topic Re: Drawing dimension symbolic name issue in 3D Part & Assembly Design

Drawing dimension symbolic name issue

MK_12698627 — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 15:42:31 GMT

Using Creo 8.0.9

I'm working on a drawing that has a large table of dimensional values that directly reference dimensions created on views in a later sheet. When I create the dimensions on the drawing view, I enter a symbolic name (like 'H4', see image below) that corresponds with the name of the value on the first page. This way if the model changes in the future, the table automatically updates instead of needing to manually type in the new value. So, the table on sheet one has the value &H4, but displays the dimension named 'H4'.

The issue I'm running into is that sometimes when I enter the name I want, it brings up a pop-up that says "This symbol is reserved or exists already". When I look through the annotations dropdown in the drawing tree, the dimension name I want isn't found under any of the views so there shouldn't be a conflict.

Is there a way to see a list of all created dimensions on a drawing? I've also tried looking in "Show Model Annotations", but don't see the names I want there either. Is it possible there are hidden dimensions somewhere that I'm not looking, or is this a bug?

Thanks for any help you can provide!

Re: Drawing dimension symbolic name issue

tbraxton — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 16:07:23 GMT

One possible cause is that a drawing user (using create_drawing_dims_only no) made a driven dimension in drawing mode that lives in the solid model, and named it using the name you are attempting to use. If this is the issue, then when in drawing mode you should be able to find the driven dim with the name in question.

Re: Drawing dimension symbolic name issue

tbraxton — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 16:10:05 GMT

This is a list from PTC but without a declaration that it is inclusive of all reserved names.

Some parameter names are reserved and cannot be used:
- A symbol that had been used by another dimension
- Yes, No
- d#, kd#, rd#, tm#, tp#, or tpm#
- pi - names with mathematical operators or the reserved words
- C1, C2, C3 or C4 - they are constants that have the values of 1, 2, 3, and 4 respectively
- G (gravity)
- Gxx where xx is any numerical value (Geometric Tolerances)
- Pxx where xx is any numerical value (Pattern Instances)
- SF1 (reserved for surface finish with ID 1)
- User parameter names must begin with a letter
- User parameter names cannot contain nonalphanumeric characters such as !, @, #, and $, -, but only _ (underscore) can be used
- User parameter names cannot be starting with PTC_*

Re: Drawing dimension symbolic name issue

MK_12698627 — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 20:06:08 GMT

That would make sense. In response to your below comment, I don't think it's a naming issue, as it works sometimes in other drawings with the same symbolic name.

How do I access drawing mode within an assembly? I'm not familiar with anything but the standard 2D drawing in Creo. Is there an advantage to this over a regular drawing?

Re: Drawing dimension symbolic name issue

tbraxton — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 20:13:32 GMT

When you have a 2D drawing as the active window in Creo Parametric, that is drawing mode.

https://support.ptc.com/help/creo/creo_pma/r11.0/usascii/index.html#page/detail/About_the_Drawing_Modes.html

If you are using an assembly as the model to create a drawing if any of the parts/components within the assembly may use the parameter name, then that could be an issue causing the error. I am not positive about that, but it conceivably could be an issue in the context of a drawing. If you have a dimension named "H4" in more than one part/component in an assembly then when you try to assign that name to a new dimension, it could be a problem.

Re: Drawing dimension symbolic name issue

anursingh — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 22:37:05 GMT

Hi @MK_12698627,

I wanted to see if you got the help you needed.

If so, please mark the appropriate reply as the Accepted Solution. It will help other members who may have the same question.
Of course, if you have more to share on your issue, please pursue the conversation.

Thanks,
Anurag

Re: Drawing dimension symbolic name issue

MK_12698627 — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 12:57:20 GMT

I am using an assembly to create the drawing, but all the components in the assembly are skeleton models with shrink-wrapped geometry, so there are no other parts or components that have drawings that are directly linked to this assembly. We also don't tend to give names to dimensions in drawings (this assembly being the exception, so it's not likely that there's something with the same name in another part connected to it.