When I use Evaluate/measure to measure from a plane to a parallel feature, I get two values one labeled 'Dist.' and another labeled 'Normal Dist.' What is going on and why are there two different values?
The Distance is the distance from the pick points where you selected the entities. The Normal Distance is just that, the distance along a perpendicular of one of the items to the other. If you pick two parallel planes you are most likely interested in the Normal Distance between them, regardless of where on each plane you picked it. However, SWX knows that a lot of times a person is interested in the actual distance between the points of selection, so they provide that information as well.
Your question is valid. It helps to know the difference so you can use the information that is most meaningful to you.
The Distance is the distance from the pick points where you selected the entities. The Normal Distance is just that, the distance along a perpendicular of one of the items to the other. If you pick two parallel planes you are most likely interested in the Normal Distance between them, regardless of where on each plane you picked it. However, SWX knows that a lot of times a person is interested in the actual distance between the points of selection, so they provide that information as well.
Your question is valid. It helps to know the difference so you can use the information that is most meaningful to you.