Activate Dimensions Button Missing

[Anonymous]

I'm using Revit Arch 11.  I'm going through the No Experience Required book by Eric Wing.  I'm in Chapter 2 and the direction is to select a wall in which no temporary dimension is displayed.  The point of the lesson is to show me there is an activate temporary dimension button on the Options Bar.  Problem is, there is no button.  The only thing that appears is Modify Walls and the rest of the bar is blank.  I'm a Revit newbie so am I missing something obvious?

[alan.quinn]

Since I don’t have access to the book you are using I’m guessing that it may be a re-write/update of a pervious manual. In earlier version of Revit when you clicked on an object the application could take quite a while to Activate Temporary Dimensions as Revit was looking at all possible objects in the view to place temporary dimensions. As you can imagine this could take some time, so in recent versions a button was added to allow you to turn on Temporary Dimensions if the application had too many choices and internally decided not to turn them on.

I remember occasionally having to turn on Temporary Dimensions in 2010 and 2009, but to date Revit 2011 has always done so itself. I’m assuming when you click on an object you don’t see Temporary Dimension. Is this still the case?

I would appreciate it if you would let me know if this answers your question. If it doesn't, please reply with more information about what you are trying to do so that I can provide a better answer.

Thank you,

[Anonymous]

Check here:

http://docs.autodesk.com/REVIT/2011/ENU/filesUsersGuide/WS46b90c3cb2c58cad64dc11fc7f981711-7ffd.htm

cheers

[Anonymous]

I too am having the exact same problem with this tutorial in the same book. 

I have been scouring various forums looking for an answer and it seems the issue has popped up elsewhere but, so far, there has been no explanation that resolves the problem.

I understand that revit 2011 will disable these dimensions in a heavy model but this tutorial has all of 8 walls total at the point we have reached in it.   When the other walls are selected the temp dimensions appear instantly.

With apologies to the author for this reproduction, here is the line in the tutorial:

5.Select the wall to the left. You may not see any dimensions at all.

Always remember to look up at the Ribbon area. Click the Activate

Dimensions button, and you will now see a 10'–0" dimension.

Unfortunately there is no "Activate Dimensions" button nor any indication where one can be found., and believe me, I looked very hard throughout the ribbon icons.

My understanding is that using temporary dimensions is the primary way to adjust wall locations so this inexplicable lack seems to be fundamental issue that we newbies really need some help with.

Regards

[alan.quinn]

Even if you only have on wall (at any length) in you project and you click on it you should see Temporary Dimensions. To test this open a new drawing and click wall, draw a 6” long wall in the middle of the plan view. Click anywhere off the wall and then click the wall. Do you see the Temporary Dimensions? If not let me know.

Thank you,

[Anonymous]

Yes,

When I do that in a new drawing I get the teporary dimensions.

In fact, in the tutorial drawing, selecting every wall EXCEPT the one specified in the tutorial, will bring up temporary dimensions as expected.

Select that one wall as instructed and...no temporay diemsions and no Activate Dimensions button.

Very, very strange.

Regards

[alan.quinn]

Strange indeed, at least it’s working in the real world. I’m going to consider this one solved in theory!

Thank you,

[Anonymous]

Well, I installed Update 2 and the problem seems to have disappeared. The temporary dimensions appear for that wall now as expected.

Regards

[alan.quinn]

Great, then we can call this one solved for real!

[Anonymous]

I'm also working with the training guide by Eric Wing and I have the same problem. The activate dimensions button is nowhere to be found. I updated the program but the problem is still there. Can somebody help me with this issue? How can I check if the program on my computer is 32 of 64-bit version? Could that be the problem? Did I install the wrong update?

Kind Regards,

Thomas

[alan.quinn]

To see what version of Revit is installed on your PC, click the Windows Start button – click All Programs – expand the Autodesk folder and look for Autodesk Revit Architecture 2011, it will either say x32 or x64.

Go to the following link and download the correct update x32 or x64 (look in the middle of the page just under Get Started)

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/item?siteID=123112&id=14973244

Install the update, if you have it, it will tell you, if not it will install.

Thank you,

[Anonymous]

Thanks for this reply.  I'm working with Revit 2011 x86 so I downloaded the 32bit update. But the problem is still there. I don't have this 'activate dimensions' button. Is it because I'm working on a student version? What does this button look like?

If anyone knows another solution,... 

Thanks

Thomas

[Anonymous]

 I have the same problem which is very fustrating, come on guys there is no answer to this question why are the answers being beaten around the bush? Tell me directly what the answer is and stop beating around the bush. This is a forty dollar book why is it misleading? This type of work is very fustrating please don't make it harder by introducing a misleading book or by giving answers that are not direct it shows that someone doesn't know what they are doing? Give me a straight answer please. Fix the mistakes that are made and let's keep it moving. THank u

[alan.quinn]

If you try what I suggested above does it work? To find out what version you have installed open Revit and click the drop down arrow next to the “question mark” (top right hand corner), click about, and it will say something like this:

2011 Build: 20100903_2115(x64)

Web Update 2 Service Pack

Where x64 is 64 BIT and x32 is 32 BIT.

Let me know if this helps

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

Relax, It seems as though this is just a glitch.  As much as I love AutoDesk products, they are far from the occasional (or not so occasional) glitch.  In this case (I'm using the same book) it is immaterial whether the activate dimensions button is pushed.  You can easily move on with the lesson and not worry about it.  If you feel you have to check the dimension you can click on the other wall.  

Trust me on this one, you must be patient and open-minded if you are going to learn this software.  The best lessons are learned when you work your way around a problem you are confronted with.  The depth that can be reached with this software is much further than this 1000 page book will venture, so be prepared to work around issues not fully explained or even mentioned in this book.  Good Luck!

[alan.quinn]

Well said.......lets call this one closed!

[Revit_King]

BULL, activate dimensions was awesome!