Dimensioning Springs

StephenG

I have created a 3D model of a simple helical compression spring and I cannot figure out how to a dimension a drawing documenting its overall (Free/Compressed) length and OD/ID if I have to dimension to silhouette curves.

The dimensioning tool in OS Drafting does not like silhouette curves which is understandable, but there is no way to add center/alignment lines to silhouette curves to allow dimensioning.

MBartlett21

StephenG said:

I have created a 3D model of a simple helical compression spring and I cannot figure out how to a dimension a drawing documenting its overall (Free/Compressed) length and OD/ID if I have to dimension to silhouette curves.

The dimensioning tool in OS Drafting does not like silhouette curves which is understandable, but there is no way to add center/alignment lines to silhouette curves to allow dimensioning.

Create a sketch, showing the overall length, then in the drawing, update, then right click on the view and choose show sketches. Choose the sketch you just created, then dimension to it

philip_thomas

Far from perfect, but you might get some pointers

https://cad.onshape.com/documents/7fc1e349fcc11d91513527a7/w/2865f30ef7df7739271bf916/e/6c90c2d39e631e45586e03be

StephenG

@mbartlett21 your suggestion is a clever work around. I added additional construction curves representing the OD/ID/Height envelope of the spring to the wire profile sketch and made the sketch visible in the drawing view, then created the dimensions to the construction curves. I found that I needed to use variables to coordinate the sketch and helix curve heights. Thanks.