Hi,

I'm sure I'm doing something dumb here - I tried to dimension a simple extruded polyline drawing and after I ran a paralell dimension lenghtwise on the object, the dimension dis appears.  What am I doing wrong?

It initially shows but when I click off or hit enter it dis appears.

If you're working in a rendered view, 2D objects such as dimensions won't be visible unless you enable "Nonrenderable objects" in View>Camera>Properties>Rendering.

Henry H

OK thanks Henry got the dimension to show.

One question though, when I enable non renderable objects, the box that is dimensioned, the front faces when viewed in perspective blocks the hidden lines on the rear of box, but when rotating to the rear face, the box shows as hollow. with the rear face missing.  Any way I can show the entire box as a solid surface with dimensions i.e. all hidden lines not showing?

OK thanks Henry got the dimension to show.

One question though, when I enable non renderable objects, the box that is dimensioned, the front faces when viewed in perspective blocks the hidden lines on the rear of box, but when rotating to the rear face, the box shows as hollow. with the rear face missing.  Any way I can show the entire box as a solid surface with dimensions i.e. all hidden lines not showing?

Not entirely sure what you're asking. Does the attached screenshot help?

Henry H

Sorry I guess it was a clumsy question let me re state  -

When I am in hidden line mode and viewing a 3d object, the front view of my box does not show the hidden lines from the rear side which is expected.  BUT, when I middle click and rotate the box and look at the rear face of the box, the hidden lines from the front face of the box still show through the rear face of the box.  So the lines are only hidden from the view of the front facet of the box.

Is this just the way Turbo Cad works, or is there a way to hide lines from both perspectives?  Or am I doing something wrong?

I don't quite follow you, but if you draw a 3d box and are in hidden line view and click on it and grab the x handle and rotate it 180 degrees they should look exactly alike. unless for some reason it switched back to wire frame. Carroll

Yes for some reason as I rotate the box to look at the rear facet of the box it is switching back to wire frame.  Then when I rotate to the front again the lines are hidden...

I am talking about the box itself not the dimensions.

I am using 14 deluxe so mine does not do that. May be someone on here that has 19 deluxe can try it and see if theirs does the same thing as your. Sorry I am no better help. Carroll

Ok thanks for trying to help anyway! 

For anyone - to be more clear - When I view the front of my part - the front and all of the other sides are in hidden line mode, but as soon as I middle click to rotate the part, and cross the edge of the front facet to look at the opposite side of the front of my part, it is as if the hidden line mode is automatically disabled, and all the facets (when viewed from the other side) show hidden lines.  Hope I am being clear...

Ok thanks for trying to help anyway! 

For anyone - to be more clear - When I view the front of my part - the front and all of the other sides are in hidden line mode, but as soon as I middle click to rotate the part, and cross the edge of the front facet to look at the opposite side of the front of my part, it is as if the hidden line mode is automatically disabled, and all the facets (when viewed from the other side) show hidden lines.  Hope I am being clear...

Please post the drawing, so we will at least know what the part looks like even if we can't reproduce your problem.

Henry H

Here it is...

You're part is okay... what you are seeing is the polyline that you extruded. You can either delete the polyline, or put it on it's own layer and turn it off. You see this because you turned on the Nonrenderable objects option that Henry mentioned.

OK great thanks.

So I am assuming that there is a polyline on top of the back end of the drawing over laying the extruded side.  I tried individually selecting the extruded polyline on the back end and when I deleted it, the drawing went back to 2D...how would I delete it?

Oh OK I selected the original polyline on the front end instead of the back side and it deleted just fine.

Are there any advantages of keeping the polyline and then turning it off?  Instead of deleting it?

Also was wondering, is there a way to delete that hole in the center of the block without exploding it?

If you were using Platinum... I would say yes to keeping the polyline... not sure with Deluxe, as I don't use it. Might be worth keeping just in case. 

Don't explode the 3D surface... as it will no longer be a surface, but a bunch of polylines. Only way I can think of to delete the hole in Deluxe is to create another object bigger than the hole... but flush with both the top and bottom faces of the block... and add that to the block.

Someone who uses Deluxe may chime in with a better solution. Such things are really easy with the Platinum version. 

No I am just using Deluxe 19.

I did the hole as a 3d subtract beetween a simple extruded cylinder and the rectangle, not by drawing the circle on the original polyline that I extruded  - if that makes a difference.

So maybe just add the block and then put it on it's own layer and then hide it (turn it off)?  If I hide the block will the hole still show?

See if you can open the attached. The model in the front is a copy of the back model... with the red cylinder added to the block.

The back model is your original... just Boolean Add the cylinder to the block.

Yes I can open it...

So how did you get rid of the cylinder?  You just added the cylinder, then put it on it's own layer and turned it off?

Or is that original, work I did before cutting the hole?

As I said... I am not familiar with Deluxe... so I am just assuming that it is capable of Boolean operations.

I drew a cylinder... put it were it was needed to cover the hole... and did a Boolean add of the hole. Nothing is turned on or off... when you add the cylinder... it becomes part of the object you are adding it to.

A pic of the Add tool attached.

Yes I have that tool bar - the Boolean and facet menu.

Click on the Add tool... select the block, then select the cylinder... all done. 

It worked great thanks

So what did I just do - does that cylinder still exist (and is hidden), or is kind of a convoluted way to erase that hole?

It worked great thanks

So what did I just do - does that cylinder still exist (and is hidden), or is kind of a convoluted way to erase that hole?

The cylinder no longer exists. It is indeed a convoluted way to erase a hole, but that's about the best way available in Deluxe.

Henry H

Hey if it works that's all that matters thanks so much Greg and Henry!

This relates to my original question in the thread - Dimensioning in 3d...

When I dimension the edges of that box I uploaded, and then rotate the view 180 degrees and look at the dimension relative to the rear facet, the numerical portion or dimension is reversed - mirror image.  Is there a way to have the text always showing correctly  i.e. not reversed?  When the box is rotated I am looking at the text from behind and it appears backwards or reveresed...

Also on that same box, I was trying to dimension the radius and diameter of that large hole, and the radius and diameter dimension tools would not work.  What am I doing wrong there?

Since you are working in 3D... as you rotate the object, it behaves in the same way that it would if you were rotating a real 3D object. So if you are looking at an object from behind... the text would be reversed.

Being a surface object... you can't dimension circles or arcs. This is where keeping your profiles on a layer of there own comes in handy... as opposed to deleting them. If you have the profiles for the part... circles, arcs... etc... you can use these to dimension your part... then turn turn that layer off again when you don't need it any longer.

If you want to dimension the existing circle... use the Triple Point Circle tool... and draw a circle over the hole using snaps... and dimension the hole using the circle.

...and after dimensioned, I put the new circle on it's own layer and then turn it off?

If so, after selecting the new circle, how would I put it on it's own layer?

And for the reversed dimensions, every time I show a different perspective where the text is reversed, my only choice it so delete and then re dimension while facing the other side?

Yes to question one... and pretty much for number two. 

To elaborate further on #1. I would recommend having a layer(s) in your template that you use to start new drawings with... and draw your profiles on that layer(s). You can set TC up so that it draws on certain layers.. creates 3D object on another... etc,... so a lot of this can be automatic. Just takes a little thought ahead of time.

OK thanks.  How would I select that new circle and put it on it's own layer?

I think thats why when you are working in 3d you use paperspace for annotation and
model space is for the model

Just figured it out - clicked on circle and clicked properties and chose a layer after adding new layer using drawing setup icon.  Thanks for all the help on this thread everyone.

You can send a check for $29.99 to... 

You're welcome.

  If you ever get to Michigan let me know I'll buy U a few beers

Used to go there quite often.. my son went to Michigan Tech... Copper Harbor was gorgeous.   

Yes it's pretty up there in the summer.  If you like that you should check out the Apostile islands in Wisconsin - Lake Superior.

...and after dimensioned, I put the new circle on it's own layer and then turn it off?

If so, after selecting the new circle, how would I put it on it's own layer?

And for the reversed dimensions, every time I show a different perspective where the text is reversed, my only choice it so delete and then re dimension while facing the other side?

No, there's a better way: Explode the dimension one time (Format>Explode), then select the "Multiline text" part of the exploded dimension and explode that, which reduces it to just plain ol' Text. Double-click the Text to open its Properties page and enable both "Scalable" and "Non rotating." Be aware, though, that if you enable "Perspective View" in View>Camera>Properties>Camera, the text will not be displayed.

Henry H