One of the most frequently performed tasks in AutoCAD 2016 is the placement of dimensions in projects. You might agree with me that it's somewhat tedious to keep changing commands in order to put the right dimensions, such as DIMALIGNED, DIMLINEAR, DIMRADIUS and others.

You may remember the DIM command, which until the AutoCAD 2015 version has allowed you to enter the type of dimension via prompt. Even so, you had to type, select the object, press the <Enter> key to accept the dimension value and also define the dimension location by clicking on the screen. Not quick or efficient either. Ok, you can still apply the command prompt or via separate icon.

But think how much simpler, faster and more efficient it could be if AutoCAD could see the object type and offer the correct dimension type for that object; it would be nice wouldn’t it? Well, it already exists!

I don't know if it's because the DIM command was not highly used, or if the command's programming code was reused, or if it was just easier to write the name, what I know is that Autodesk has improved the DIM command in AutoCAD 2016!

1) First of all, let's see where it's located:
In the Home tab, Annotation panel:
 


In the Annotate tab, Dimensions panel:
 

And of course, you can just type DIM and press the <Enter> key to start the command.

The options within the DIM command now are displayed on the command line and in the right click menu eliminating the need for you to remember what options are available and how to access them:
 

But it's not just that! You no longer need to define which of the dimension options you want to use. AutoCAD 2016 DIM command automatically creates the appropriate dimensions based on the type of object selected. A preview is shown when you place the cursor over an object and it allows you to see the dimension type to be done before you actually create it.

Take a look at the preview when the cursor is placed on a diagonal line:
 

When the cursor is placed on a horizontal line:


When the cursor is placed on a circle:

Tip: To switch to the DIAMETER option, choose Diameter at the prompt, or type D:


After selecting the object, you define the dimension location:
 

To create an angular dimension, select the first object:
 


Then select another object that is not parallel to the first:
 

And click to set the location of the new angular dimension:
 

If you select two parallel lines, the AutoCAD warns you in the prompt and asks you to select another line to define the second side of the angle.

This is the message shown at the prompt:

When you place the cursor over a circle or arc, a preview of a radius dimension or diameter is displayed and the prompt offers other options:

Radius: changes to the radius dimension.



Jogged: changes to the Jogged dimension.

Center Mark: Adds the center mark.


Angular: set an angular dimension.

Arcs: For arcs, there is the added option of creating arc length dimension.
Arc Length:


This kind of dimension is the same created by DIMARC command:
 

The DIM command simplifies even more the creation of dimensions, eliminating steps to modify the text size and angle. Now the default values are applied automatically.

The Mtext, Text and Angle options are available at the prompt and the onscreen menu:



You can create continuous dimensions (Dimcontinue) selecting a line extension of an existing dimension:

And by clicking the next points:

You can create baseline dimensions (Dimbaseline) selecting a line extension of an existing dimension:

And by clicking the next points:

 

Regardless of which type of dimension you create, the DIM command remains active and allows you to place more dimensions until you exit the command.

When editing the dimension text, a width sizing control is displayed above the text so you can specify the width of text wrapping.

Before you click the dimension location, choose the Mtext option to edit the dimension value:
Command: DIM
Select objects or specify first extension line origin or [Angular/Baseline/Continue/Ordinate/aliGn/Distribute/Layer/Undo]:
Select line to specify extension lines origin:
Specify dimension line location or second line for angle [Mtext/Text/text aNgle/Undo]:M

Just click with the left mouse button and drag to define the width:

Notice that the DIM command remains active after the dimension text editing:

There's nothing more stressful than when you start putting the dimensions on a project and forgetting to set the layer to the dimensions, is there?
Okay, we can easily solve this by! One example is selecting all dimensions with SELECTSIMILAR and changing the layer at the Properties palette.

But wouldn't simply fantastic NEVER worry about it?

And if only AutoCAD knew the dimensions of the objects I'm creating and puts them in a pre-defined layer. That's what I'm talking about!

A new tool allows you to set the layer to dimensions when they are created. You can set this in the Annotate tab, Dimensions panel:


Or through the DIMLAYER system variable:

Note: Only the new dimensions created with DIM command in AutoCAD 2016 will be placed in the given layer for them! If you have a project with existing dimensions, you will have to move them to the new layer. If you use any other command to create dimensions, such as DIMRADIUS, DIMARC, DIMLINEAR, etc.; you will need to change the current layer to dimension’s layer before creating dimensions.

And finally, you do not need to leave the layer set to their dimensions (created with DIM command) as current layer, because the new dimensions are created in the previously set layer and not in the current layer.

The image shows that the current layer has 7 color (Black / White) and the layer of Cotas (Dimensions) has 5 color (Blue):


See the properties of the new dimension that was created with DIM command:

That's it! You can watch a video that I made showing some news in dimensions in AutoCAD 2016 in my Youtube channel (in Portuguese):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BT3f0B0I7hU

AutoCAD 2016 has a lot more news in commands and improvements! But I can not tell you everything in detail in one article!

Luciana Klein
Autodesk Expert Elite
Autodesk Authorized Author
Autodesk Authorized Instructor
Luciana@cadklein.com
Blog.cadklein.com

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