Dimension annotation dissapeared

[jlawrence]

Dimension annotation dissapeared

Hi,

I am new to alibre, and would like to ask an issue I am having with dimension annotation.
Several days ago, when I apply dimension cursor and determine the dimension, the value was shown in the middle of arrow, and also for the circle.

However when i did some drawing today, I cannot have the dimension displayed (alhough the annotation is checked). i got the arrow for the edge of object I want to measure, but the display that mentioned the length did not appear. This makes the work very difficult. Can you please tell me what I should do ?

 

[indesign]

This sounds a like you are dimensioning the sketch when modeling the 3D part. If this is the case then the dimesions will show when in that sketch edit mode. However since Alibre is parametric the dimesions are stored in a close place to use whenever you like for other features and calculations. Use the equation editor to use or just view all the dimensions.

If this isn't what is occuring then let us know and we will try to help a little more.

 

[jlawrence]

Hi, thanks for the fast response.

Actually no, I even cannot get the dimension value shown in the figure for just simple line or rectangle.

Can you help me by specifying what I should do to solve this problem ?

Thank you in advance,[/img]

 

[indesign]

Font

I believe your trouble is with the text size.

To change the default size go to the menu File>properties then the tab 'Dimension'. Unlike most Cad programs you do not actually enter a text hieght (this is where most trouble comes from when imprting or exporting from Alibre) but you must enter the text like in a word processor. Select the font button in the text block and select a much larger font. Counting on your scale here I would try a font at least in the 12pt range but it could be much larger if you parts are bigger than a B sheet maybe like a 24pt or even a 56pt.

Before closing the window go to the 'Apply option" tab and select both in the 'apply changes to' window. This sets the font for future use as well as to the current drawing.

If this doesn't help then let me know and we will try the next thing.

 

[Mibe]

Try the old trick, switch from 32 bit color mode to 16 bit in graphical settings in windows (not Alibre)... Not sure if this helps in 8.2 but you can try

 

[siggy]

I've had a similar problem happen. In my case, the dimensions were there one day and gone the next. This was in a drawing that had about 10 sheets and probably 40 or so views. Is this what happend to you?

What I found was that if I click on a view in the 2D drawing then right click and toggle the "Show Hidden Lines" option off then back on the dimensions would reappear in that view. Depending on how many sheets and/or views you have created in the 2D drawing this could be a real pain. I also discovered that instead of doing this step on the drawing I could close the drawing, open the model and do a complete regen. After the regen the 2D drawing dimensions re-appeared.

Bottom line was that I had to force Alibre to re-calculate the part/assembly in order for the dimensions to return. I have not experienced this issue since version 7.0 though so I'm not sure this will apply to you or not but it's worth a shot.

Robert

 

[indesign]

This could be a number of things as you are starting to see. I had a different program in the past where a system font was corrupt causing the text not to show. So try a different font just to see. This could be a graphics card issue as reported by a few other members having things dissapear. I had the entire drawing vanish and after rebooting windows it showed up fine again.

Have you also made sure you have the latest direct X and video drivers from the manufacturer. Older drivers may not support DX9.0c and need updated. Even new cards can come with older drivers and need to be updated from the web sight.

 

[indesign]

Annotation dissapearing act.

Just had the old dissapearing trick occur. Opening and closing 20-30 drawings this morning and making changes when all my dimensions were suddely gone. The annotation icon was checked so they should have been there but I unchecked and rechecked to make certain. I restarted Alibre and still no dimensions or annotations.

I restarted the computer and opened one of the drawings and they were gone but the annotation icon was unchecked. I then checked it and they were back.

This leads me to believe there was a glitch in the icon subroutine causing it not function. One drawing I opened had an error on opening when the trouble started. The glitch may have been caused by an error in the file but after restarting windows there was no error. Could this just be one of those MS problems then that Alibre can not avoid?

 

[aa1]

I’d like to see if we could get to the bottom of this and resolve if we can. I’m going to pull our development team together and see if there is anything we can do to resolve this. I’ll post our finding here.

If anyone has more clues, please feel free to share them. Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[jemmej]

I have no idea if this is relelvant or not (but I've seen it in AutoCAD LT also, so perhaps it affects Alibre). It seems that colors get garbled. I've had colors that were set by me (such as red) suddenly become green. The only thing I can think of is that there is some kind of color data corruption that goes on when the system is taxed (i.e. a high memory load) as this color wierdness happens in both Alibre and AutoCAD intermittently under such circumtances. Most recently I've seen subtle changes in the gradient background color (still dark blue, but a noticabely different shade). Go figure?

Jim

 

[indesign]

Sorry aa1,

I can't reproduce the error. I know what it is like trying to find something in code. I tried all day while I was working on files to push the limits and could not get it to happen again.

There may be a certain program opened in a certain order with only a certain function in Alibre along with say a read/write from the antivirus program or what ever unseen background program. Or it could just be MS taking a dump like it can do so often.

Alibre is a very stable program. I have found that certain graphic cards start giving problems when other Direct X programs run at the same time. I have the Albre Xpress on 3 systems other than the Design I am running here and on 2 others.

The only trouble I have had, that was repeatable, was from graphics cards on 3 systems. One system I had to replace because I would not get anything in the solids window at all. On that system I loaded a game on and it gave me an error that the command could not be initiated and my graphics driver needed updated.(I had the latest update.) One system we have a CAD/CAM program that can not run unless I turn off the hardware acceleration but Alibre has to have it on. (I am working on finding a card the other software can work with.) And the 3rd one gave me trouble when I had both Alibre and another CAD/CAM program open at the same time. (A new card fixed that as well.)


Nothing like a good 3D game to test a graphics card.

 

[indesign]

I loaded on a new Dell system and tried to run. Well lets just say that system has no trouble causing caos with Alibre icons. I do have the latest drivers and direct x installed.

The system is a Dimension E510 with built in graphics card.
Graphics properties show a generic >Intel 82945G Express Chiset Family card with 224 ram.

The icons will not work most of the time. I can clcik the 2D sketch and then click the line icon and then click the circle icon. Now both line and circle icons show clicked and I do not get the direct entry icon. If I wait several minutes then the icons may return to what they should be.

This happened no matter what icons I tried to use.

A note though is I have another CAD/CAM software on this system and it will not run with graphic hardware acc. turned on.

Needless to say I will be getting a slot card for that system and dissabling the factory built in.

When I get more info I will post.