topic Re: Dimension arrows-Want longer arrow lines in AutoCAD Forum

Dimension arrows-Want longer arrow lines

Anonymous — Fri, 06 Apr 2018 16:47:54 GMT

I am very new to autocad dimensions please bare with me.

I have dimensions that I want to have longer lines for some dimensions.

The yellow is what I have the RED lines is what I would like to extend/lengthen.

I have NO idea where this is found.

ANY help is appreciated!

Re: Dimension arrows-Want longer arrow lines

john.vellek — Fri, 06 Apr 2018 17:03:38 GMT

hi @Anonymous,

I don't think there is anyway of setting asymmetrical arrow lines such as those in your image.

Would something like the dimension in this image work?

Please select the Accept as Solution button if my post solves your issue or answers your question.

Re: Dimension arrows-Want longer arrow lines

Anonymous — Fri, 06 Apr 2018 17:08:36 GMT

Thank you for your response.

Sadly, that dimension style will not work.

I guess I'll just have to live with what autocad gives me.

Thanks again

Re: Dimension arrows-Want longer arrow lines

Kent1Cooper — Fri, 06 Apr 2018 17:15:08 GMT

Try this combination:

-- and --

which gives me this result:

Not that there may not be other settings in play, too.

However, that may be affected by whether the text has been manually positioned. It looks like some of yours have had their text moved -- the 5' ones at top and bottom don't have the same relationship between text and arrows. If I drag the text grip under these settings, the underlining extension of the dimension-line/arrow-tail follows, so these settings may overcome whatever is letting yours not do so.

Re: Dimension arrows-Want longer arrow lines

Anonymous — Fri, 06 Apr 2018 18:22:10 GMT

Thank you Kent Cooper!

This is almost what I wanted.

In the attached image I am trying to show that I will constantly be fighting with other callouts for space. The reason I say "almost" is I would like the number to be closer to the arrow thus taking up less room in the drawing. When I try and move the number the entire dimension moves and if I move "text only" I end up back to where I began with nothing under the number.

Thanks again

Re: Dimension arrows-Want longer arrow lines

Anonymous — Fri, 06 Apr 2018 18:24:29 GMT

forgot the image

Re: Dimension arrows-Want longer arrow lines

Kent1Cooper — Fri, 06 Apr 2018 20:20:02 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:

..... I would like the number to be closer to the arrow thus taking up less room in the drawing. ....

You need a shorter arrow. The Closed-Filled arrow gets a "tail" of the same length as the arrowhead added to it, and the Text can't come any closer than the far end of that tail. If you temporarily switch the arrowheads on one of those to Architectural Tick [which has no arrowhead, so the tail starts from the extension line, rather than from the back end of the arrowhead], you'll see the difference.

If you want that same arrowhead shape, make a custom Block for it. To maximize how tight it can go [no tail at all], do this as a 2D SOLID [the white part]:

Define that white Solid as a Block with the tip as insertion base point, in that orientation, assign that as a User Block for the arrowheads in the Dimension Style definition, and make the nominal arrowhead size half of what it was under the standard Closed-Filled arrowhead.

The standard AutoCAD arrowhead-type options are Blocks one unit long, and it adds a tail the same length [and it's all multiplied by the designated arrowhead size and overall dimension components scale]. So with this one defined as 2 units long instead, but used at half size, it comes out the same size as the standard one, but AutoCAD will think it's only half that long, and the added tail will be buried under/within it. The tail's far end [which is what limits the text position] will be in the middle of the back end of the arrowhead.

Re: Dimension arrows-Want longer arrow lines

Anonymous — Tue, 17 Apr 2018 15:12:52 GMT

Thanks again Kent1Cooper,

I am not a novice to cad but VERY unfamiliar with the way autocad works. I was hoping to just change a setting or two to get what I was looking for. I will try this solution at some point but I really don't have the time to create anything new, you know how it goes.

For now, I'll just live with the way it is and look at your recommendation when time permits.

As always thank you for your time

Re: Dimension arrows-Want longer arrow lines

mgreenW83DE — Wed, 13 Nov 2024 18:06:28 GMT

This is the answer I've been looking for, thank you. I believe there used to be a "force arrows inside" checkbox within the DIMSTYLE controls, on the FIT tab. It seems your solution of making a custom block arrowhead is the only modern solution. Cheers.

Re: Dimension arrows-Want longer arrow lines

Kent1Cooper — Wed, 13 Nov 2024 18:55:08 GMT

@mgreenW83DE wrote:

.... I believe there used to be a "force arrows inside" checkbox within the DIMSTYLE controls, on the FIT tab. ....

There's a choice to have the text be the first thing moved outside the extension lines if the text and arrows don't all fit between them [which can have the effect you're looking for, but within limits], and there's a choice to force it to draw a line inside when the arrows get kicked outside, and there's a choice to force the text to be between the extension lines regardless. But I don't think (?) there's ever been one to force the arrows inside if there isn't room for both of them with their tails [although it seems the tail lengths can overlap partially -- I'm not sure how far before it takes the arrows outside]. That is, I don't think it has ever let you do this:

except as I did, i.e. by Exploding the Dimension and Mirroring the arrows to the inside.