To Work with Dimension Styles

You can apply a dimension style, you can create a new style from selected dimensions, and you can modify an existing style.

The dimension styles control the drawing dimension format. The active standard provides a set of default styles, among them dimensions. You can add or edit dimension styles to control measurement units, precision, line and arrowhead styles, text styles, tolerance format, and many other attributes of dimensions. Changes to the default styles associated with the active standard affect only the current document.

Note: Many legacy documents have styles defined in the template used to create a drawing. You can continue to use those styles. If there are styles you do not intend to use, use Manage tab Styles and Standards panel Purge to deleted unused styles.

Apply a Dimension Style

When you place a dimension in a drawing, it assumes the formatting of the default dimension style. You can apply a different dimension style to individual dimensions before, during or after dimension placement.

Before

1. On the Annotate tab, click the Dimension command. The dimension command must be active.
2. In the Format panel, click the arrow on the Style box, and then select a dimension style to make it active. Any dimensions you add will use this style.

During

While placing a dimension, before clicking to complete the placement, click the FormatStyle dropdown list and select the dimension style to use.

After

Select a dimension in the drawing, click the FormatStyle dropdown list and select the dimension style. The style is applied to the selected dimension.

Create a Dimension Style

There are several dimension styles for each drafting standard. You can use the preset styles to create your own styles.

1. Select Manage tab Styles and Standards panel Styles Editor to open the Style and Standard Editor.
2. In the editor browser, click Dimension to show the available styles.
3. Right-click a style name, and then choose New Style. Enter a style name.
4. In the Dimension Style window, the values of the existing style are shown. Select each tab and set the attributes for the new style.
5. Click Save to save the new style, and then click Done to close the dialog box.

The new style is available only in the current document, unless you right-click the new style name in the editor browser, and then select Save to Style Library. You may not be able to save changes to the style library if it is locked to prevent unauthorized changes. If you're using Inventor, the CAD administrator is usually in charge of the style library.

Create New Dimension Style from Selected Dimensions

You can use the formatting of existing dimensions to create a dimension style.

1. Select one or more dimensions in a drawing. If the dimensions have different formatting, the first dimension selected is used to create the style.
2. Right-click, and then select New Dimension Style from the menu.
3. Click OK to save the new style. It is cached in memory.
4. Click Manage tab Styles and Standards panel Styles Editor . Click to expand the Dimension style. Notice that the new standard is listed. The default name is same as the active dimension style incremented by a number. Right-click, and then select Rename Cached Style. Enter a style name and click OK.
5. Click Save to saved edits to the style name.

Modify an Existing Dimension Style

You can modify existing dimension styles or the dimension styles that you create. The modified styles are saved in the current document.

1. Click Manage tab Styles and Standards panel Styles Editor to open the Style and Standard Editor.
2. Select the style to modify.
3. Select the appropriate tab and change the attributes for the style.
4. Click Save to save the new style, and then click Done to close the dialog box.