Currently for what I do I create two separate solidworks drawing files. One drawing has only dimensions on it and the other has only bubbles on it. Each dimension has a corresponding bubble. I am trying to find a way to put the bubble and the dimension onto one drawing so that I can hide the bubbles and save a PDF, then show the bubbles and hide the dimensions and save a PDF. This would simplify the creation of two separate SW files into one but it would still let me create my dimension drawing and by bubble drawing. This sounds simple enough but let me give some more details:

1.   See the example attachment. We manually type or paste in the text for each bubble <C#-X> into the dimension text box. In this case X is 1. I also type this text into the GD&T frame as well. We use GD&T quite often so a solution which includes GD&T frames would be fantastic. I would like to take the info in the red circles (all at the same time) and hide it somehow. (I don't need to hide the actual text <C#-1>. That is simply the text used to create the bubbled 1.)

2.  I mostly deal with individual parts, not assemblies so I could not find a way to use BOM tables.

3.   I need to put the bubble into the dimension text box as shown in the attachment. Why can't I just place a bubble next to the dimension using the bubble annotation? In that case if I hide the dimensions that also hides the dimension lines and extension lines and I need those to always show.

4.   As stated in the question I would like to be able to turn off/hide the bubbles and turn off/hide the dimensions. I realize that I could have the dimensions on one layer, then re-create the same dimensions on a different layer and put the <C#-1> on the new layer. I'm hoping there is a better way.

5. I have played around with dual dimensions as well because Solidworks has the ability to turn off/on dual dimension but it just didn't have the functionality that I need. I tried to see if I could use the secondary dimension as the space for the bubble but SW does not let me modify the text in the dual dimension.

Those are the details and the things that I have already attempted. I hope its clear.

Thank you

Andy Orme