The Jogged tool (Fig. 6.16)
1. Draw a circle and an arc as indicated in Fig. 6.16.
Fig. 6.16 Examples – the Jogged tool
2. Make the Dimensions layer current (Home/Layers panel).
3. Call the Jogged tool, either with a left-click on its tool icon in the Annotation/Dimension panel (see Fig. 6.1) or by entering jog at the command line. The command line shows:
The results of placing as jogged dimension on a circle and an arc are shown in Fig. 6.16.
Dimension tolerances
Before simple tolerances can be included with dimensions, new settings will need to be made in the Dimension Style Manager dialog as follows:
1. Open the dialog. The quickest way of doing this is to enter d at the command line followed by a right-click. This opens up the dialog.
2. Click the Modify. button of the dialog, followed by a left-click on the Primary Units tab and in the resulting sub-dialog make settings as shown in Fig. 6.17. Note the changes in the preview box of the dialog.
Example – tolerances (Fig. 6.19)
1. Construct the outline Fig. 6.18.
2. Make the Dimensions layer current (Home/Layers panel).
3. Dimension the drawing using either tools from the Dimension panel or by entering abbreviations at the command line. Because tolerances have been set in the Dimension Style Manager dialog (Fig. 6.17), the toleranced dimensions will automatically be added to the drawing (Fig. 6.19).
Fig. 6.17 The Tolerances sub-dialog of the Modify Dimension Style dialog
Fig. 6.18 First example – simple tolerances – outline
Fig. 6.19 Example – tolerances
Text
There are two main methods of adding text to drawings – Multiline Text and Single Line Text.
Example – Single Line Text (Fig. 6.19)
1. Open the drawing from the example on tolerances – Fig. 6.19.
2. Make the Text layer current (Home/Layers panel).
3. At the command line enter dt (for Single Line Text) followed by a right-click:
The result is given in Fig. 6.19.
Notes
1. When using Dynamic Text the Return key of the keyboard is pressed when the text has been entered. A right-click does not work.
2. At the prompt:
And an AutoCAD Text Window (Fig. 6.20) appears listing all the styles which have been selected in the Text Style dialog.
Fig. 6.20 The AutoCAD Text Window
3. In order to select the required text style its name must be entered at the prompt:
And the text entered will be in the Romand style of height 9. But only if that style was previously been selected in the Text Style dialog.
4. Fig. 6.21 shows some text styles from the AutoCAD Text Window.
Fig. 6.21 Some text fonts
5. There are two types of text fonts available in AutoCAD 2011 – the 5. There are two types of text fonts available in AutoCAD 2011 – the AutoCAD SHX fonts and the Windows True Type fonts. The styles shown in Fig. 6.21 are the ITALIC, ROMAND, ROMANS and STANDARD styles are AutoCAD text fonts. The TIMES and ARIAL styles are Windows True Type styles. Most of the True Type fonts can be entered in Bold, Bold Italic, Italic or Regular styles, but these variations are not possible with the AutoCAD fonts.
6. The Font name popup list of the Text Style dialog shows that a large number of text styles are available to the AutoCAD 2011 operator.
It is advisable to practise using a variety of these fonts to familiarise oneself with the text opportunities available with AutoCAD 2011.
Example – Multiline Text (Fig. 6.23)
1. Make the Text layer current (Home/Layers panel).
2. Either left-click on the Multiline Text tool icon in the Annotate/Text panel (Fig. 6.22) or enter t at the command line:
Fig. 6.22 Selecting Multiline Text… from the Annotate/Text panel
As soon as the opposite corner is picked, the Text Formatting box appears (Fig. 6.23). Text can now be entered as required within the box as indicated in this illustration.
Fig. 6.23 Example – Multiline Text entered in the text box
When all the required text has been entered left-click and the text box disappears leaving the text on screen.
Symbols used in text
When text has to be added by entering letters and figures as part of a dimension, the following symbols must be used:
Checking spelling
Note
When a misspelt word or a word not in the AutoCAD spelling dictionary is entered in the Multiline Text box, red dots appear under the word, allowing immediate correction.
There are two methods for the checking of spelling in AutoCAD 2011.
First example – spell checking – ddedit (Fig. 6.24)
1. Enter some badly spelt text as indicated in Fig. 6.24.
2. Enter ddedit at the command line.
3. Left-click on the text. The text is highlighted. Edit the text as if working in a word processing application and when satisfied left-click followed by a right-click.
Fig. 6.24 First example – spell checking – ddedit
Second example – the Spelling tool (Fig. 6.25)
1. Enter some badly spelt text as indicated in Fig. 6.25.
2. Either click the Spell Check… icon in the Annotate/Text panel (Fig. 6.26) or enter spell or sp at the command line.
3. The Check Spelling dialog appears (Fig. 6.25). In the Where to look field select Entire drawing from the field’s popup list. The first badly spelt word is highlighted with words to replace them listed in the Suggestions field. Select the appropriate correct spelling as shown.
Fig. 6.25 Second example – the Check Spelling dialog
Fig. 6.27 The AutoCAD Message
window showing that spelling check is complete
Fig. 6.26 The Spell Check. icon in the Annotate/Text panel
Continue until all text is checked. When completely checked an AutoCAD Message appears (Fig. 6.27). If satisfied click its OK button.
REVISION NOTES
1. In the Line and Arrows sub-dialog of the Dimension Style Manager dialog Lineweights were set to 0.3. If these line weights are to show in the drawing area of AutoCAD 2011, the Show/Hide Lineweight button in the status bar must be set ON.
2. Dimensions can be added to drawings using the tools from the Annotate/Dimensions panel or by entering dim, followed by abbreviations for the tools at the command line.
3. It is usually advisable to use osnaps when locating points on a drawing for dimensioning.
4. The Style and Angle of the text associated with dimensions can be changed during the dimensioning process.
5. When wishing to add tolerances to dimensions it will probably be necessary to make new settings in the Dimension Style Manager dialog.
6. There are two methods for adding text to a drawing – Single Line Text and Multiline Text.
7. When adding Single Line Text to a drawing, the Return key must be used and not the right-hand mouse button.
8. Text styles can be changed during the process of adding text to drawings.
9. AutoCAD 2011 uses two types of text style - AutoCAD SHX fonts and Windows True Type fonts.
10. Most True Type fonts can be in bold, bold italic, italic or regular format. AutoCAD fonts can only be added in the single format.
11. To obtain the symbols 0; ±; % use %%c; %%p; %%d; %%% before the figures of the dimension.
12. Text spelling can be checked with by selecting Object/Text/Edit… from the Modify dropdown menu, by selecting Spell Check. from the Annotate/Text panel, or by entering spell or sp at the command line.
