Can exploded dims cause problems?

[eleonard]

I am wondering if exploding dimensions can cause major errors in drawings? I personally hate it when people exploded dims and i am looking for a good way to justify forcing people to not explode dimensions. I seem to be one of the very few who understand the program well enough to convince the others that it could cause problems.

Any ideas on how to get people to quit exploding dimensions?

Emily

[Wanderer]

I am wondering if exploding dimensions can cause major errors in drawings? I personally hate it when people exploded dims and i am looking for a good way to justify forcing people to not explode dimensions. I seem to be one of the very few who understand the program well enough to convince the others that it could cause problems.

Any ideas on how to get people to quit exploding dimensions?

Emily

Emily, I am going to move this from the ACAD General forum to this one as I believe it will get a better response here. Thank you.

[jaberwok]

The values will no longer update with geometry changes; that should be a good enough reason not to explode them.

[BrenBren]

I am wondering if exploding dimensions can cause major errors in drawings? I personally hate it when people exploded dims and i am looking for a good way to justify forcing people to not explode dimensions. I seem to be one of the very few who understand the program well enough to convince the others that it could cause problems.

Any ideas on how to get people to quit exploding dimensions?

Emily

Hi Emily,

In my opinion, exploding dims is NOT good. When you make changes to designs, your dims are not going to change with your design, and, well, we all know how that is going to turn out...

I would think justification to management could be as simple as explaining that if you update a part to make it a different size, unexploded dims will change with the part, where as exploded ones won't. It wouldn't be a stretch for a drawing to go out wrong and part to be built wrong - costing your company money...

Do you have standards? Make sure that is in your standards. If you are using AutoCAD 2006 (possibly in 2005); there is a built in standards checker that will tell you if dimensions are exploded. Or, if you have the backing of management; check the drawings of the person who is you know is exploding these dims; make that person re-do the work. Enough of that and they should finally get it...

[wkc]

Emily,

I aggree with Brenda.

But one other thing, there is some lines and arrows to deal with. No longer a group.

W. Kirk Crawford
Rochester Hills, Michigan

[james.eustace]

I have to agree with everyone else in saying there is no good reason to explode a dim. That's just asking for problmes down the road.

[Augi Doggie]

I think everyone is right on the money with this one. If a dimension is exploded it can show the wrong measurement and cause any number of design errors. Also, any change in scale or style will not be updated.

I've had to let people go because they refused to stop exploding dimensions (and hatch patterns). Approach management with the direction that you're protecting their interests and you may have better results.

Good luck.

[eleonard]

Thank you so much on the feedback. I have one person who thinks that exploding is the only way to manipluate a dimension.
As of right now we have no offical standard in place, i have been writing standards up over the last couple months and hope to deploy them the first of the year. In there it talks about exploding dims and how it not to be done.

I am glad to see that there are others who feel the same way i do.