help with dimensions

[PDandE]

This is for AutoCAD 06.

I'm drawing something fairly small (<1") and when dimension it the dimension font is much larger than the actual drawing itself. I would like the dimension font and the drawing itself to be relatively the same scale but unsure of how.
Can anyone help?

Thank you.
Scott

 

[borgunit]

You may be looking for DIMSCALE. Type it in at the command line and change it to the dimscale you desire.

"Everybody is ignorant, only on different subjects." — Will Rogers

 

[Beggar]

The simplest way, IMO, is to draw in model space but dimension in paper space. Set up your dim styles to work for a given sheet size and you're all set.

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[gpavlab]

A good way to change the conditions of the dimensions (text size being one of them)is to go to dimension pulldown and select "style". this will bring up the dimension style manager, on it click "modify" this will bring up the dimension modify screen, in it select the text option and go to the "text height" box in there you can put in whatever height you want your dimension text to be. You may also find other usefull options in the "dimension style manager", it's certainly checking it out I personaly have found it to be quite usefull.

 

[IFRs]

I have to caution gpavlab - just changing the text height maylead to ugly drawings - the arrow size, spacing, etc are all linked to text size and if you just change one the others look odd. Better to change overall scale factor and let AutoCAD proporiton everything. Using dimscale does it but it is better to change the dimstyle. DDIM gets you there also. The best way is er beggar - draw in model space, put your title block in paper space on a layout use MView to window on your model and dimension with DimAssociate set to 2. Best of luck, it will take a little getting used to but then you will find it to be an outstanding feature and never go back.

 

[gpavlab]

The dimension style manager can also be used to adjust the size and shape of the dimension arrows. It can change your dimension arrows from the regular arrows that would be on a mechanical drawing to the tick marks you would put on an architechtural drawing (or a dozen or so other varieties). The dimension style manager can also adjust the extension lines and the baseline spacing.

 

[chicopee]

PDandE- it all goes back to fundamentals of ACAD. With such a small object, assume that you will plot this object on a 5:1 scale,the scale factor value (SFV) will be 1/5=.2.

Either under the format or dimension pull down menu, select "DimStyle" or "Style" and the dim style manager dialogue box will appear in which select the fit folder, then change the default value of one to that of the SFV. Be sure to select current before closing the dialogue box.

If you are not to far into the drawing the change in the size of you dimensions should be apparent. If it is not you can change you existing dimensions under Modify>Property. Any new dimensions will assume the size made when you modified you dimension style dialogue box.

One more thing, in the dim style dialogue box, the text folder has a default height of .180 which is what you'll when you plot. I prefer .125 for text height and this text height is for your dimensions only- no association with regular text such as subtitles and notes.

If you change the default text height also change arrow sizes and extension of extension lines beyond dimension lines to .125.