Automatic Exterior Dimensioning

You can add automatic associative linear Dimensions to selected Walls or Curtain Walls with Automatic Dimensioning functions.

The display of automatic dimensions depend on the options chosen in Dimension Tool Settings.

See Dimension Tool Settings.

1.On the Floor Plan, select the Walls or Curtain Walls to be dimensioned.

Go to Document > Document Extras > Automatic Dimensioning > Exterior Dimensioning. Set the desired options.

See Automatic Exterior Dimensioning Dialog Box.

2.Define the direction of the dimension lines. Do this in one of two ways:

•Click the side edge of any element (the dimension direction will follow the element direction); or

•Click in an empty area, then click a second time to define the dimension direction.

3.Click with the hammer cursor to place the dimension line(s).

Automatic Dimensioning will automatically place the dimension lines (up to four types) depending on the options you have chosen in the dialog box. If any of these dimension lines are unnecessary (e.g., there are no openings, or the facade is straight), it is discarded.

Automatic Exterior Dimensioning Dialog Box

Choose the Document > Document Extras > Automatic Dimensioning > Exterior Dimensioning command to open this dialog box.

Dimension Openings

Check this box if you want to include the dimensions of openings (doors and windows). The applicable options below will be active.

Opening Center: The dimension will be placed at each opening’s axis.

Opening Endpoints: Dimensions will be placed at either end of the opening, according to the definition you choose here:

Choose separate dimensioning preference for doors and for windows

Note: If Egress and Leaf Size are not the nominal sizes, they can be dimensioned here only if you first activate the “Show Additional Hotspots for Doors/Windows” checkbox in the “Options for GDL Objects” panel of Model View Options (Document > Set Model View). (In earlier library versions, hotspots must be activated by using the corresponding parameters of the library parts.)

Note: If you automatically dimension doors placed from the ArchiCAD 12 or ArchiCAD 11 libraries, and if you choose Leaf or Egress size as the preferred door dimension, the door’s height value will not be shown unless you choose Leaf or Egress as the Nominal value in Door Settings. (Door widths will be dimensioned without any problem.) If you automatically dimension doors placed from earlier ArchiCAD versions, only the Wallhole and Nominal Size options will work.

Use the next three checkboxes to define which element types to dimension individually. You will create as many dimension lines as the number of checkboxes you check here (if the relevant elements can be dimensioned):

Dimension Structures: The linear dimension of the element itself, such as wall thickness

Note: This function takes into account the “Dimension only the Core of Walls and Slabs” checkbox in the Dimension Details panel of Dimension Tool Settings. If this dimension tool checkbox is ON, then only the core structures will be dimensioned. Also, Walls with no Core will be ignored.

See Dimension Core Only of Walls and Slabs.

Dimension External Geometry: The linear dimensions of extruding elements, such as a facade.

Overall Dimension: A single dimension line that runs the length of the selected element set.

Distance Between Dimension Lines: Enter a distance using the working units currently set in ArchiCAD.

Place Dimensions on Four Sides: Check this box to automatically place dimension lines on all four sides of the bounding box of the selected elements.