Aussie wrote:
How many times have you selected a dimension string & tried to place it on the plan only find it has evaporated because the wrong dimension direction button was selected. ( maybe never but I do it all the time!!)
The point is, in many instances the direction can only be in one direction- for instance click on a wall and the core is dimensioned-The orientation of the wall dictates the dimension string.
or if I select points and the y coordinates are all the same then the direction has to be one way
I shouldnt have to then select the orientation box.
Yes, I could not agree with you more.
Furthermore, another reason that I think the dimensioning tool could and should be made better is that in my experience when dimensioning on an angle, it is too easy to end up with a dimension line that is not parallel
to the wall or line that you want to dimension. Furthermore, it seems that too often it is only slightly out of parallel, so it is not obvious to the naked eye, yet the dimension numbers are not what they should be and it goes undetected. I realize that dimension strings can be rotated after the fact, but that is a lot of extra effort, and again, I find that they are usually off by a small enough amount that it is hard to detect the error when reviewing drawings.
My suggestion to Graphisoft would be as follows: (please forgive my copying from the old ArchiTalk, but I really think this would work very slick.)
1. This solution changes the way the direction of the dimension string is chosen and is much more direct and intuitive, in my opinion.
-- Click on objects or in space to establish the nodes for the dimension string
-- Double click (as you do now) to end "node selection"
-- Click on the edge of some object or a line to establish the direction (or angle) of the dimension string.
or if there is not such an object existing, just draw a vector. (As you all know this step of clicking on an edge or drawing a vector is how many of ArchiCAD's tools already operate. ie. the "Split" or "Adjust" tools in the Edit Menu)
Maybe to enhance this step there could be a little pop up window that allowed you to type an angle if you want and/or it would show you the angle of the object that you selected or vector you drew.
-- At this point, the dimension string should be at a set angle and should move along the with the mouse so you can set the location of the whole string (ie. how close it is to the wall or whatever) Click one last time to set this location of the dimension string.
Thanks,
Marc