AutoCAD is a powerful software tool used by architects, engineers, and designers for creating precise and detailed drawings. One of the features that can be both helpful and frustrating at times is the Auto Dimension feature.
While it automatically adds dimensions to your drawings, it can also clutter your workspace and make it difficult to edit or modify your design. In this tutorial, we will walk you through the steps to turn off auto dimension in AutoCAD.
Step 1: Opening the Drawing
To begin, open the drawing in which you want to turn off auto dimension. You can do this by either selecting “Open” from the File menu or by using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+O.
Step 2: Accessing the Dimension Settings
Once your drawing is open, navigate to the “Annotate” tab on the ribbon at the top of the AutoCAD window. In this tab, you will find various options related to annotations and dimensions.
Note: If you cannot see the Annotate tab in your AutoCAD window, right-click on any existing tab and check if “Annotate” is selected. If not, click on it to enable the Annotate tab.
Step 3: Click on ‘Dimension Style’
In the Annotate tab, locate and click on the “Dimension Style” button. This will open a dialog box with several tabs for customizing your dimension settings.
Step 4: Modifying Dimension Style
In the Dimension Style Manager dialog box, select the dimension style that you are currently using for your drawing from the list of available styles. This step is important as turning off auto dimension applies only to a specific dimension style.
Step 5: Turning Off Auto Dimension
Once you have selected the desired dimension style, click on the “Modify” button. This will open a new dialog box with several tabs for customizing the selected dimension style.
In the “Fit” tab of the Modify Dimension Style dialog box, locate the “Suppress outside extension lines” option and check it. This option prevents AutoCAD from automatically adding extension lines to your dimensions.
Note: Depending on your version of AutoCAD, the option may be labeled slightly differently. Look for any option that mentions “suppressing” or “auto-adding” extension lines.
Step 6: Saving Changes
After modifying the dimension style settings, click on the “OK” button to save your changes and close the Modify Dimension Style dialog box. Then, click on the “Close” button in the Dimension Style Manager dialog box to return to your drawing.
Step 7: Verifying Changes
To verify that auto dimension has been turned off, create a new dimension in your drawing by using the appropriate dimension command (e.g., Linear, Aligned). You will notice that AutoCAD no longer automatically adds extension lines to your dimensions.
Conclusion
In this tutorial, we have learned how to turn off auto dimension in AutoCAD. By following these steps and customizing your dimension style settings, you can have more control over your drawings and make editing and modification easier.
Remember that turning off auto dimension applies only to a specific dimension style, so make sure you modify the correct style if you have multiple styles in use. Enjoy designing with increased precision and flexibility!