About Importing the Dimensions of Creo Elements/Direct Drawings as Associative Data
When you import Creo Elements/Direct*.mi, *.bi, and *.bdl files with the Drawing associative with model option selected on the Import MI dialog box, the associative data that is transferred to Creo Parametric includes annotations and dimensions. Dimensions that reference the edges, faces, and vertices of 3D models are imported as associative dimensions.
The associative import of the *.mi, *.bi, and *.bdl drawing files transfers the following types of dimensions that are associative with the 3D geometry in the drawing files:
• Angular
• Linear
• Radial
• Diameter
• Ordinate
• Coordinate
• Datum
• Chain
When you import drawings with solid views, the linear, angular, radius, diameter, arc length, and ordinate dimensions are associated with the geometric references in the drawing views of the solids. Ordinate dimensions are imported as part of the ordinate dimension set. You can associate ordinate dimensions with draft entities and geometric references in the drawing views of solids. In addition to their association with the geometry, the ordinate dimensions reference the ordinate dimension baseline or the ordinate dimension witness lines. When you set the ordinate dimension standard as std_iso, the horizontal leader lines of ordinate dimensions are properly attached to the witness lines of the ordinate dimensions.
The following types of dimensions are also imported as associative dimensions:
• Arc dimensions as associative Creo Parametric angular arc type dimensions.
• Dimensions that reference the surfaces of rotational geometry.
• Dimensions that reference draft entities.
• The tangent dimensions of cylinders.
While the tangent dimensions of cylinders are associative, the tangent dimensions of slots are not associative. The radius dimensions of rounds, chamfer dimensions, thread dimensions, and the dimensions of face parts (quilts) and wire parts (3D curves) are also not associative. Chamfer dimensions are transferred as notes with reference lines.
When references such as edges, faces, and the vertices of 3D models exist between the drawings and the 3D models, the related dimensions are derived from the 3D geometry and are imported as associative dimensions. The edges referenced by the associative dimensions may be the edges of cylindrical geometry or cross-sectional edges.
Dimensions in a drawing can also reference:
• User-defined coordinate systems that are relative to part and assembly positions
• Features such as rounds, chamfers, and holes
• 2D symbols
However, associative dimensions are not created for user-defined coordinate systems.
After import, all the associative dimensions are correctly positioned and are attached to the relevant geometry by an additional reference which is the point of attachment. The point of attachment is a relative position along a line or arc that attaches the dimensions with the references in the 3D model.
The attachments of the dimensions with the reference geometry are as follows:
• The dimensions are attached to an end of the referenced entity.
• The radius and diameter dimensions are attached to the referenced entities halfway along the dimensioned arc.
• For angular dimensions with a line entity as reference, if the attachment is near the end of the line, the attachment is slightly offset from the end of the line entity.
When Creo Elements/Direct drawings contain dimensions in inches and millimeters, their associative import to Creo Parametric converts all dimensions to any one dimension unit, depending on the dimension units that are the majority in the Creo Elements/Direct drawings. That is, if most dimensions in the Creo Elements/Direct drawings are in inches, the associative import of the drawings converts all dimensions, including the dimensions in millimeters, to inches.