Dim:

[StevenMc]

Hi all

 

its been quite a while since i last posted but im back! just had a really busy spell in my life

 

anyway, do any of you guys/gals now what the DIM: command is exactly?

i couldnt figure out what it was and the information given in the help just confused me , i've never used it up until now when i needed the dimension update command ( i have a LISP that does this although it wasnt at hand on this occasion) and just couldnt quite work out what it was??

 

any ideas?

 

thanks

Steven..

[Cadologist]

Yeah the 'DIM' command, when run, started the DIM routine, and after that, you would type 'ALIGNED' to start the DIM ALIGNED command for example.

 

Pretty useless command (unless maybe in a batch/script file or part of a Lisp or VBA or something) as you can enter DIMALIGNED and get the same thing.

 

It basically keeps the command line 'within' the DIM functionality, so you can stay in DIMENSION MODE until you decide to exit out.

[StevenMc]

Yeah the 'DIM' command, when run, started the DIM routine, and after that, you would type 'ALIGNED' to start the DIM ALIGNED command for example.

 

Pretty useless command (unless maybe in a batch/script file or part of a Lisp or VBA or something) as you can enter DIMALIGNED and get the same thing.

 

It basically keeps the command line 'within' the DIM functionality, so you can stay in DIMENSION MODE until you decide to exit out.

 

Thanks for the reply, im beginning to understand it now

the thing that gets me though is when you start the command, the LINEAR dimension wont work when typed although the ALIGNED,RADIUS etc do

you can type DIMLINEAR and it will work, but when you type DIM, then LINEAR it doesnt... pretty weird lol

[Cadologist]

From AutoCAD's Help File....

DIM and DIM1 (Quick Reference) function Accesses Dimensioning mode

Command entry: dim or dim1

Dim: Enter a Dimensioning mode command

The Dim prompt indicates that you're in Dimensioning mode, in which you can use a special set of dimensioning commands. (DIM and DIM1 are provided only for compatibility with previous releases.)

Use DIM to remain in Dimensioning mode after you have used a dimensioning command. Use DIM1 to execute a dimensioning command and immediately return to the Command prompt. To exit Dimensioning mode, enter e or exit, or press ESC.

 

I read on another post on here that it was used way in the dark ages to 'initiate' the dimension routines and had to be entered prior to starting any dimensioning.

 

Maybe 'LINEAR' back then was named something different, therefore it isn't built into the existing DIM command?

[StevenMc]

good point, well its not that i will ever use it its just one of them little things i had to find out lol

thanks my mind can rest off the DIM subject haha

[ScribbleJ]

Cadologist pretty much summed it up. Back when I was going to college for Drafting/CAD we were using AutoCad v10 and the Dim: command was the only way to setup your dim styles. It was very cumbersome and time consuming. While in the Dim: command line there were various other commands to set your arrow head sizes, etc. These were called DimVars and still are as far as I know but you never see them since it is all dialog driven now. Thank God we are not using it in that fashion any longer.