Dimension Elements

A dimension can be placed with the dimensioning tools as separate lines, line strings, and text or as one dimension element.

Dimension element components: 1 — Extension Line, 2 — Dimension Line, 3 — Dimension Text, 4 — Terminator

A dimension can have the following components:

• A dimension line

• Dimension text

• Extension lines

• Dimension line terminators

• A prefix or suffix (center, diameter, radius, etc.)

Extension lines, terminators, and prefix or suffix are optional. Display of dimensions can be turned on or off in each view.

To break up a dimension element into its component lines, line string, ellipse, arc, or text elements, use the Drop Element tool in the Groups tool box or the Drop Dimension Element tool in the Drop tool box.

Advantages of dimension elements

Dimension elements have the following advantages:

• A dimension element can be modified easily.

• A dimension element can be associated with the element or elements it dimensions. Such an associated dimension updates automatically when any of the dimensioned elements are modified.

• Using dimension elements can significantly reduce the size of a design file that has many dimensions, since a dimension element is usually smaller than the corresponding individual elements.

• When the Use Working Units (Units category of the Dimension Styles dialog box) option is on, if the working units in a design file are changed, dimension elements will display dimensions based on the new working units.