Linear Diameter Dimension

Created: March 03, 2021 | Updated: October 06, 2021 | Applies to version: 21

Now reading version 22. For the latest, read: Linear Diameter Dimension for version 21

Placed Linear Diameter Dimensions.

Summary

A linear diameter dimension is a group design object. It allows for the dimensioning of an arc or circle with respect to the diameter, rather than the radius. The dimension can be placed either internally or externally.

Availability

Linear Diameter dimension objects are available for placement in both the PCB editor and the PCB Library editors in one of the following ways:

PCB Editor:

Choose Place » Dimension » Linear Diameter from the main menus.
Click the Linear Dimension button () in the drop-down on the Active Bar located at the top of the design space. (Click and hold an Active Bar button to access other related commands. Once a command has been used, it will become the topmost item on that section of the Active Bar.)
Click the button on the Place Dimension drop-down () of the Utilities toolbar.
Right-click in the design space then choose the Place » Dimension » Linear Diameter command from the context menu.

PCB Library Editor:

Choose Place » Dimension » Linear Diameter from the main menus.
Click the Linear Dimension button () in the drop-down on the Active Bar located at the top of the design space. (Click and hold an Active Bar button to access other related commands. Once a command has been used, it will become the topmost item on that section of the Active Bar.)

Placement

After launching the command, the cursor will change to a cross-hair and you will enter dimension placement mode. Placement is made by performing the following sequence of actions:

Position the cursor and click or press Enter to anchor the dimension to the desired arc or circle. The position of the dimension is determined by the alignment angle for the dimension.
Move the dimension text to the desired position (either internal or external) and click or press Enter to complete placement.
Continue placing further linear diameter dimensions, or right-click or press Esc to exit placement mode.

Additional actions that can be performed during placement are:

Press the + and - keys (on the numeric keypad) to cycle forward and backward through all visible layers in the design respectively – to change placement layer quickly.
Press Spacebar to rotate the dimension counterclockwise or Shift+Spacebar for clockwise rotation. Rotation is in accordance with the value for the Rotation Step, defined on the PCB Editor – General page of the Preferences dialog.
Press the Tab key to access an associated properties panel, from where properties for the dimension can be changed on the fly.

While attributes can be modified during placement (Tab to bring up associated properties panel), keep in mind that these will become the default settings for further placement unless the Permanent option on the PCB Editor – Defaults page of the Preferences dialog is enabled. When this option is enabled, changes made will affect only the object being placed and subsequent objects placed during the same placement session.

Graphical Editing

This method of editing allows you to select a placed linear diameter dimension object directly in the design space and change properties such as the position of its text and its reference points, graphically.

When a linear diameter dimension object is selected, the following editing handles are available:

A selected Linear Diameter Dimension.

Click and drag A or B to adjust the dimension text position parallel to the extensions.
Click and drag C or D to detach the dimension from the reference object.

C & D allow for a redefinable reference – once the dimension is detached from a reference object it becomes non-referenced and can be moved for attachment to a different reference point or object.

If the linear diameter dimension object is totally non-referenced (i.e. it is not attached to a reference design object) click anywhere on it – away from editing handles – and drag to reposition it. While dragging, the linear diameter dimension can be rotated (Spacebar/Shift+Spacebar).

If attempting to graphically modify an object that has its Locked property enabled, a dialog will appear asking for confirmation to proceed with the edit. If the Protect Locked Objects option is enabled on the PCB Editor – General page of the Preferences dialog and the Locked option for that design object is enabled as well, that object cannot be graphically edited. Double-click the locked object to select it then disable the Locked property in the Properties or List panel or disable the Protect Locked Objects option to graphically edit the object.

Non-Graphical Editing

The following methods of non-graphical editing are available.

Editing via the Linear Diameter Dimension Dialog or Properties Panel

Properties page: Linear Diameter Dimension Properties

This method of editing uses the associated Linear Diameter Dimension dialog and Properties panel mode to modify the properties of a Linear Diameter Dimension object.

The Linear Diameter Dimension dialog (the first image) and the Linear Diameter Dimension mode of the Properties panel (the second image)

During placement, the Linear Diameter Dimension mode of the Properties panel can be accessed by pressing the Tab key. Once the Linear Diameter Dimension is placed, all options appear.

After placement, the Linear Diameter Dimension dialog can be accessed by:

Double-clicking on the placed Linear Diameter Dimension object.
Placing the cursor over the Linear Diameter Dimension object, right-clicking then choosing Properties from the context menu.

After placement, the Linear Diameter Dimension mode of the Properties panel can be accessed in one of the following ways:

If the Properties panel is already active, select the Linear Diameter Dimension object.
After selecting the Linear Diameter Dimension object, select the Properties panel from the Panels button at the bottom right of the design space or select View » Panels » Properties from the main menus.

If the Double Click Runs Interactive Properties option is disabled (default) on the PCB Editor – General page of the Preferences dialog, when the primitive is double-clicked or you right-click on a selected primitive then choose Properties, the dialog will open. When the Double Click Runs Interactive Properties option is enabled, the Properties panel will open.

While the options are the same in the dialog and the panel, the order and placement of the options may differ slightly.

Press Ctrl+Q to toggle the units of measurement currently used in the dialog/panel between metric (mm) and imperial (mil). This only affects the display of measurements in the dialog/panel; it does not change the measurement unit specified for the board, which is configured in the Units setting in the Properties panel when there are no objects selected in the design space.

The Linear Diameter Dimension properties can be accessed prior to entering placement mode, from the PCB Editor – Defaults page of the Preferences dialog. This allows the default properties for the Linear Diameter Dimension object to be changed, which will be applied when placing subsequent Linear Diameter Dimensions.

Editing Multiple Objects

The Properties panel supports editing multiple objects, where the property settings that are identical in all currently selected objects may be modified. When multiples of the same object type are selected manually, via the Find Similar Objects dialog or through a Filter or List panel, a Properties panel field entry can be edited for all selected objects. If values of a property are different for objects in the selection, the appropriate field will be shown as an asterisk (*) – a new property value will be applied to all selected objects.

Editing via a List Panel

Panel pages: PCB List, PCB Filter, PCBLIB List, PCBLIB Filter

A List panel allows you to display design objects from one or more documents in tabular format, enabling quick inspection and modification of object attributes. Used in conjunction with appropriate filtering – by using the applicable Filter panel, or the Find Similar Objects dialog – it enables the display of just those objects falling under the scope of the active filter – allowing you to target and edit multiple design objects with greater accuracy and efficiency.

Notes

A linear diameter dimension object can be moved in the following ways:
- Selecting both the dimension object and the object that is being dimensioned. The whole can be dragged to a new location as required.
- Selecting the object that is being dimensioned only. The dimension text will follow the object in its alignment plane only. The dimension extensions will expand/contract to keep the relationship between dimension and object being dimensioned.
- Selecting the dimension object only. It is important to note that the dimension cannot be moved on its own if it is referenced by a design object. To move the dimension only, it must first be detached from the object it is dimensioning.
The dimension's value automatically updates as the diameter of the reference arc or circle changes.
Linear diameter dimensions are group objects consisting of text and track segments. They can be converted to their set of primitive objects by choosing Tools » Convert » Explode Dimension to Free Primitives from the main menus. Once exploded, a dimension object can no longer be manipulated as a group object.

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