Dimension

This command allows you to create toleranced dimensions by pressing the 3D geometry. This dimension will be visible when exporting the part if the chosen format supports 3D annotations.

Creation stages / Use:

Click the icon or select Tools > Annotations > Dimension... command from the drop-down menu.

Select the plane on which to "write" the dimension.
Select the vertical direction.
Select the first geometry. (Plane, Edge, Point, ...)
Select the second geometry. (Plane, Edge, Point, ...)
Validate by clicking .

To use normalized tolerances, you must first reference the TopSolid Mechanics library.
This command automatically toggles the part to the annotation stage.

You can tolerance the threadings.
Linear dimensions manage median items.

The dimension plane is determined automatically selecting the geometry and can be modified manually using the Change plane button or the Ctrl + Space keys on the keyboard.

Available Options:

Screen Size:

This keeps the annotation readable: it maintains its size on screen regardless of the zoom level or the orientation of the part.

Scaling (available when the Screen Size option is not enabled):

Allows to customize the scale factor for displaying the note.

Text:

Prefix - Predefined Suffix: Prefixes/Suffixes can be predefined with the Tools > Options > Predefined Values > Predefined dimension Prefixes/Suffixes command.

Prefix symbol: By checking this option, several prefix symbols are available: None, M, Ø, R, SØ, SR, ...

Prefix/Suffix: by checking this option, Prefix/Suffix fields allow to customize datas.

Manual ext: Allows you to force the dimension text. A forced dimension text is highlighted in yellow.

Tolerances:

None: The dimension has no tolerance.
Normalized:
- Select the standard from the drop down list.
- Select the quality symbol.
- Select the display of the tolerance (see options below).
- Check or uncheck Envelope to add or not the Envelope symbol.
Manual:
- Select a predefined tolerance if it exists.
- Otherwise, enter the upper spread and lower spread.
- Select the display of the tolerance (see options below).
- Check or uncheck Envelope to add or not the Envelope symbol.

Upper and Lower Spreads.
Symmetrical Spreads.
Minimum and Maximum Values.
Medium Spread.
Quality Symbol.
Quality and Upper and Lower Spreads.
Quality and Minimum and Maximum Values.
Exponent Medium Spread.

Format (available when the Screen Size option is not enabled):

Allows to define the framing of the note and its line color.

Framing:

Allows to frame the note. possible frames are: None, Underlined, Framed, Flagged.

Margin:

Allows to adjust a distance between the text and its frame.

Radial Mode:

If this option is activated, the arrow origine is on the center of the text enclosing box and it is limited by its frame.

Color:

To use another color, select the color cell and select a new one to use. To remove this color, use the icon.

Layer:

Assign a layer to the element. The layer can be created on the fly by clicking the "+".

Advanced options (available when the Screen Size option is not enabled):

Extremities:

Allows to modify dimension extremities: leader style, size, ...

Local attributes:

This option allows to modify the attributes of each constituent of the element.

In this way, it is possible to modify individually:

the symbol (frame of the text)
the lines that constitute the rest of the element.

It is possible to modify the following attributes:

Line style.
Color.
Mask
Leader anchor point (on the text side)

The mask allows to define if an element hide or not the lines behind in order to make the draft comprehension easier. There is 4 masking level: Low, Medium, High, Very high.

The mask hides all elements that have a lower masking level. A low level element does not mask anything. An element with a medium masking level will hide elements with low level but will be hidden by element with high masking level or very high masking level.

The Leader anchor point can can be modified checking the Alignment cell.

It is possible to define:

The Alignment reference from which the alignment is defined (Decoration, First line, Last line, Whole text).
The Horizontal alignment type (Base, Bottom, Center, Top).
The Anchor location (Automatic, Left, Right)