Measuring

This section describes how to use the measuring tools Measure Item and Measure Between.

Using these tools you can determine the dimensions, areas, volumes, etc. of logical objects and the distance (minimum, maximum, etc.) between them.

Both tools contain many options which will satisfy the majority of your measuring requirements. The tasks in this section cover a limited selection of these options. For more information, see Design Synthesis User's Guide: Measuring 3D.

This task shows you how to:

Before you begin:
  • Ensure the Measure Item and Measure Between tools are visible in the app (if necessary, to make the tools visible, click View > Toolbars > Measures).
  • Create or open a logical description of your system with logical components, logical connections, shapes and pathways.

Measure an Object

This section describes how to use Measure Item to measure a logical object in the 3D view.

  1. Click Measure Item .
    • The cursor changes to .
    • The Measure Item dialog box appears.
  2. Move the cursor over objects in the work area.
    The cursor changes according to the element under the cursor and indicates the parameter which will be measured (length, diameter, area, etc.).
  3. In the Specifications tag of the dialog box:
    1. Click to measure a single item or to measure multiple items.
    2. In the Mandatory area Calculation mode box, select Exact else approximate (other choices are Exact and Approximate).
    3. In the Parameters area Selection mode box, select Any geometry (other choices exist and help you to refine your selection).
  4. Select an object in the work area. If you want to select more than one object, click and then add (or remove) objects in the Measure Selections dialog box.

    Note: If more than one object is selected, thmulti-e parameter value displayed will be the combined value for all objects selected and the type of object picked first determines the selection for the others. You cannot multiselect objects if you chose to measure multiple items.

    • The object (or objects) is added to the Mandatory area Selection box.
    • An information box appears in the work area and displays the value of the parameter being measured.
  5. In the dialog box, click More Results >>.
    The dialog box expands and displays information about the properties of the selected object or objects.
    Tip: To customize the properties you want to see, click the Customize tab.
  6. Move the cursor in the work area and click to fix the position of the information box.


  7. When finished, click OK to close the dialog box.
    The measurements are removed from the 3D view.

Measure Between Objects

This section describes how to use Measure Between to measure distances between logical objects in the 3D view.

  1. Click Measure Between .
    • The cursor changes to .
    • The Measure Between dialog box appears.
  2. Move the cursor over objects in the work area.
    The cursor changes according to the element under the cursor and indicates the parameter which will be measured.
  3. In the Specifications tag of the dialog box:
    1. Click to measure a single item, to measure multiple items, to measure multiple items from a single point or to measure items in a chain.
    2. In the Mandatory area Type of measure box, select Minimum distance (other choices exist).
    3. In the Mandatory area Calculation mode box, select Exact else approximate (other choices are Exact and Approximate).
    4. In the Parameters area Selection 1 mode and Selection 2 mode boxes, select Any geometry (other choices exist and help you to refine your selection).
  4. Select an object in the work area. If you want to select more than one object, click and then add or remove objects in the Measure Selections dialog box.

    Note: If more than one object is selected, the parameter value displayed will take into account the group of objects selected.

    • In the Mandatory area the object (or objects) is added to the Selection1 box.
    • The cursor changes to .
  5. Repeat the above step to make your selection for the second object or group of objects.
    An information box appears in the work area and displays the value of the parameter being measured.
  6. In the dialog box, click More Results >>.
    The dialog box expands and displays information about the properties of the selected object or objects.
    Tip: To customize the properties you want to see, click the Customize tab.
  7. Move the cursor in the work area and click to fix the position of the information box.


  8. When finished, click OK to close the dialog box.

The measurements are removed from the 3D view.

Note: You cannot save the measurement values provided by the Measure Item and Measure Between commands; the values are not persistent.