Computer aided drafting

Course 6
Dimensioning in AutoCAD.
AutoCAD.

these notes are available for download at

http://cemsig.ceft.utt.ro/astratan/didactic/cad

Dimensions
Dimensions area used to specify information on the size
and position of the drawing objects
Generally are created after the drawing is complete
AutoCAD dimensions are:

AutoCAD objects
blocks (several objects grouped in one object)
associative (changing the dimensioned object changes the
associated dimension)

396.8

Dimension parts
Extension line - extends from the dimension object to the
dimension line, specifying the size of the dimensioned
object
Dimension line - runs between the extension line parallel
to the measured dimension
Dimension text - represents the measurement of the
dimensioned object
Arrowhead - mark the intersection between extension and
dimension lines (arrows, ticks, dots, etc.)
dimension line

dimension text
396.8

arrowhead

extension line

Overview - dimension toolbar

continued
ordinate

quick

diameter

linear

aligned

quick
dim
leader
text
baseline center edit
mark

angular

radius

dim edit
tolerance update

dimension
style

dim style
control

Linear dimensions
Creates horizontal/vertical dimensions

185.2

Command
menu: Dimension>Linear
keyboard: dimlinear
toolbar:

213.8

Procedure:
Define the dimension points (extension lines):
by two points (default one)
by object (press enter to switch to)

Specify position of the dimension line

moving horizontally or vertically away from the dimensioned object
object
creates vertical and respectively horizontal dimension
exact location of the dimension line from the object may be specified
specified
using relative coordinates

Linear dimensions
Options:
Mtext:
Mtext: change the dimension text computed by AutoCAD. Angle
brackets <> represent the measurement computed by AutoCAD. It
can be replaced by your text or a prefix/suffix added to it.
Text: same as above but in single line text mode
Angle: specify text angle different from the one defined in the text
style
Horizontal: force a horizontal dimension
Vertical: force a vertical dimension
Rotated: creates a dimension line rotated with respect to the
horizontal/vertical position. Rarely used.

Aligned dimension
Creates dimensions aligned to the object
21
3.8

3.8
21

Command
menu: Dimension>Aligned
keyboard: dimaligned
toolbar:

213.8

Procedure and options identical to DIMLINEAR

Baseline dimension

Creates dimensions with a common origin extending to

different points

Command

menu: Dimension>Baseline
keyboard: dimbaseline
toolbar:

100
200
300

Procedure - two alternatives

1. Draw a linear (or angular or ordinate) dimension first, followed by
the baseline dimension. Only the second extension line origin
need be specified for the baseline dimensions.
2. Press enter,
enter, then select a different existing dimension by picking
it near the first extension line origin.

Continued dimension
Creates a series of dimensions extending along a line
Command
menu: Dimension>Continue
keyboard: dimcontinue
toolbar:
100

100

100

Procedure
Draw a linear (or angular or ordinate) dimension first, followed by
the continued dimension. Only the second extension line origin
need be specified for the continued dimensions.
Press enter,
enter, then select a different existing dimension by picking
it near the second extension line origin.

Center mark dimension

Center mark: places a mark (cross lines) in the center of
the circle or arc
Command

menu: Dimension>Center
Dimension>Center Mark
keyboard: dimcenter
toolbar:

Procedure: select the circle/arc

Radius and diameter dimensions

Measures the radius/diameter of circles and arcs
Command
menu: Dimension>Radius
keyboard: dimradius
toolbar:

Dimension>Diameter
dimdiameter

Procedure: select the circle/arc

Options: similar to the ones discussed for DIMLINEAR
R100

Angular dimensions
Creates dimensions measuring angles. Applies to lines,
arcs, circles, and arbitrary angles defined by points
Command
menu: Dimension>Angular
keyboard: dimangular
toolbar:

70

Procedure:
Lines: select two lines
followed by the position
of the dimension line

0
11

Angular dimensions (cont.)

Arc: select the arc followed

by the position of
the dimension line

8
12

Procedure:

Circle: select the circle. The

center of the circle is the angle vertex, the point picked on the
circle is the first endpoint and a new point is required from the
user as the second angle endpoint.

70

By vertex: specify angle

vertex, followed by the
two angle endpoints

Ordinate dimensions
Creates dimensions measuring X or Y coordinates
relative to UCS origin
Command

menu: Dimension>Ordinate
keyboard: dimordinate
toolbar:

Procedure:

300
200
100
0

pick a point whose ordinate

you want to measure, followed by the leader endpoint.
Xdatum/Ydatum ordinate is automatically determined from the
vertical / horizontal position of the leader endpoint.
Specific options: use Xdatum/Ydatum to force ordinate type
independent of leader position

Leader dimensions
Create lines pointing to objects
Command
menu: Dimension>Leader
keyboard: qleader
toolbar:

triangle

Procedure:
specify first leader point
specify at least one leader endpoint (press enter to stop
specifying points)
specify Mtext width
enter as many annotation lines as needed (press enter to
conclude)

Leader settings
Annotation
MText:
MText: default annotation
Copy an object: prompts
for a text object from the
drawing
Tolerance: opens the
tolerance dialog box
Block reference: prompts
for an existing block definition
to be inserted as the annotation
None: creates a leader without annotation
Prompt for width: specifying a width is useful if you want the text
text to
be bound to a specific width
Always left justify: self explanatory
Frame text: draws a box (frame) around the text
Reuse current/next clones the MText typed for the current/next leader

Leader settings
Leader line & arrow
Leader line may be
straight or splined
The number of leader
segments may be
restricted (but not less
than 2)
Different arrowhead
types (arrow, dot, etc) may be
defined
First and second leader line
segments may be constrained to
specific angles (e.g. 45
45 for the first
segment)

Leader settings
Attachment controls the
justification of the MText
attachment with respect to
the last leader line segment
Underline bottom line
creates a line under the
bottom line of text

Dimensioning recommendations
Use a separate layer for dimensions
Define dimensions by objects or using
object snap
Be careful on the particular object snap and the object
used to create a dimension. It will affect how the
dimension changes when the object changes.

106.9

106.9

106.9

156.9

dimension created
using left and upper
line endpoints
dimension created
using right line
endpoints

Editing dimensions
DIMEDIT: Edit several dimension
objects at one time
DIMTEDIT: Edit dimension
text position
Edit dimension text using
DDEDIT command
(Modify>Object>Text>Edit...)
Edit position of dimension
elements using grips
text position
dimension line position

Edit dimensions using

properties palette
(Modify>Properties,
DDMODIFY, double click)

10

Dimension styles
Dimension styles: contain various settings related to the
way in which dimensions look
Dimension style manager: a convenient way to manage
those settings
Command
menu:
Dimension>Style
or
Format>
Dimension Style
keyboard: dimstyle
toolbar:

Defining a dimension style

Hint: use the metric template (acadiso.dwt
(acadiso.dwt)) when opening a
drawing, as its settings are closest to the Romanian drawing
specifications (ISO(ISO-25 dim. style)
Many settings a complex task dimension style manager
organised
on tabs:
Lines and
arrows
Text
Fit
Primary units
Alternate units
Tolerances

11

Dimension style tabs

Lines and arrows: control appearance of dimension and
extension lines, arrowheads, center marks
Text: sets properties of dimension text and its placement
and alignment
Fit: controls how text is positioned when there is not
enough room to place it in the default position, and the
overall scale of dimension features
Primary units: control the format and precision for
primary units (linear and angular)
Alternate units: control the format and precision for
secondary units, when turned on (e.g. metric and English
units)
Tolerances: format of tolerances

Dimension style: lines and arrows

Dimension lines
Extension lines
Arrowheads
Center marks

12

Dimension style: lines and arrows

Dimension lines:
colour
lineweight
value by which dimension line
extends beyond extension lines (only for ticks)
spacing between dimension lines of baseline dimensions
possible suppression of one or both of the dimension line ends
(and corresponding arrowheads)

213.8
dimension line
extension

213.8
1st dim. line
suppressed

Dimension style: lines and arrows

Extension lines:
colour
lineweight
value by which extension
lines extend beyond dimension line
offset of extension lines from their origin
possible suppression of one or
both of the extension lines

origin offset

213.8
ext. beyond dim lines

213.8

Arrowheads

1st ext. line

suppressed

Arrowhead type (arrow, tick, dot, etc.) for both dimension line
ends and for leader dimensions
Arrow size

Type (none/mark/line) and size of center marks for

circles and arcs

13

Dimension style: text

Text appearance
Text placement
Text alignment

Dimension style: text

Text appearance
style: choose from one of previously defined text styles
different colours may be assigned to the text and its background
(fill)
text height (the height specified in the text style manager should
should
be zero for the one defined here to take effect)
the text may be framed by a box

14

Dimension style: text

Text placement
Vertical (centered/
above/outside/JIS
/outside/JIS):
): text placement
(centered/above
perpendicular to the dimension line
Horizontal (centered
(centered / at one of the ext. lines or over one of the
ext. lines)
Offset from dim. line
213.8
text offset

Text alignment

Horizontal: text is always oriented horizontally, irrespective of

of
the dimension line position
Text aligned with the dimension line has the same rotation as
the dimension line
ISO standard: the text is aligned with dimension line except for
radius and diameter dimensions with the text outside the
circle/arc, when the text is oriented horizontally

Dimension style: fit

Controls how text is positioned when there is not enough
room to place it in the default position

Fit options
Text placement
Scale for
dimension
features
Fine tuning

15

Dimension style: fit

Fit options control what (text, arrows, or both) moves

out of extension lines when there is not enough room
best fit
for them inside
1. either the text or arrows, whichever
fits best
2. arrows (in the case there is not
enough room for text after the
arrows are moved, it goes out too)
3. text (in the case there is not enough
room for arrows after the text is moved,
they go out too)

arrows only
2

6. suppress arrows if they does not fit

inside the ext. lines

71.15
text only

71.15
both text and arrows

71.15
always keep
between ext. lines

4. both text and arrows

5. always keep text between ext. lines

71.15

71.15
suppress arrows

71.15

Dimension style: fit

Text placement controls position of the text when it is
not in the default position
beside dim. line
over dim. line with a leader
over dim. line without a leader

beside dim. line

71.15
over, with leader

Fine tuning
text may be placed manually
(time consuming)
dimension line may be drawn (or not)
when the arrowheads are outside
extension lines

71.15
over, no leader

71.15

Scale for dimension features:

features: all dimension features
(arrow and text size, etc.) are multiplied by this factor

16

Dimension style: primary units

Linear
dimensions
Angular
dimensions

Dimension style: primary units

Linear dimensions
Unit format:

Decimal: 71.15
Engineering: 5'5'-11.15''
Architectural: 5'5'-11
11''
Fractional: 71
71
Scientific: 7.12E+01
Windows desktop: settings from the windows environment
Fraction format (only for architectural and fractional formats)

Precision: number of decimal places displayed (e.g. for two

significant digits [0.00] the 1.48569 value is dimensioned as 1.49)
1.49)
Decimal separator (dot or comma)
Round off (dimensions may be rounded to e.g. rounding to 0.5
writes 1.48569 as 1.50)
Prefix/suffix: text to be added before/after the dimension
measurement (e.g. 71.15 m)

17

Dimension style: primary units

Linear dimensions
Measurement scale: the factor dimension text is multiplied by
Zero suppression:
Leading (0.15 .15)
.15)
Trailing (7.00 7)

Angular dimensions
Unit format

Decimal degrees: 60.5

60.5
Degrees, minutes, seconds: 60
6030'0''
Gradians:
Gradians: 67.22g
Radians: 1.06r

Precision and zero suppression: same as for linear dimensions

Dimension style: secondary units and tolerances

Secondary units: used when dimensions should be
represented in two measurement systems (e.g. metric
and English: 30 mm [1.181''])
Tolerances: used in mechanical drawings to specify the
accepted deviation of dimensions of the manufactured
object with respect to the exact measurements

71.20.1

18

Dimension styles: managing

To create a new dim. style, in the dimension style
manager dialog box:

click the New... button

select a style to serve as a starting point
specify the name for new style
select the "All dimensions" option to use for
click continue and specify the properties of the new dimension
style

Modify a dimension style: Modify... button

Compare two dimension styles: check the differences
between two dimension styles (in terms of system
variables values)

Dimension styles: managing

Variant of dimension style: specific properties for specific
dimension subtype (e.g. tick arrowheads for linear
dimensions and arrows for leaders and angular
dimensions)
To create a variant of dimension style, in the dimension
style manager dialog box:
click the New... button
select an existing style
select the dimension type you
want to modify
click continue and specify the
properties of the dimension
type to modify

19

Dimension styles: managing

Dimension overrides:
changes to a dim. style used for a few dimensions only, when it
not worthwhile to create a new dim. style (avoid using)
when necessary, override the few dimensions using Properties
Palette

Current dimension style:

dimensions are create using the current dim. style
set a different style as the current one:
from the style manager dialog box

from the style dropdrop-down list on the Dimension toolbar

Dimension styles: styles

Update a dimension style: change the style attached to a
particular dimension to the current one
menu: Dimension>Update
toolbar:

Change the style of a dimension object to another style:

select the desired dimensions
change the dimension style from the dim. dropdrop-down list on the
Dimension toolbar

20