Geometric Tolerance

Feature Toolbar with Geometric Tolerance Icon Highlighted

Often associated with datum, use Geometric tolerance to create and place basic dimension notations in the drawing, like this:

example of the result of using Geometric Tolerance tool

Creating a tolerance

Tolerances can be attached to edges, holes, dimensions (with or without leaders), dimension extension lines, extension lines, and even away from an edge (with no leader).

Creating a tolerance:

Click .
In the dialog, from corresponding lists, specify the symbols and associated tolerances for your drawing:
Complete the specifications by entering the following information:
1. The upper text field adds information above the Geometric tolerance.
2. Select the type of Geometric tolerance by using the Symbol dropdown. The symbol is placed to the left of the Tolerance.
3. Enter a Tolerance value into the Tolerance field.
4. Enter up to 3 datum values into the 3 datum fields.
5. Enter a Prefix or Suffix to add information to the left or right of the Tolerance, respectively.
6. Click the Add frame icon () to add additional frames to the geometric tolerance. Change the bottom symbol to Composite to create a composite frame.
7. If desired, click the Remove last frame icon () to remove the last frame added.
8. Click the Leader symbol dropdown and select Leader (), All around (), or All over ().
9. Click the Geometric tolerance symbol dropdown to select the type of Geometric tolerance. The symbol displays to the left of the Geometric tolerance value in the Tolerance field.
10. Click the Geometric tolerance modifier dropdown and select Maximum material condition (), Least material condition (), or Regardless of feature size (). The symbol displays to the right of the Geometric tolerance value in the Tolerance field.
11. Select any combination of Free state (), Tangent plane (), or Projected tolerance zone (℗). The symbol displays to the right of the Geometric tolerance and Geometric tolerance modifier in the Tolerance field.
12. Enter information in the Lower text field below the leader to add information below the Geometric tolerance.
13. The Insert symbol dropdown at the bottom left of the dialog is used to insert a symbols to the upper and lower text fields, as well as the Prefix and Suffix fields. Place your cursor in the field where you want the symbol placed, and then use the dropdown to select the symbol to insert.
Click in the graphics area to place the tolerance.
To place tolerance with a leader, hover over drawing view until a snap point appears, click with the desired snap point visible, drag tolerance and click to place. To add another leader, right-click the leader and select Add leader. Click to place additional leader. Repeat to add more leaders:
The leader includes a moveable node along the horizontal segment:

Click and drag the node to extend or shrink the horizontal segment of the leader line.
To place the tolerance on an edge in the view, place the tolerance first, then drag it to the edge and release when there is no leader visible:

To place the tolerance along an extension line, drag the tolerance away from the snap point, until an extension line appears:
You can also place tolerances on centermarks as well as manually placed centermarks.
When aligning dimensions and annotations, you can hover over edges, midpoints, or other lines to activate red inference points. Use the inference points to snap the location of the entity when creating or dragging a dimension or annotation. Similarly, you can move the mouse vertically or horizontally over views, lines, dimensions, or annotations to activate pink vertical and horizontal inference lines. Use these inference lines to align the location of the entity vertically or horizontally from the desired referenced annotation.

The tolerance displays in the graphics area.

Tolerance displayed in the graphics area

Tolerance with leader:

example of a tolerance with leader

You can drag a geometric tolerance closer to or farther away from its placement point on the drawing, and the extension line adjusts appropriately. You also have the ability to attach and orient the geometric tolerance to other drawing annotations.

When dragging away from a dimension, the geometric tolerance automatically gains a leader and remains inline with the dimension.

Grouping tolerances

Grouping a tolerance to an annotation

To group a tolerance to an annotation, for example, a dimension or hole callout:

Click to select the tolerance.
Drag the tolerance to an existing dimension. When the dimension gains a highlight, release the drag.

To group a tolerance during creation:

Once the tolerance dialog is open, make your necessary changes in the dialog.
When placing the tolerance in the drawing area, click on the dimension you wish to group it with.

When you move a tolerance, the tolerance is ungrouped.

To move them both together, click and drag the dimension to the new location. To move the tolerance, click and drag it to a new location.

Moving the tolerance breaks the group connection between it and the dimension. To regroup it, drag and drop the tolerance on the dimension.

Grouping a tolerance to a callout group

To group a tolerance to a dimension that has a grouped callout, for an example, a dimension with a balloon callout grouped with it:

Click to select the tolerance.
Drag the tolerance to the existing dimension. When the dimension gains a highlight, release the drag.

To group a tolerance during creation:

Once the tolerance dialog is open, make your necessary changes in the dialog.
When placing the tolerance in the drawing area, click on the dimension.

To move the callout group together, click and drag the dimension to the new location. Alternately, click on the tolerance or callout to select it. Then click anywhere outside the grip point (shown by the cursor below) to move the entities together to a new location.

Example of moving the callout group together

To move the tolerance without moving the group, click to select it. Then click its grip point and move it to a new location. The tolerance remains part of the callout group, even after it is moved to the new location.

Editing a tolerance

To edit a tolerance:

Double-click on the tolerance in the graphics area.
Make your changes in the dialog that opens.

Styling tolerances

To style a tolerance:

Click on the tolerance you want to style, then click the Styles panel icon on the right side of the page:
Edit the Font, Text height, Color, and Arrowhead:

Add/remove leader nodes

Right-click on the leader and click Add node:

A node will appear on the leader. To add another node, right click on the leader and select Add node again.

To remove a node from a leader, right click on the node and select Remove node.
You are also able to add leaders to nodes by right clicking on the node and selecting Add leader. This will add a leader starting from that node and ending wherever you click next.