Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
3.
Pick the right end of the rail on the balcony. See the bottom image in Figure 11.14 for the
results.
4.
Press ↵ twice to exit the command.
If you select the wrong location for a continued dimension, you can choose Edit
Undo from
the menu bar or type
U
↵ to back up your dimension.
The Continue tool adds a dimension from where you left off. The last-drawn extension line
is used as the first extension line for the continued dimension. AutoCAD keeps adding dimen-
sions as you continue to pick points, until you press ↵.
You probably noticed that the 5˝ dimension is placed away from the dimension line with a
leader line pointing to it. This is the result of the 5˝ dimension's text not having enough space
to fit between the dimension extension lines. Later this chapter, in the section “Changing Style
Settings of Individual Dimensions,” you'll learn about dimension style settings that can remedy
this problem. For now, let's continue adding dimensions to the plan.
C
O N T I N U I N G
F R O M
A N
O
L D E R
D
I M E N S I O N
If you need to continue a string of dimensions from an older linear dimension instead of the
most recently added one, press ↵ at the Specify a second extension line origin or
[Undo/Select] <Select>: prompt you saw in step 2 of the previous exercise. Then, at the
Select continued dimension: prompt, click the extension line from which you want to
continue.
Drawing Dimensions from a Common Base Extension Line
Another way to dimension objects is to have several dimensions originate from the same exten-
sion line. To accommodate this, AutoCAD provides the Baseline tool on the Dimensions tool
group and the Dim Continue flyout, as was shown in the rightmost image in Figure 11.12.
To see how this works, you'll start another dimension—this time a horizontal one—across
the top of the plan:
1.
Click Linear Dimension from the Tool Sets palette. Or, as you did for the vertical dimen-
sion, type
DLI
↵ to start the horizontal dimension.
2.
At the Specify first extension line origin or <select object>: prompt, use the
Endpoint osnap to pick the upper-left corner of the bathroom, as shown in Figure 11.15.
3.
At the Specify second extension line origin: prompt, pick the upper-right corner
of the bathroom, as shown in Figure 11.15.
4.
At the Specify dimension line location or [Mtext/Text/Angle/ Horizontal/
Vertical/Rotated]: prompt, pick a point above the Unit plan, like the 7´-6˝ dimension
in Figure 11.15. If you need to, pan your view downward to fit the dimension in.
USE OSNAPS WHILE DIMENSIONING
Because you usually pick exact locations on your drawing as you dimension, you may want to turn on
Running Osnaps to avoid the extra step of selecting osnaps from the Object Snap shortcut menu.
