Overview

Creating dimensions on a drawing board requires a certain amount of expertise, a bit of patience, a scale, a calculator, and a good eye. If the dimension doesn't fit between dimension lines just right, the drafter can always scrunch it in a bit. If the drafter is experienced, he or she can often do this without the results being flagrantly noticeable. The board drafter can also cheat on a dimension fairly easily. Indeed, the company for which I worked in the early eighties maintained a 3" plus or minus tolerance for dimensioning.

AutoCAD dimensioning also requires a certain amount of expertise. But in contrast to board work, the CAD operator needs a lot of patience, no scale or calculator (AutoCAD will perform the calculations), and AutoCAD's "eye" for precision. If a dimension doesn't fit between dimension lines just right, some (often) complex maneuvers are required to reposition it. You can cheat on a dimension fairly easily, but it involves overriding AutoCAD's precision and is rarely a good idea.

AutoCAD's dimensioning tools come in three types: Dimension Creation, Dimension Editing, and Dimension Customization.

In the dimension Creation category, AutoCAD provides several different dimensioning commands and a Leader command. Use these to actually draw the dimensions.

The Editing category includes two dimension-editing commands. Use these to change, reposition, or reorient the dimension.

The Customization category is one that'll allow you to create dimension styles. Creating dimension styles involves several tabs of a...