Dimensioning in Model space in 3d

[brotherbeast]

I have a solid drawing that I have opened in ACAD. I need to take some dimension off of the model. Everytime I try to dimension, however, I have a problem of not being able to take any measurements along the Z axis. Further more, whenever I get a set of dimensions along the X or Y, it drops the dimension along, what I assume to be the 0 plane of X and Y. In older ACADs there was a way I could dimension lines along X, Y, or Z and have them stay with the picked points and allow me to dimension no matter which view I rotated my model to.

In the attached pic here the 3 dimensions on the left side are all in varying heights along the Z axis but got jammed together as if on the same plane.

[nestly2 · Accepted solution]

AutoCAD dimensions are always drawn on the current XY plane, so in order to achieve the results you want, you'll need to re-orient the UCS as needed.  Having said that, it's often more efficient to create 2D isometric views of the 3D object for dimensioning to avoid manipulating the UCS during dimensioning

[brotherbeast]

there used to be a way to set the dimensions so that they would give me the same effect without having to constantly change the UCS, which also changes teh way the view cube acts in relation to the UCS coordinates. I hope this was not removed from the newer versions of ACAD.

[dgorsman]

Are you trying to place dimension entities, or measure distances?  If the latter how about DIST or MEASUREGEOM commands?

[brotherbeast]

I am trying to do a bit of both. These are not dimensions for a final print as I do that in paper space, these are for reference only and I need to print it out in several views for machine operators. So the list commands won't help. I can gather the info from dimensioning and just write it in, but when it gets to the more crowded locations it will be a bit more confusing.

[fateyo]

rotate you UCS

as example from your posted picture.

command: ucs

command x

command 90

then can dimension the vertical axis.