Don't take my comments on the last word on the subject. Generally I have never paid much attention to the temporary dimensions because they almost never reference from an object which I want to reference from. I usually just place a dimension on plan referenced from where I want, change its value to move the object and then delete the dim.
I'm not sure how you would use the temporary dims in the way that you suggest, especially in an isolated view, because you need to know where they are referencing from and as that help page that I linked explains the reference points will change depending on which model elements have been added/moved near to the selected object.
Playing about with this, having a section box active in the 3D view seems to affect the display of temporary dims.
Also whether the architecture is in a linked model or in the same model seems to affect behaviour.
Someone else can maybe clarify that better though,