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Dimensions on Isometric drawing

Posted: Sat Aug 03, 2013 1:46 pm
by katad0t1s
I really like the projection tools and the Isometric grid to create Isometric drawings.

However, I have not been able to find out how to add text and dimensions that would look correct in
these drawings.

In autocad, I used Oblique angle for the text properties and rotated as required. What shoud I do here?

For reference, see my example drawing below. I would like the text to follow the isometric lines and perhaps
add dimensions showing the length of the pipe line.

Thanks in advance.
ball_valve_stem.png
ball_valve_stem.png (31.5 KiB) Viewed 11672 times

Re: Dimensions on Isometric drawing

Posted: Sun Aug 04, 2013 12:33 pm
by Clive
Based on QCAD 3.1.6 pro.

When placing text in the normal manner you are presented with the option to enter your required angle!
Text Angle options.png
Text Angle options.png (24.28 KiB) Viewed 11502 times
Again in QCAD pro, you can add 'Aligned' dimensions.

(These options may only be available in QCAD Pro).

Re: Dimensions on Isometric drawing

Posted: Sun Aug 04, 2013 4:25 pm
by katad0t1s
clive wrote:Based on QCAD 3.1.6 pro.

When placing text in the normal manner you are presented with the option to enter your required angle!
The attachment Text Angle options.png is no longer available
Again in QCAD pro, you can add 'Aligned' dimensions.

(These options may only be available in QCAD Pro).

I see what you mean. However, this is not correct for annotating isometric drawings. The numbers do not have the "correct" isometric perspective.

To see what the end result should look like, see the pic attached below which show dimensions placed on an isometric piping drawing. Text and dimensions
have to be placed horizontally, or vertically with the proper isometric perspective and orientation (you can google more examples if you wish to do so). So far, I have not found a way to do this in Qcad.

ps In this example the annotation "Grooved End" follows your solution but it is not correct.
iso.jpg
iso.jpg (120.69 KiB) Viewed 11645 times

Re: Dimensions on Isometric drawing

Posted: Sun Aug 04, 2013 6:48 pm
by andrew
You can project anything you draw 'flat' into an isomtric view using the isometric projection tool of QCAD. For example:

- Draw a dimension / text / ... as they would look from a top, side or front perspective
- Select the entities you have drawn
- Modify - Isometric projection
- Choose reference point
- Choose projection in the top tool bar
- Place projected entities in your isometric drawing

Re: Dimensions on Isometric drawing

Posted: Sun Aug 04, 2013 7:24 pm
by katad0t1s
andrew wrote:You can project anything you draw 'flat' into an isomtric view using the isometric projection tool of QCAD. For example:

- Draw a dimension / text / ... as they would look from a top, side or front perspective
- Select the entities you have drawn
- Modify - Isometric projection
- Choose reference point
- Choose projection in the top tool bar
- Place projected entities in your isometric drawing

@andrew yes that would work but it would require me to draw every pipe run in front view first and the project it. Moreover, the dimension gets exploded once it gets projected ie it can not be edited.

In my field of work (I am a piping engineer) we use the isometric grid to draw our piping layout and then add annotations (dimensions, text, etc) as necessary. Doing it otherwise would complicate things
greatly I am afraid. Same would go for mechanical parts as well, I imagine.

Re: Dimensions on Isometric drawing

Posted: Sun Aug 04, 2013 7:42 pm
by andrew
I understand. The isometric tools of QCAD are not really suitable for drawing directly in isometric space.
They are rather meant to produce an isometric drawing once the top / side / front views have been drawn already.

Re: Dimensions on Isometric drawing

Posted: Sun Aug 04, 2013 7:55 pm
by katad0t1s
@andrew I see.

Well, hopefully, this could be a feature to be added in the future perhaps. Thanks for all the answers mate.