Dimensions Preferences

Dimensions preferences affect the dimension units as they are displayed in the project:

Dimensions

Zone Stamps

Fill text

Marker texts

Symbol labels (not Autotext, which is displayed according to Calculation Units Preferences)

in Element Schedules: Core element parameters entered by you (e.g. Wall height, Slant angle)

Dimensions preferences do not affect calculated values (e.g. Wall length) in Interactive Schedule, Listing, or the List Areas add-on. Those calculations are affected by the Calculation Units and Rules page of Project Preferences. (See Calculation Units and Rules Preferences.)

To access Dimensions Preferences, do one of the following:

Click the Dimensions icon in the Quick Options bar

DimensionsQO.png 

Go to Options > Project Preferences > Dimensions

DimPrefs.png 

Choose Dimension Standard

Do one of the following:

Use the Dimensions pop-up from the Quick Options Bar at the bottom of the window

DimStandardQO.png 

Use the list on the Dimensions page of Project Preferences

Use the Dimensioning pop-up in View Settings (2D/3D Documents Panel)

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Store Custom Dimension Standard

Store As: If you have customized a dimension setting in this dialog box, the Standard name changes to “Custom.” Click “Store as” to name this customized Standard and make it available to your project as a named Standard.

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Choose Dimension Type

Click one of the 8 icons to choose the dimension type whose options you wish to set:

DimensionTypes.png 

Linear

Angular

Radial

Level

Elevation

Door/Window/Skylight

Sill Height

Area Calculations (this also affects area as displayed on Zone Stamps)

Unit Display

As you set each control, consult the Sample field for a preview of how that Dimension Type will be displayed in the project.

The available dimension options will vary depending on the unit (metric or imperial) you choose, and on the dimension type whose preferences you are setting.

Unit: Define the Unit for each of the Dimension types.

Decimals: Define the number of Decimals you want to display in each dimension value.

Extra Accuracy: Choose this if you want to display additional decimal values as a superscript.

For example, here the number of decimal places is set to two; but Extra Accuracy is enabled to 25: thus, the next decimal value is also displayed, as a superscript, rounded to increments of 25. See the result in the Sample field of the dialog box.

ExtraAccuracy.png 

Rounding to: Available for Area-type dimension. Choose a rounding option from the pop-up field.

Nearest: Value is rounded to the number of decimals you set.

Other: Value is rounded to the number of decimals you set, but the final digit(s) are an increment of 5 or 25.

RoundingArea.png     RoundingArea2.png

Hide Zero Wholes: Check this box to suppress whole zero values.

For example: 0.25 meters is displayed as 25

Hide Zero Decimals: Check this box to hide any zeros at the end of the decimal dimension, regardless of the number of decimal places you set in the Decimals popup above.

For example: 25 meters is displayed as 25.00

You cannot use the Hide Zero Decimals options concurrently with Hide Zero Wholes.

Accuracy: Available for an Angular Dimension Unit of degrees/minutes/seconds or surveyor’s unit. Click this pop-up field to select accuracy level.

SurveyorUnit.png 

Witness Line Scalability: Choose either fixed or scaled to make your witness lines keep a fixed scale, or else vary them depending on window scale. (Witness lines are the perpendicular lines between a dimension and the dimensioned element.)

Imperial Unit Display

If you choose an imperial unit, the following other options may be available.

Note: You cannot mix units for the same dimension type in a Project. However, you can display two types with the Secondary Dimensions command.

Fractions: Click this pop-up field to define the fractions displayed for the selected Measurement Unit, if you are using a unit that includes fractional inches.

Fractions in Small Type: Toggles printing of fractional inches and feet in small characters on and off in length dimensioning.

Display of Zero Feet & Inches: If using Feet & fractional inches, this section has three pairs of radio buttons; if using fractional inches, there is one pair of radio buttons. For each pair, choose the option you prefer for displaying dimensions that measure either zero feet or zero inches.

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