Restore drawing Show/Erase functionality in order to search all non-displayed dimensions (erased or deleted)

LawrenceS · ‎Jun 20, 2014

Please vote to restore the ability to show any annotation (dims, notes, axis, etc) on a drawing that is not currently being shown (whether erased or deleted) using a single interface such as the show dialog (or show/erase dialog in WF4).

Currently Creo2 only allows the user to show all "deleted" annotations or those that have not yet been shown. It does not allow the user to show all erased annotations, as was the functionality in ProE wf4.

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More details if want to keep reading:

There is no acceptable workaround to this loss of functionality. The Dwg tree has its uses, but the user should not have to rummage through dozens or even hundreds of annotations to find the hidden one(s) that they need simply because the show dialog does not show erased dimensions as it used to.

This comes up in 2 frequently occurring cases:

User erased a dimension and now needs to restore it
(which is now buried somewhere in the drawing tree, requiring the user to manually click on every erased dimension to see if it is the one they are looking for).
User wants to verify that a part is fully dimensioned according to the model
(in ProE this was done simply by showing all hidden dims, which show up in a different color, and then the user can easily and quickly make sure that the ones that need to be represented are).

In short, this change from WF4 to Creo is a destruction of the efficient show/erase tool, and the 'workaround' is incredibly inefficient and is an abuse of the drawing tree.

Update: Even though we have been on Creo for almost a year, I still get questions like, why can't I find this dimension or axis? Answer? Perhaps I should tell them that PTC doesn't want you to find it so they hid it in the dwg tree so well that users, the find tool, and the show tool can't find it. Most perplexing is that PTC introduced (broke) this "feature" in WF5, and we are now on Creo3, years later, and it is still not fixed?!? Maybe in Creo4?

LawrenceS · ‎Jun 25, 2014

If someone only wanted to show deleted/never shown annotations, a simple and easy way to do this would be to add a check box to the Show Model Annotations dialog that could be checked by default:

E.g. "Include Erased dims" in results

LawrenceS · ‎Sep 26, 2014

Related idea:

Add a Search for Drawing Dimensions

korr · ‎Oct 30, 2014

Another related idea: how about erase all by view. Recently I made a drawig of a sub-assy where all the parts had sets datums (A, B, C & GD&T). I had to pick each one individually to remove them from EACH view. Prior to Creo series, there was an "erase from view" option. Where did it go.

LawrenceS · ‎Oct 30, 2014

Agreed. A coworker recently rehashed this problem and expressed how annoyed he was at loosing this functionality that he frequently must use. Now he is left with erasing/deleting the individually, or selecting the selection type and box around them. Neither are very time efficient options.

Show Erase dialog was beautiful: easy to use, simple, and fast. It completely boggles/blows my mind first why it was ever removed, and 2^nd why it is taking so many years to fix (They broke this back in WF5!)!

ssircar · ‎Feb 04, 2015

Fully agree. We are having lot of issues with this lost functionality.

We cannot migrate to Creo2 from Wildfire4 because our mapkeys to create dxf files use this functionality.

ssircar · ‎Feb 04, 2015

I would further like to add that this case is very similar to the functionality of creating co-ordinates by offset/rotate/etc. along any axis or a combination of axes, which was taken away in Wildfire. That functionality was very useful in controlling movements only in specified directions/planes. Now, the user is prompted with all degrees of freedom along all axes and the possibility of error is high!!

PTC should not be taking away functionalities just like that !!

LawrenceS · ‎Feb 05, 2015

Welcome to the forums Shailendra,

Your mapkeys use the show/erase dialog to create dxf files? If so, what is the reason for that?

TomU · ‎Feb 05, 2015

One thing that helps some is forcing Creo to automatically delete all previously erased axes and dimensions. This way when you use the show model annotations functionality they will once again be listed.

Add these lines to your config.supfile (must be in the loadpoint)

! === Drawing update commands - must be listed in this order ===

enable_auto_drawing_update yes

auto_drawing_update_command delete_erased_axes

auto_drawing_update_command delete_erased_dimensions

See these articles for more info:

PTCModerator · ‎Jun 14, 2018

mdewet · ‎Jun 21, 2019

I have a similar problem, but instead of dimensions, it has to do with Balloon Notes in drawings - See Product Idea

STEVEG · ‎Dec 14, 2021

4 years after this idea was submitted it was "Acknowledged".

3 1/2 years after it was acknowledged this idea is still not resolved.

Going on 8 years and no progress???

This couldn't be THAT hard to implement since they once had it, can it?

LawrenceS · ‎Dec 23, 2021

Well said @STEVEG !

A note to PTC about TomU's workaround. Although helpful till PTC gives a real fix, it is not a satisfactory workaround nor a good permanent 'solution'.

We opted for mapkeys that do similar to what TomU said by running the config.pro options (delete_erased_dimensions & delete_erased_axis).
Terminology: Erasing is supposed to be the same thing as 'hiding' but without deleting anything. Deleting is actually removing something that will have to be recreated.
If you delete a Model dim it only deletes the drawing references (e.g. location, leader info, etc). If you delete a Drawing dim it deletes it entirely from the drawing.
The above workaround does not fix the broken show/hide erased dims, it essentially turns the erase function into a delete function.
This is misleading, confusing, and annoying for users. Although there are less users now who remember it working right in ProE, there are new users who never new that PTC actually had it working once upon a time. Either way this is still a stupid thing that PTC had working, broke, hasn't fixed and PTC's competency credibility is lowered.

Note: I know Created dims are not ideal, but there are still some legitimate reasons to create them. e.g. rounds on opposite side of the x-section (or Note dims pointing to multiple locations), ordinate dims, etc

LawrenceS · ‎Feb 27, 2023

@TomU , I may have mentioned it on another part of this forum but wanted to say thanks again for posting those options. I created mapkeys out of these and added them to a troubleshooting portion of the ribbon and they have helped over the years. I still miss the intuitive show/erase dialog being robust but it has at least helped.