Split drawing dims?

[TrailBarge]

Our company makes large moving structures (forging presses, if it matters)



Our drawings document the opening inside press fully open and fully
closed. (Open height when press cylinder is stroked all the way up and
open height when the cylinder is stroked all the way down.)



The common way to do this is to have the front (elevation) view
split down the centerline, the left is full open, the right half is
full closed.



I pull this off by family tabling the assembly, with the stroke of the
press as the variable dim in the table. Then I can pull both
instances into the drawing as separate models and show there respective
half-views. If I control the scaling and the alignment correctly,
I can get the effect I want.



Now, the tough part....



We also document the left-right opening between the columns that hold
the upper and lower portions of the press together. I can't show
or create a dim to do this, as pro calls the two halves separate models.



Does anybody out there have a method or workaround to get the effect?



I suppose I can post an image if the desired look if somebody doesn't quite get the description.



TIA

 

[TrailBarge]

Something like this...





View attachment 2536

 

[KurtStark]

Make a skeleton model with datum planes at the open and closed positions, then you can show these dimensionsin the drawing.
In the model you can reference the Components to these planes.

 

[elab.theken]

What about actually assembling the two family table instances together to show exactly as you have on the drawing.


Assemble left instance at default position and cut away right half with an assembly cut, then assemble right instance in correct position and cut away the left halt with an assembly cut. Then you only need one drawing view of the assembly, and you can dimension at will.


Hope this helps.