Dimension commands

The dimension commands create dimension objects. These dimensions can be attached to the objects they dimension if History is turned on when the dimensions are created.

Dim

Toolbar Menu

Dimension
Drafting
Standard

Dimension

Linear Dimension

 History enabled

The Dim command draws horizontal or vertical linear dimensions.

Steps

  1. Pick the first point.
  2. Pick the second point.
  3. Pick the dimension line location.
    Dimensions always measure as though the object were projected to the current construction plane.

Command-line options

Style

Select the annotation style name.

Object

Select an object to dimension.

Continue

Add more (chain) dimensions along the same dimension line.

Undo

Reverses the last action.

Vertical

Draws the dimension aligned with the construction plane y axis.

Horizontal

Draws the dimension aligned with the construction plane x axis.

DimAligned

Toolbar Menu

Dimension
Drafting

Dimension

Aligned Dimension

 History enabled

The DimAligned command draws a linear dimension lined up with two points.

Steps

  1. Pick the first point.
  2. Pick the second point.
  3. Pick the location.
Command-line options

Style

Select the annotation style name.

Object

Select an object to dimension.

Continue

Add more (chain) dimensions along the same dimension line.

Undo

Reverses the last action.

DimAngle

Toolbar Menu

Dimension
Drafting

Dimension

Angle Dimension

 History enabled

The DimAngle command dimensions the angle of an arc, or between two selected lines, or from three points.

Steps

  1. Select an arc.

    Or
    Select two lines, polyline segments, linear surface, or polysurface edges.

  2. Pick the dimension location.
Command-line options

Style

Select the annotation style name.

Points

Pick the apex of the angle (1) and then the dimension points (2) and (3).

DimArea

Toolbar Menu

Dimension

Dimension

Area Dimension

 History enabled

The DimArea command dimensions the area of a closed curve, surface, mesh, or hatch.

Steps

  1. Select a closed curve, surface, mesh, or hatch.
  2. Pick a start point for the text or leader.
    If the Leader option is used, continue to draw leader points as for the Leader command.
    The area of the object is automatically entered.
Command-line option

Style

Leader

Uses a leader to point to the object.

Text

Places the text at the picked location.

The dimension uses a text field for calculating the dimension.

To edit existing dimensions

Or

DimCurveLength

Toolbar Menu

Dimension

Dimension

Curve Length Dimension

 History enabled

The DimCurveLength command dimensions the length of a curve.

Steps

  1. Select a curve.
  2. Pick a start point for the text or leader.
    If the Leader option is used, continue to draw leader points as for the Leader command.
    The length of the curve is automatically entered.
Command-line option

Style

Leader

Uses a leader to point to the object.

Text

Places the text at the picked location.

The dimension uses a text field for calculating the dimension.

To edit existing dimensions

Or

DimCreaseAngle

Toolbar Menu

Dimension

Dimension

Crease Angle Dimension

The DimCreaseAngle command dimensions the angle between two planes.

Steps

  1. Select the first surface.
  2. Select the second surface.
  3. Pick a location for the dimension.

DimDiameter

Toolbar Menu

Dimension
Drafting

Dimension

Diameter Dimension

 History enabled

The DimDiameter command dimensions the diameter of a selected curve.

Steps

  1. Select a curve.
  2. Pick the dimension location.
    Dimensions always measure as though the object were projected to the current construction plane.

Command-line option

Style

Select the annotation style name.

DimOrdinate

Toolbar Menu

Dimension
Drafting

Dimension

Ordinate Dimension

 History enabled

The DimOrdinate command dimensions the x or y distance from a base location.

Note

Steps

  1. Pick a dimension point.
    An XDatum dimension is implied if your second pick is primarily above or below the first pick.
    A YDatum dimension is implied if your second pick is primarily left or right from the first pick.
  2. Pick a leader endpoint.
  3. Press Enter when finished placing dimensions.
Command-line options

Style

Select the annotation style name.

XDatum

Overrides the implied biasing and forces an X ordinate dimension.

YDatum

Overrides the implied biasing and forces a Y ordinate dimension.

Basepoint

Changes the basepoint for the duration of the command. The basepoint reverts to the default construction plane origin when the DimOrdinate command is run again.

DimRadius

Toolbar Menu

Dimension
Drafting

Dimension

Radial Dimension

 History enabled

The DimRadius command dimensions the radius of an arc or circle.

Dimensions always measure as though the object were projected to the current construction plane.

Steps

  1. Select a curve.
  2. Pick a dimension location.

Command-line options

Style

Select the annotation style name.

PointOnCurve

Pick a point on the curve where the dimension arrow will start.

DimRotated

Toolbar Menu

Dimension
Drafting

Dimension

Rotated Dimension

 History enabled

The DimRotated command draws a linear dimension that is rotated from the xy axis.

Steps

  1. Pick two points to establish a rotation angle.
  2. Pick the first dimension point.
  3. Pick the second dimension point.
  4. Pick the dimension location.
Command-line options

Style

Select the annotation style name.

Object

Select an object to dimension.

Continue

Add more (chain) dimensions along the same dimension line.

DimRecenterText

Toolbar Menu

Dimension
Drafting

Dimension

Recenter Dimension Text

The DimRecenterText command returns dimension text to its default location.

Steps

Dimension properties

Dimension type

Displays the current dimension type.

Angular dimension

Dimensions the angle between two lines or the angle of the crease between two planar surfaces.

Annotation dimension

Dimensions of the area of a closed curve, surface, mesh, hatch, or the length of a curve.

Diameter dimension

Dimension the diameter of a curve.

Linear dimension

Dimensions in a horizontal or vertical direction, or aligned with two points or rotated from the xy axis.

Ordinate dimension

Dimensions the x or y distance from a base location.

Radial dimension

Dimension the radius of an arc or circle.

Dimension value

The current dimension value.

Template

The angle brackets < > represent the dimension value. You can type additional text before or after the angle brackets, or you can delete the angle brackets to create dimension arrows with no text.

To type multi-line text, press and hold Command ⌘ and press Enter.

Dimension style

Sets the dimension style.

Result

Displays the numeric value of the selected dimension.

Reset

Restores the dimension value to its default setting.

See also

How to use SmartTrack to place the dimension.

Use text and dimensions for annotation

 

 

 

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