Temporary Dimensions: What would work for you

[spark]

You can control, to some degree, how Temporary Dimensions behave by changing your Dimension Defaults. However, we realize that what you get is not necessarily what you want. In order to effectively address the issues people are having with Temporary Dimensions, we would like to get your thoughts and input on Temporary Dimensions.

1. What do you use Temporary Dimensions for?
2. What would you like to use Temporary Dimensions for?
3. Did you like the behavior of Temporary Dimensions in version 10?
   1. If you did like v10 Temporary Dimensions, would you like to see that behavior returned to Chief?
   2. If you did not like v10 Temporary Dimensions, tell us why.
4. Do you prefer that Chief Architect make assumptions and guesstimate what you want Temporary Dimensions to do? Or would you prefer to have some way to change Temporary Dimension settings?
5. What Temporary Dimension behavior(s) would you like to control? (Please be specific)
   1. Can you give us an example of how controlling _______ for Temporary Dimensions would benefit you and your work?

You are certainly not limited to answering the above questions; however, we do request that you keep on topic. The purpose of this post is to gather information about Temporary Dimensions, what is and isn't working, and what changes you would like to see in Temporary Dimensions.

[louis]

Sarah,

I have a daughter named Sarah, I really love the name.

1. I do all remodeling plans. I use temporary dimensions to put together the entire as-built on site at the persons home. Temporary is the fastest way to go. In X-1, I don't bother most of the time.

2.Same

3.Yes most of the time.
1. I would like them to go to the outside surface with a roof overhang. ....and like this http://www.chieftalk.com/showthread....ary+dimensions

4. I would prefer to have the ability to change them. In 10 I could change the temporary dimension that works with roofs and I could change where it goes and I liked that.

5. I would like to be able to control where they go as in what layer and both surfaces if I want. I don't want them to work where I have dimensions already placed. I prefer to do the whole model with the temporary and then fine tune with other dimensions.

I don't have a need to make them permanent.

I do want them to follow the rules that are set up. It would be nice if we could set up the behavior we want in our profile plan. I always use the same set up for temporary dimensions. My auto dimensions are sometimes different than the temporary. In other words I would like settings for temporary that I could set and save and settings for regular dimensions. I'm almost always measuring to surfaces in an as built and then the auto will go to framing for my building plan.

The temporary in X-1 can drive you to drink. Have you noticed that in some rooms temporary will stay regardless of zoom and in other rooms it is related to zoom. I know that they have designed it this way so it will work even when your permanent dimensions are present but it is strange acting. Any one else get the ghosting temporary dimensions?

[ArtR]

[SIZE=3]1-[/SIZE] [SIZE=3]To move walls easily when doing the initial layout and later to shift inches where I want them.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]2-[/SIZE] [SIZE=3]Have the ability to move the arrow heads on the fly to get the ½” where I want it, or to the side I want it. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]Many times I want a room to be a minimum dimension for client/ sales reasons. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]Also to allow for a manufactures rough-in requirement on the fly. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]The ability to make them permanent and set them to a separate layer would be great.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]3-[/SIZE] [SIZE=3]The ability to make them permanent.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]a.[/SIZE] [SIZE=3]Yes[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]b.[/SIZE] [SIZE=3]Would like them to work even if there is a permanent dimension.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]4-[/SIZE] [SIZE=3]Having a right click box with the options would be fine.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]5-[/SIZE] [SIZE=3]Temp Behaviors[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]a.[/SIZE] [SIZE=3]Making them permanent with a click.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]b.[/SIZE] [SIZE=3]Having them work even if a permanent dimension exist. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=3](Currently if a permanent dimension exist to one wall if you add a wall temp [/SIZE][SIZE=3]dimensions don’t show forcing a manual dimension to control that walls location.)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]c.[/SIZE] [SIZE=3]Being able to move the arrow heads on the fly to control which side the ½” goes.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]d.[/SIZE] [SIZE=3]Having the ability to put them on a temp layer, then that could be a separate color [/SIZE][SIZE=3]if we choose to show them different from main dimensions when on.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]e.[/SIZE] [SIZE=3]Having an eye dropper type tool to pick ones to change to the main [/SIZE][SIZE=3]dimension layer for final plans quickly. (This is a general suggestion for all items) [/SIZE]

[SIZE=3][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]In general temp dimensions are one of Chief’s strong points for design. Getting the inches where I want them or need them quickly is everything. I end up making a number of temporary layers in every plan as a design progresses, including layers that have them at different scales for certain detail plots. While not a true temporary dimension, being able to create them and scale them on the fly would be powerful.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]While not specifically temp dimensions, they do snap to the dimension layer in the wall defaults. I wish doing a string of manual dimensions would also snap to that choice. I always have to zoom in to verify where the arrow is when I pull a dimension string manually.[/SIZE]

[RMorrison]

In general, the frustration for me is the dimensions going to intervening objects. For example, if a CAD rectangle is overlapping other CAD items, I USUALLY don't want to see a temp dimension to the other stuff; I'm interested in the rectangle dimensions only. But not always.

So what would work best for me in this case is having the default being temp dimensions edge to edge for the rectangle itself, and maybe having a hot-key to have the temp dimensions switch to the adjacent objects on the fly. Click on a rectangle, get the single overall temp dimension displayed, but then press "ALT", say, and the temp dimensions switch to the way they are currently. Maybe these temp dimensions could cycle: object itself and nearest outside objects (like V10), to dimensions to different nearby objects inside, to dimensioning itself alone.

[ArtR]

I agree with Richard, my post above dealt with walls, but objects currently are difficult. I'm working on a plan now where I have to move cad objects to the outside of a plan to redimension it because it grags everything from arrow heads to walls not the other side of the object I picked to re-dimension. It would be great if temp dimensions would choose the other side of the object only, then to something else if that is possible with Richards suggestion of a tab to next feature.

[Jon Scussel]

The way temp dimensions work in version X1.3 is very confusing. Draw a simple box using exterior walls. Place a door 10' or so from a corner. Click on the inside edge of the door. With defaults set to both wall surfaces, the dimensions will be to the inside of one wall and to the exterior of the other wall. Same issue when clicking on the outside edge. Windows are working the same way. Is their any logic to this behavior.

I feel that when clicking on the inside of a door or window, the temp dimension should go to both inside surfaces of the walls and when clicking on exterior surface of door or window, it should go to the exterior wall surfaces.

Jon

[louis]

b. Would like them to work even if there is a permanent dimension.

You have this now.

b. Having them work even if a permanent dimension exist.
(Currently if a permanent dimension exist to one wall if you add a wall temp dimensions don’t show forcing a manual dimension to control that walls location.)

You have this now.

[Doug Park]

One change we made in X1 was to put temporary dimensions up when a permanent dimension that was locating an item is off screen. That is why they show up when you zoom in.

The rule at th moment is that we don't generate a temporary dimension when a permanent one exists and is visible. In prior versions of Chief we never generated a temporary dimension in this case.

Perhaps it would be good to have a way of always forcing this on, but it could get kind of messy epecially if the tempoary dimension is near a permanent one.

[Glenn Woodward]

Doug,

I personally can't see the point of having a temp dimension if I already have a permanent one.

The temp dimensions could probably be made a lot more user friendly by having their own defaults, and their functioning could be cleaned up by noting the comments about opening in walls and temp dimensions of cad objects, etc.

[louis]

Doug

The rule at th moment is that we don't generate a temporary dimension when a permanent one exists and is visible

I don't think it works quite like you think it does. In 10 if you had a room with manual dimensions and then you deleted the manual dimensions the temporary would come back. In X-1 this is not the case.

[louis]

So what would work best for me in this case is having the default being temp dimensions edge to edge for the rectangle itself, and maybe having a hot-key to have the temp dimensions switch to the adjacent objects on the fly. Click on a rectangle, get the single overall temp dimension displayed, but then press "ALT", say, and the temp dimensions switch to the way they are currently. Maybe these temp dimensions could cycle: object itself and nearest outside objects (like V10), to dimensions to different nearby objects inside, to dimensioning itself alone.

I do like this idea Richard.

[Doug Park]

I don't think it works quite like you think it does. In 10 if you had a room with manual dimensions and then you deleted the manual dimensions the temporary would come back. In X-1 this is not the case.

Could you please send in a bug report showing this. If that is indeed the case we need to look at it.

Thanks

[sdsinc]

1. I use temp dims like Louis - mostly remodeling. These are so important when setting up the original model. I use them to locate everything - walls, cabinets, doors, windows, roof overhangs, chimneys especially. That is the short list of what the priorities for accurate temps are for me.

2. same

3. V10 was fine, and so is X1 for the most part, but X1 is so inconsistent. Cut a section - send to cad - now try to dimension (point to point) from floor to ceiling. It will never be the points selected. How is that possible? If I select two points, those are the two points I want.

4. It would appear that CA has already guesstimated and maybe missed the mark. I actually like a lot about the way CA dimensions now that I am used to it, but it still feels like the dimensions, both temp and permanent, are being looked at graphically. I would rather have a temp behavior DBX tab in the dimension DBX. Let me choose if they are always available or hidden when permanent dims are present. I would love it if when the temp display shows there are grab handles and I can relocate the temp on the fly and then convert it to permanent with a mouse click. That would probably help a lot of us.

5. Wow - a lot to think about here. How about starting simple - stop it from dimensioning to layers I've locked. Create a simple internal intelligence for locating the temp dimension so that it will always find a wall first if there is one within say 16". The biggest trouble I have is working in a tight area such as with roof overhangs. I run them long and want the rake overhang to be 8", so I select the roof plane, but it will invariably pick up the adjacent roof plane or some other dumb object rather than the wall and I now must draw a point to point, which also sometimes works and sometimes doesn't.

[sdsinc]

The way temp dimensions work in version X1.3 is very confusing. Draw a simple box using exterior walls. Place a door 10' or so from a corner. Click on the inside edge of the door. With defaults set to both wall surfaces, the dimensions will be to the inside of one wall and to the exterior of the other wall. Same issue when clicking on the outside edge. Windows are working the same way. Is their any logic to this behavior.

I feel that when clicking on the inside of a door or window, the temp dimension should go to both inside surfaces of the walls and when clicking on exterior surface of door or window, it should go to the exterior wall surfaces.

Jon

I have reported this problem to tech, listed it three times in this forum, and continue to have this problem. I would love this to be fixed in the next update.

[louis]

Could you please send in a bug report showing this. If that is indeed the case we need to look at it.

Doug,

I should have expanded on this a bit. When I said it does not come back what I mean is that is does not come back as a temporary where no regular dimension have been placed. It comes back with that zoom thing. In other words it does not act like a regular temporary dimension. X-1 remembers that a dimension was there even though there is not one present.