LT 2017 - DIM

[ron]

Hi Smarter-people-than-me,

What happened to the Dim command in 2017?  I'm totally frustrated by this. 

It may have happened in 2016...I went from 2015 to 17 so forgive me if this is adressed somewhere but I couln't find it by searching.

I know how to get to the DIM command.  I want a horizontal dimenion across two things that are not aligned vertically.  I don't want  vertrical extension lines the full depth of the dimension.  I want a little point at a wall on one end and an extension line at the other but if I try to do that now I get an "aligned" dimension at an angle.  Virtually useless.  If I pull a horizontal dimension using dim linear I get extension lines across the drawing.

I used to type D (get Dim) and type HOR for horizontal. Now, even if I get the "dim" command (not dimlinear), it doesn't recognize HOR and VER.  I'm not stuck in the past so much that I can't advance but I don't know how to achieve what I could previously do with the new version. 

A) is it possible to do like the old D - HOR technique  and

B) if so, how?

Please help!  And, thanks!

[pendean]

DIM command changed with AutoCAD 2016s: but all the old commands like DIMLINEAR and DIMALIGNED are still there that you can still use.
Here is a nice tutorial: took me about 15-minutes to grasp how it all work http://www.cadlearning.com/autocad/autocad-2016-new-features-its-all-about-dimensioning/

There is no going back.

DIM <enter> HOR <enter> to dimension all the time is not the way for fast productive dimensioning: if the new DIM (D for short) is hard to grasp then abbreviate DIMLINEAR command (I use DM for it) which combined HOR and VER into one easy option.
Forget D-HOR and D-VER, it's time to update your habits my friend 🙂

[ron]

I'm getting more used to this.  It's still not the same as it was. It definitely got more intuitive after an afternoon of using it, what I assume is the right way.

I don't mind progress but I don't want to have to manually fix things to make them look the way I want.  If I wanted to be bossed around by the program, I'd be on Revit!  🙂

Thanks for the help, though.  It is always appreciated.

[ron]

Let me ask a related question, though.  So, if I use dimlinear to make a dimension...Easy.   Now I want to continue it.  What do I do?  Have to use a different command, right?  Or am I doing something wrong?

[john.vellek · Accepted solution]

Hi ron,

Check out this AKN Article to see if it helps with your question. Please let me know if it doesn't and I will hunt down some more resources for you.

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

[pendean · Accepted solution]

DIMCONTINUE is the command name: I abbreviated it to DMC. Again, faster that dim-con as well.

DIMALIGNED is the other command to draw dimensions aligned with two points. I abbreviate that to DMA.

See a pattern with my naming of abbreviations?
DM
DMC
DMA

and so on.

Do yourself a huge favor: start HELP in AutoCAD, commands list, select the D commands, scroll down and explore the command that start with DIM letters. Abbreviate the ones you like to use like I did. You'll never look back once you've mastered it.

Mastering a new function so that it becomes second nature takes about a month, I don't care what anyone says: you have a few decades of old memories to get rid of first.

Good luck. You can do it: I did, and I'm no rocket scientist.

[john.vellek]

Good morning ron,

I am checking back to see if my post helped you with your problem. Please add a post with your results so other Forum users can benefit.

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

[john.vellek]

HI ron,

I am checking back to see if my post and/or @pendean's post helped you with your problem. Please add a post with your results so other Forum users can benefit.

Please hit the Accept as Solution button on the post or posts that  solved your issue or answers your question.