A new dimension style is created by creating an instance of a DimStyleTableRecord object and then adding it to the DimStyleTable with the Add method. Before the dimension style is added to the table, set the name of the new style with the Name property.
You can also copy an existing style or a style with overrides. Use the CopyFrom method to copy a dimension style from a source object to a dimension style. The source object can be another DimStyleTableRecord object, a Dimension, Tolerance, or Leader object, or even a Database object. If you copy the style settings from another dimension style, the current style is duplicated exactly. If you copy the style settings from a Dimension, Tolerance, or Leader object, the current settings, including any object overrides, are copied to the style. If you copy the current style of a Database object, the dimension style plus any drawing overrides are copied to the new style.
This example creates three new dimension styles and copies the current settings from the current Database, a given dimension style, and a given dimension to each new dimension style respectively. By following the appropriate setup before running this example, you will find that different dimension styles have been created.
Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.Runtime
Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices
Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.DatabaseServices
Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.Geometry
<CommandMethod("CopyDimStyles")> _
Public Sub CopyDimStyles()
'' Get the current database
Dim acDoc As Document = Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument
Dim acCurDb As Database = acDoc.Database
'' Start a transaction
Using acTrans As Transaction = acCurDb.TransactionManager.StartTransaction()
'' Open the Block table for read
Dim acBlkTbl As BlockTable
acBlkTbl = acTrans.GetObject(acCurDb.BlockTableId, _
OpenMode.ForRead)
'' Open the Block table record Model space for read
Dim acBlkTblRec As BlockTableRecord
acBlkTblRec = acTrans.GetObject(acBlkTbl(BlockTableRecord.ModelSpace), _
OpenMode.ForRead)
Dim acObj As Object = Nothing
For Each acObjId As ObjectId In acBlkTblRec
'' Get the first object in Model space
acObj = acTrans.GetObject(acObjId, _
OpenMode.ForRead)
Exit For
Next
'' Open the DimStyle table for read
Dim acDimStyleTbl As DimStyleTable
acDimStyleTbl = acTrans.GetObject(acCurDb.DimStyleTableId, _
OpenMode.ForRead)
Dim strDimStyleNames(2) As String
strDimStyleNames(0) = "Style 1 copied from a dim"
strDimStyleNames(1) = "Style 2 copied from Style 1"
strDimStyleNames(2) = "Style 3 copied from the running drawing values"
Dim nCnt As Integer = 0
'' Keep a reference of the first dimension style for later
Dim acDimStyleTblRec1 As DimStyleTableRecord = Nothing
'' Iterate the array of dimension style names
For Each strDimStyleName As String In strDimStyleNames
Dim acDimStyleTblRec As DimStyleTableRecord
Dim acDimStyleTblRecCopy As DimStyleTableRecord = Nothing
'' Check to see if the dimension style exists or not
If acDimStyleTbl.Has(strDimStyleName) = False Then
If acDimStyleTbl.IsWriteEnabled = False Then acDimStyleTbl.UpgradeOpen()
acDimStyleTblRec = New DimStyleTableRecord()
acDimStyleTblRec.Name = strDimStyleName
acDimStyleTbl.Add(acDimStyleTblRec)
acTrans.AddNewlyCreatedDBObject(acDimStyleTblRec, True)
Else
acDimStyleTblRec = acTrans.GetObject(acDimStyleTbl(strDimStyleName), _
OpenMode.ForWrite)
End If
'' Determine how the new dimension style is populated
Select Case nCnt
'' Assign the values of the dimension object to the new dimension style
Case 0
Try
'' Cast the object to a Dimension
Dim acDim As RotatedDimension = acObj
'' Copy the dimension style data from the dimension and
'' set the name of the dimension style as the copied settings
'' are unnamed.
acDimStyleTblRecCopy = acDim.GetDimstyleData()
acDimStyleTblRec1 = acDimStyleTblRec
Catch
'' Object was not a dimension
End Try
'' Assign the values of the dimension style to the new dimension style
Case 1
acDimStyleTblRecCopy = acDimStyleTblRec1
'' Assign the values of the current drawing to the dimension style
Case 2
acDimStyleTblRecCopy = acCurDb.GetDimstyleData()
End Select
'' Copy the dimension settings and set the name of the dimension style
acDimStyleTblRec.CopyFrom(acDimStyleTblRecCopy)
acDimStyleTblRec.Name = strDimStyleName
'' Dispose of the copied dimension style
acDimStyleTblRecCopy.Dispose()
nCnt = nCnt + 1
Next
'' Commit the changes and dispose of the transaction
acTrans.Commit()
End Using
End Sub
using Autodesk.AutoCAD.Runtime;
using Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices;
using Autodesk.AutoCAD.DatabaseServices;
using Autodesk.AutoCAD.Geometry;
[CommandMethod("CopyDimStyles")]
public static void CopyDimStyles()
{
// Get the current database
Document acDoc = Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument;
Database acCurDb = acDoc.Database;
// Start a transaction
using (Transaction acTrans = acCurDb.TransactionManager.StartTransaction())
{
// Open the Block table for read
BlockTable acBlkTbl;
acBlkTbl = acTrans.GetObject(acCurDb.BlockTableId,
OpenMode.ForRead) as BlockTable;
// Open the Block table record Model space for read
BlockTableRecord acBlkTblRec;
acBlkTblRec = acTrans.GetObject(acBlkTbl[BlockTableRecord.ModelSpace],
OpenMode.ForRead) as BlockTableRecord;
object acObj = null;
foreach (ObjectId acObjId in acBlkTblRec)
{
// Get the first object in Model space
acObj = acTrans.GetObject(acObjId,
OpenMode.ForRead);
break;
}
// Open the DimStyle table for read
DimStyleTable acDimStyleTbl;
acDimStyleTbl = acTrans.GetObject(acCurDb.DimStyleTableId,
OpenMode.ForRead) as DimStyleTable;
string[] strDimStyleNames = new string[3];
strDimStyleNames[0] = "Style 1 copied from a dim";
strDimStyleNames[1] = "Style 2 copied from Style 1";
strDimStyleNames[2] = "Style 3 copied from the running drawing values";
int nCnt = 0;
// Keep a reference of the first dimension style for later
DimStyleTableRecord acDimStyleTblRec1 = null;
// Iterate the array of dimension style names
foreach (string strDimStyleName in strDimStyleNames)
{
DimStyleTableRecord acDimStyleTblRec;
DimStyleTableRecord acDimStyleTblRecCopy = null;
// Check to see if the dimension style exists or not
if (acDimStyleTbl.Has(strDimStyleName) == false)
{
if (acDimStyleTbl.IsWriteEnabled == false) acDimStyleTbl.UpgradeOpen();
acDimStyleTblRec = new DimStyleTableRecord();
acDimStyleTblRec.Name = strDimStyleName;
acDimStyleTbl.Add(acDimStyleTblRec);
acTrans.AddNewlyCreatedDBObject(acDimStyleTblRec, true);
}
else
{
acDimStyleTblRec = acTrans.GetObject(acDimStyleTbl[strDimStyleName],
OpenMode.ForWrite) as DimStyleTableRecord;
}
// Determine how the new dimension style is populated
switch ((int)nCnt)
{
// Assign the values of the dimension object to the new dimension style
case 0:
try
{
// Cast the object to a Dimension
Dimension acDim = acObj as Dimension;
// Copy the dimension style data from the dimension and
// set the name of the dimension style as the copied settings
// are unnamed.
acDimStyleTblRecCopy = acDim.GetDimstyleData();
acDimStyleTblRec1 = acDimStyleTblRec;
}
catch
{
// Object was not a dimension
}
break;
// Assign the values of the dimension style to the new dimension style
case 1:
acDimStyleTblRecCopy = acDimStyleTblRec1;
break;
// Assign the values of the current drawing to the dimension style
case 2:
acDimStyleTblRecCopy = acCurDb.GetDimstyleData();
break;
}
// Copy the dimension settings and set the name of the dimension style
acDimStyleTblRec.CopyFrom(acDimStyleTblRecCopy);
acDimStyleTblRec.Name = strDimStyleName;
// Dispose of the copied dimension style
acDimStyleTblRecCopy.Dispose();
nCnt = nCnt + 1;
}
// Commit the changes and dispose of the transaction
acTrans.Commit();
}
}
Sub CopyDimStyles()
Dim newStyle1 As AcadDimStyle
Dim newStyle2 As AcadDimStyle
Dim newStyle3 As AcadDimStyle
Set newStyle1 = ThisDrawing.DimStyles. _
Add("Style 1 copied from a dim")
Call newStyle1.CopyFrom(ThisDrawing.ModelSpace(0))
Set newStyle2 = ThisDrawing.DimStyles. _
Add("Style 2 copied from Style 1")
Call newStyle2.CopyFrom(ThisDrawing.DimStyles. _
Item("Style 1 copied from a dim"))
Set newStyle2 = ThisDrawing.DimStyles. _
Add("Style 3 copied from the running drawing values")
Call newStyle2.CopyFrom(ThisDrawing)
End Sub
Open the Dimension Style Manager using the DIMSTYLE command. You should now have three dimension styles listed. Style 1 should have a yellow dimension line. Style 2 should be the same as Style 1. Style 3 should have a blue dimension line.