More about the Measure Between Dialog Box

The following section aims at describing the measure between dialog box in detail:
 

Accessing the Measure Between Dialog Box

To access the Measure Between dialog box:

  1. Click Measure Between . In DMU, you can also select Analyze > Measure Between from the menu bar.
    The Measure Between dialog box is displayed:

    Dialog Box Options

    • Other Axis check box: when selected, lets you measure distances and angles with respect to a local V5 axis system.

    • Keep Measure check box: when selected, lets you keep the current and subsequent measures as features.

    This is useful if you want to keep the measures as annotations for example. 
    Some measures kept as features are associative and can be used to valuate parameters or in formulas.

    Note that in the Drafting and Advanced Meshing Tools workbenches, measures are done on-the-fly and are therefore not persistent nor associative and cannot be used as parameters.

    • Create Geometry button: lets you create the points and line corresponding to the minimum distance result.

    • Customize... button: lets you customize display of measure results.

Defining Measure Types

  • Between (default type): measures distance and, if applicable, angle between selected items.

  • Chain: lets you chain measures with the last selected item becoming the first selection in the next measure.

  • Fan: fixes the first selection as the reference so that you always measure from this item.

Defining Selection 1 and Selection 2 Modes

  • Any geometry: measures distances and, if applicable, angles between defined geometrical entities (points, edges, surfaces, etc.). By default, Any geometry option is selected
    Note:     The Arc center mode is activated in this selection mode.

This mode recognizes the axis of cylinders and lets you measure the distance between two cylinder axes for example. If you select the axis of cylinders in visualization mode or on a CGR representation, note the axis is still displayed after the measure is made. See pictures below:

Selecting an axis system in the specification tree makes the distance measure from the axis system origin.
You can select sub-entities of V5 axis systems in the geometry area only. For V4 axis systems, distances are always measured from the origin.

  • Any geometry, infinite: measures distances and, if applicable, angles between the infinite geometry (plane, line or curve) on which the selected geometrical entities lie. Curves are extended by tangency at curve ends.

Line

Plane

Curve

 For an arc selection in Any geometry, infinite mode, this is the arc edge that is considered and no longer the arc center.

Any geometry, infinite

Any geometry

Picking point: measures distances between points selected on defined geometrical entities.

Notes:

  • The picking point is selected on visualization mode geometry and depends on the sag value used. It may not correspond to the exact geometry.

  • The resulting measure will always be non associative.

  • In the DMU section viewer, selecting two picking points on a curve gives the distance along the curve between points (curve length or CL) as well as the minimum distance between points.

  • The picking point selection is not compatible with Maximum distance from 1 to 2  measurement.

In the DMU section viewer, selecting two picking points on a curve gives the distance along the curve between points (curve length or CL) as well as the minimum distance between points.

Notes:

  • Both points must be located on the same curve element.

  • The minimum distance option must be set in the Measure Between Customization dialog box

  • Point only: measures distances between points. Dynamic highlighting is limited to points.

  • Edge only, Surface only: measures distances and, if applicable, angles between edges and surfaces respectively. Dynamic highlighting is limited to edges or surfaces and is thus simplified compared to the Any geometry mode. All types of edge are supported.

  • Product only: measures distances between products.
    Products can be specified by selecting product geometry, for example an edge or surface, in the geometry area or the specification tree.

  • Picking axis:  measures distances and, if applicable, angles between an entity and an infinite line perpendicular to the screen.Simply click to create infinite line perpendicular to the screen.

 

Notes:

  • The resulting measure will always be approximate and non associative.

  • Elements placed in No Show are taken into account in measure operation.

Intersection:  measures distances between points of intersection between two lines/curves/edges or a line/curve/edge and a surface. In this case, two selections are necessary to define selection 1 and selection 2 items.
Geometrical entities (planar surfaces, lines and curves) are extended to infinity to determine the point of intersection. Curves are extended by tangency at curve ends.

Curve-plane
 
Line-plane
Curve-curve

Notes:

  • Only intersections which result in points of intersection are managed.

  • The resulting measure will always be approximate and non associative

 
  • Edge limits: measures distances between start and end points of an edge. Only start and end points can be selected with this option checked. The extremity nearest the selected point is taken for the measurement.
  • Arc center: measures distances between the centers of arcs. To define arc center, click three points on the geometry
    Note: The resulting measure will always be approximate and non associativ

  • Center of 3 points arc: measures distances between the centers of arcs defined by 3 points.

  • Coordinate: measures distances between coordinates entered for selection 1 and/or selection 2 items.

    Note: The resulting measure will always be non associative.

Defining the Calculation Mode

  • Exact else approximate (default mode): measures access exact data and wherever possible true values are given. If exact values cannot be measured, approximate values are given (identified by a ~ sign).

  • Exact: measures access exact data and true values are given.

Important:
  • A sketcher is not considered as a geometrical entity in itself, but it contains many sub-geometrical elements.
  • A PartBody also contains many sub-geometrical elements in itself, which restricts the calculation type to be exact.
  • Measuring in exact mode is not permitted on a multi-selection of elements.
  • Therefore, it is not possible to perform a measurement in exact mode on a sketcher.
    However, selecting sketcher geometry (a sketcher axis for instance) is permitted in exact mode measurement.

  • In certain cases, in particular if products are selected, a warning dialog box informs you that the exact measure could not be made. 

    After some geometric operations, vertices (and corresponding macro points) may combine several representations on different supports (curves or surfaces). These representations are not all located in the same position in space which means that the exact position of the vertex cannot be determined. Only one vertex representation is visualized.
    Measure Between measurements are made with respect to the visualized representation. Measuring distance between two points therefore depends on the chosen representation. Any calculation errors are due to the fact that the exact position of the vertex cannot be determined.

  • Approximate: measures are made on tessellated objects and approximate values are given (identified by a ~ sign).

Notes:

  • You can hide the display of the ~ sign using the Tools > Options command (General >  Parameters and Measure > Measure Tools).

  • The number of decimal places, the display of trailing zeros and limits for exponential notation is controlled by the Units tab in the Options dialog box (Tools > Options, General > Parameters and Measure). For more information, see the Infrastructure User's Guide.

  • Using the Other Selection... command in the contextual menu, you can access the center of spheres.

  • Elements in No Show are not taken into account in the approximate calculation mode.

  • Measuring is not permitted on hidden elements in any of the existing calculation modes (Exact else approximate, Exact, and Approximate).

    If you checked the Keep Measure option in the Measure Between dialog box, your measures are kept as features and your specification tree will look something like this if measures were made on the active product.

    Or like this, if measures were made on the active part.

     

    Note: If the product is active, any measures on parts are placed in No Show.

    Some measures kept as features are associative. In Design Mode, if you modify a part or move a part in a product structure context and the measure is impacted, it will be identified as not up-to-date in the specification tree. You can then update it locally have it updated automatically. 

    When measures are used to valuate parameters, an associative link between the measure and parameter is created. Measures can also be used in formulas.