Working with Text and Dimensions

6. Working with Text and Dimensions

6.1 Inserting Text on drawing

TEXT Command:

Text Command can be used to create one or more lines of text, ending each line when you press ENTER. Each text line is an independent object that you can relocate, reformat, or modify. In short, it helps to input single line text object and each line of text is a separate entity, and they can selected and edited, respectively.

Here’s how to insert the text by using the TEXT command:

1. First, set an appropriate non-annotative text style current.
2. Use the Object Snap button on the status bar to enable or disable running object snaps.
3. On the Home tab’s Annotation panel, click the lower part of the big button labeledText,and choose single Line from the drop-down menu to initiate the TEXT command.
4. If you want a justification style that is different from the default (left), type J, press Enter, and choose another justification option.
5. Specify the insertion point for the first text character.
6. Specify height of the text.
7. Specify text rotation angle by typing the rotation angle and pressing Enter or by rotating the line onscreen with the help of mouse.
8. Type the first line of text and then press Enter.
9. Type additional lines of text, pressing Enter at the end of each line.
10. To stop entering text and return to the command line, press Enter at the start of a blank line.

MTEXT Command:

It helps to input Multi line text object. It is different from the TEXT Command, MTEXT input multiline paragraphed text and you can only select and edit the entire text.

6.2 Dimension Styles, Dimensioning Commands, Tolerance, Limits, Dimension Setup, Dimension Variables, Dimension Scale

Dimensioning:

In this topic we will discuss about how to use and provide dimension to the drawings. If you want to produce clear & concise measured drawings, you should also have the knowledge of using AutoCAD's dimension tools. AutoCAD provides all the dimensioning tools that you can use to dimension any kind of drawings without the requirement of any measurement. In AutoCAD, dimensioning of drawing objects is automatic.

AutoCAD provides enough control to change the look of dimensions. By using Dimension Styles, Text Styles and so on you can design various types of dimensions so that you can get it just the way you want.

For instance, the above figure shows 2 dimension styles. The left one is the default style i.e. STANDARD. If you don't create a new style by yourself then all the dimensions will look like the one on left. But, the one on right is drawn using a new dimension style.

AutoCAD has divided dimensions into 4 main categories. They are: Radial, Linear, Angular & Ordinate. But here we will only discuss about some of the commands related with Radial, Linear & Angular categories.

Dimension Styles:

There are many ways to dimension a drawing object, and each drafting discipline has its own set of "rules". For instance, a drawing of a gear would use a different style of dimensioning than that of a subdivision.Here, are some steps involved to create & use a custom dimension style.

An example of how a drawing can be dimensioned is given below:

This is the default style you get with the AutoCAD template.

The below figure shows the same drawing, but with added tolerances and note about what the object is made out of.

The changes in the dimensions in above drawing were done easily using theDDIM or DIMSTYLEcommand. This DDIM command opens a dialog box for changing the parameters of your dimensions. In this example, the text style was also altered.

Dimensioning Commands:

Linear Dimensions

You can use this command to produce horizontal & vertical dimensions. It is very easy to create linear dimension. There are about 5 linear dimension commands and they are:

DIMLIN, DIMCONTINUE, DIMALI (DIMALIGNED), DIMROTATED and DIMBASELINE. Probably DIMLIN will be the most common dimension command that you will use.

1. Choose Dimension (on the menu bar), Linear

or

2. Type DIMLIN in the command line.

Command: DIMLIN or DIMLINEAR

3. Pick one end of the dimensioning side.

Specify first extension line origin or <select object>: (pick point 1)

4. Pick the second end of the dimensioning side.

Specify dimension line location or

[Text/ Mtext/Angle/Horizontal/Vertical/Rotated]: (pick point 2)

Dimension text = 16.8805

In AutoCAD you are allowed to dimension objects simply by picking them. You can try this one. Draw a circle and or a line and then use this option instead of 2 point option to see what happens.

The dimension will automatically adjust itself to accommodate most of the situations. For instance, the figure above shows what happens to the dimension if the gap between two extension lines is very small for the dimension text.

Radial Dimensions

There are 2 main radial dimension commands, they are DIMRADIUS & DIMDIAMETER. AutoCAD automatically inserts 'R' to indicate the radius & also the dimension symbol in order to indicate a dimension.

1. Choose Dimension (on the menu bar), Radius or Diameter.

or

2. Click Radial Dimensions command from the toolbar.

3. Type DIM in the command line.

Command: DIM

Dim: RADIUS or DIAMETER

The Radius & Diameter commands are supplemented by DIMCENTER command and you can use it to add a centre mark to any arc/ circle. Except in some of the AutoCAD's, the DIMRAD and DIMDIA commands don't automatically draw a center mark, so you can use DIMCENTER command if you want it.

Angular Dimensions

This is the one command in this chapter that can be used to provide angular measurements.

1. Choose Dimension (on the menu bar), Angular
2. Click Angular Dimensions command from the toolbar.
3. Type DIM in the command line

Command: DIM

Dim: ANGULAR

or

4. Type DIMANG in the command line

Command: DIMANG

Move the position of your cursor until you are satisfied with the result. Remember that you can move the cursor in either side of the lines & the angular dimension changes accordingly.

Continued and Baseline Dimensions

Using CONTINUE command you can add a string of dimensions. On the other hand, using BASELINE command you can produce a series of dimensions from a single base point. You may have created the first dimension in sequence by using command such as DIMLIN. The DIMBASELINE command will then create further dimensions in the same way to DIMCONTINUE command. All the user have to do is just to pick the points.

1. Choose Dimension (from menu bar), Continue or Baseline.

or

2. Click Continue or Baseline Dimensions command from the toolbar.

3. Type DIM in the command line

Command: DIM

Dim: CONTINUE or BASELINE

Leaders

This 'LEADER' command is used to add a annotation any point on a drawing.

1. Choose Dimension, leader...

or

2. Click on the LEADER icon from the Dimension toolbar.

3. Type QLEADER in the command line

Command: QLEADER

Unlike the other dimension commands this command & its annotation text are drawn as different objects. So, if you want to move/ edit the text, then you can do it without changing the position of leader line.

Quick Dimensions

It quickly creates dimension arrangements from the geometry that you select.

1. Choose Dimension (on the menu bar), QDIM

or

2. Click Quick Dimension icon form the Dimensions toolbar.

or

3. Type 'QDIM' in the command line.

Command: QDIM

4. Select the objects to give dimension.

Modifying Dimensions

The commands that are used to modify the dimensions of the objects are listed below.

DDEDIT:

1. Choose Modify (on the menu bar), Object, Text.
2. Choose the dimension text to modify.

DIMTEDIT:

This modifying command moves and rotates the dimension text.

1. Choose Dimension (on the menu bar), Align text

or

2. Type DIMTEDIT in the command line

Command: DIMTEDIT

3. Select the object whose dimension is to be modified.

Select dimension: select object

4. Specify the location of the test anywhere in the drawing file.

Enter text location (Left/ Right/ Angle):

Some of the Dimension Edit Commands:

HOMetext It moves dimension text back to its home (default) position.

NEWtext It modifies the text of the Dimension.

Rotate It rotates the dimension text.

OBlique It sets the oblique angle of dimension extension lines.

OVerride It overrides a subset of dimension variable setting.

UPdate It redraws dimensions as directed by the current setting of all dimensioning variables.

Creating Dimension Styles

In order to create a new style, the STANDARD style must be the current style. Now, click on the Name edit box & type the new style name you want to create and click 'Save' button.

1. Choose Format (on the menu bar), Dimension Style.

or

2. Choose Dimension (on the menu bar), Style.

or

3. Choose Dimension Style icon from Dimension Style toolbar.

4. Type DDIM in the command line

Command: DDIM

5. Choose New (on the dialog box)
6. Create a new style form the provided styles.

7. Click Continue button.

Lines and Arrows

It edits the dimension lines, Extension Lines, & Arrows.

1. Pick Lines & Arrows tab form the Dimension Variables and Styles dialog box.

Text

It edits the Text Appearance, Text Placement and Text Alignment.

1. Pick Text tab from Dimension Variables and Styles dialog box.

Primary Units

It edits the Unit options for the dimension's primary units.

1. Pick PRIMARY UNIT tab from Dimension Variables and Styles dialog box.

Alternate Units

It edits the Unit options for the dimension's alternate units.

1. Pick ALTERNATE UNIT tab from the Dimension Variables and Styles dialog box.

Tolerances

It edits the Unit options for tolerances.

1. Pick TOLERANCES tab from Dimension Variables and Styles dialog box.

Fit
It edits the Unit options for fitting the dimensions and dimension scales.

1. Pick FIT tab from Dimension Variables and Styles dialog box.

Dimscale

It edits the Unit options for fitting dimensions and the dimension scales.

1. Select FIT tab from Dimension Variables and Styles dialog box.