Dimensions
Five kinds of dimension, as on any CAD drawing: linear and aligned for lengths, radius and diameter for circles and arcs, angular for the angle between two lines. Draw them on the plan or in any section, elevation or detail.
Every property, and what it does
Pick a dimension tool to draw one; select it afterwards for its rows.
The five dimensions
Each is its own tool, and each has a command.
| Field | What it does | Values |
|---|---|---|
| Linear | A horizontal or vertical length between two points (DIMLINEAR, DLI). | Two points and where the line sits |
| Aligned | A length parallel to the line between two points, at any angle (DIMALIGNED, DAL). | Two points and where the line sits |
| Radius | The radius of a circle or an arc (DIMRADIUS, DRA). | Click the circle or arc |
| Diameter | The diameter of a circle or an arc (DIMDIAMETER, DDI). | Click the circle or arc |
| Angular | The angle between two lines (DIMANGULAR, DAN). | Two lines and where the arc sits |
Drawing
A dimension is drawn on a layer, like any other line.
| Field | What it does | Values |
|---|---|---|
| Layer | The drawing layer it is on, for showing, hiding and printing. | The project's layers |
| Colour | The colour it is drawn in. | By layer, or its own |
| Lineweight | The pen width it prints at. | By layer, or 0.05 to 2.11 mm |
| Linetype | Solid, dashed or chained. | By layer, Continuous, Dashed, Hidden, Center, Dot, Phantom |
Where they go
On the plan, or in a view of its own.
| Field | What it does | Values |
|---|---|---|
| On the plan | Drawn on the storey you are on, printed with the plan. | Plan and PDF, DXF, DWG, SVG |
| In a side view | Drawn in a section, elevation or detail, a dimension belongs to that view. | Printed with the view |
How the Dimension tools work
Pick a dimension
Open CAD tools, then Annotate, and choose a dimension, or type its command: DLI, DAL, DRA, DDI or DAN.
Click the points
Click the two points of a length, the circle of a radius, or the two lines of an angle. Object snap finds corners and ends.
Place the line
Move out and click where the dimension line sits.
Print it
It prints with the plan or the view, and exports to PDF, DXF and DWG.
Dimension questions, answered.
Do the AutoCAD commands work?
Yes. DLI, DAL, DRA, DDI and DAN draw linear, aligned, radius, diameter and angular dimensions, as in AutoCAD.
Can I dimension a section or elevation?
Yes. A dimension drawn in a side view belongs to that view and prints with it.
Do dimensions export to CAD?
Yes. They go out with the plan in DXF and DWG, and on the PDF.
Read on
- Text and Leaders: Labels and notes with arrows.
- Measure: Distance and area, without drawing.
- Drafting tools docs: Every drafting command and its alias.