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Dumb Question - What method determines what angels I am measuring?

Dumb Question - What method determines what angels I am measuring?

Dumb Question - What method determines what angels I am measuring?

(OP)
I've come across this constantly...

Let say I have two center lines 45º apart.

When I go to measure them I normally get a measurement of 225º or alternatively 135º.

If I play around long enough I can finally get 45º.  I thought it was something as simple as what side of the line I measure from but I cannot determine NX's method for determining this value.  

Anyone?  ;)  

Thanks for putting up with me silly noggin.  

Keegan

RE: Dumb Question - What method determines what angels I am measuring?

NX measures angles in the counterclockwise direction.
To get the 45 deg. angle you want, select the outer end of the first line, then the outer end of the next line counterclockwise from the first line.

The end of the line that you select will change the angle measurement from 45 to 135.

 

"Wildfires are dangerous, hard to control, and economically catastrophic."

Ben Loosli

RE: Dumb Question - What method determines what angels I am measuring?

It does often work that way, but not always.  I've yet to understand the logic myself, having the same problem when dimensioning.

"Good to know you got shoes to wear when you find the floor." - Robert Hunter
 

RE: Dumb Question - What method determines what angels I am measuring?

(OP)
I laughed at EWH's response... misery loves company!  What I don't understand is why doesn't NX just offer all solutions instead of two?

RE: Dumb Question - What method determines what angels I am measuring?

Yes, I agree. I have seen UG/NX do some weird angles that you scratch your head over and keep trying to get what YOU want. But after 22 years with it, you get used to the quirks and keep working.
 

"Wildfires are dangerous, hard to control, and economically catastrophic."

Ben Loosli

RE: Dumb Question - What method determines what angels I am measuring?

Hello,
Maybe I am missunderstanding the question, but I have always just picked to outermost end of the lines and I get the angle I want all the time.  If you look at the two points option for dimensioning an angle and play with that you will see that for each line, you pick three points, that start of the line, the vertex, and then the direct for the vector.  If you are using the existing line option, you only have to pick the end of the line furthest from the vertex.
Hope this helps,
Rick

RE: Dumb Question - What method determines what angels I am measuring?

Yes, the two point method is more dependable.  It's the end of line method that doesn't always live up to it's billing.

"Good to know you got shoes to wear when you find the floor." - Robert Hunter
 

RE: Dumb Question - What method determines what angels I am measuring?

OK, I assume we are talking about...

Analysis -> Measure Angle...

...correct?

If so, I suspect that you may be using the Measurement 'Evaluation Plane' option of '3D Angle', correct?

Have you tried to use the 'True Angle' option instead?

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Design Solutions
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
http://www.siemens.com/plm
http://www.plmworld.org/museum/

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.
 

RE: Dumb Question - What method determines what angels I am measuring?

It doesn't bother me when using "Analysis -> Measure Angle" as it is still easy to interpret.  What bothers me is having to use the two point method when drafting because the line method gives me everything but the angle I want.  Along with looslib, I have learned to live with it.

"Good to know you got shoes to wear when you find the floor." - Robert Hunter
 

RE: Dumb Question - What method determines what angels I am measuring?

(OP)
I was talking about drafting.  I only used it in Analysis -> Measure Angle a few times.  

I too am living with it but I just was hoping maybe there was a better method to it instead of Select, select, delete...  Select, select, delete...  Select, select, delete...  Select, select, YES!  

;)

Thanks!  

Keegan

RE: Dumb Question - What method determines what angels I am measuring?

So we're talking about adding an angular dimension, correct?

Could you provide us at least a picture of what it is that you're working with?

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Design Solutions
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
http://www.siemens.com/plm
http://www.plmworld.org/museum/

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.
 

RE: Dumb Question - What method determines what angels I am measuring?

I believe what reading you get for an angle measurement depends on how the WCS is oriented relative to what is being measured.

RE: Dumb Question - What method determines what angels I am measuring?

In a drawing?

"Good to know you got shoes to wear when you find the floor." - Robert Hunter
 

RE: Dumb Question - What method determines what angels I am measuring?

Whether it is in a drawing or using the measuring utility the menu layouts these days might allow the addition of the little reverse vector button to make things a lot easier in the future.

Best Regards

Hudson

www.jamb.com.au

Nil Desperandum illegitimi non carborundum

RE: Dumb Question - What method determines what angels I am measuring?

I am sorry, no not in a drawing. I made the wrong assumption that he was taking an angle measurement on a model. I guess I didn't take my medication that day.

RE: Dumb Question - What method determines what angels I am measuring?

You mean you assumed something.....
Anyway, maybe I am assuming too much as well, but every time I have had trouble with measuring angles, its because I picked the wrong end on the line.  Always pick the end away from the vertex.
Rick

RE: Dumb Question - What method determines what angels I am measuring?

(OP)
Here is a screen shot of what is going.  

Simply I just want the 45º but no matter how or where I select it, I get the 135º (or 225º) dimension almost every time but if I keep saying to my PC "I think I can, I know I can!" it will finally figure out what I am asking for.  

(My mom taught me that if you talk nice to your junk cars they will start for you (oh yeah... even in the winter!) I've just transferred the that little valued nugget into the world of drafting.)

That's a joke son... a joke!  

:)

Keegan

Oh and on a side note, someone mentioned using a macro to automatically update the Moment of Inertia on a print in another post http://www.eng-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=253382&page=1 of mine.

Anyone have any ideas on that?

RE: Dumb Question - What method determines what angels I am measuring?

What version of NX are you using?

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Design Solutions
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
http://www.siemens.com/plm
http://www.plmworld.org/museum/

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.
 

RE: Dumb Question - What method determines what angels I am measuring?

It appears that you have to different bolt-circles in your part and you're creating an angle from one hole's centerline tick of one bolt-circle to a hole's centerline tick of a different bolt-circle.  I reproduced a model similar to that in NX 6.0 and had no problems creating the proper 45° dimensions.  However, you do need to make your selections of BOTH of the centerline elements from OUTSIDE the circumference of the circles.  If you select from the inside or a combination of inside/outside, you may not get what you expect.  Note that generally speaking, NX expects the user to select the elements of an Angular dimension in an Anticlockwise direction (AKA, Counterclockwise) although that is not a rigid a requirement as it once was it's still better to start-out that way if possible.  Note that there is also an 'Alternate Angle' option (which must be invoked at the time the Dimension is being created) that will give you the angular Dimension of the measured angle subtracted from 360°.

Anyway, try to select the Centerline elements as I've recommended and see if that helps.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Design Solutions
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
http://www.siemens.com/plm
http://www.plmworld.org/museum/

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.
 

RE: Dumb Question - What method determines what angels I am measuring?

NX6.0.2.8

This is what I'm seeing using the line pick method.  If I keep trying alternate picks, I may get what I'm looking for, but I usually give up and do the two point method.
 

"Good to know you got shoes to wear when you find the floor." - Robert Hunter
 

RE: Dumb Question - What method determines what angels I am measuring?

OK, we've determined that your problem with the angular dimension from the centerline of the pin to the side of the model in the section view is a bug and I've opened a PR (this worked prior to NX 6.0).  I'll report back what I learn.  Note that the problem is with the way in which the Dimension code is picking the Centerline object.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Design Solutions
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
http://www.siemens.com/plm
http://www.plmworld.org/museum/

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.
 

RE: Dumb Question - What method determines what angels I am measuring?

(OP)
I was told by another Siemens rep, "We love to here suggestions!"  

My suggestion is "Alternate Quadrant" (as apposed to "Alternate Solution")

If all 4 possibilities we presented... problem solved!

I know, I know... Easy for me to say!  

Thanks!  

Keegan

 

RE: Dumb Question - What method determines what angels I am measuring?

@ingallspw, "Alternate Quadrant" ... that would be pretty sweet.  Good idea, would really save time and frustration.  I'm sure there's some downside to it (and one might say, you should just always get it right the first attempt), but if this was available I'd use it all the time.

Star.

RE: Dumb Question - What method determines what angels I am measuring?

Thanks, John.  It is reassuring that I'm not falling that far behind!

"Good to know you got shoes to wear when you find the floor." - Robert Hunter
 

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