Surface Characters (2-D)

2-D Dimensioning + Text > Surface/Tolerances >Characters

Surface Characters are used to identify requirements on the surface condition of parts. For example, they provide information about the processing method, the required roughness and so on.

Surface characters consist of a graphic symbol for specifying the surface condition and additional text details for further surface parameters.

If you want to assign a surface character to a part, you activate the Characters function (left-click). The Surface specifications window will be displayed.

1. Choose the information you require and click OK to close the window.
2. Then identify a line (1) of the part to which you want to assign the surface character and then the reference point (2).
3. Right-click to place the character.

If you press the right instead of the left mouse button, you can create a leader line (with or without arrow) for the surface character.

(1) Line
(2) Reference point

Parameters

The surface character is completed by the various surface parameters. To ensure the uniqueness of a requirement on the surface condition, you may also need to specify additional number values or other characteristics in many cases.

a Roughness or degree of roughness (N1 to N12), with a1 being the maximum value and a2 the minimum value.

b Production methods, handling, layering or other requirements on the production process for creating the surface

c Requirements on the surface condition

d Surface grooves and alignment, e.g. =, X, M etc.

e Processing allowance as a numerical value in mm

Symbols

Orientation

Use the Orientation buttons to determine the position of the character.

Line end symbol

Use this function to specify you want to draw the leader line of the surface character with or without an arrow. After selecting a reference point, you can

• right-click to place the surface character without leader line, or
• left-click to create a leader line with or without arrow.

Save and Load Favourites

The current settings for surface specifications can be saved as Favourites and reused at any time.

1. In the input field beneath Favourites, enter the name under which you want to save the current settings.
2. Click the disk symbol to save.

The settings are saved in a file with the specified name and the file extension .SSY to the HiCAD SYS subdirectory.

To load saved settings, select the required file name in the list box beneath Favourites. The names of all SSY files that exist in HiCAD are displayed.

The SURFSYM.INI file

In connection with the surface characters the system file surfsym.ini in the HiCAD SYS directory plays an important role.

This file has the following purposes:

1. In this file you can determine the contents of the selection boxes of the Surface specification dialogue window. This is done in the lines 1 to 7, i.e. from A1._TEXT to E_TEXT.

For instance, if you expand the line B2_TEXT by "Rolled", this new entry can then be chosen from the selection box.

[B2_TEXT] = ;%ts(SURFSYM_GRINDED);%ts(SURFSYM_RAW);%ts(SURFSYM_MILLED);%ts(SURFSYM_CLEANED);Rolled

HiCAD uses the keyword %ts to gain access to the internal text service. This will not be required for your own additions, though.

2. Here, the default settings of surface characters for new model drawings are defined. The default settings can be changed at any time via 2-D Dimensioning + Text > Surface/Tolerances > Characters > Settings .

Process Surface Characters (2-D) • Dimensioning (2-D)