3D Documentation, Non Static Dimensions to Objects

[Anonymous]

Hi All,
I really want to use 3D documents for ceiling plans, but it seems I cannot placed linked dimensions to 3D objects.
I can place linked dimensions to slabs, beams and other elements, but the hotspots in the 3D script can not be dimensioned.

Has anyone else come across this?

Thanks
Tom

[Anonymous]

Hi Tom,

I would guess it is to do with whether the hotspots have their own unique IDs in the 3d script. A dimension snapped to a plain hotspot doesn't update when the object is resized. A dimension snapped to a hotspot with an ID does seem to update in a 3d document.

This is a typical hotspot with an auto incrementing unique ID -

unID = 1  
HOTSPOT A,B,0,unID :unID=unID+1
HOTSPOT 0,B,0,unID :unID=unID+1
...etc

[Anonymous]

Bloody Genius Peter,
Works Perfect. This forum sure beats Graphisoft support.

Thanks Again
Tom

[Barry Kelly]

The auto incrementing hotspot ID is all well and good in most situations but you must be careful if you have hotspots defined inside a loop (i.e. FOR/NEXT, GOSUB, GOTO, etc.).
Some times there will be more hotspots created or some may be turned off as you alter your object.
Then the ID of you hotspots will still increment but the IDs for individual hotspots may change and your linked dimensions will jump to follow the ID that they were originally linked to.

What was hotspot 6 may now become hotspot 9 and your dimension will alter to pick up the new hotspot 6 because that is what it thinks it is linked to.

Calling other objects with hotspots can also create a duplication of hotspot IDs.

I find fixing a hotspot ID is better so it always remains the same number.
If a hotspot is turned off because of the way the object is scripted then the node for that dimension will disappear as well (it should come back if that hotspot is turned on again).
If new hotspots are created then they will have unique numbers as well and won't affect existing dimensions.

Barry.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the extra information Barry. I guess it would be difficult to give a fixed ID to all the hotspots in an object that creates hotspots dynamically, so I suppose the best you could do is to make sure the boundary and centreline hotspots don't change. (Or whatever points needs to be dimensioned.)

I think the same issue applies to automatic dimensioning of doors and windows in Schedules. They also need hotspots with unique IDs around the edges - here.

(edit: Ahh - you posted it originally! )