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COPY ALL DIMENSIONS FROM A DRAWING TO ANOTHER DRAWING SIMILAR
8

COPY ALL DIMENSIONS FROM A DRAWING TO ANOTHER DRAWING SIMILAR

COPY ALL DIMENSIONS FROM A DRAWING TO ANOTHER DRAWING SIMILAR

(OP)
Hi people
this is my first post
so I have a lot of troubles with the dangling dimensions
well i have 6-10 models with the same shape but different dimensions
so I thought on reuse the drawing but when I open there are a lot of dangling dimensions so my question is what can i do to fix them? or is some way to copy the dimensions to the other drawings?

RE: COPY ALL DIMENSIONS FROM A DRAWING TO ANOTHER DRAWING SIMILAR

One thing that doesn't work is using CAPS LOCK.

Sometimes you can reconnect dimensions. Select the dimension and look for a red point. Drag the red point to a new vertex or edge.

RE: COPY ALL DIMENSIONS FROM A DRAWING TO ANOTHER DRAWING SIMILAR

2
We discovered another procedure that may work for you. After you finish one drawing and save it, save it as a copy (SaveAs Copy) to the name for the next part. You have created a new drawing file that is linked to your current part. Then click Open, select that newly created drawing file, but DO NOT CLICK THE OPEN BUTTON YET. In the dialog box you will see a button called References. Click it. It will open a dialog box showing you which part file that drawing file is currently linked to. Click on that part file name and a new dialog box will open allowing you to select a different part file for that drawing. Select the new part you want that drawing linked to and click open. If the feature structures of the two parts are similar enough the drawing file will open with all the dimensions linked to the new part. I'm sure there will be some clean up but this process works well for us.

By the way, have you learned about configurations and how to create multiple similar parts in a single part file? Its a VERY handy tool.

And - we're running SW 2012. Not sure about this process in any other version.

RE: COPY ALL DIMENSIONS FROM A DRAWING TO ANOTHER DRAWING SIMILAR

Giving JBoggs a star. I do this, as well, but didn't feel like typing it into my iPhone.

RE: COPY ALL DIMENSIONS FROM A DRAWING TO ANOTHER DRAWING SIMILAR

I also use SWX Explorer for referencing.
I have noticed an issue with my SWX2013 >shift >drag dim. to different view
it doesn't work.... what am i doing wrong?

RE: COPY ALL DIMENSIONS FROM A DRAWING TO ANOTHER DRAWING SIMILAR

draftman01

Were the models created from the same base model? i.e. Create one model, Save as to the next model and change sizes?

Were the drawing dimensions placed manually or with the Insert > Model Items method?

RE: COPY ALL DIMENSIONS FROM A DRAWING TO ANOTHER DRAWING SIMILAR

"Were the models created from the same base model? i.e. Create one model, Save as to the next model and change sizes?"
Yes.

"Were the drawing dimensions placed manually or with the Insert > Model Items method? "
Manually, but it still might work.

Again - check out configurations! It applies exactly to what you are doing.

RE: COPY ALL DIMENSIONS FROM A DRAWING TO ANOTHER DRAWING SIMILAR

Pack and Go beats save-as for pretty much anything being created new from similar parts and drawings. And Jboggs is spot on in his save-as method. We avoid configurations that we send to vendors with the SolidWorks part and drawing files, so they don't accidentally switch configurations and make the part wrong. For design work configs are a great way to go.

Diego

RE: COPY ALL DIMENSIONS FROM A DRAWING TO ANOTHER DRAWING SIMILAR

"We avoid configurations that we send to vendors with the SolidWorks part and drawing files, so they don't accidentally switch configurations and make the part wrong. For design work configs are a great way to go."

We only send drawings to our vendors, and usually they are just PDF's. We don't send models outside the company. And the reason we don't normally use Pack-and-Go for this purpose is that our assemblies include fasteners and commercial items that come from a central library. Pack-and-Go creates new models of those parts.

RE: COPY ALL DIMENSIONS FROM A DRAWING TO ANOTHER DRAWING SIMILAR

(OP)
well i tried with save as and open the copy with the new model reference but it didn't work, they are dangling dimensions still... so pack and go? sorry for my ignorance but how use it? is some tutorial here?

RE: COPY ALL DIMENSIONS FROM A DRAWING TO ANOTHER DRAWING SIMILAR



draftman01 .... Were the models created from the same base model? i.e. Create one model, Save as to the next model and change sizes?

RE: COPY ALL DIMENSIONS FROM A DRAWING TO ANOTHER DRAWING SIMILAR

(OP)
yes...so is one way?

RE: COPY ALL DIMENSIONS FROM A DRAWING TO ANOTHER DRAWING SIMILAR

2
I use a slightly different method than Jboggs , but I think it is a little more efficient because it creates a model as well as a drawing at the same time.

After you create your first model and drawing (and save them). Do a SaveAs on the drawing, change the name but before clicking Save click on the "References" button. Change the name for the model that is listed. Be sure to click in another cell after changing the name of the model (it will turn green if it actually is changed). For some reason if you don't do this SW will ignore the change that you just made. Choose "Save all as copy..." in this dialog as well. Now click the "Save All" button and you should have a new drawing and a new model that is associated with that drawing.

I hope this is clear.

Dan

Han primo incensus

RE: COPY ALL DIMENSIONS FROM A DRAWING TO ANOTHER DRAWING SIMILAR

(OP)
so i made this but now what?

RE: COPY ALL DIMENSIONS FROM A DRAWING TO ANOTHER DRAWING SIMILAR

If you're asking me "now what" then you open the new model/drawing, make your changes, and save them. You repeat this until you have all of you models/drawings.

Han primo incensus

RE: COPY ALL DIMENSIONS FROM A DRAWING TO ANOTHER DRAWING SIMILAR

(OP)
mmmmmm....well I've the models,all o them so I made 1 drawing, when I copy this one and open whit other model reference I get dangling dimensions this is the problem.

RE: COPY ALL DIMENSIONS FROM A DRAWING TO ANOTHER DRAWING SIMILAR

(OP)
so what did u say about configurations Jboggs?
can u explain me?

RE: COPY ALL DIMENSIONS FROM A DRAWING TO ANOTHER DRAWING SIMILAR

I'm thinking your problem is with loose references...Have you fully studied up on pack and go? It's a real life saver.

RE: COPY ALL DIMENSIONS FROM A DRAWING TO ANOTHER DRAWING SIMILAR

(OP)
i think that no yet...do u know about a manual or something similar to learn about this?
well I need fix them do u know how do it?

RE: COPY ALL DIMENSIONS FROM A DRAWING TO ANOTHER DRAWING SIMILAR


For what its worth, I have been able to "re-attach" lots of dangling dimensions in the past by just clicking on a dimension attach point and dragging it to the new attachment. Many times it will adopt the new attachment and is no longer dangling.

RE: COPY ALL DIMENSIONS FROM A DRAWING TO ANOTHER DRAWING SIMILAR

draftman01 ... Can you ZIP & post a couple of the parts and a drawing to test?

RE: COPY ALL DIMENSIONS FROM A DRAWING TO ANOTHER DRAWING SIMILAR

draftman01,
If you are still curious about configurations, the best thing I can tell you is to go to the tutorials in Help. They will teach you a lot. If you have several parts that are similar and only different in a few small details, configurations allow you to show all those variations in a single part. Then you can make drawings of all those different parts. All the drawings will refer to the same part, but different configurations. It can be very helpful if you have to make a change that affects all or many of the parts. Change it in one place, and it shows up in all the affected drawings. Configurations can be frustrating as you learn how to use them, but once you've got it they are VERY useful.

RE: COPY ALL DIMENSIONS FROM A DRAWING TO ANOTHER DRAWING SIMILAR

From the files you posted it is obvious you did not create all the models from the base model as you said you had. Some of the feature structures are very different.

When dimensions are placed in drawings, they aren't just attached to a line, edge or point in a 2D drawing view, they are attached to specific lines, edges & points of the actual 3D model being viewed. So when a model is re-referenced, the dimensions look for those specific element ID's, and when they aren't found, the dimensions become dangling.

RE: COPY ALL DIMENSIONS FROM A DRAWING TO ANOTHER DRAWING SIMILAR

Star for Dan for beating me to that. I use that functionality a lot.

David
Check out my professional profile and connect with me on LinkedIn. http://lnkd.in/fY7-QK

RE: COPY ALL DIMENSIONS FROM A DRAWING TO ANOTHER DRAWING SIMILAR

Why don't you try using Pack & go. Jboggs method is also good but the dangling dimensions could be very annoying some times. Instead Just p&g the drawing make sure to select all the parts and rename them to the new part no and also uncheck all the fasteners which are referenced of from the design library and save.

Just open up the part now and make the necessary design changes and the drawing is updated automatically. (You have to P&G almost similar one to save more time)

This way you can come around the dangling dimensions and save time.

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