Dimension arrowheads not filled after exploding dimension line

[as41892]

Forum,

I am a student taking an introductory course in AutoCAD 2025.  In class we are learning how to dimension drawings properly.  My professor has instructed us to give center lines priority over dimension extension lines.  The method he has shown us is to explode any dimension that has an extension line touching a center mark, delete the extension line, and then extended the center mark line. 

This used to work perfectly, but now my exploded dimensions are showing empty (not-filled) arrowheads and I don't know how to fix this issue.  Any help you can provide is appreciated.

Aaron

[Valentin-WSP · Accepted solution]

@as41892 ,

Type PLAN in command line and set to World.

• How to reset the User Coordinate System (UCS) to the Orthogonal World Coordinate System (WCS) in Aut...

[Kent1Cooper]

The reason @Valentin-WSP suggested what they did is that fill does not show in Solids [or Polylines with non-zero width] when they are not viewed from straight overhead.  [I confess that am puzzled by the fact that the fill shows in the arrowheads of the Dimensions that have not been Exploded.]

The VIEWDIR System Variable holds the "camera" location for your view direction relative to the origin in the current Coordinate System.  Your drawing is in the World Coordinate System [indicated by the little square at the origin of the UCS icon], but the view direction is not straight down -- it has the X,Y,Z values:

VIEWDIR = 0.0000,-0.8242,47.2172

but for straight-overhead view it should be:

VIEWDIR = 0.0000,0.0000,1.0000

and will be after the suggested PLAN command in the World Coordinate System.

[as41892]

Thank you for the suggestion.  It worked!

[as41892]

@Kent1Cooper Thanks for the explanation.  That was actually going to be my next question: Why did that work?  Any suggestions regard to view for the type of drawing I'm doing in my class?  For example, should I always have the TOP face selected in the WCS? etc.

[Tomislav.Golubovic]

Why explode dimensions when you can turn the extension lines OFF in the properties?

[as41892]

@Tomislav.Golubovic I actually discovered your suggestion probably as you were typing your response.  I have mixed in my workflow.  Thanks for the help.

[RobRocks]

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@as41892 wrote:

Forum,

I am a student taking an introductory course in AutoCAD 2025.  In class we are learning how to dimension drawings properly.  My professor has instructed us to give center lines priority over dimension extension lines.  The method he has shown us is to explode any dimension

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Exploding dimensions in AutoCAD is frowned upon by most employers. Drop the class if you plan on making a carrier of drafting.

[Kent1Cooper]

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@Tomislav.Golubovic wrote:

Why explode dimensions when you can turn the extension lines OFF in the properties?

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Absolutely.  And if you use a routine like DimExtLineToggle.lsp with its DET command, >here<, you can turn off [or back on] either extension line without needing to know which is 1 and which is 2.