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Measurement between Primitives

The Measurement between Primitives tool calculates geometric measurements between two primitive objects, including various distance metrics and angle measurements. Results can be visualized in the 3D view and exported for documentation.

Accessing the Tool​

  1. Navigate to the Measure tab in the ribbon
  2. Click the Measurement between Primitives button in the Primitive tools section

Overview​

Calculate measurements between two primitive objects. Measurements can also be obtained interactively by selecting a point on the primitive object through picking.

User Interface​

Description​

Displays: "Calculate measurements between two primitive objects. Measurements can also be obtained interactively by selecting a point on the primitive object through picking."

Primitive Objects​

ControlDescription
Primitive 1Select the first primitive for measurement
Primitive 2Select the second primitive for measurement

Both dropdowns list all primitives in the project. Select one primitive in each to calculate measurements between them.

Measurements Table​

Displays calculated measurement results in a name-value table format:

MeasurementDescription
Primitive 1Name of the first primitive
Primitive 2Name of the second primitive
Primitive 1 typeType of the first primitive (Sphere, Cylinder, etc.)
Primitive 2 typeType of the second primitive
Shortest distance (mm)Minimum geometric distance between the two primitives
Shortest distance points (mm)P1 and P2 coordinates where shortest distance occurs
Shortest surface-to-surface distance (mm)Minimum distance between primitive surfaces
Surface-to-surface distance points (mm)P1 and P2 coordinates on the surfaces
Centroid distance (mm)Distance between primitive centers
Centroid distance points (mm)Center coordinates of each primitive
Distance to picked point (mm)Distance from a primitive to an interactively picked point
Picked point (mm)Coordinates of the picked point
Angle (°)Angle between primitives (when applicable)

Display Options​

Toggle visibility of measurement visualizations in the 3D view:

CheckboxDescription
Show shortest distanceDisplay the shortest geometric distance line
Show shortest surface-to-surface distanceDisplay the surface-to-surface distance line
Show centroid distanceDisplay the line connecting centroids
Show picked point distanceDisplay distance to interactively picked point
Show angleDisplay angle arc visualization

Toolbar​

ButtonDescription
Export...Export measurements to a file
Copy to MeasurementsCopy visible measurements to the Measurements tool
UpdateRecalculate measurements

Measurement Types​

Shortest Distance​

The minimum Euclidean distance between any two points on the primitive geometries. This accounts for the mathematical definition of each primitive.

Surface-to-Surface Distance​

For solid primitives, the minimum distance between their outer surfaces. This differs from geometric distance for primitives with finite extent.

Centroid Distance​

The distance between the center points (centroids) of the two primitives. For point primitives, this equals the simple point-to-point distance.

Picked Point Distance​

Interactive measurement where you click on a primitive to measure the distance from that clicked point to the other primitive.

Interactive Picking

Use the picked point feature to measure distances from specific locations on primitive surfaces. This is useful for clearance checks and proximity analysis at specific points of interest.

Angle​

The angle between primitives is calculated based on their orientation:

  • Lines: Angle between line directions
  • Planes: Angle between plane normals
  • Cylinders/Cones: Angle between axes
  • Mixed types: Projection angle where applicable

Workflow​

Basic Measurement​

  1. Ensure at least two primitives exist in the project
  2. Open the Measurement between Primitives tool
  3. Select Primitive 1 from the first dropdown
  4. Select Primitive 2 from the second dropdown
  5. Measurements are calculated and displayed automatically
  6. Check visualization options to see measurement lines in the 3D view

Interactive Point Picking​

  1. With primitives selected, click on a primitive surface in the 3D view
  2. The picked point distance is calculated and displayed
  3. A distance line is drawn from the picked point to the nearest point on the other primitive

Exporting Results​

  1. Calculate measurements between primitives
  2. Click Export... to save results to a file
  3. Choose the file location and format

Copying to Measurements​

  1. Enable the measurement visualizations you want to keep
  2. Click Copy to Measurements
  3. Distance measurements are converted to standard measurement objects
  4. These measurements persist and can be included in reports

Use Cases​

Clearance Analysis​

Measure the minimum distance between components to verify clearance requirements.

Alignment Verification​

Compare centroid distances and angles to verify alignment between features.

Deviation Analysis​

Measure distances from fitted primitives to reference primitives to quantify deviations.

Anatomical Measurements​

Measure distances and angles between anatomical landmarks represented by primitives.