Associative dimensions are dimensions that are attached to an object and that follow and update along with the object as it is moved, stretched, rotated, resized etc.
Currently, all dimensions except the Angle dimension are associative by default for most users of CET, except for users of the Kitchen & Bath edition where they are non-associative by default.
Dimensions in old drawings will not automatically be associative when you open the drawing. Each dimension would have to be redone to an Associative dimension manually.
General behavior of associative dimensions
During placement
- Having selected a dimension type and moving the cursor to the drawing area, the Associative option in the Properties Box is checked.
- When snapping the dimension to an object that supports association in the drawing, the object is highlighted in blue:
- The Associative option in the Quick Properties box remains checked by default, even when the dimension is snapped to objects that do not support association.
- A square (not a circle) indicates the snapping position:
- You can decide for each dimension leg whether or not it should be associative by checking/unchecking the option in the Quick Properties box.
- The state of the checkbox is remembered the next time you place a dimension or attach a leg (chain dimensions).
After placement
- Selecting a dimension, a blue dot on the dimension leg indicates that it is associative. The dot will not be visible in print or rendering.
- Selecting an associative dimension (regular or chain type), there is an Auto-rotate dimension option available in the Quick Properties box. Keeping this checkbox selected makes the dimension auto-rotate along with the object it is attached to, which is important for accuracy and readability.
- A dimension attached to two or more different objects will not rotate along with its objects, even if the Auto-rotate dimension option is kept checked; only update its direction.
Associative dimensions can, in some situations, lose the connection to their objects and become disassociated as shown in the examples below. Look for the blue dot on the dimension leg to see whether it is associative.
The solution then is to stretch and re-attach each dimension leg to re-associate it.
The solution then is to stretch and re-attach each dimension leg to re-associate it.
- When an asymmetrical object that has an associative dimension attached to it is mirrored:
- When the associated point is no longer valid. For example, changing a panel combination from 120 degrees to 90 degrees will change the junction, which makes the originally associated point invalid.
Tools that currently do not support associative dimensions
- Textboxes, Incrementer, Data fields and other text-related tools
- Revision clouds
- Picklist
- Legends
- Revision history
- Movie Studio paths
- Article views in Paper View
- Help grid in Paper View
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