AutoCAD® 2009 & AutoCAD LT® 2009 Bible

Chapter 14. Drawing Dimensions

Dimensions are an important part of most drawings. Dimensions indicate the measurement of the models that you've created and are used in the manufacturing process. The dimensions in AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT offer a great deal of flexibility. In this chapter, I cover the process of drawing dimensions. In the next chapter, I explain how to customize the format of your dimensions by using dimension styles. (Even though you should create a dimension style before you dimension, you need to understand dimensions before you can create a style; therefore, I cover dimensions first.)

Working with Dimensions

You usually add dimensions after you complete all or most of a drawing. When you dimension a drawing all at once, you can create a unified, organized look for your dimensions. Before you can dimension a drawing, you need to understand the elements of a dimension and how to prepare for dimensioning.

Note

In Chapter 17, I explain how to dimension a drawing on a paper space layout and also how to work with annotative dimensions that automatically scale according to the scale of the drawing. In Chapter 15, I explain how to create a dimension style, including one that is annotative.

The elements of a dimension

A dimension is a complex object, containing many parts. Figure 14.1 shows a typical linear dimension.

Figure 14.1. The parts of a dimension.

The parts of a dimension ...