Creating Dimensions

You can create dimensions. You can also preview the dimensions to be created, when creating dimensions on elements.

Before you begin:

Open or create a drawing representation containing geometry.

Related Topics
More About Dimensions
Creating Half-Dimensions

  1. Click the Dimensions icon from the Annotations toolbar (Dimensions sub-toolbar).

  2. Click a first element in the view. For example, a circle.

  3. If needed, click a second element in the view. The dimension type is automatically defined according to the selected elements ( or in the Tools Palette).



    At this step, the options in the Tools Palette allow you to position the dimension using one of the following modes: Projected or Forced modes.



    These options are also available in the contextual menu.

  4. Click the Force Dimension on element icon from the Tools Palette.



  5. Right-click to access the contextual menu and select 1 symbol. The dimension becomes a one-symbol dimension.



    Important: During the dimension creation step, you can switch between one-symbol or two-symbols dimension by selecting or deselecting 1 symbol in the contextual menu. Once the dimension has been created, you must use the Properties menu to specify whether you want to use one or two symbols. Right-click the dimension and in the contextual menu, choose Properties. Click the Dimension Line tab and then select Symbol 2 to display two-symbols dimension, or clear this check box to display one-symbol dimension.

  6. Click in the drawing window to validate the dimension creation.



  7. Create two other dimensions on a line as shown.



  8. Select the two dimensions with the Ctrl key (you can move them both).

  9. Start creating another dimension: click the Dimensions icon and select another circle.



  10. Click in the drawing to validate the dimension creation.

  11. Right-click the dimension you just created and in the contextual menu, choose Dimension.3 Object and select Swap to Radius.

    The diameter dimension has swapped to radius dimension.

  12. Right-click the dimension again, and in the contextual menu, choose Dimension.3 Object, and clear Extend to Center. The radius extension line is not extended up to the center anymore.

Important: when you create a dimension, its type is stored in a repository file. Whenever possible, this allows, at next use of this command, to directly get the type of dimension you previously created.