Can't add this dimension

[Steve Jepson]

Here is an interesting dimension problem.

I want to add a dimension from the center of this footing to the edge of a wall. I can't do it because of how the footing(drawn as a wall) is oriented.
I draw my footings as walls so they will clean up nicely.
If I rotate the footing it wont clean up.

It acts as if it will place the dimension but it wont do it.
Apparently you can't dimension from mid point on the the side of a wall to the edge of a wall. ??

You can try this with any two walls. Draw one vertical and the other horizontal.

Try to dimension from the center snap point on the edge of the vertical wall to the edge of the horizontal wall. Can't do it.

I think this is a bug because you should be able to add a dimension from any two snap points.

[Anonymous]

Yes, curious??
In 14 it's fine, in 15 it does what you say....
Before placing the second point, if I right click at the midpoint and add a guide line, then left click, it places the correct square marker and completes the dimension correctly...hmmm
Rob

[Dennis Lee]

Try unclicking "Dimension only the core of composite and complex walls".

Never mind - it doesn't work now for me either. It doesn't work in V14 either for me?

[Dennis Lee]

Actually, try any straight wall, and try to dimension from both ends to the mid point. It won't take it. The mid point of the wall just can't be dimensioned no matter what. I wonder if this was always the case?

[Anonymous]

You're right, doesn't work in 14..I hovered over the midpoint long enough for the guidelines to appear and it snapped to them!

[Karl Ottenstein]

Dimensions are associative to element hotspots.

The Special Snap Points (half, division, percent, etc) that you are talking about are not hotspots, but temporary snap points and so cannot be dimensioned to. They are for positioning elements.

Personally, I would never consider using anything other than a column for the footing that you show, since a structural engineer will specify its size with width x height x depth values and only the column tool lets you parametrically set all three. (Well, Beam tool, too, but doesn't make sense here.) Dimensioning is then easy as column-elements have a hotspot in their center ... which also easily lets you center the actual load bearing column on them as well.

The only workarounds I can think of for using walls as you are are:

(1) use centerline construction method for the 'wall', with the thickness of the wall in line with the continuous footer and the reference line horizontal, as we look at your screenshot. You can snap to the centerline. Of course, this will not clean up with your continuous footer, and so is more work with no advantage over using a column

(2) not recommended at all ... but you can use the Hotspot tool to place a hotspot on the special snap point and then dimension to that hotspot. You'd want to group the hotspot with your 'wall' (column footing) - but you'll have a hassle if the footing size changes - will have to move the hotspot to make the dimension correct.

Cheers,
Karl

[vfrontiers]

I am presuming EVERYTHING in your drawing is part of the FOOTING... eg, the footing and stem wall are ONE WALL PROFILE?... yes?

If so, I guess you can let it(stem+ftg profile run thru and have the COLUMN just ADD the "extra" footing coincident with the stem's regular footing... Then I would definitely use this method as Karl suggests.

Another method is to SPLIT the SPOT FOOTING in half and dimension to the END that's the middle.

Obviously NOT optimum as you'll need to keep those two halves together if they get moved.

[Steve Jepson]

In this case the footings and stemwall are not the same profile. I need separate schedules for each.

I would rather use columns but they don't clean up like walls do.
I will just use a hot spot and group it to that wall/footing. There are only 3 or 4 of these spot footing in this project.

[Steve Jepson]

Karl wrote:
Dimensions are associative to element hotspots.

The Special Snap Points (half, division, percent, etc) that you are talking about are not hotspots, but temporary snap points and so cannot be dimensioned to.

You can on a line. Why not a wall?

Also on a wall you can not place a dimension node on a divisions mark, but you can place a dimension node on the midpoint edge of the wall. It just wont finish the job.

[Karl Ottenstein]

Steve wrote:
I would rather use columns but they don't clean up like walls do.

The clean-up that you want is that you do not want lines where the spot footing meets the continuous footing? But, in reality, doesn't the spot footing have a separate reinforcement detail, as an isolated footing does - perhaps a cage of some sort? Seems to me having those extra lines more clearly demarcates the reinforcement changes - even if things are formed up for a single concrete pour. Just how I would look at it anyway. 😉

Cheers,
Karl