Dimensioning drawings, which is one of the main activities in creating technical documentation, represents an important and demanding task. Therefore there is a need for tools which can enable faster and easier development of technical documentation.
There are two ways of making dimensions. The first one is manual and uses a standard Dimensioning toolbar, that is, the suitable functions from this toolbar.
The second way is by using the function Generating Dimensions, which generates dimension lines according to the dimensions made in Part Design sketches. This allows for an easier and faster-dimensioning process. In this process, some dimensioning lines may overlap or may not be positioned properly and in such cases modifications are necessary.
After making dimensions CATIA can automatically position them if we use the function from the drop-down menu Tools – Positioning - Dimension Positioning. If we select the appropriate icon the program will position the dimension lines at a certain distance. This can be adjusted using Tools – Options – Drafting – Dimensions – Line-up.
The other way to position dimensioning lines is semi-automatic using the function Line-up. After clicking on a dimensioning line we need to select the reference item in relation to which the selected line will be positioned. A window will appear and in it, we can define distance and/or angle.
It is possible that some of the necessary dimensions will not be generated. These can be created additionally using some of the functions in the Dimensions toolbar.