizontal button, then Creo won't let me pick anything but vertexes.  (Turns out that button is "Draw an imaginary horizontal line through the specified point."
 
How do I get a horizontal dim between, and tangent to, these arcs?
 
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BTW - in case anyone from PTC is listening - Creating dims in Creo 3 drawing mode is, to put it charitably, horrible.  What was once a 3 click endeavor (entity 1 > entity 2 > MMB to place) is now a frustrating clickfest where you may or may not actually get the dim that you need.
 
A typical experience:
 
entity 1 > control > entity 2 > MMB to place > nope, that's center to center > delete > click tangent button > entity 1 > entity 2 > dang it, forgot control > click dim again to reset > entity 1 > control > entity 1 > I don't want vertical > RMB for options > why isn't horizontal an option? seriously? How do I make it horizontal? > toss computer out the window
 
Drawing mode has gone from years (decades?) of neglect to worse with WF5's ribbon, mostly fixed with Creo 2 to like banging your head against the desk with Creo 3.  I know you think drawings are passe, but they remain the most universal and cost effective means for non-vertically integrated organizations to share non-geometric info.  Model based definitions are a wonderful idea, but are still too hard to implement, require dedicated software to read and generally slow the process down for many of us.  Drawings have been around for well over 100 years and still are simple to make, universally understood and easily read by all.
 
For the love of all that's holy, please give us a simple and efficient means to make drawings. This thread is inactive and closed by the PTC Community Management Team. If you would like to provide a reply and re-open this thread, please notify the moderator and reference the thread. You may also use "Start a topic" button to ask a new question. Please be sure to include what version of the PTC product you are using so another community member knowledgeable about your version may be able to assist.

dgschaefer · Accepted Answer

In other dims, I've noticed that Creo will highlight it as horizontal or vertical, depending on where you position your cursor before hitting MMB. In this case, although clearly a horizontal dim is possible (and to the human eye, the only one you'd want), Creo refused to create one.

That made me think, perhaps there's not not a horizontal tangent to tangent solution here. It turns out, that was the case. On the one end, the arc is tangent to another arc:

I was dimensioning to the small arc at the top, evidently the vertical tangent is just off of it, on the larger arc below. I selected the larger arc, and the Creo gnomes smiled on me and created my horizontal dimension.

I feel a little sheepish about my rant now, perhaps with more use I'll be less offended by drawings in Creo 3.

dgschaefer · Answer

Well, I got my dim created by selecting parallel to and picking one of the default dims. Not quite what I wanted and far to painful to get there, but it'll do.

If anyone has a tip for getting it to go horizontal, I'd love to know.

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