1.

Title of the Module

Chapter 4: ANNOTATIONS DIMENSIONS

2. Introduction
Through a combination of Online lecture, Video tutorials, hands-on exercises, and
drawing problems, this course introduces the student to computer-aided design/drafting
with AutoCAD. The AutoCAD topics covered in this course include Dimension and its Type
.

3. Learning Outcome
LO1. Dimensions
LO2. Dimension Types in AutoCAD
LO3. Linear Dimensions:
LO4. Aligned Dimensions:
LO5. Angular Dimensions:
LO6. Arc Length:
LO7. Radius Dimension:
LO8. Diameter Dimension:
LO9. Center Mark:
LO10. Rotated Dimensions:
LO11. Even Spacing of Dimensions:
LO12. Continue Dimensions:
LO13. Baseline Dimensions

4. Learning Content

Dimensions

Create several types of dimensions and save dimension settings by name.

Here is an example of several types of dimensions using an architectural dimension
style with imperial units.
Modify Dimensions

For simple adjustments to dimensions, nothing is faster than using grips.

In this example, you select the dimension to display its grips. Next, click the grip on the
dimension text and drag it to a new location, or click one of the grips at the end of the
dimension line and drag the dimension line.

Tip: If the changes are more complicated than this, it might be faster simply to delete
and then recreate the dimension.
Dimension Types in AutoCAD
Concept:

This tutorial will explain the different types of dimensions which are commonly used in
AutoCAD and help you understand their differences. A good AutoCAD drawing will convey the
needed information clearly and accurately. Dimensioning is used to let the drawing reader
know what size each length or curve is, without having to open the drawing and measure it. If
your dimensions are inaccurate, you will not be working in CAD for very long, no matter how
accurate your drawing is. Learn when each dimension is needed and how to use it.
Dimension styles help establish and enforce drafting standards. There are many
dimension variables that can be set with the DIMSTYLE command to control virtually
every nuance of the appearance and behavior of dimensions. All these settings are stored
in each dimension style.
The default dimension style is named either Standard (imperial) or ISO-25 (metric). It is
assigned to all dimensions until you set another style as the current dimension style.
The current dimension style name, Hitchhiker in this case, is displayed in the drop-down
list of the Annotation panel.

To open the Dimension Style Manager, click the indicated button. You can create
dimension styles that match nearly any standard, but you will need to invest time to
specify them completely. For this reason, you should save any dimension styles that you
create in one or more drawing template files.
Dim Type Keystroke Icon Description
Linear DIMLINEAR / Dimensions for straight lines either horizontal or vertical
DIMLIN to the UCS.
Aligned DIMALIGNED / Dimensions for straight lines that are angled to the UCS
DIMALI and provides the line's length.
Angular DIMANGLUAR / Dimensions between 2 points and gives the resulting
DIMANG angle measurement.
Arc DIMARC Dimensions the length of an arc or arc segment of a
Length polyline.
Radius DIMRADIUS / Dimensions the radius of an arc, circle or arc segment of
DIMRAD a polyline.
Diameter DIMDIAMETER / Dimensions the diameter of an arc, circle or arc segment
DIMDIA of a polyline.
Center DIMCENTER Places a center mark at the center point of an arc or
Mark circle
Rotated DIMROTATED - A modifier to a dimension to make it parallel to a
selected line.
Spacing DIMSPACE Aligns the selected dimensions to an even spacing.

Continue DIMCONTINUE / Continues dimensioning from a base dimension

DIMCONT
Baseline DIMBASELINE / Continues dimension from a base dimension to give an
DIMBASE overall dim.
Linear Dimensions:

Linear dimensions are used to create a dimension that measures a line that is either
horizontal or perpendicular to the UCS. This is the most commonly used dimension and
is very easy to use. Below are some typical linear dimensions:

You can create horizontal, vertical, aligned, and radial dimensions with the DIM command.
The type of dimension depends on the object that you select and the direction that you
drag the dimension line.

The following illustration demonstrates one method for using the DIM command. Once
you start the command, press Enter or the Spacebar, select the line (1), and then click the
location of the dimension line (2).

For the 8'-0" dimension below, you use another method. You start the DIM command, click
two endpoints (1 and 2) and then the location of the dimension line (3). To line up the
dimension lines point 3 was snapped to the endpoint of the previously created dimension
line.

Tip: If points 1 and 2 are not on the same horizontal line, press Shift to force the
dimension line to be horizontal. In addition, if the building or part being dimensioned is at
an angle, enter DIMROTATED for that case.
Use the DIM command to create dimensions that are parallel to an object by dragging the
dimension line at an angle rather than horizontally or vertically.

Tip: Because it is easy to accidentally snap to the wrong feature or to part of a dimension
object, be sure to zoom in closely enough to avoid confusion.

It's good practice (thought not always allowed by time) to have your dimensions at a
consistent distance from the object. Make sure that it is not to close to overlap the object
and not too far to confuse which object you dimensioned. To create a linear dimension,
either use the icon or key in DIMLINEAR. Just pick the two endpoints of a line (or any two
points) and then place the dimension line where you want it. Very quick, very simple.

Command: DIMLINEAR
Specify first extension line origin or <select object>:SELECT FIRST POINT
Specify second extension line origin:SELECT SECOND POINT
Specify dimension line location or
[Mtext/Text/Angle/Horizontal/Vertical/Rotated]: SELECT LOCATION OF DIM LINE
Dimension text = 5.00
Note that there are some options at the command line:
OPTION DESCRIPTION
MText / Text You don't need to use these; it doesn't really affect your dimensions
Angle This will place your text at the angle you specify
Horizontal This will create a horizontal dim, but you select this when you place your
dimension line. Rarely needed.

Vertical This will create a vertical dim, but you select this when you place your
dimension line. Rarely needed.

Rotated This will create a 'rotated' dimension.

You'll also notice on the first prompt, you can <select object>, but press <enter> at this
point and then you can just select the line instead of the two endpoints. This is a lot
quicker and more accurate as you don't have to worry about picking the wrong Endpoint
Osnap.

Aligned Dimensions:

The Aligned dimension works just like the linear dimension. The big difference is that it
works with lines or distances that are not square to the UCS. You can also use this on any
2 points that are also compatible with the linear dimension. It will create a dimension
parallel to the angled line.

Command: DIMALIGNED
Specify first extension line origin or <select object>:SELECT FIRST POINT
Specify second extension line origin:SELECT SECOND POINT
Specify dimension line location or
[Mtext/Text/Angle]: SELECT LOCATION OF DIM LINE
Dimension text = 2.00
You'll see that command line prompts are almost the same. Of course, there are no
options for horizontal or vertical placement. Also Rotate is missing to avoid confusion
and errors. You can also select Angle for your text to match the angle of line (just select
2 points on the line you are dimensioning). You can also set your text to be aligned with
the dimension line in your Dimension Style Manager.

Angular Dimensions:

Not every dimension gives the reader a length. Sometimes other measurements are need.
Angular dimensions will display the angle between two objects. The measurement of the
angle is defined by your dimstyle, but degrees is standard. The command works similar
to the linear dimensions (see a pattern?).

Command: _dimangular
Select arc, circle, line, or <specify vertex>: <select first line>
Select second line: <select second line>
Specify dimension arc
The example above shows 3 common uses of this tool. To get the angle on the arc, just
select anywhere on it. Getting the outside measurement (225° in this example) is done
by using the prompt <select vertex>.
Command: DIMANGULAR
Select arc, circle, line, or <specify vertex>:
Specify angle vertex: <select point A>
Specify first angle endpoint: <select point B>
Specify second angle endpoint: <select point C>
Specify dimension arc line location or [Mtext/Text/Angle/Quadrant]:<place dim>
Dimension text = 225
Arc Length:

This is a fairly new command in AutoCAD and will not be available on some older
versions. This command works simply, just start the command and select an arc or arc
segment of a polyline. In the example below, I have shown the Angular (180°) dimension
with the Arc length so that you can see the difference. Notice the symbol in front of the
3.14.

Command: _dimarc
Select arc or polyline arc segment: <select the arc>
Specify arc length dimension location, or [Mtext/Text/Angle/Partial/Leader]: 1.2
Dimension text = 3.14

Once again, you are offered some options when dimensioning. Mtext/Text/Angle are
the same options for text that you saw earlier. Partial will allow you to dimension only
part of the arc. This is useful for midpoints or nodes, when the arc is
segmented. Leader will draw a leader from the dim text to the arc that it refers to.
Radius Dimension:

Another common and simple command. DIMRAD will dimension any arc or circle and
give you the radius and place a center mark at the center of the selected object. A center
mark is a cross the indicates the center point of an arc or circle.

Command: _dimradius
Select arc or circle: <select object>
Dimension text = 0.40
Specify dimension line location or [Mtext/Text/Angle]: <place the dim>
Once again, you have some options for the text at the command prompt.

Diameter Dimension:

The diameter and radius dimensions work the same, but give a different measurement.
As a rule, I will use the diameter dim on things like a hole to be drilled or for the dimensions
of an overall part and radius for filleted corners, etc.
As you see, the diameter and radius dimensions add a center mark (this can be turned
off, or changed to a larger line (in DDIM). I will usually dimension the circles first so that I
can select the center mark and have a small gap (it looks cleaner).

Command: _dimdiameter
Select arc or circle: <select the object>
Dimension text = 1.00

Specify dimension line location or [Mtext/Text/Angle]: <place the dim>

In the example image above, you can see that even a very simple drawing can have
enough dimensions to clutter things up. Make sure that you have enough dimensions and
don't duplicate or miss any. Make sure that they can be read from one or two angles when
printed (usually from the bottom right corner).

Center Mark:

By now you should be getting the hang of how this works. The DIMCENTER command
adds a center mark to a circle or arc. How it is displayed is set in the DDIM dialog box
under the "Symbols and Arrows" tab. If you select "None" you will not be able to place a
center mark using this command. The icon for center marks is in the sub menu on the
dimension panel.

Sometimes you might use both in the drawing. Below. on the left, I used the center mark
that was made with the diameter dimension, then I dimensioned from it. On the right, I
used a Line center mark and extended one of the lines to the other side to indicate the
the holes are aligned. Then I double-clicked on the diameter text and added a suffix to
indicate that both holes are the same size.
But when you do this, any of the center marks made by the diameter or radius dimensions
will change to the new style that you selected. It's best to start with one style and leave
it. The size of your center mark is defined by the DIMCEN system variable.

Rotated Dimensions:

A rotated dimension is not a dimension that was rotated using the rotate command.
Instead it allows you to create a linear dimension to two points that are not in a straight
line. Look at the image below and see the difference between an aligned dimension and
a rotated one.
First, look the dimension on the far right. See how it gives a true overall size of 10 units?
On the right, the aligned dimension is not the overall size due to the 94° angle in the
bottom left corner. Also in the top right, notice the rotated dimension with 2.00 units. I
need to rotate it as the 2 points that I selected were not on the same axis. It's a little
confusing at first, but try it a few times.

Command: dimlin
DIMLINEAR
Specify first extension line origin or <select object>: <first endpoint>
Specify second extension line origin: <first endpoint>
Specify dimension line location or
[Mtext/Text/Angle/Horizontal/Vertical/Rotated]: R <enter>
Specify angle of dimension line <0>: <select first point on axis>
Specify second point: <select second point on axis>
Specify dimension line location or
[Mtext/Text/Angle/Horizontal/Vertical/Rotated]: <place dim>
Dimension text = 2.00

When it comes to selecting points on the axis, pick the common parallel line (in this
example, I click 2 points on the 10 unit dimension. You can also created a rotated dim by
using the DIMROTATED command. In this case, you select the angle first.

Even Spacing of Dimensions:

Sometimes you might have a bunch of dimensions in one area and want to space them
evenly. The easy way to do this is to place them quickly, then use the Adjust Space
command, DIMSPACE. Look at the image below with the random spacing. Then mouse
over it to see how this commands gives them even spacing.
Draw a similar shape and try this. Place your dims, but allow for enough room to fit them
all (just don't worry about the spacing). Then start the DIMSPACE command.

Command: DIMSPACE
Select base dimension: <I selected the 2.00 dim in this example>
Select dimensions to space:
Specify opposite corner: 3 found <select the others>
Select dimensions to space: <enter>
Enter value or [Auto] <Auto>: <enter>

Fast and easy. You have the option at the end to enter a distance between each dim, but
Auto should work in most cases. Just be careful to select the "Base" dimension you want
first - try selecting other dimensions as your 'base' to see what results you get.

Continue Dimensions:

Another shortcut is to use is "Continued Dimensions". This is used when you have a series
of linear dimensions that will all be on one side of an object. With this command, you can
select a 'base' dimension and then have AutoCAD help by continuing the command so
that you can just click and endpoint and continue to the next, click an endpoint, etc. Have
a look at the drawing below:
When you have a series of dimensions all in one plane like this, just create the first one
with DIMLIN and then use the DIMCONT command to create the rest of them. In this
example, I created the dim on the left first.

Command: _dimcontinue
Specify second extension line origin or [Select/Undo] <Select>: <SELECT A>
Dimension text = 2.0000
Specify second extension line origin or [Select/Undo] <Select>: <SELECT A>
Dimension text = 1.0000
Specify second extension line origin or [Select/Undo] <Select>: <ENTER>

Tip: When using this command or the Baseline dimensions, select your points for the
base dim in the direction that the others will follow. In the example above, since I selected
the base dim on the left, I had to first pick the left point and then the right point. This sets
the direction for the others to follow.
After doing this, the next time you start the DIMCONT command, it will return to this point
and continue on. Try this out in your own drawing with a simple shape like the one above.

Baseline Dimensions

This command is very similar in function to the continue command, but instead provides
an overall dimension based upon the first point you select in your first (base) linear
dimension.

Command: _dimbaseline
Specify second extension line origin or [Select/Undo] <Select>: <SELECT A>
Dimension text = 3.0000
Specify second extension line origin or [Select/Undo] <Select>: <SELECT B>
Dimension text = 4.0000
Specify second extension line origin or [Select/Undo] <Select>: <ENTER>
Once again, I first needed to create a base dimension with the DIMLIN command. I again
used the dim on the left (first point was on the left). Then I started
the DIMBASE command and selected points A and B. Once again, try it out and see how
this works. See what happens when you create your base dim from right to left.

References:

Cheryl R. Shrock, Steve Heather 2018 - Beginning AutoCAD® 2019 Exercise Workbook
George Omura and Brian C BentonMastering, "AutoCAD® 2018 and AutoCAD LT® 2018",
© 2017 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
George Omura, Brian C. Benton 2017 - Mastering AutoCAD 2018 and AutoCAD LT 2018
Zico Pratama Putra, Ali Akbar 2019 - AutoCAD 2019 From Zero to Hero
AutoCAD and its Applications-Basic/Shumaker & Madsen 27th Edition for Release 2020
Tutorial Guide to AutoCAD 2018
An Introduction to AutoCAD for Beginners
https://thesourcecad.com/autocad-tutorials/
http://www.cadinternational.com/
https://knowledge.autodesk.com/
https://www.educba.com/introduction-to-autocad/?source=leftnav
https://myCADsite.com/
https://www.javatpoint.com/arc-in-autocad/
http://www.cadtraininginstitute.com/essential-modify-panel-commands-in-autocad/