Configurations and flip-flopping dimension directionality

[tracy]

I am trying to create a configuration (design table) for a part. One of the features is dimensioned off of a centerline, such that the X location is negative, on one configuration, but positive for another configuration.

When I entered a negative number in the design table, I received a warning that stated:

"The design table contains negative-valued dimensions. The negative dimensions will change to positive values in the associated configurations and the dimensions will flip direction. The values in the configuration table will remain negative."

In Creo (Pro/ENGINEER), you can designate such a parameter to keep it from flipping (absolute dimension value vs. relative dimension value) but I cannot find anything to help me with this in SolidWorks. My search-fu may be ineffective because I don't know what this is called in SolidWorks.

How should I edit my design table to keep my dimensions from flipping directions?

Thanks!

 

[tracy]

I was playing around with the configuration stuff, again, and I’m not exactly sure how I did it, but I think I got it to work. I clicked on the hole, then right-clicked on the dimension. It warned me that changing it would update the design table, next time, and I said ok. Then I flipped the direction of that dimension in the dimension dialog on the left, and clicked on the green check mark. I did this for each configuration, and now it seems to be working, even if I open and close the design table. Each of the configurations that contains that hole is keeping it where I put it.

If anyone has any understanding of what I did, here, or any other help on this problem, I would still appreciate it if you could post your thoughts.

Thanks!

 

[tracy]

Didn't actually get it to work. I found out that this is a bug that's been there since at least SW2009, and there's an SPR out there to fix it.