Selecting Dimensions-Cursor Freezes momentarily

[jackscanlon01]

Hello,

I am using AutoCad Arch 2023 on windows 10 OS...Whenever I select a dimension from any drawing, the mouse cursor freezes or hesitates as I move the mouse away. While it is not a game changer, it is very annoying since I want to move on to the next selection or function. However, if I select a line first, then select the dimension, there is no hesitation??? I just performed a clean uninstall/install and it still happens. Any ideas?

Thank you! and Happy New Year to all!!

[David_W_Koch · Accepted solution]

Are you having the issue with AEC Dimensions or plain AutoCAD Dimensions (or both)?

I tried reproducing your issue in AutoCAD Architecture 2023, and I noticed no issue with an AEC Dimension.  With regular AutoCAD Dimensions, if I select the Dimension and immediately move the cursor, I did notice a slight lag that did not occur when doing the same with other objects in the file (Walls, Doors, Windows, AEC Dimension, Lines).  I really had to try to move the mouse as quickly as I could after selecting the dimension to see the effect.

I also can confirm if any other object type is also selected, then the lag does not occur when selecting a Dimension and immediately moving the cursor.

FWIW, I got the same results in AutoCAD Architecture 2022.  I have no suggestions for how to prevent this.

[jackscanlon01]

Hi David, Thanks for responding. I use plain AutoCad dimensions...I am not familiar with AEC dimensions...I only started using Acad Architecture lately and wasn't aware of using AEC dimensions since I use the old toolbar icons instead of the ribbon(I'm old school). I tried the AEC dimension for interior and I did notice a very slight lag but not as long of a lag as the plain AutoCad dimension. Is there a way to choose to use AEC dimensions by using the toolbars instead of the ribbon? I might have to break down and adjust to the ribbon since it seems to be more commonly used. Thanks again!

[David_W_Koch]

When AutoCAD Architecture went to the ribbon, they went all in, and dropped toolbars from the ACA.cuix customization file.  You may be able to create your own toolbar; I am not sure that you can build in a specific style that way (or have it load if not in the current file).

If you are looking to avoid the ribbon, you can use Tool Palette tools or Styles Browser.

[jackscanlon01]

Thank you again for the quick response...Somehow or another, I was able to add my toolbars but this time, I saved the ribbons instead of closing them to make more room on the screen. I am interested in using the tool pallettes and styles browser as you mentioned. Are there any tutorials that you can suggest to learn about using them? My screen is shown below. What is the difference between AEC and AutoCad dimensions?

[David_W_Koch · Accepted solution]

Tool Palettes have been around for quite a while.  You may be able to find third-party postings on their use in AutoCAD Architecture.  The Styles Browser is a more recent addition; it may be harder to find things on it.  For both, I would start with the material in the Help.

• Start here for Tool Palettes.
• Start here for Styles Browser.

Both Tool Palettes and Styles Browser provide access to styles and definitions stored in source files, allowing you to minimize the content you load into your template file.  Styles Browser cannot do everything that a Tool Palette tool can do, but Tool Palettes and their tools require more effort to set up and maintain.  My firm already had extensive Tool Palettes and associated infrastructure set up by the time Styles Browser was introduced, so we stayed with Tool Palettes.

AutoCAD Dimensions are individual objects, manually placed.  They can be associative to objects, but that associativity works better with AutoCAD objects than it does with AEC (AutoCAD Architecture) objects.  AEC Dimensions provide a means of having one dimension object covering multiple dimensions for multiple objects, with up to ten dimension chains (not sure I have seen a style that used more than three) that are based on rules that you specify in display overrides for a given AEC Dimension Style.

If you use AEC objects extensively and have standard ways of dimensioning that can be translated into rules, AEC Dimensions can be a big time saver, particularly for multiple chain dimensions around the perimeter of a building.  They are somewhat less flexible than individually placed AutoCAD Dimensions.  You can always use both.