Thanks Ben.
HOW DO I OBTAIN PART-ENVIRONMENT DIMENSION STYLE WITHIN THE DRAWING-ENVIRONMENT
What the figure shows on the right-hand side is exactly what i wish to have but within the drawing environment. On the Left-Hand side is what is currently obtainable and there seems to be no options.
The dimensions[values/numbers] within the part environment,on the RH-side clearly lie in the same plane
Yet those on the left are kind of perpenducular to their leaders which does’nt look as good.
There is a setting to do with it under “Options – System Options – Display\Selection – Display dimensions flat on screen” but that seems only to work within the “assembly” and “part” environments. Am currently using the 2010 version but can upgrade if it is only possible in newer versions.
Other problems i get in the drawing environment and also here too, in the Left-Hand diagram, are;
The 20mm dimension which fails to lie in the same plane as the rest.
I tried 3 different ways here to make it including dimensioning; the line, the line ends, the upper end of the line and the lower plane, but failed throughout.
ie; it would snap back as i positioned it.
So the question is, how do i DETERMINE THE PLANE in which a dimension should lie when i position it?
Lastly and least, is about some dimensions which stubbonly snap out of position everytime you try to fix them back.
ie; the 15mm dimension on the lower side.
Kabbak, 
CBL, and 
Ben 9:26 am on December 23, 2011 Permalink
I’ve done some digging and I just cannot find a way to do this…
I am not saying it is impossible, just I have no idea how to make that work. Hopefully someone else here does
Kabbak 6:20 pm on December 23, 2011 Permalink
Thanks for Trying Ben.
Personally, am just surprised. Just imagine the best Mechanical 3D design software, all these years, failing to see this and make it possible to come up with at least more than one dimension style in the drawing environment with a simple click of a button.
Lets wait and see. May be someone will come to my rescue.
But please somebody should communicate this to them such that come the next version, we can have those much-better-looking dimensions in the 3D drawings too.
CBL 5:40 pm on December 24, 2011 Permalink
The non-flat-to-screen dimensions in isometric drawing views has been requested before. If it hasn’t already been included, you should add this as an ER (and for greater exposure) a SW12 Top Ten Idea.
https://forum.solidworks.com/community/general/solidworks_world_2012_and_the_top_ten_list?view=idea
Regarding the 20mm dimension;
Make sure the isometric view is set to True dimensions.
Select the edges (or at least one edge) and not two vertices when creating dimensions, and they should align with the edge(s).
Kabbak 12:55 am on December 26, 2011 Permalink
Thanks CBL.
This is really absurd.
I’m just wondering how this failed to make sense to them if it was requested before.
I’ve registered and will try to submit the request as you suggested.
I guess am losing the battle this time.
Am worried i’ll have to redo at least 78diagrams for my soon-to-be-published Technical Drawing Book using some other CAD software that can have such a dimensioning style in isometric views.
Am disappointed after all these years using SW.
So, Comrades, can i get suggestions of some other software which can easily do what SW has failed to do. I’ll be waiting hereon for the suggestions so that i can download/purchase and redraw ASAP.
Thanks in advance.
CBL 1:36 pm on December 26, 2011 Permalink
“I’m just wondering how this failed to make sense to them if it was requested before.”
Just because it hasn’t been implemented doesn’t mean that SW doesn’t see the sense in the idea.
There may not have been a sufficient number of requests for that enhancement for it to be given a high priority, or it simply may not be feasible within the parasolid kernel (although I find that hard to believe).
CBL 1:42 pm on December 26, 2011 Permalink
BTW, are you really recommending that dimension scheme in the book?
Kabbak 3:37 am on December 28, 2011 Permalink
“BTW, are you really recommending that dimension scheme in the book?”
No please, i just want to use one common, appealing style throughout the entire book.
Just click the picture and compare the 2 diagrams clearly, I even get a problem when it comes to smaller dimensions (e.g 5mm), the numbers cannot centre or even align within the leaders.
BTW there’s no problem with the orthographic views. Its only pictorial views (isometric, dimetric, trimetric etc) that i have to get a solution for. Leave alone the dark dots at the leader ends, Its the way the numbers orient that am interested in.
Surely, dimensioning pictorial views that way [the current solidworks drawing-environment way] in one’s book cannot , to me, earn them any credit before critical, learned individuals.
I thought of doing everything within the part environment but i could only export JPEGs which are not as flexible as PDFs. So it has to be within ‘drawing’ if at all.
May be we should also suggest saving as pdf within the part environment too. But it also seems you may not have full control of details like line types, thicknesses etc within there. Hmmm.
CBL 7:18 pm on December 28, 2011 Permalink
Why can you only export JPEGs? Using “File > Save as” on a part or assembly should allow PDF, PSD, AI, JPG & TIFF, as well as DXF & DWG.
Kabbak 10:45 pm on December 28, 2011 Permalink
“Why can you only export JPEGs?”
You are right. I can export all that and much more within part & assembly.
I’ve just been trying that alternative but seems there’s a lot that cant be done therein as in drawing.
A few of those that i realized right away include,
You cant tamper with line weights and line types.
You cant remove tangent lines,
Inserting dimensions are not as flexible. (I got the above picture as a screenshot at a temporary step just after editing the sketch. Saving that as pdf or jpeg gives no dimensions on the result.)
The saved pdf is of a very poor quality.