HELP! Problem with General Dimension in Inventor 5.

[sanddrag]

When I put in a general dimension, all I see is the arrows and lines, no actual dimension. The help tells me to go to the Format menu and select Dimension Styles. The problem is that I don't have this option in the Format menu. Can someone please help me?

[Clark Gilbert]

Make sure your graphics card and Inventor updates are new. I remember having this problem at school last year, and I believe that's how it was fixed.

[sanddrag]

Why would it have anything to do with my graphics card? My video port is on the motherboard. Anyway, I did both service packs and I still don't have any numbers in the general dimension or a Dimension Style option in the format menu. Someone please help me.

[Clark Gilbert]

Is this for a drawing or for a part file? If it's for a drawing file just make a new dimension style (copy of default ansi) and it should let you change all the options. I've seen the same thing happen for a part file and it had to do with the graphic settings.

[sanddrag]

Okay here's the deal. The Dimension Styles option in the Format menu IS present in a drawing but not in a part file. All the styles have "none" selected for the text option. I tried created a custom style the displays "Default ANSI" text but still no change. Even if this did work, how would I get it to work for a part file?

Also, in the txt file for Inventor 5 SP1 is says they fixed this problem in Win 98 and ME. I use Win 98. I successfully installed SP1 but it did not fix it.

Also, I tried changing the graphics options like you said. That didn't fix the problem.

[Clark Gilbert]

Maybe you've tried this. Try going under

Tools-->Applications Options-->Hardware Tab.

Just try selecting the different options, click apply, restart the program.

[petek]

How much memory is in your machine? This is a common problem with Inventor on memory-challenged PCs (< 512 MB), even with "certified" graphics cards/drivers.

Does this happen with a really small file, say a basic rectanglular object with no features?

What display hardware/driver settings appear in the Display control panel properties? (Look on the Settings tab)

BTW, while looking at Autodesk's help files on this, I ran across this interesting comparison of memory usage vs. graphics adapter.

[sanddrag]

Clark, I have tried that with no luck.

Petek,
My machine is an Intel Celeron 700 running Windows 98 SE with 128 mb of RAM.

In the control panel display properties here is what it is set at:

Display:
KDS Avitron AV-195TF (that is my monitor) on Intel 810 Chipset Graphics Driver 4.11.01.2555.

Colors: True Color (24 bit) Screen area: 1024x768 pixels.

I can run programs like photoshop and premiere and office just fine with no problems.

Inventor runs just fine too. It is just that one problem of the actual number (or name or expression) in the General Dimension of anything does not show. There is just a gap in the line where it should be. Even in the simplest drawing consisting of just one line.

Service pack 1 says they fixed this problem with Windows 98 but apparently it doesn't.

What should I try next? I'd really like to get this fixed soon because it annoys the heck out of me.

[Clark Gilbert]

Try a reinstall? Other than that I have no idea (other than getting a new computer). I've seen this problem you've had though, and it can be fixed (we might have fixed it w/ the SP last year). It may be that your system config just isn't good enough for all the Inventor options.

[sanddrag]

Yeah, I tried the reinstall. No worky still. I'm trying to figure out what I can do to get a W2K or XP system or something. It's just annoying that I got a legal copy of this Inventor for free through my school, but now I'm going to have to buy something (new computer or OS) to make it work.

petek,
Any more ideas based on the info I gave?

[petek]

I don't suppose you want to hear me say "buy more RAM", but I think that is your problem. Inventor loads and runs with 128 MB, but it is rather crippled with less than 512 MB. You could try increasing your disk swap space. I think it is set in the System control panel. The default setting is the size of your physical memory + 1 MB (=129 MB in your case). You might try going up to 256 MB or so.

As I said in my earlier post, this is a common problem with Inventor - last year our school had PIII's with 384 MB, Inventor 5.0 and Win2000 and had this problem constantly with anything more than a very simple .idw. Two machines with 768 MB were okay, except for with very large assembly .idws.

Sorry I don't have less expensive ideas!

[sanddrag]

By disk swap space you mean virtual memory right? I did try that just now and it had no apparent effect. I also tried the different graphics acceleration settings in the System Control Panel and that didn't fix it either.

I will buy more RAM because it's not all that much for my computer these days but only if it will fix the problem because I don't need it otherwise. How certain are you that having 512+ will fix it?

[petek]

I can't guarantee that 512 MB will fix your problem, but I think it will. As I said in an earlier post, I have had the same problem (with dimension text not displaying) on machines with 384 MB, but less problem with otherwise identical machines with 768 MB.

The only other data points I've got for this problem are 5.0/PII/384 MB/NT 4 (problem occured with any but small files), 5.3/PIII/128MB/WinME (ditto) and 7.0/Xeon/1 GB/Win2000 (no problem).