To Create AutoLimits

Place limits on specified aspects of a design, and receive notification whenever changes in monitored aspects exceed limits.

When you create an AutoLimit, you specify the limits for each notification level. If a change in the model exceeds a set level, a symbol displays in the graphics window.

1. On the ribbon, click Inspect tab AutoLimits panel AutoLimits Settings, and set preferences for Default Visibility.
   • Green. OK. Monitored values that fall within the default range of 90-110% are considered to be acceptable.
   • Yellow. Warning. Monitored values that fall within the default upper range of 110-130% and lower range of 70-90% are considered to be out of the ideal range.
   • Red. Serious Warning. Monitored values exceed the target range. The default range is less than 60 or greater than 140 or 50-70 or 130-150 depending on how you set it.

   AutoLimits settings do not affect previously created AutoLimits.

2. In the AutoLimits Settings browser, expand the AutoLimits icon and set preferences for each AutoLimit type.
   • Use Model Tolerances. Applies the model tolerance to each level (OK, Warning, and Serious Warning). To use the tolerances already defined for the model, select this checkbox. To use tolerances set in the boundaries of individual AutoLimits, clear the checkbox. For example, if you create all five levels for a particular AutoLimit, the range between red levels is three times the model tolerance.

     AutoLimit inputs utilize the Locate Tolerance setting in the Application Options General tab. Thus, when you move the cursor, the highlighted object changes based on the Locate Tolerance and cursor position.

   • Method. Selects the method to use as a range for acceptable tolerances: as a percentage of a total specified value or as numbers below or above a total specified value.
   • Lower, Upper. Defines the left (lower) and right (upper) value of the boundary range.
3. In the AutoLimit Settings browser, click the Tool Tip icon. Select the information to include in a tooltip for an AutoLimit with defined boundaries. Once the boundaries are created, to show information related to the AutoLimit, place the cursor over a browser icon of an object.
4. Click an AutoLimit command on the Inspect tab. In the dialog, click the icon to create the AutoLimit. For example, in the Dimensional AutoLimits dialog, click Distance.

   To monitor the length of a line, circle, ellipse, arc, spline, or edge in the 2D and 3D environments, use the Length AutoLimit.

5. In the graphics window, select the geometry you want to monitor. In the dialog, the Selections options depend on the geometry you select.

   If necessary, in the AutoLimit table, select Click to Add, and add more geometry.

   Tip: In an Angle AutoLimit, to monitor a point-point-point angle, select three points individually. Other angle types require only two selections.
6. In the left column, change the +/- sign to add or subtract the row value from the cumulative total.

   The Value column shows the total value of selections for that row. The Cumulative column shows the sum, or difference of the rows.

7. On the Boundary tab, define the Lower value and the Upper value. Use the comparison mathematical operators (LSign and USign). For example:
   • In the Boundaries table, select Click to Add. The first value establishes the green zone (OK), by default. By default, 10% of the geometry length is used for Lower and Upper.
   • If necessary to select a different mathematical operator, click LSign or USign.
   • Select Click to Add to add the yellow zone (Warning), if necessary. By default, Lower and Upper are 70-90% and 110-130%, respectively.
   • Select Click to Add to add the red zone (Serious Warning), if necessary. By default, Lower and Upper are less than 60 or greater than 140, or 50-70 or 130-150, respectively.
     Note: Do not enter values that allow boundaries to overlap, or enter mathematical expressions in the table.
     Tip: To add all five boundary levels at once, in an AutoLimits dialog, on the Boundary tab, press ALT + click in an empty table. Using this method, only five boundary levels are available. To insert a lower boundary condition, click an empty table row, and then press CTRL + click.
8. In the Level column, change the definition of the warning level for each highlighted boundary. Click the green, yellow, or red option from the list to redefine.
9. From the Display Precision list, select the level of precision (number of decimal places) to specify for tolerances.
10. Click Apply to add the AutoLimit. Continue to create AutoLimits as necessary, or click OK to close the dialog.