What do _you_ use driven dimensions for?

michael_mcdonald047

Are driven dimensions just for saving the trouble of consulting a calculator or is there more to them.  Referring here to driven dimensions within sketches, not drawings.  The value of adding reference dimensions onto a shop drawing is clear, but why within sketches?

Michael

michael_mcclain

Sometimes that reference geometry can be a great way to keep track of design intent for you or the next fellow. I also use them when altering how something is drawn or changing the original design intent to have a more predictable change without the sketch going nuts.

I will add several reference dims, right click them and set them to driving. This will over define the sketch but hold things in place as I set existing dimensions to driven. Essentially I'm swapping which dims or constraints drive the sketch.

I find that purposely over defining the sketch can be a great way to trouble shoot with more predictable behavior.

owen_sparks

Well said.

The ability to toggle an existing dimension between driven and driving can be useful. 

Say we have a plate with a hole in it and we dimension the hole both from the centre and the edge by using two dimensions.  By changing which is the driving dimension we can control what happens if we change the size of the plate.  Do we want the hole to stay put relative to the edge or the centre? 

Owen S.