Dimensioning paradigm shift

[KevinMacDonald]

Regarding dimensions in Autocad 2013

I suppose I am best described as an Autocad hobbyist. I used Autocad professionally many years ago, and then in the last few years happily obtained Product Design Suite 2013. During the substantial amount of time that I hardly glanced at Autocad it changed it what seemed like fundamental ways. Dimensioning became absolutely mysterious to me. However, I think I have begun to figure it out. Here is the major difference in (what I think) is a good work flow:

The old way:

• Create a drawing in model space - 2D or 3D
• Create a layout in paper space
• Create a viewport in paper space
• Place dimensions directly on the model via the view port. Scale the dimensions as required so text sizes and so on are reasonable. A horizontal dimension would be created via the DIMHORIZONTAL command.

The new way (I think)

• Create a drawing in model space - almost certainly a solid model. 
• Create a layout in paper space
• Ignore viewports. Create various types of views.
• For each view select the objects to be included, set the scale and orientation etc.
• Place dimensions via the views. Dimensions are only visible in paper space. Dimensions are scaled to paper space automatically. A horizontal dimension would be created via the AMPOWERDIM_HOR command.

I'm sad to say it took me a very long time to figure out the new way. I think part of my confusion was that viewports were still right there. I tried to use them. I tried to place dimensions in model space. I could never seem to adequately control them. I went so far as to try to scare up the old dimension commands so I could go back to using them.

My general question is: am I on track, or still way off base? What am I missing? Please can haz overview of major concepts?

As an aside, I have tried my hand at Inventor, which is yet another massive paradigm shift for a hacker like myself. 

As another aside, I write software for a living. For me, hacking at Autocad has always including writing my own AUTOLISP routines, and more lately, playing fairly extensively with the .NET SDK. I'm just years behind on the basic features. 

[JDMather]

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@KevinMacDonald wrote:

A horizontal dimension would be created via the AMPOWERDIM_HOR command.

As an aside, I have tried my hand at Inventor, which is yet another massive paradigm shift for a hacker like myself.   

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It sounds to me like you are using AutoCAD Mechanical rather than vanilla AutoCAD.

Since you are starting over, I think I would concentrate my time on learning a next-generation tool if your work is primarily mechanical (although I also use Inventor for my home improvement "architectural" hacking).

My beginner students seem to pick up Inventor techniques much faster than they ever did AutoCAD, especially 2D drawings.

[KevinMacDonald]

Yes, I'm using Autocad Mechanical, although I spend a lot more time in its "3D Modelling" mode than the mechanical mode, if that makes a difference.

It could be this is part of my problem, but I don't feel that I'm starting over. One of my frustrations with on line tutorials has been the lack of 10,000ft view. They go straight to basic details. "Let's draw a line...", whereas I'm looking for points of reference that put my previous knowledge in context with new ways of doing things. I have yet, for example, to see any kind of explanation of how "power dimensions" differ from the vanilla dimensioning tools I first learned. What are they trying to do for me? How do they interplay with other data structures differently than the other? Those insights I feel would give me the "AHA"!! moments that would let me work through the basics on my own.  This might be a consequence of me  being a software developer. I feel a little understanding of underlying data structures goes a very long way.