Are you thinking that a basic geometry is different than a basic dimension?
To me, a basic dimension is a number*, often with a box drawn around it, which is attached to some geometry (surfaces, axes, etc.) with dimension lines and extension lines or a leader line. A "dumb" CAD model** generally does not contain any dimensions in this sense.
*Actually not a pure number, but a quantity with a numerical value and a unit, the latter often defined in a separate note.
**Formats such as STL or (more commonly) STEP AP203 Edition 1.
I'm using "basic geometry" as a catch-all term for true profile, true position, etc.; essentially any geometry that is defined by a CAD model that has been identified as basic or by basic dimensions on a drawing.
Sorry about the terminology nitpicking. When I first read your statement partially quoted in my previous post, I assumed "it" referred to "basic dim", but I now realize you may have been referring to "true profile" in your preceding sentence (excluded from the quote). Applying a tolerance to a basic dimension is generally contrary to the definition, and I want to be clear that I am not suggesting that here.
What I am suggesting is that it's acceptable to apply a toleranced dimension to a portion of a true profile (regardless of whether a profile tolerance is also applied), and that it's acceptable to apply a profile tolerance to a portion of a true profile (regardless of whether a toleranced dimension is also applied). The two tolerances seem completely independent to me. I don't see how a conflict is possible unless the tolerance values are chosen poorly.
You apparently disagree with some portion of this, but it's not yet clear to me what that might be. Are you saying there's a conflict between the toleranced dimension and the basic dimension, or between the toleranced dimension and the profile tolerance? And are you saying it's just bad practice, or actually prohibited by the standard? If the latter, where?
I don't get what the controversy is about. If it was a fully defined drawing and not MBD, would it be OK to have +- dimension AND basic diameter AND Profile referencing datum features on a hole? The answer is no as the Profile fully defines the feature including the size of it. That is unless you want to consider the profile as some odd "refinement" of size that also controls location and orientation - but that probably makes the size dimension redundant.
I regret involving MBD in my earlier example. Here's one which is much simpler and hopefully better:
Imagine a drawing that shows a steel ball with the following specifications:
spherical diameter 5.5 +/- 0.3 (call this "tolerance A")
spherical diameter 5.5 BASIC
[box]profile[/box][box]0.4[/box] (call this "tolerance B")
If you like, imagine the basic dimension and profile tolerance are applied in one view, and the toleranced dimension is applied in a different view.
Perhaps "customer A" only cares about "tolerance A" and "customer B" only cares about "tolerance B". It's possible for a part to meet both tolerances simultaneously, so I want a single product that I can sell to both customers and simplify my inventory. It's also possible for a part to meet "tolerance A" and not "tolerance B", or to meet "tolerance B" and not "tolerance A", so neither tolerance is redundant. Perhaps my manufacturing process results in balls with profile error of approximately 0.35, making it impractical to reduce the profile tolerance to 0.3 and eliminate the toleranced dimension (even though I might prefer to simplify the drawing by doing exactly that).
I think we'd all agree that each tolerance would be fine by itself on its own drawing. It would also be possible to inspect a part against two different drawings. So why would combining them on one drawing be an issue?
pylfrm