am_ansi dim style

[nck]

ok I know this is my first post, I have searched everywhere here andcouldn't find the answer. I am using AC2011M. the default dimensioning isam_ansi. I would like to change some of the am_ansi settings, but I don’t wantto do this every time I open a new drawing. is there a way to change thedefault settings to what I want? thanks in advance.

[dbroada]

open up your default template drawing (acad.dwt or acadiso.dwt are usually standard) and change everything you want as standard in there.

 

option - "save as" to your own name and change the QNEW template file to point to your recently created file.

[nck]

I did that. i guess i shouldn't have said a "new" drawing. i was meaning when i open a drawing that was created by another person. thanks for the quick reply.

[dbroada]

that is an old drawing

 

Express tools has a dimension style export and import option. I have never used them but they may help you here.

[nck]

i can not get express tools to work in 2011 mechanical

[SLW210]

Set up a template as instructed by dbroada. Use Design Center to drag and drop your DimStyle or any other customizations into any drawing you open.

[dbroada]

oh yes, Design Center, ANOTHER tool I don't use.

[SLW210]

oh yes, Design Center, ANOTHER tool I don't use.

 

Until recently I seldom used Design Center myself, but with reworking many older drawings, I have found it to be worth its weight in gold.

 

Tool palettes should also work to bring in Dimstyles, I haven't tried that method yet.

[nck]

i did get express tools to come up in mechanical. but im still having to go through steps to get the dim style i want. i want to change the default am_ansi dim style.

[alanjt]

You could also have all your dimensions in a drawing (template, etc.) and just call the insert command to bring in the definition, but cancel it before it inserts an actual object; will bring in all layers, styles, etc.

 

You could do this with a lisp macro from Tool Palettes (I've used this method in the past for LT users) or just have some code in your acaddoc.lsp file to load all the styles. I like the latter method because it always guarantees me that all our styles will be in a drawing when it's opened, regardless of being purged.

 

eg.

;insert CES dim settings
(defun CES_DimSettings (/)
 (command "_.insert" "CES-DIMSETUP=" nil)
 (command "_.purge" "_b" "CES-DIMSETUP" "_n")
 (princ)
);defun
(CES_DimSettings)

[nck]

thanks for the eg. code. but im not really sure what to do with it or how to make my own. i guess i will have to do more research. keep the help coming please. and thanks

[dbroada]

I'm not sure I follow you now. You want to change the default style but there is no default style. The default is defined within the dwt file and stays within each drawing until modified. Once you have changed it to what you want in the dwt file that IS the default style. To import that in to existing drawings you should be able to use Design Center as hulk suggested.

 

I think Alan's code is doing much the same thing by inserting a drawing with all the layers you require and then purging the file but leaving the layers.

[alanjt]

I'm not sure I follow you now. You want to change the default style but there is no default style. The default is defined within the dwt file and stays within each drawing until modified. Once you have changed it to what you want in the dwt file that IS the default style. To import that in to existing drawings you should be able to use Design Center as hulk suggested.

 

I think Alan's code is doing much the same thing by inserting a drawing with all the layers you require and then purging the file but leaving the layers.

Precisely what it's doing.

[dbroada]

you're quick Alan. I was about to edit my post to make sure the OP realised that modified styles stay in the drawing but I can't now you have quoted me.

 

But while you are here, if you insert a dim style using your method does it redefine any existing style of that name or does the one in the drawing take precedent?

[nck]

i understand what it is doing. i am not wanting to go through any steps when i open an older drawing. i want to dimension something with am_ansi and it be the dim style i want. or maybe i just cant explain myself very well. im still trying to do what i want to do.

[alanjt]

you're quick Alan. I was about to edit my post to make sure the OP realised that modified styles stay in the drawing but I can't now you have quoted me.

 

But while you are here, if you insert a dim style using your method does it redefine any existing style of that name or does the one in the drawing take precedent?

LoL, slow day.

No, it will NOT update dim/mleader/leader/textstyles or layer settings or pagesetups. Generally speaking, I don't worry with 'them' changing the dimstyles (if they did, they had a good reason).

[dbroada]

i understand what it is doing. i am not wanting to go through any steps when i open an older drawing. i want to dimension something with am_ansi and it be the dim style i want. or maybe i just cant explain myself very well. im still trying to do what i want to do.

Certainly one of us isn't understanding the other. You cannot reload an existing drawing with a default dim style as default dim styles only exist within drawings. Both SLW & I have given two ways of doing this. Mine doesn't work for you, have you tried his?

[nck]

Certainly one of us isn't understanding the other. You cannot reload an existing drawing with a default dim style as default dim styles only exist within drawings. Both SLW & I have given two ways of doing this. Mine doesn't work for you, have you tried his?

 

i am not 100% sure how to try his method. i know how to get to acaddoc but i dont know really what i need to go to get there. ill do more research. thanks for the help guys.

[SLW210]

In short what you want done is not possible. You have been provided with the methods to do what you want, but as of now there is no standard way to accomplish this...

Open any existing drawing and automatically apply your Custom Dimstyle, Make it Current and update all existing dimensions.

 

Is that what you desire?

[nck]

yes open any existing drawing and automatically apply my custom dimstyle, make it current and i dont care if it updates all existing dimensions. just the new dimensions.