topic Dimensions Suddenly Changed in Documentation

Dimensions Suddenly Changed

Bob Moore — Mon, 22 May 2023 21:56:33 GMT

I was working in AC 18 on an independent work sheet and when I went back to the floor plan the dimensions had shifted 1/16" give me some strange dimension that will be tough to use in the field.

Re: Dimensions Suddenly Changed

Bob Moore — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 18:25:10 GMT

Figured it out. Somehow the dimension preference for fractions in the project preferences changed. I'm not sure how it changed but it did.

Re: Dimensions Suddenly Changed

Laszlo Nagy — Wed, 13 Jan 2016 02:47:28 GMT

Dimension preferences are saved with Views. You may have different Views saved with different Dimension preferences. You may have activated a View and it applied the Dimension preferences stored in it.

Re: Dimensions Suddenly Changed

Bob Moore — Wed, 13 Jan 2016 13:09:53 GMT

Thanks. I wasn't aware of that. I'll make note of it to see if that was the issue.

Re: Dimensions Suddenly Changed

Bob Moore — Wed, 13 Jan 2016 17:09:15 GMT

laszlonagy wrote:
Dimension preferences are saved with Views. You may have different Views saved with different Dimension preferences. You may have activate a View and it applied the Dimension preferences stored in it.

Yes that seems to be the issue.

Thanks again.

Re: Dimensions Suddenly Changed

Aaron Bourgoin — Wed, 13 Jan 2016 17:46:18 GMT

there may be a bug associated with this.

If I alter a Dimension Style without saving the new result (now "custom") and save the file (or send/receive changes?), my altered metric dimensions turn to Imperial ones.

Re: Dimensions Suddenly Changed

Katalin Borszeki — Wed, 16 Mar 2016 14:20:31 GMT

Hi All,
Unfortunately we could not get sufficient info from Aaron to continue the investigation on why the dimensions were changing.

Re: Dimensions Suddenly Changed

DGSketcher — Wed, 16 Mar 2016 19:10:37 GMT

I experienced something similar back in January with my dimensioned schedule views. I never use imperial on my drawings, having checked all my drawings they were published to PDF and issued. It was only when the contractor sat down to price the drawings we became aware that every illustration in the schedule had change to imperial. On opening the source file everything was already back in metric.

Sorry Katalin I can't add anything more to this that would help identify the cause of the change, I assumed it was just a random bug as I have not had it happen since working on the same file or others.

Re: Dimensions Suddenly Changed

Jefferson — Tue, 23 Aug 2016 17:20:07 GMT

Katalin -

Have to admit some relief to find this post in my search - hopefully you can help with this!

I'm experiencing an inability to insert fractions in some dialog boxes. Noticed it initially with some Cadimage tools, [stairs and wall coverings with offsets and or dimension call outs], and then later on in other editing dialog boxes. Meanwhile my tracker input seems to work fine!?

When editing try to place or edit fractions the number automatically revert to whole numbers, usually closest to whatever the last numeric key pressed is. [with Cadimage tools it abandons the dialog box altogether.] Obviously VERY frustrating - no matter what the work-around is, copying and pasting, I really need to fix this.

Initially, as always, I assume this is pilot error, or even a wireless keyboard issue, but I'm afraid not - which means I have a bigger problem! Really hope you can help out. I have taken a screen shot movie clip which I couldn't seem to attach but you can view or download from the link below.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ugyoetfkvzvewqb/can%27t%20edit%20with%20fractions.mp4?dl=0

Re: Dimensions Suddenly Changed

Aaron Bourgoin — Tue, 23 Aug 2016 18:21:03 GMT

This is still an issue. On v18USA at any rate.

You can reproduce the problem easily.

Select a Dimension style that returns Millimetres.

Adjust the accuracy to full - decimal places set to 1 and Rounding all the way up to .01

The dimension style will now read Custom - which is the Hungarian word for "Incomplete Thought"

Send and Receive Changes.

Dimension strings will have changed to Fractional Feet and Inches. with 1/64 accuracy.

Sending screenshots of that would be a waste of time. The existing dimension styles are not changed, but it seems as long as you are in this Custom mode, the metric millimetre dimensions revert to fractions.

Why do I do this? because even metric values have fractions in sloppily constructed models. What's worse? a fraction in a fractional system, or fractions in a metric world. I know what construction tolerances are,but do not choose to have ArchiCAD round my dimensions for me.

Re: Dimensions Suddenly Changed

Jefferson — Tue, 23 Aug 2016 18:43:42 GMT

Hi Aaron -

Thanks for the reply - you're saying it's an issue and I have to live with it? Not that I doubt you, but I can hardly believe this would be unchecked at this point in the program's evolution - PLEASE tell me it isn't so!

I would love to go metric but it's not an option for my location and work. Further I didn't see this issue early on with 19. Although, having made a colossal jump from V 12 it's not like I am tracking well on all issues.

Not to be intentionally obtuse, but I'm not certain what it is you do to work around/with this? Can you elaborate, and I presume you have taken this up with GS support? I couldn't find any other posts on the topic than this one.....

Coming from a construction background the importance of accuracy is not lost on me so I take great pains to build an accurate model, at least as accurate as AC will allow [64ths]. Using total dimension strings, drilling down to correct errors - like everyone else I'm sure. Inaccurate models equal inaccurate plans and soon you're not working if that's the quality of your output.

This is real productivity killer.

Re: Dimensions Suddenly Changed

Aaron Bourgoin — Tue, 23 Aug 2016 23:15:32 GMT

I come to the metric world from the 1/64th world. I was dismayed to discover fractions of millimetres in the project I started working on.

Over time, I've come to realize that this probably started the day a project commences. I say that because a project usually starts with a survey, dimensioned in metres to two decimal places. From this, a planning study commences based on setbacks and other zoning imposed constraints to form an as-of-right proposition.

However, the surveyors round their dimensions rather than construct a figure that closes with vectors drawn as dimensioned. And so the building footprint will inherit any fractions introduced by the surveyor's drawings.

The next project I start will commence with a project boundary rationalized from the dimensions as I doubt a surveyor will take their work back and correct it.

From there, the responsibility is my own.

Re: Dimensions Suddenly Changed

Richard Morrison — Wed, 24 Aug 2016 00:39:40 GMT

Jefferson wrote:
Hi Aaron -

Thanks for the reply - you're saying it's an issue and I have to live with it? Not that I doubt you, but I can hardly believe this would be unchecked at this point in the program's evolution - PLEASE tell me it isn't so!

Jeff,
Looking at the behavior in your video, it looks a lot like the Options>Project Preferences>Working Units have been set to 1". You might look at that and change it to 1/32" or 1/64" if it has been reset somehow.

Re: Dimensions Suddenly Changed

Jefferson — Wed, 24 Aug 2016 16:41:51 GMT

Richard - thanks for taking the time to respond - This program has always had a lot of setting options which can both advance you and or pin you to the mat. I tend to experience both :-]

Link Ellis suggested I check my dialog auto update time setting - - either he intuited I'd screwed that up or he's really good.......I'm thinking the latter.

Aaron - Near as I am following your replies it sounds like you are either forced to or have chosen to put an inordinate amount of trust in surveyor's accuracy. In my end of the spectrum/neighborhood, working off/from/with their tolerances would be suicidal. Their data is a necessary reference but certainly not "spot on".

Re: Dimensions Suddenly Changed

Aaron Bourgoin — Wed, 24 Aug 2016 17:07:12 GMT

Jefferson wrote:
Richard - thanks for taking the time to respond - This program has always had a lot of setting options which can both advance you and or pin you to the mat. I tend to experience both :-]

Link Ellis suggested I check my dialog auto update time setting - - either he intuited I'd screwed that up or he's really good.......I'm thinking the latter.

Aaron - Near as I am following your replies it sounds like you are either forced to or have chosen to put an inordinate amount of trust in surveyor's accuracy. In my end of the spectrum/neighborhood, working off/from/with their tolerances would be suicidal. Their data is a necessary reference but certainly not "spot on".

I agree. Which is why having a boundary object in ArchiCAD might be a help. That or reconstructing a boundary using circles to build the chords that define the property lines. It's a task that comes right at the beginning of a project and is rarely looked at. People are in too much of a hurry to do this at the start. Unfortunately, the inaccuracy starts there. On Day One.

Re: Dimensions Suddenly Changed

Katalin Borszeki — Mon, 29 Aug 2016 18:34:36 GMT

Hi! When using feet & fractional inches as working units, the correct format of the dimensions lokks like this: 1’-2 3/4". As we can see on the video you have posted, you attempt to enter 1’-2” 3/4. This is an invalid format so after hitting Enter, ARCHICAD fixes it to be correct.

On the other hand, the issue might also be that you do not press enter, and ARCHICAD doesn’t let you finish typing. In Options > Work Environment > Dialog Boxes and Palettes, please set “Dialog-box Auto Update Delay” to a higher value. After this, the delay will be longer and if this is the problem, you do not run out of time.
Tx,