Creating Dimensions along a Reference Direction

You can create dimensions along a reference direction, that is measure the projection of a segment/distance onto a direction. This direction is determined using either a linear element, a fixed angle in the view or a combination of both.

Dimensions along a reference direction can be created for length, distance, diameter tangent, radius tangent, and overall curve dimensions, as well as on linear (that is not angular) cumulated or stacked dimensions.

Before you begin: Open a drawing representation.
See Also
About Creating Dimensions along a Reference Direction
  1. From the Annotation section of the action bar, click Dimensions .
  2. In the Tools Palette, click Intersection Point Detection .

    For more information about this functionality, see Creating Dimensions between Intersection Points.

  3. Click the first element, in this case, an intersection point.


  4. Click the second element.


    The dimension to be created is previewed.

  5. In the Tools Palette, click Force dimension along a direction .

    In the Tools Palette, the following options are available:

    • Dimension along a direction

      creates the dimension using a linear element (line, axis line, center line) as the reference direction, or using an angle to define the reference direction relatively to a linear element. In the latter case, key in a value in the Angle box.
    • Dimension perpendicular to a direction

      creates the dimension perpendicularly to a linear element.
    • Dimension along a fixed angle in view

      creates the dimension using a fixed angle in the view. In this case, key in a value in the Angle box.

      Note that such a dimension follows the view rotation. Thus, a dimension line with a 30 deg angle in a view which is set at 45 deg (relatively to the sheet) is equivalent to a dimension line with a 75 deg angle relatively to the sheet.

    Important: These options are also available in the context menu that you can display during the dimension creation.
  6. Click Dimension along a direction . For this scenario, leave the Angle box set to 0 deg.
  7. Select a linear element to use as the reference direction. Once created, the dimension will be associative to this element.


    The dimension is updated so as to measure the distance between the selected points once projected onto the reference direction.

  8. Position the dimension and click in the sheet to validate the dimension creation.