Dimension Style Manager settings

[Sluman]

I'm still trying to become familiar with the basics of how the program components work together. My question is this > When I define a dimension style using the Dimension Style Manager, is this, in a manner of speaking, tweaking the DIMSTYLE system variable? In a sense customizing it? Or am I off the path thinking about it like that?

[ReMark]

DIMSTYLE and DDIM are just two different ways of opening up the Dimension Style Manager. There is a STANDARD dimension style by default but the user can create their own and make it current.

[Sluman]

Reading in AutoCAD help I learned that the DIMSTYLE system variable has the same name as the DIMSTYLE command, but the variable is, as I understand, read-only. So the settings I apply in the DIMSTYLE dialog box don't actually change the variable in any way. Where then are the settings I enter stored? I'm not sure.

[ReMark]

The DIMSTYLE variable is saved with the drawing. It is read-only.

 

Displays the unit type (imperial/standard or ISO-25/metric) used by dimensions in the drawing.

 

Initial value of the DIMSTYLE variable is: Standard (imperial) or ISO-25 (metric)

[Sluman]

Ok. So the dimension style I define ine the drawing and any child variations are stored only in the drawing. That seems to make sense. Is that right?

[ReMark]

Yes.

 

You can drag and drop a dimstyle into a new drawing via the Design Center or create a custom tool palette and place a copy of the dimstyle on it.

 

Are you going to create a template?

[Sluman]

Yes, I am going to create a few templates.

[steven-g]

Reading in AutoCAD help I learned that the DIMSTYLE system variable has the same name as the DIMSTYLE command, but the variable is, as I understand, read-only. So the settings I apply in the DIMSTYLE dialog box don't actually change the variable in any way. Where then are the settings I enter stored? I'm not sure.

The variable is read only and so cannot be changed by you. But if you change the dimension style using the dialogue, then that new style will be stored in the dimstyle variable by Autocad, and subsequently saved with the drawing. So next time you open the drawing up that particular dimension style is active.