Are you tired of your AutoCAD drawings appearing too dim or too bright? Do you want to adjust the dim scale to improve the visibility of your designs?
Look no further! This tutorial will guide you through the process of changing the dim scale in AutoCAD, ensuring that your drawings are clear and easy to read.
Understanding Dim Scale
Before we delve into how to change the dim scale, let’s first understand what it represents. In AutoCAD, the dim scale refers to the factor by which dimensions are multiplied or divided to determine their size on paper. By adjusting the dim scale, you can control the size of dimensions relative to other objects in your drawing.
Step 1: Accessing the Dimension Style Manager
To change the dim scale, we need to access the Dimension Style Manager. There are multiple ways to do this:
- Method 1: Type ‘DIMSTYLE’ in the command line and press Enter.
- Method 2: Go to the ‘Annotate’ tab in the ribbon, click on ‘Dimension’ panel, and then click on ‘Dimension Style Manager’.
Once you have opened the Dimension Style Manager dialog box, you are ready for step 2.
Step 2: Selecting a Dimension Style
In this step, we will select a dimension style from which we can modify the dim scale. By default, AutoCAD provides a few dimension styles such as ‘Standard’, ‘Architectural’, and ‘Engineering’.
If you have already created a custom dimension style, select it from the list. Otherwise, choose one of these default styles as a starting point.
To select a dimension style, simply click on it in the list and then click on the ‘Modify’ button.
Step 3: Modifying the Dimension Style
Now that we have selected a dimension style, we can modify its properties including the dim scale. In the Modify Dimension Style dialog box, navigate to the ‘Primary Units’ tab.
Look for the ‘Scale Factor’ option under the ‘Linear Dimensions’ section. This is where you can adjust the dim scale.
By default, it is set to 1.0, which means no scaling is applied to dimensions. Increase or decrease this value as per your requirement.
Note: Increasing the scale factor will make dimensions larger, while decreasing it will make them smaller.
Step 4: Applying the Changes
After you have adjusted the dim scale to your satisfaction, click on ‘OK’ in the Modify Dimension Style dialog box to save your changes. You will be returned to the Dimension Style Manager dialog box.
To apply these changes to existing dimensions in your drawing, select them using any selection method (e.g., window selection) and then use the ‘Update’ button in the Dimension Style Manager dialog box. This will update all selected dimensions with your modified dimension style.
Conclusion
Congratulations! You have successfully changed the dim scale in AutoCAD.
By adjusting this setting, you can control how dimensions appear in your drawings and improve their visibility. Remember that changing the dim scale affects all dimensions using a particular dimension style, so choose and modify your dimension styles wisely.
In this tutorial, we covered how to access the Dimension Style Manager, select a dimension style, modify its properties including dim scale, and apply these changes to existing dimensions. Now you can create clear and legible drawings that effectively communicate your design intent. Happy drafting!