Extension line problems

[clanda]

Hi there,

I've not been using acad for that long and have a quick question on dimension extension lines. I have drawn my floor plan and have now come to dimensioning it. My personal preference is to put all my dimensions outside the floor plan (even ones that are deep inside the plan itself). The question is how do give the extension lines a specific length? I know you can give them an 'offset from origin'. Even then I will select my objects to dimension (in this instance walls well inside my floor plan), i will then drag the dim line itself outside the plan but the extension lines appear all the way through the plan. I hope that made sense. All I want is to give the extension lines a length ie: 1200mm and when I select the object and drag the dim line out, the ext. lines are ie: 1200mm only, not dragging all the way through the plan. I know you can also turn off the ext. lines, and possibly draw in them in as separate lines, but that would be very time consuming.

Thanks all.........

[David Bethel]

Dimension styles and their varaibles have always been a pain.

Have you tried using DDIM and adjusting the settings? Then save to a style name.

DIMEXE controls extension lines length from the command line.

-David

[Flores]

You can set the offest-gap between the extension line and what your dimensioning (dimexo), and you can set how far the extension line goes beyond the dimension line (dimexe), but there doesn't seem to be a variable to set the extension line length.

Flores

[Mr T]

Use the file manager utility on this forum to shows what you mean.

But Standards dictate that you keep your drawing dimensions clear and easily read.

I have posted up a British Standard dimensioned floorplan.

http://www.cadimage.net/postimages/floorplan.gif

Nick

[clanda]

Cheers for the info,

Mr T the image you showed is very simplistic and shows the extension lines extending directly from the object. Cool for extenal walls. What if for instance the plan was larger and quite involved with internal walls etc. When dimensioning those objects, where would you put the dimension line? They need to be put clear of and outside the plan, but in doing so after selecting the 'internal' objects the extension lines will start at the selected objects (I know you can offset from origin) and drag all the way through you plan to the outside where the dimension line will be placed. This is messy.......Thats why if there isn't a variable for setting the ACTUAL extension line length, then there should be in my view. So when you select internal objects to dimension and drag the dimension line out from those objects and place it clear of the plan, the extension line will remain at a set length. ie; 400mm, 1000mm etc or what ever you set depending on units obviously. Its looking like this can't be done so for the dimensions I need to do this for I will just 'Supress the extension lines' and draw in lines!!

[Kate M]

Why do you need to place all the dimensions outside your walls? If I'm dimensioning an interior wall, the dimension stays close to the wall. Same goes for any other objects -- I try not to have extension lines crossing other objects.