Config option inorder to disable the dimmension overide option

[alouw]

I'm doing configuration management on Creo in a rather large group of users. Recently, the practice of overriding dimension values have caused a considerable amount of costly problems.

Users copy old assemblies or parts that are in production, change the features that will differ on the new part, and then trust all the other dimensions that are already in use as if they are all parametric.

PTC has suggested a workaround of creating associative dimensions using show model annotations. (document – CS61225)

Unfortunately this is not a good solution as it only inhibits the user from using the function on that type of dimension.

The override can still be used, and there is no way of preventing the user from doing so.

I want to suggest that PTC makes two config options in order to address this.

-       -The first config will be to highlight or display non-parametric, dimensions. ( in order for detection of non-parametric dimmensions)

-       -The second will be to prohibit the override dimension functionality.

I’m sure a lot of people in production will agree that this can save a lot of money and hart ace, when it comes to quality issues and reworks.

[DomenicLaritz]

I voted down, because there is the ModelCHECK option DIM_OVERWRITE to deal with overwritten dimension.

For details see page 50 and 150 in http://support.ptc.com/WCMS/files/111133/en/Help_Topic_Collection_Modelcheck.pdf.

[alouw]

Hi Domenic,. I hope I can sway your vote. I am aware of the config option in model check. It does'nt make sense to me why ptc would want to fix it in modelcheck afterwards and not have the option to prohibet it in the first place. good config practice would be just to not allow it in the first place.

Like I've mentioned. We are a large orginization and we had to switch model check off as a result of some limitations that model check has that was prohibiting us.

[Dale_Rosema]

I use it frequently for notes, direction of grain on a wood part, ....

[alouw]

Dale, what you do is add text and not overiding dimmensions. What I do with adding text is put the @O sign in, in the text field, of the dimension properties, and put in the text.

The one that I'm talking about is the selection that is availible to overide dimmension that you can only ad numerical values. I just want to be able to restrict the avrage user from selecting that.

All I'm suggesting is that they give the option to be able to switch the functionality off to select the option to overide the actual dimmension. Why would you want a different dimmension from what is there? It is bad configuration managment.

Because you can set the decimal values.

[bdestefano]

I agree with comments for the ability to turn this functionality on/off with a config option. We send dxf and step files on request to vendors for manufacturing assistance, and if dimensions are overidden, parts made from these files will not match the print dimensions. Very bad Configuration Management if we were to let this happen.

I'm mostly seeing inexperienced users using this option to"fake" dimensions, rather than to fix the geometry correctly. I like the flexibility of being able to overrride, just liked it much better when it was harder use.

[klozier]

I would also like some better ways to deal with the impact of using @O.  We have been burned several times by this.  One thought to to have a dimension feature that cannot be numerical so as not not allow "fake" dimensions.

[CADQueen]

This option is available to check drawing dimensions. What if you are doing MBD?

[CADQueen]

If a config.pro option isn't the answer the ability to identify overwritten dimensions on a drawing and in 3D annotations would be helpful.

[mender]

ModelCHECK will report overwritten dimensions in drawings.  With the advent of MBD, it would be a good enhancement to ModelCHECK to note them in solids as well.

[RaphaelCNascime]

This is a good request. I think we can consider the possibility of allowing some administrative means of disabling the option, but at a minimum I think it would be good to enhance the Highlight By Attributes tool to highlight dimensions that are using the Override option and also to enhance the Find tool to allow these dimensions to be found via Search.

[BenLoosli]

While I do agree that overwritten dimensions are a bad practice, having a config option to block that ability is even worse. There have been a few models where a manual dimensions is the only way to get that information to the user on a drawing. If an outside shop (or even internal) is making the part, they should be using the model, which will be correct.

As for the enhancements Raphael suggests, I am all for those.

[Dale_Rosema]

.... also take into consideration what's going to happen to dimensions that are @O when they are brought forward.  Are going to turn purple on everybody?

[RaphaelCNascime]

Personally I'm not a fan of disabling functionality via some config option, but I've actually heard this request from several customers and I think there are some use cases where it might make sense. Of course, it would be optional and up to the particular company to set their policy.

However, implementing such an option is not quite as easy as it sounds. Config options are good for controlling the appearance and behavior of the UI, which fits this case. But exactly how does the UI appear when that option is set? Is the radio button still there, but greyed out - like with driving dimensions? Or, is the radio button removed completely? Removing it completely seems logical at first - why have a button that cannot be used? But, we also have to consider that Override is a property of a dimension in a model/drawing and thus it gets saved with the file. Which means that a dimension can be overridden in a session where the config allows override and then opened in a session that disallows it. In this case, the user needs to see that the dimension is overridden (which means the UI has to be visible) AND he needs to be able to set it to a non-overridden state. Now does the software allow him to set it back to being overridden? What about Undo? I don't expect the answers here, I'm just asking the questions to illustrate the complexity involved in software design. These issues aren't insurmountable, it just takes a good deal of thought and sometimes we end up deciding that even though something might seem like a good idea there isn't a good way to do it without introducing inconsistent or illogical behavior to the software.

We'll take a look at the idea of providing an administrative option to disable the function, but I'm not sure if we'll actually do it for the reasons mentioned above.

Improving the means for DETECTING overridden dimensions are, of course, great ideas that we'll definitely consider.

[kemmons]

I would also like to see a config option for better DETECTING overridden dimension.  If the dimension is overridden or "@O" is used, I'd like to see the font appear differently on the drawing, and a place to note a comment to explain why the dimension is non-parametric.

[CADQueen]

ModelCHECK has the ability to check for overwritten dimensions in a drawing but I would also like to see it be able to detect the "@O" in 3D annotations.

https://support.ptc.com/appserver/cs/view/solution.jsp?n=CS188524&art_lang=en&posno=1&q=modelcheck%2...

[olivierlp]

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