Temporary Dimensions: What would work for you

[spark]

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.

Louis,

Please report this problem to Technical Support.

[Allen42acj]

Are temporary and auto dimensions getting mixed up in this thread?
I just looked an my temp are matching my autos on door and window openings in X1..Didn't in 10.
That is what I want,to be the same as the ones that stay so your not moving things twice..

[spark]

I would like to remind everyone that this thread is for gathering information about Temporary Dimensions only. Not manual or auto dimensions. Just Temporary Dimensions.

[Don Rosentrater]

1. I use temp. dims. to resize closed cadd objects, quick locates for lines that are parallel, & to move walls quickly w/out setting permanent dims. in a plan space that might not need one in the longrun. They also work nicely for doors/windows/cabinets, etc. quick placements.
2. Same as above; it had been a very effective tool
3. Ver.10 weren't they a bit more object-specific and relative to the first obect that was adjacent? I honestly don't remember the specifics w/out turning it back on again to answer the question.
4.&5. I'd prefer to be able to control them in basic ways (via the "locate" settings in the dim. defaults) and maybe have a "reach" limit available (such as when you are working on a cross section detail, and zoomed in alot you don't want them to pick up something out of the view). Or just restrict the reach to the first adjacent object and keep it simple.

[louis]

I have only been talking about temporary dimensions.


I'm gone.

Have a great afternoon.

[spark]

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.

It looks like that one was overlooked. I'll log a report on it.

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.

By layer, do you mean wall layer or layerset layer.


[qoute=louis]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.[/quote]

If you're using the same setup for every plan, retroactively, it may be better to keep temporary dimension settings with Chief and not with individual plans.

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 think for the most part, people are going to want their temp dimensions setup to behave differently than manual/auto dimensions.

[Jon Scussel]

Rich

Thanks for the reply. I was beginning to think it was only me having this problem.

Jon

[spark]

[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.

This sounds more like a manual/auto dimensioning issue. If your Min. Number Height is still set to a small value, temp dimension text will resize to fit between the arrows of the dimension line.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]Also to allow for a manufactures rough-in requirement on the fly. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]

Rough-in for windows?

[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]The ability to make them permanent and set them to a separate layer would be great.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]3-[/SIZE] [SIZE=3]The ability to make them permanent.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]a.[/SIZE] [SIZE=3]Yes[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]Would like them to work even if there is a permanent dimension.[/SIZE]

If you zoom in far enough, temporary dimensions will display.

[SIZE=3]4-[/SIZE] [SIZE=3]Having a right click box with the options would be fine.[/SIZE]

If you could change settings, such as what layer the temp dimensions dimension to or their number height, would you need to access these settings often? Or would you set them once?

[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=2]If the new wall is not dimensioned, temporary dimensions should locate it (if they're on). Can you give me an example where this doesn't work? [/SIZE]

[/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=2]These all sound like they deal with manual or auto dimensions. [/SIZE][/SIZE]

[spark]

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.

Please send this one to Technical Support.

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.

Currently, temporary dimensions are created at the point on the object where you clicked. If you click elsewhere, they move. Is that behavior not working as expected in some situations? Can you give me an example of when you would need grab handles?

How about starting simple - stop it from dimensioning to layers I've locked.

If you select a non-locked object, it will dimension to objects that are locked. Hiding the locked layer will prevent a temporary dimension from dimensioning to an object. Can you give me an example of when generating a termporary dimension to some other, non-locked object would be better?

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.

We are working on a solution for this problem.

[spark]

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.

We're currently seeking a solution to this problem.

[WendyWelton]

I'm a little weird. I use hard dimensions on my Existing Conditions (helps me keep track of which wall has been randomly placed, and which adjusted for the exact survey). I don't disagree with what others have said along those lines - it's just not my biggest frustration.

Here's what is:

1 - Cad - If I need to make a little cad object in plan (set up for a countertop, make a profile for immediate use), it's grabbing everything except what I want. What I do want is usually other cad lines or cabinets - except...

2 - When the cad line is destined to be an exterior molding polyline, I want to temp dim to the walls, the roof edge... and when it's an interior molding polyline- walls, cabinets, soffits...

3 - Roofs - If I've grabbed a roof edge, 95% of the time, I want the temp dim to go to the wall or another roof plane. I do not want it to get stuck on itself. I never want it to go to furniture, plants, terrain lines, cabinets, etc. On the very rare instances when I did need to locate it relative to something odd, I could use other means.

4 - Walls, usually temp dim to other walls, sometimes stairs. Occasionally I snap the wall to the roof, instead of the other way around. Once in a blue moon I locate relative to property line (but again, for once in a blue moon, a hard dim is not the end of the world)

So - I think the ability for each of us to set rules would be good - and give us the ability to change those rules quickly and easily.

I would also be happy with them being preset to something pretty logical that reflects the way most people work. I'm seeing a fair amount of consensus here. My head would not burst into flames if the solution in the immediate term did not give us total user control, but made sense for 80 or 90% of typical working conditions.

[WendyWelton]

Yes - to having different defaults for temp vs. permanent dims, especially for which wall layer.

No - I don't personally need them to convert to permanent.

Yes - to having the behavior live in the profile plan.

Yes - I wouldn't die without it, but would prefer that temp dims show up on items that also have a hard dim. Sometimes I want to see a temp dim in the opposite direction, or to a different object from the hard dim. Perhaps a user setting to allow or not?

[WendyWelton]

I would like railings to be their own category.

No - they should not get dimensioned in the same string as the regular walls with Auto dimensions, but...

Yes - I would like temp dims on one railing to pick up the one opposite; the roof to pick up the railing at the edge of the porch...

[thorn]

I use temp dimensions mostly for locating windows and doors in relation to inside walls.
So.. Yes I would like temporary dimensions to display even when permanent are displayed.
I would really like to be able to adjust temp text size.

[sdsinc]

Sarah,

I have not learned how to quote efficiently yet, so I'll respond old-school style:
1. OK - so you don't have that problem when you dimension a cut section? Before I send it in to tech, can CA reproduce the behavior?

2. I want the grab handles everytime - this way, if it temps to an object I don't want to temp to, I can move the grab point where necessary. The issue here is not where it grabs on the object I am moving, rather where it references to. If I grab a cabinet and the temp shoots to the wall, but I want to locate relative to a window, it would be great to just re-locate the temp handle. Can I do it with a manual dimension? Yes - but this feature would be both unique to CA and would be instantly intuitive, improving productivity immediately as this would eliminate a three step process (grab object,draw dim line,re-grab object, relocate) into one.

3. Actually, I can't give you an example where I want to locate a locked layer. Usually I lock a layer because I want to see it for reference but I don't want to engage it during editing. If it dimensions to it, that means I am engaging it - and that is frustrating.

4. Thank you for validating that I am not the only one with this problem (along with Jon). This is not an OK behavior by any means. It might be that it is more afflicting to remodelers and less with new homers, but still.

Thanks!