Use dimension templates - Intergraph Smart 3D - Help - Hexagon

SmartSketch Drawing Editor Help

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The dimension rule is not responsible for assigning the dimension units to automatic dimensions. However, the dimension rule points to another XML file, called the dimension template, which influences the unit assignment. The dimension template XML file contains the settings that further control the placement and appearance of dimension in the orthographic drawings.

You edit the dimension template XML files with a text or XML editor. Rename any customized dimension templates. Do not use the delivered rule names for customized dimension templates.

Several example dimension template XML files are delivered to the SharedContent\Drawings\Catalog\Dimensions\Templates folder.

The setting in the template that influences dimension unit display is <dimensionContentModules>. In each dimension template, you should set <dimensionContentModules> to the dimension style used to create dimensions in the drawing. The values available for this setting determine whether the software places the dimension vertically, horizontally, radially, or angularly. To determine the dimension units, the various content modules refer to the dimension formatting saved either in the drawing template file (for volume and by query drawing types) or in the drawing itself (for composed drawings).

  • We recommend that you maintain a separate dimension template for each dimension rule you create.

  • For manual dimensioning, the software looks in the Linear_A_HV dimension template for the value of the dimension content module during the update of manually placed dimensions.

  • The <dimensionStyleSettings> setting in the dimension templates is not used by the software at this time. However, when creating drawings, we recommend that the active dimension style in the selected border template have the same name as the <dimensionStyleSettings> setting in the dimension template to avoid problems in future software releases. Rename any customized border templates. Do not use the delivered border template name for customized border templates.

  • The drawing dimension XML Files are discussed further in the SmartSketch Drawing Editor Programmer's Guide under Extending the Capabilities of the Software. Contact your administrator or customer support if you need the SmartSketch Drawing Editor Programmer's Guide.

Overall Dimensions

By default, dimension control generators use the settings in the Linear_A_HV.xml dimension template. By using <overallDimension>, you can override Linear_A_HV.xml and select another template for overall dimensions. In the example below, Piping Plan_Pipes_Horizontal.xml is used as the dimension template for piping parts:

<dimensionSettings>

<overall>-1</overall>

<overallDimension value="Piping Plan_Pipes_Horizontal">

</dimensionSettings>

Layering Dimensions

You can define the layer on which your dimensions display in the drawing by editing the dimension rule template XML file. After the <dimensionStyleSettings> section of the XML file, add a <dimensionLayerSettings> definition using the <dimLayer> tag, like the one shown in the example below, that defines the layer on which you want the dimensions placed:

<dimensionLayerSettings>

<dimLayer>dimensionLayer</dimLayer>

</dimensionLayerSettings>

If the layer does not already exist in the template you are using to create drawings, the software creates the layer automatically.