Dimensioning rule properties | Tekla User Assistance http://teklastructures.support.tekla.com/2016/en/dra_dimensioning_rule...

2016 TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Added April 1, 2016 by Tekla User Assistance | Software version: 2016

Dimensioning rule
properties
The following table describes the options and their settings in the
Dimensioning Rule Properties dialog box. This dialog box can be
opened by selecting View creation in a Drawing Properties dialog box
and then clicking View Properties > Dimensioning > Edit Rule .

Option Description

What is Sets the dimensioning type:

dimensioned Overall dimensions creates dimensions
for the bounding box of the objects you
select in the Measure from list.
Edge shape creates dimensions for the
edge of the object selected in the
Measure from list.
For sandwich walls, the default setting
Cast unit / Assembly may not give the
desired result with Edge shape. Then
you can dimension the internal and
external layers separately according to
the part name.
Secondary parts creates dimensions
for the secondary parts of a cast unit or
an assembly.
Holes creates dimensions for the holes
of the objects selected in the Measure
from list. The hole dimensions are
combined according to the Combine on
one line setting.
NOTE: The Holes dimensioning type

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Option Description

does not dimension bolts, you need to

use the Integrated dimensions to get
the bolt dimensions.
Recesses creates dimensions for the
recesses of the objects selected in the
Measure from list. The hole dimensions
are combined according to the Combine
on one line setting.
Distance to grid creates dimensions
from the grid line to the bounding box of
the object selected in the Measure from
list. This setting works only when the
grid lines are visible.
Filter can be used to dimension
anything that can be filtered. It is often
used when dimensioning embeds. For
example, you can dimension bolt
locations after you have created a filter
for bolts.
When you select Filter from the What is
dimensioned list, a list is displayed
where you can select the filter. The filter
is a drawing view filter and you need to
create it beforehand to be able to use it
here.

Dimension line Controls on which sides of the cast unit the

location and dimensions will be created.
linking

Dimension line locations are rotated

together with the drawing view if the
view is manually rotated.
When selecting both sides, top and
bottom or left and right, the objects will
be dimensioned on the side that is
closest to the object.
When only a part of the cast unit is
selected for the rule, one of the check
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Option Description

boxes will be dimmed and you cannot

select it.

When you have selected one vertical

and one horizontal dimension line, the
linking check boxes in the corners are
activated, and you can link the
perpendicular dimension lines. The
check boxes are dimmed by default.

You can select objects for dimensioning

from the whole cast unit or only from
one half of the cast unit. If you do this,
objects in the other half will be ignored
in dimension creation. The default value
is the whole cast unit.

Orientation Orients the dimensions along the sloped

edge of a part. Another possibility is to
create horizontal or vertical dimensions.
This option is visible only when the
dimensioning type Filter or Edge shape

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Option Description

is selected.
When Filter is selected, there are two
settings available for orientation.
The first setting places the dimensions
along the sloped edge:

The second setting places the

dimensions horizontally and vertically:

When Edge shape is selected, there

are three settings available for
orientation. First two settings work in the
same way as the first two Filter settings.
The first setting is the default value. The
third one creates both dimensions:

Minimum Defines the minimum length of skewed

length for skew sections when dimensions are still created
section for skew sections. The default value is 300
mm. For example, when you use the value
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Option Description

500 mm and the skew section is shorter

than 500 mm, the dimensions are not
created along the skew section, but
horizontally and vertically instead.

Start point Defines where the origin points for the

dimensions are:
The default values are left for the
Horizontal and bottom for the Vertical
dimension.

The setting marked with symbol

chooses the nearest edge as the
dimension origin, for every dimension
separately. In the example below, the
object is closer to the right edge, and so
the horizontal dimension starts from
there.

Vertical = Often the settings are similar for both

Horizontal directions, and when this option is used,
only vertical settings need to be set.

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Option Description

Close lines Defines whether the dimension lines

extend to the other end of the cast unit or

assembly or not . The

dimension lines extend to the other end by
default.

Dimension to Defines which points of the selected

objects are dimensioned:
Both ends is the default.

If you select the center point setting and

the object is a custom part (=embed),
the Tekla Structures will use the
component insertion point, which is not
always in the center. For other objects,
the actual center point will be used.

Round holes Defines whether the round holes will be

dimensioned by center point or

diameter :
This option is visible only when Holes or
Recesses is selected.
The diameter is the default value.
Currently, round holes are identified
only by cut part profile (prefix D). If you
create the round hole using round
chamfers, for example, the hole will not
be dimensioned.

Dimension Attribute file takes into use the

properties dimensions properties defined in the
dimension properties file that has been
saved earlier on the object level
Dimension Properties dialog box in a
drawing. The default value is standard.
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Option Description

Measure from Defines the objects that will be used as the

origin point for the dimensions. The
available settings are:
Cast unit/Assembly: This is the default
value. If you select this setting, you have
three more settings available:
Only concrete/steel parts : For a
cast unit, only concrete parts are
used, and for steel only steel parts.
All parts
All parts and rebars
Main part : This setting uses cast unit
or assembly main part.
Part name: If you select Part name ,
you can define the part name.
Filter : If you select Filter , you can use
a predefined filter for selecting the
objects that you want to use as
dimension origin points.
Current part : Select Current part
when you are dimensioning a single
part.

Combine on Creates a rule based on a filter, for

one line example, for embeds (EB_*), and then
groups the embeds according to the main
part name, so that embeds with different
names will get their own dimension lines.
The filtered object can be a part, a
reinforcing bar or an assembly. The
available settings are:
All objects (default)
By name
By position number
No
When Holes or Recesses is selected, the
Combine on one line option changes to
display suitable settings for holes or
recesses. The available settings are:
All holes (default)
Any holes of the same size
By cut part name
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Option Description

No

Combine only Combines only the dimensions of objects

objects that that are on the same horizontal or vertical
have the same line. By default, this options is not
X or Y selected.
coordinate

Tolerance The tolerance is the maximum distance

between objects when Tekla Structures still
considers the objects to be on the same
line. 50 mm is the default value.

Preferred Sets the preferred direction for combining

combining dimensions if an object can be combined
direction both in horizontal and in vertical direction.
X is the default value.

Do not create Defines the minimum length of the

dimensions dimensions for Tekla Structures to create
shorter than them. 0 is the default value, which means
that all dimensions are created.

Do not Defines the minimum diameter for the

dimension holes for Tekla Structures to create the
holes smaller dimensions.
than With this option you can prevent the
creation of dimensions for small holes. The
distance is the shortest dimension of a
hole. If any dimension of the hole is larger
than the given value, the hole will be
dimensioned in all directions. For example,
with value 40, a rectangular hole of 80*30
will get both dimensions 80 and 30. Default
value is 0, which means that all dimensions
are created.

Component Defines how component objects are

objects dimensioned:
By reference points (default) places
the dimensioning point to the first
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Option Description

insertion point of the component. Only

one dimension will be created for each
component regardless of the number of
parts inside the components.
As secondary objects creates separate
dimensions for each part inside the
component.

See also
Add automatic view-level dimensions
Create a drawing view filter for view-level dimensioning
Dimension and dimensioning properties

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