Measure
Tap an edge or a face to read its size, or two things to get the distance and angle between them. Measuring never changes your design.
Start Measure
Measure reads sizes straight off the model. It works on any body you can see.
- Tap Measure on the tool strip, or press I on a keyboard.
- Tap a face, an edge or a corner of the model.
- Click Measure on the tool strip, choose Design › Measure, or press I.
- Click a face, an edge or a corner of the model.
The inspector shows a card for what you picked. The hint over the model says what the next tap does.
Read a size
Each pick gets a card that names what it is, such as Circular edge or Flat face, and lists its sizes.
| You pick | You get |
|---|---|
| A straight edge | Length |
| A round edge, such as a hole’s rim | Length, Radius and Diameter |
| A flat face | Area |
| A cylindrical or spherical face, such as a hole’s wall | Area, Radius and Diameter |
| A corner (vertex) | Its X, Y and Z position |
Lengths are in mm and areas in mm², rounded to two decimals.
Measure between two things
Pick a second thing to get the shortest distance between the two. Fillet draws it on the model as a dimension line.
- Tap the first thing, for example the rim of a hole.
- Tap the second, for example the end face.
- Read Distance in the Between card. Scroll the inspector to see the rest of the card.
- HintSays what the next tap does.
- Your picksPicked edges and faces turn blue.
- Dimension lineThe shortest distance, between the closest points.
- One card per pickWhat each pick is, with its sizes.
- BetweenDistance, ΔX, ΔY, ΔZ and, where it applies, Angle.
The Between card holds:
- Distance: the shortest gap between the two picks.
- ΔX, ΔY and ΔZ: how far apart the two closest points are along each axis.
- Angle: only when both picks are flat faces or straight edges. Two faces give the angle between the ways they face, so the top and bottom of a plate read 180°.
A third tap starts over with that pick. Tap a picked thing again to drop it. The two picks can be on different bodies.
Measure whole bodies
Switch to bodies to get a part’s volume and outer size.
- In the inspector, set Pick to Bodies.
- Tap a body.
The card shows its Volume in cm³ and its Size: width × depth × height of the box around it, in mm. Tap a second body to get the gap between the two, such as between a box and its lid.
Copy a value
Every value has a copy button on its right. It copies the value as shown, such as 53 mm or 90°.
Paste a length or an angle into any size field and Fillet reads the unit. On the Mac you can also select the text and copy it.
Start over or finish
- Clear drops your picks and keeps Measure on.
- Esc clears your picks. Press it again to leave Measure.
- Done ends Measure. So do tapping Measure again and starting another tool.
Measuring is never a step. It doesn’t change your design and isn’t part of undo.
If the model changes while you measure, because you undo or an agent adds a step, picks on that body are dropped. Pick them again.
Check a distance without Measure
For a quick number you don’t need the tool. Select two things and the inspector shows the distance between them.
- Tap a face or an edge.
- Tap a second one. It’s added to the selection.
- Read Distance in the inspector.
- Click a face or an edge.
- Shift-click a second one.
- Read Distance in the inspector.
Need ΔX, ΔY, ΔZ or the angle? Press I: your two picks carry over into Measure.
Questions
- Why is there no Angle?
- Angle shows only when both picks are flat faces or straight edges. A round edge or a curved face has no single direction.
- Why did my picks disappear?
- The body changed: you undid a step, or an agent added one. Measure drops picks rather than read them off a different shape.
- Can I measure a sketch?
- No. Measure picks the faces, edges and corners of bodies, not sketch lines.
- Can I measure a hidden body?
- No. Show it in the browser first. Measure picks only what you can see.