Vertical Feature Control Frame

[jdg268]

To the best of my knowledge, ASME Y14.5M-1994 does not explicitly say the GDT feature control frame must be horizontal, but I'm assuming it does. A coworker asked me if I thought a vertical box is allowed, and I'm not 100% certain the control frame has to be horizontal. Any thoughts??

John Graham CSWP

Mechanical Design Engineer

 

[KENAT]

ASME Y14.5M-1994 1.7.5 addresses this, more or less. Notes & Dimensions should be placed to read from the bottom of the draing. Exception is baseline dims which may be read from right also.

So while it doesn't explicitly state FCF I would say that FCF are a form of dimensioning so should be read from the bottom.

KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...

 

[ewh]

As KENAT posts, all dimensional text (except baseline) is read from the bottom per Y14.5. I would consider GD&T to be dimensional text.
Just reading that doesn't really make sense to me. After all, vertical text (baseline dim.s) can be read from the bottom up. They clear that up with the examples shown. It would be easier to understand if they specified left-to-right, but maybe I'm missing something here.

Believe it if you need it or leave it if you dare. - [small]Robert Hunter[/small]

 

[KENAT]

I think they're specifying the orientation of the drawing. So with the bottom of the drawing to the reader the text should be read normally.

Make sense?

KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...

 

[ewh]

Yeah, but I still like my way better.

Believe it if you need it or leave it if you dare. - [small]Robert Hunter[/small]

 

[KENAT]

Who doesn't;-)

KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...

 

[dgallup]

One of the reasons we use ISO drawing standards, GTOLS can be horizontal or vertical. It makes a vastly better looking drawing.

 

[ewh]

"It makes a vastly better looking drawing."

I guess it really boils down to what you are used to seeing.

Believe it if you need it or leave it if you dare. - [small]Robert Hunter[/small]

 

[KENAT]

dgallup, personally I'd say most ISO drawings I've seen don't look as nice as most ASME drawings I've seen, and I've worked both systems.

That said sometimes having to put everything horizontal can be a pain.

KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...

 

[fcsuper]

GeoTols are hard enough to understand them when horizontal!

IMHO, the horizontal rule is more important nowadays than even back in the pre-CAD era. Reason is that all documents are natually viewed flat to the screen where the top of the document is the top of the screen. I disagree with using vertical text on documents these days because it requires the average person to tilt their head or find some way to rotate the document (which is different in each program, and even from version to version of a program...not to mention the fact that many programs think the rotational move is an edit that is meant to be saved).



Matt Lorono
CAD Engineer/ECN Analyst
Silicon Valley, CA
Lorono's SolidWorks Resources
Co-moderator of Solidworks Yahoo! Group
and Mechnical.Engineering Yahoo! Group

 

[dgallup]

I am quite capable of reading vertical text without tilting my head.

To me, the most important concession to reading drawings on computer screens is to use compact sheet sizes. Nicely spaced dimensions with vertical text on vertical dimensions can frequently allow the use of 1 size smaller drawing sheet compared to awkward irregularly spaced dimensions with horizontal text on vertical dimensions.

 

[KENAT]

Smaller sheets suck, using a larger sheet that allows everything to be on one (or at least fewer) sheets is preferable in my opinion. Given that every program I can think of allows you to zoom in I don't see the issue from a monitor point of view. The only real negative impact of larger sheet sizes that many places that want to print them out only have B/A3 size printers at most.

Still this is bellyaching and off topic, sorry.

KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...

 

[fcsuper]

I'm in a paperless engineering environment. Drawings are rarely printed in-house. As far as the monitor issue goes, I wasn't talking about us brainiacs that can read forwards, backwards, reversed, upside-down, etc. The engineer isn't the only person using drawings. Having complex text off in non-horizontal directions does make it harder for most people (though understandably not impossible). Especially since Control Frames are a lot more complex than simple ord dimensions.

The answer to jdg268's original question is that ASME doesn't allow for vertical GeoTols. My opinion is that I agree with this.

Matt Lorono
CAD Engineer/ECN Analyst
Silicon Valley, CA
Lorono's SolidWorks Resources
Co-moderator of Solidworks Yahoo! Group
and Mechnical.Engineering Yahoo! Group

 

[jdg268]

Thanks for the answers everyone.
John

John Graham CSWP

Mechanical Design Engineer