Datum

1. Click .
2. Enter the necessary label in the dialog.

   

3. Click to select an edge of a part view and drag away from the edge to establish the datum line.
4. Click to set the datum symbol.

While moving the mouse, you'll notice thin, red, dashed lines as the cursor passes near other entities. These are inferencing lines that you are able to align the dimension to; simply click when you see the line appear to align the dimension to that line.

1. Click on the datum you want to style, then click the Styles panel icon on the right side of the page:



2. Edit the Font, Text height, Color, and Datum size:

1. Click .
2. Click Datum target.

   

3. Select a shape for the target from the Target area dropdown.
4. Select a Style for the target callout from the dropdown.
5. For circle and rectangle target areas, specify the Area size.
   • Circle: Specify the diameter. Click the dropdown to specify precision.
   • Rectangle: Specify the side lengths. Click the dropdown to specify precision.

     

6. Click to place the target on the drawing.
   
7. Click again to place the target callout.
   
8. Change the target Label, if necessary. Adding additional targets in the Datum target dialog will increment the label digit (A2, A3, A4, etc.). Adding new targets will increment the label letter (B1, C1, D1, etc).
9. Next, you'll select the origin for the target. The exact location of the target will be determined relative to this origin point. You can specify this location either by distance or angle from the origin.
   • To define the target location by distance:
     1. Select Length from the dropdown.
     2. Click to place the origin.
     3. Specify the distance of the target's X-Position and Y-Position from the origin.
     4. Optionally, click the Distance dropdowns to set precision.
     5. Use the X and Y arrow buttons to change the orientation of the target relative to the origin.

        

   • To define the target angularly:
     1. Select Angle from the dropdown.
     2. Click to place the origin at the center of a circle or arc.
     3. Specify the target's Diameter distance from the origin. The target will be placed half this distance (i.e., the radius distance) from the origin.
     4. Next, specify the angle for the target. The target will be placed at this angle from horizontal.

        

     5. Optionally, click the Diameter distance and Angle dropdowns to set precision.
     6. Click the Radial lines option to display a line from the origin to the target.

        

     7. To specify a different reference than horizontal, click the Reference line field and select an edge. The target will be placed at an angle from this line.

        

     8. Use the Flip and Rotate buttons as needed to change the orientation of the target relative to the origin.
     9. Add instances of the datum target with the Instance option. All instances will be evenly spaced along a 360 degree arc. Click the Opposite direction button to order the instances counter-clockwise instead of clockwise.
10. Click in the Targets field of the Datum target dialog to add additional targets (you'll see the Click in space to add a target tooltip). All targets added in the dialog will start with the same preceding letter (i.e., A1, A2, A3, etc).

    

11. Click the checkmark to close the Datum dialog.

1. Click on the datum target you want to style, then click the Styles panel icon on the right side of the page:



2. Edit the Font, Text height, Color, Hatch pattern, and Hatch scale:

1. Right-click the dimension you want to hide, and then click Hide dimension.



2. Repeat for each dimension you want to hide.
3. To show hidden dimensions, right-click the target label, then select Show dimensions.
   • To show only the dimensions for that target (A1 in the example below), click This target.
   • To show all the dimensions for all targets associated with that label (A1 and A2 in the example below), click All targets.

   

• You can drag a datum to another location after placement: click to select it, then drag.
• You can drag a datum closer to or farther away from its placement point on the drawing and the extension line adjusts appropriately.
• You can group datums with callouts. See Callout (Balloon) for more information.
• You can associate a datum with a dimension extension line:

  

• To change the label, click to select the datum, then double-click in the highlighted square:

  

  The datum dialog opens and you can change the label. You can also change the triangle in the properties setting for all arrowheads through the Properties panel, Annotations tab, Arrowhead setting.

• When selecting a Datum target in a series, the target and associated face is highlighted blue. Any other datum in the series are secondarily highlighted yellow: