Anyone using "variables"? Who knew?

[DickB]

This falls into that category of learning something new unexpectedly. I've been using Designer for 8 years now and knew nothing of "variables" until today. I've since searched the software manual and learning guide and found nothing on "variables". Is this in a tutorial somewhere?

I'm working on a project using constraints. I used the Drill tool to make a hole, and placed it near the centerline of the project. The green location arrow number read 0.003 from the hole to the centerline. I wanted the hole exactly on center. To place it exactly on center, I started to create a constraint by clicking on the green numerals. I wanted to set the constraint to zero, but I typed "o" by mistake instead. I got this prompt:

Do you wish to create a new variable named 'o'?

Never saw that before. OK, why not? When I responded Yes, it moved the hole to centerline and set the green location to o=0.0. Interesting. I clicked on the green o=0.0 and the edit box opened with o in it, so I just hit enter. That turned the o=0.0 from green to yellow. So now I have a yellow constraint o=0.0. And I can now enter o as a value for additional constraints. Also, I tried clicking on the 0.0 and an edit box opened up with 0.0 in it. Changing the value to .5 changed all constrains with the variable o to 0.5, which I guess I expected. I can see where this can be very handy while editing projects. I often place multiple items such as holes an equal distance from a centerline in a project, then decide later I need to change the distance. This feature would save time by changing all at once.

Another thing - if the value of a variable is changed in one project, it is changed for all open projects using the same variable! Again, a handy feature. In projects such as my clocks I often have mating parts that use the same offset value. I also often have a "master" mpc of just one part for each of several parts. With variables, I can more easily make design changes to all parts in multiple mpcs. Neat.

Anyone heard about or using this feature?

BTW this is Designer 1.

[oscarl48]

That is really cool. I was unaware of that feature. I can see the possibilities.

[bergerud]

That is awesome! You can use names like "offset" as well as single letters. (I hope I can remember that the feature exists the next time I need it.)

[DickB]

I see that this also works for line lengths and rectangle lengths but not radii.

I wonder why this is not documented?

[fwharris]

Great find! I think I've seen it but did not try to figure it out.

[Mugsowner]

Wow, that is a neat little hidden feature.

[cestout]

Thanks!
Clint