About AutoLimits

AutoLimits monitor selected aspects of a design relative to the boundaries you specify.

If the monitored aspects fall below or above the boundary limits, a warning indicator displays. You can also use AutoLimits to measure distance, length, volume, mass, and so on. You can manage AutoLimits by placing them in group folders in the AutoLimits browser.

If you are familiar with the Measure command, think of AutoLimits as a persistent Measure. Instead of checking constantly to ensure that a design remains within your requirements, you can define an AutoLimit. You can set a range of OK, Warning, and Serious Warning limits.

There are three types of AutoLimits:

Dimensional

Dimensional AutoLImits are Length, Distance, Angle, Diameter, and Minimum Distance. Your selections in the graphics window refine the AutoLimits you can set: for example, if you select a planer model face and then select another planar model face, the only valid AutoLimit types are Angle and Minimum Distance.

Area-Perimeter

These AutoLimits monitor the area of a selected face or the edges enclosing a face.

Physical Properties

These AutoLimits monitor the volume and mass of selected input.

Each AutoLimit measurement can be the result of an accumulation of selections that yield a cumulative value. The values included in the measurement can be added or subtracted.

Note: In the AutoLimits Settings dialog, boundary tab values correspond to cumulative values on the AutoLimits tabs.

Viewing AutoLimits

AutoLimit boundaries use both color (green, amber, red) and shape (circle, triangle and square) to provide feedback related to boundary conditions. The colors equate to conditions:

• Green: within boundary limits
• Amber: near boundary limits
• Red: exceeds boundary limits

Where the model value exceeds the boundary limit, the AutoLimit is displayed in the browser as a gray X. A gray X also indicates AutoLimits without defined boundaries.

Note: When you open a file, any AutoLimits that it contains do not display until you select an AutoLimits command.

In the assembly environment, the symbols disappear if you suppress or exclude the relevant component or turn off its visibility. In the part environment, the symbols disappear if you drag the End of Part marker up past the relevant feature of the sketch. In both cases, the error icon appears next to the AutoLimit in the browser. An AutoLimit at another level (subassembly or components) is not visible or accessible until that level or component is edited.

Availability of AutoLimits

AutoLimits are available in all environments except Autodesk Inventor Studio, Dynamic Simulation, Construction, Solid Edit, Flat Pattern, and Engineer's Notebook.

If you suppress an assembly component, its AutoLimits are unavailable. If you unsuppress the component, the AutoLimits are restored. (Realtime Refresh must be turned on; right-click the top-level AutoLimits node in the browser to turn it on.)

Best Practices for working with AutoLimits

• Use AutoLimits sparingly, monitoring only critical design information. Typically, you can have up to seven AutoLimits in an assembly.
• When copying AutoLimits, first create a group. Copy the AutoLimits, and then paste into the group. If you add boundary levels individually, there is no limit to how many you can add.
• In the AutoLimits Settings dialog, create rows representing least values to greatest values from top to bottom.