The dimension construction tools

Dimension construction tools

To draw dimensions, start with the Create Features window. This is where you choose the template into which your features will be saved and the dimension construction tool used to create them. The tool used dictates the type of dimension that is created and the number of points that are required. The sketch is finished automatically once you have input the correct number of points. The type of dimension feature you are creating dictates the number of points that are required as input.

When creating dimension features, the edit sketch will actually show you how the resulting dimension feature will look as you move the pointer. The exceptions are the free dimension construction methods. With these construction methods, the edit sketch display is the same as that for creating simple features.

You can use snapping to facilitate more precise measurements. For example, if you want to draw a dimension showing the width of a parcel, snap to the edges of parcel boundaries.

The following is a list of dimension types and the number of points required for their construction with each tool:

• Simple aligned
  The Simple Aligned tool requires two points as input: the start dimension point and the end dimension point. The sketch is automatically finished after the second point is input.
• Aligned
  The Aligned tool requires three points as input: the start dimension point, the end dimension point, and a third point describing the height of the dimension line. The sketch is automatically finished after the third point is input.
• Linear (horizontal and vertical)
  The Linear tool creates horizontal and vertical dimension features and requires three points as input: the start dimension point, the end dimension point, and a third point describing the height of the dimension line. The location of the third point relative to the start and end dimension points will dictate whether the dimension feature is horizontal or vertical. The sketch is automatically finished after the third point is input.
• Rotated linear
  The Rotated Linear tool requires four points as input: the start dimension point, the end dimension point, a third point describing the height of the dimension line, and a fourth point describing the extension line angle. The sketch is automatically finished after the fourth point is input.
• The Free Aligned tool creates simple aligned and aligned dimension features. It requires either two or three points as input. If you finish the sketch with two points in the edit sketch, a simple aligned dimension feature is created. With three points in the edit sketch, an aligned dimension feature is created. If you try to finish the sketch with less than two or more than three points in the edit sketch, the edit operation will fail.
• The Free Linear tool creates horizontal linear, vertical linear, and rotated linear dimension features. It requires either three or four points as input. If you finish the sketch with three points in the edit sketch, a horizontal or vertical linear dimension feature is created. With four points in the edit sketch, a rotated linear dimension feature is created. If you try to finish the sketch with less than three or more than four points in the edit sketch, the edit operation will fail.

The free construction methods have a required number of points, although they do not finish the sketch automatically. With the free construction methods, you can add as many points into the edit sketch as you need to construct your dimension feature. When you finish the sketch, the type of dimension feature created depends on the number of points in your sketch.

Creating dimensions based on other features

Using the Dimension Edge, Baseline Dimension, Continue Dimension, and Perpendicular Dimensions tools, you can create new dimension features based on existing dimension features as well as other features.

Dimension Edge works on any type of feature. The Dimension Edge tool automatically creates a dimension whose baseline is described by a line segment of an existing feature. The Dimension Edge tool creates only horizontal and vertical linear dimension features.

Baseline Dimension and Continue Dimension are both used only on existing dimension features. The Baseline Dimension tool creates a new dimension feature whose start dimension point is the same as the existing dimension feature that is being baselined. The Continue Dimension tool creates a new dimension feature whose start dimension point is the same as the end dimension point of the existing dimension feature being continued.

The Perpendicular Dimensions tool creates two dimension features that are perpendicular to each other. This tool can be used to create dimensions for the supposed intersection of two features in space, such as the edge of one building and the corner of another.