how to place linear point-to-point dimension?

[tekknow]

Very basic question I can't figure out.  I left-click the first point and it highlights.  If I left-click the second point, it highlights but the first one is released.  If I ctrl-LMB click the second point then both the points highlight.  But now what?  How to get the preview of the dimension?  If I MMB click where I want the dimension to be placed, both highlighted points get released and no dimension is placed.  

The only doc I could find on it is here:

http://support.ptc.com/help/creo/creo_sim/usascii/index.html#page/sim/simulate/sketcher/To_Create_Linear_Dimensions.html

Doing what it says but no joy.  This is Creo 4.0

[DaveMartin]

Is your mouse set up to behave like a standard mouse? (In other words, might it be set up for a left-handed person, or is the middle mouse button mapped to something else?)

For creating a dimension, it is left clicks using the CTRL key, and then middle mouse button to place the dimension. Where you click the middle mouse button determines if you get a horizontal dimension, vertical dimension, or angled dimension. If you middle mouse button over an angled line between the two points, for example, you will get the dimension along that direction.

[tekknow]

Hi Dave,

Thanks for the reply and confirmation about the correct way to place a dimension.  That is exactly what I was doing but no dimension would appear.  I could see the two point clicks highlighted.  At that point there is supposed to be a ghost dimension which can be placed with a third MMB click.  I would not see the ghost dimension and when I MMB click, not only would the dimension not be placed, but the two selected points would disappear as well.

More recently, I was successful at placing a dimension.  I don't know what was different that time, it just started working.  I must have been in some mode where dimensioning doesn't work.  I'll keep my eye on it and if I happen to stumble back into that mode, I'll reply here again.

Greg

[DaveMartin]

Is your dimension visibility perhaps turned off? In the In Graphics Toolbar, the third icon from the right is a drop-down for controlling the visibility of entities in the sketch. One of the check boxes is for displaying dimensions.

[tekknow]

I don't see a dimension visibility.  I see axis display, point display, csys display, and plane display.

I ran into the problem again.  Created a sketch.  Dimensioned the sketch.  (How do you move the text of the dimension!!!!!)  Clicked the green check.  See sketch in drawing tree.  Right clicked on it and chose extrude.  Now I have a part.  Did File>New>Drawing.  Three views appear.  Click Annotate tab.  Click Dimension button. Click linear icon. Ctrl LMB on two points, MMB click somewhere between them and below.  No dimension.

[DaveMartin]

Okay, I see now, you're trying to create a dimension on a drawing, not a dimension on a sketch.

Have you tried Show Model Annotations to show feature dimensions?

Also, what version of Creo Parametric or Pro/ENGINEER are you using? I'm not sure what you mean by clicking the Linear button.

[tekknow]

Yes, with Show Model Annotations button on, I can see all the dimensions from the sketch and turn on those that I want to keep in the drawing.  The problem with that method is that then the dimensions still belong to the model instead of the drawing, even though I have set the config.pro option to create_drawing_dims_only yes.  I am using jlink to iterate through all the models and filter by "MDL_DRAWING" and then iterate through all the dimensions.  I only want the drawing dims, not the sketch or solid dims.

Instead of "linear button", I should have said the "draw an imaginary line between 2 points" button.

[tekknow]

Creo4

[dschenken]

Model dimensions are always part of the model.

"create_drawing_dims_only yes" only applies to dimensions created when in the drawing module and does not affect the ownership of model annotations.

To clarify, you can sketch a line on the drawing and pick each end and place a dimension, but you can't get this to work when the vertices of a model are chosen?

[tekknow]

Well I hadn't tried to sketch a line on the drawing, but I just tried it now.  I could sketch a line ok but could not dimension it by selecting its two vertices.  However, if I use the "select an entity" tool, then yes, the dimension shows up and I can place it.  That is the same for part entities in the drawing.

All dimensions created using the "select an entity" tool do get assigned to the drawing and show up in jlink as part of the "MDL_DRAWING" entities.  Any dimensions created using the "Show Model Annotations" tool remain as "MDL_PART" entities and do not show up in "MDL_DRAWING" entities. 

For example, two of my dimensions are used to define the location of a hole.  I was not able to dimension to the centerline of the hole.  Nothing would highlight near the middle of the circle like it does in sketch mode.  So I used the Show Model Annotations tool to select them that way, since they were defined in the part's sketch.  Those two dimensions could not be found in jlink among the MDL_DRAWING entities but all the others were.

[DaveMartin]

Is this particular JLink application a common utility or specific to your company? I'm not familiar with it.

[tekknow]

It is specific to our company, but it is based on Exercise 1 which comes with Creo4.

C:\Program Files\PTC\Creo 4.0\M030\Common Files\otk_java_free\exercises\exercise_1_and_2