"ghost" dimensions

Just a quick note regarding the “ghost” dimensions. I have recently experienced this a number of times noting that in these recent cases the “ghost” dimensions were directly related to all CAD LINES imported into a plan view of CHIEF. If I draw a CAD line in chief and drag the “ghost” dimension handle to the new cad line the “ghost” dimension suddenly becomes visible. If I drag it back to the imported CAD line it again becomes invisible. Again, this occurs in plan view. This was also prior to creating a layout file associated with this new job. The .dwg was created in AutoCAD 2000 and supplied by a third party.

DEFINITION:
The “ghost” dimensions were best termed by Marty and are the dimensions that exist but are not visible even after verification that the respective layers are turned on. You can click on them, see the highlighted string, manipulate them including opening the dbx and changing their properties. But they remain invisible regardless of what you do, so far as I can tell anyway.

I don't think imported lines are the issue as I have seen the problem with drawings started from scratch. I think the dimension settings may have an effect but I still cannot pin it down.

Have you tried playing with the "locate iems" settings? Sometimes I am trying to get an overall of a wall + cladding and it refuses to dimension. I change the settings to "surfaces" and it works. I thought that a manual "overall" would dimension the outermost points regardless of the setting.

I have also experienced this phenomenon with non imported CAD lines as well as several other circumstances and did not mean to insinuate this was the only cause, just a recent pattern I have noted in my case, hoping to shed further light. I know ART is listening, or at least I would hope so.

Is there anyone else having this problem? I find it hard to believe that this is related to our specific setups.

YES, I have experienced this "ghost" problem many times on drawings without imported cad items. For the life of me I can't figure it out. All dim settings are unchanged from when they worked. VERY FRUSTRATING. i end up drawing new cad lines were i want dimension, even though it might be walls that i'm trying to dimension.

I also have difficulty dimensioning to a window or door on various occasions. i don't see a pattern, seems random to me. I end up dimensioning a different object or cad line, then use dim. handle to dimension door/window, then pull dim handle off other object. YAWN.

any suggestions out there?

Friends,
I also am experiancing dimen. problems & have been seeemingly for ever. I will dimen. to an object, lets say cad line to wall in a site plan. The dimen. will appear then if I touch it it will dissapear. This has been going on a long time in 8 & now 9. also my man. dimen. functions don't work right now. As stated earlier they will not go to where directed & hop all over the place to windows, doors, cod it dosen't matter. This really *****. I sent in a plan w/ this & other problems over a week ago & still no reply. Also, are the man. dimentions still popping up every time your dimentioning a seperate layer? This has caused me untold problems. Constantly having to turn off the man. dimentions is a reall pain in the ---. These are the things that need to be addressed & untill they are I will never understand the logic in ART's efforts. Basic functions need to be addressed first.
Dennis Chandler

Could one of you please send a plan which has at least one of these "ghost" dimensions to ART tech support so that we can look into this problem? Make sure you tell us where and what to look for.

Dermot, I sent in a plan over 2 - weeks ago an am still awaiting a reply. It was after a 20 min. conversation w/ Danny explaining my problems in detail.
I only have so much time to waste.
Dennis Chandler

I have looked over Dennis' plan and could not find any "ghost" dimensions. I am working offline with Dennis to try and resolve some of his other problems.

I am still looking for someone to send in a plan with some of these "ghost" dimensions so that we can fix the problem. Of course, I am starting to wonder if they are really there because normally I don't believe in such things.

I have investigated a plan that Gordon sent in. There are indeed "ghost" dimensions in it. The good news is that all of these dimensions (as far as I could tell) showed up just fine in V9.

If any one has a V9 plan with any "ghost" dimensions on it, please send this plan in and I will investigate further.