10.8 Dimensions

[dday1991]

I am having trouble getting my dimensions to recognize slabs and cad object centers.
Any suggestions?

[Ben Palmer]

Make sure CAD objects are selected in Dimensions Defaults. Double click the dimension icon, go to Locate Objects, and under CAD Objects, select the boxes. The centers are only available for snapping with boxes (not polyline boxes) and circles. Otherwise, you will need to draw a cad line to reference/dimension the center of an object.

[Steve C.]

Thought I would revive this thread since I am having the same problem. I'm working on a foundation project in CAD mode and I can't seem to locate the centers of the CAD boxes I've created for piers. The strange thing is, I did an identical CAD pier on another foundation project just two days ago and I was able to locate centers then. I've already gone back and checked that project to see what my settings were and they are the same as this project. I've tried every combination of CAD locate objects there is with no success. What's even stranger is I went back and edited that project and I was still able to locate the CAD box centers. I even created a couple of different boxes with different attributes just to make sure it wasn't the box because I copied and pasted the same box throughout the project.

I'm clicking and dragging extension lines like crazy with no luck. Any suggestions?

[Allen Brown]

Yes. Go to cad mode, select "draw line" with snaps on, you should be able to snap to the center of that pier, draw a line coming off of it. Then do the same to the next pier. Place a manual dimension between the two lines. Now, you can shift select both the pier and the line. Once those are both selected, you can click the dimension, and enter the distance wanted. This method can be used to accurately move just about anything.

[Steve C.]

Thanks Allen but I already used that. I'm still baffled as to why the dimensions worked on another plan but not on this one. weird

[Ben Palmer]

CAD boxes are not as expected when it comes to center dimensioning. One thing to remind from my previous post above, the CAD square must be a box versus a polyline box. The other stipulationis the center dimensioning only works on one side. So you may have to rotate the box 90 degrees. Sometimes I also get the edge first, then drag to the center snap.

Hope that helps.

[Steve C.]

the CAD square must be a box versus a polyline box.

BINGO!!!!!!!! Thanks! That stinks. I used the polyline box out of habit. Obviously I used the square box on the other plan.

I feel mentally challenged (that's retarded for the non-PC crowd).