Editing Dimensions

Editing Dimensions
As you add more dimensions to your drawings, you’ll find that AutoCAD occasionally places the
dimension text or line in an inappropriate location, or you may need to modify the dimension text.
In this section, you’ll take an in-depth look at how you can modify dimensions to suit those special
circumstances that always crop up.
Appending Data to Dimension Text
So far in this chapter, you’ve been accepting the default dimension text. You can append information
to the default dimension value or change it entirely if you need to. At the point when you see
the temporary dimension dragging with your cursor, enter T↵. Then, using the less-than (<) and
greater-than (>) symbols, you can add text either before or after the default dimension or replace
the symbols entirely to replace the default text. The Properties button on the Properties toolbar lets
you modify the existing dimension text in a similar way.

Continuing from an Older Dimension

Continuing from an Older Dimension
You may have noticed in step 7 that you had to press ↵ twice to exit the command. As with Continue,
you can draw the baseline dimension from an older dimension by pressing ↵ at the Specify
a second extension line origin [Undo/Select] : prompt. You then get the Select
base dimension: prompt, at which you can either select another dimension or press ↵ again to exit
the command.

Adjusting the Distance between Dimensions
As you work toward a deadline, you may find that you or someone else cut a few corners when
adding dimensions, and a set of parallel dimension lines isn’t accurately placed.



You can quickly adjust the spacing between dimension lines using the Dimspace tool in the
Dimension control panel:
1. Click the Dimspace tool in the Dimensions control panel. You can also choose Dimension 
Dimension Space.
2. At the Select base dimension: prompt, click the dimension closest to the feature being
dimensioned.
3. At the Select dimensions to space: prompt, click the next dimension.
4. Continue to select the other parallel dimensions. When you’re finished with your selection,
press ↵.
5. You see the prompt
Select dimensions to space:
Enter value or [Auto] :
Enter a value for the distance between the dimension lines. This value should be in full-scale
distances. You can also press ↵, and AutoCAD will adjust the distance between dimensions
for you.

Drawing Dimensions from a Common Base Extension Line

Drawing Dimensions from a Common Base Extension Line
Another way to dimension objects is to have several dimensions originate from the same extension
line. To accommodate this, AutoCAD provides the Baseline option on the Dimensions control
panel or Dimension drop-down menu.
To see how this works, you’ll start another dimension—this time a horizontal one—across the
top of the plan:
1. Click Linear Dimension on the Dimensions control panel. Or, as you did for the vertical
dimension, type Dli↵ to start the horizontal dimension. This option is also on the Dimension
drop-down menu.
2. At the Specify first extension line origin or

Drawing Linear Dimensions

Drawing Linear Dimensions
The most common type of dimension you’ll be using is the linear dimension. The linear dimension
is an orthogonal dimension measuring the width and length of an object. AutoCAD provides three
dimensioning tools for this purpose: Linear (Dimlinear), Continue (Dimcont), and Baseline (Dimbase).
These options are readily accessible from the Dimensions control panel’s fly-out toolbar or
the Dimension drop-down menu.

WARNING In the following set of exercises, you’ll see figures displaying dimensions in both
Imperial and metric units. I’ve included both measurements so that both Imperial and metric
users can more easily follow the tutorial. But in your own drawing, you’ll see only one dimension
value displayed above the dimension line.

Finding the Dimensions Control Panel
Before you apply any dimension, you should study the Dimensions control panel. This control
panel contains nearly all the commands necessary to draw and edit your dimensions. It contains atoolbar fly-out to the right of the row of tools; this fly-out is similar to the one in the 2D Draw controlpanel. To open it, click the downward-pointing arrow to the far right of the row of tools.


You can also open the Dimension toolbar, which contains many of the same tools as the Dimensionscontrol panel. Right-click any toolbar, and choose Dimension from the shortcut menu. TheDimension commands are also available from the Dimension drop-down menu. Now, you’re
ready to begin dimensioning.

Using Dimensions

Chapter 12 Using Dimensions
Before you determine the dimensions of a project, your design is in flux, and many questions
may be unanswered. After you begin dimensioning, you’ll start to see whether things fit or work
together. Dimensioning can be crucial to how well a design works and how quickly it develops. The dimensions answer questions about code conformance if you’re an architect; they answer questions about tolerances, fit, and interference if you’re involved in mechanical applications. After you andyour design team reach a design on a schematic level, communicating even tentative dimensions to others on the team can accelerate design development. Dimensions represent a point from whichyou can further develop your ideas.
With AutoCAD, you can easily add tentative or final dimensions to any drawing. AutoCAD
gives you an accurate dimension without your having to take measurements. You pick the two
points to be dimensioned and the dimension line location, and AutoCAD does the rest. AutoCAD’s
associative dimensioning capability automatically updates dimensions whenever the size or shape ofthe dimensioned object changes. These dimensioning features can save you valuable time and
reduce the number of dimensional errors in your drawings.
Topics in this chapter include the following:
◆
Understanding the Components of a Dimension
◆
Creating a Dimension Style
◆
Drawing Linear Dimensions
◆
Editing Dimensions
◆
Dimensioning Non-orthogonal Objects
◆
Adding a Note with a Leader Arrow
◆
Applying Ordinate Dimensions
◆
Adding Tolerance Notation

Understanding the Components of a Dimension
Before you start the exercises in this chapter, it will help to know the names of the parts of a dimension.Figure 12.1 shows a sample of a dimension with the parts labeled. The dimension line is the linethat represents the distance being dimensioned. It’s the horizontal line with the diagonal tick markson either end. The extension lines are the lines that originate from the object being dimensioned.They show you the exact location from which the dimension is taken. The dimension textis the dimension value, usually shown inside or above the dimension line.



Another component of a dimension line is the dimension line extension.This is the part of the dimension line that extends beyond the extension line. Dimension line extensions are usually used only on architectural dimensions. The extension lines usually extend beyond the dimension linesin all types of dimensions. The extension line offset from originis the distance from the beginning ofthe extension line to the object being dimensioned. The extension beyond dimension lineis the distance the dimension line extends past the extension line and is most commonly used in architectural drawings.
You can control each of these components by creating or editing dimension styles.
Dimension stylesare the settings that determine the look of your dimensions. You can store multiple styles ina single drawing. The first exercise in this chapter will show you how to create a dimension style.
Dimensioning Standards
In addition to the components of a dimension, you should know about the standards that govern the placement and style of dimensions in a drawing. Each industry has a different set of standards for text size, text style, arrow style, dimension placement, and general dimensioning methods. These issues are beyond the scope of this book; however, I urge you to become familiar with the standards associated with your industry. Many resources are available to you if you want to find out more about dimension standards. Here are a few resources on the subject:
◆
For mechanical drafting in the United States, check the American Society of Mechanical Engineers(ASME) website:http://www.asme.org.
◆
For European standards, see the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) website:
http://www.iso.org.
◆
For architectural standards in the United States, see the American Institute of Architects (AIA) website:http://www.aia.org.

Creating a Dimension Style
Dimension styles are similar to text styles. They determine the look of your dimensions as well as the size of dimensioning features, such as the dimension text and arrows. You can set up a dimension style to have special types of arrows, for instance, or to position the dimension text above orin line with the dimension line. Dimension styles also make your work easier by enabling you tostore and duplicate your most common dimension settings.
AutoCAD gives you one of two default dimension styles,ISO-25orStandard,depending on whether you use the metric or Imperial (also called English) measurement system. You’ll probably add many other styles to suit the types of drawings you’re creating. You can also create variations ofa general style for those situations that call for only minor changes in the dimension’s appearance.In this section, you’ll learn how to set up your own dimension style based on the Standard dimension style (see Figure 12.2). For metric users, the settings are different, but the overall methods are the same.



Follow these steps to create a dimension style:
1.
Open the Unit
file you edited in the preceding chapter. If you didn’t create one, use the12aunit.dwgfile and rename it Unit.dwg. Metric users should open12a-unit-metric.dwgand rename itUnit.dwg.
2.
Issue Zoom All to display the entire floor plan.
3.
Click the Dimension Style tool in the Dimensions control panel. You can also choose Format
Dimension Style or typeD↵at the Command prompt to open the Dimension Style Manager dialog box.
4.
Select Standard from the Styles list box. Metric users should select ISO-25.


5.
Click New to open the Create New Dimension Style dialog box.


6.
With the Copy Of Standard or ISO-25 name highlighted in the New Style Name input box,enter My Architectural.
7.
Click Continue to open the detailed New Dimension Style dialog box.

You’ve just created a dimension style called My Architectural, but at this point it’s identical to
the Standard style on which it’s based. Nothing has happened to the Standard style; it’s still availableif you need to use it.
Setting Up the Primary Unit Style
Now, you need to set up your new dimension style so that it conforms to the U.S. architectural style of dimensioning. Let’s start by changing the unit style for the dimension text. Just as you changed the overall unit style of AutoCAD to a feet-and-inches style for your bath drawing in Chapter 3, you must do the same for your dimension styles. Setting the overall unit style doesn’t automatically set the dimension unit style. Follow these steps:
1.
In the New Dimension Style dialog box, click the Primary Units tab.

2.
In the Linear Dimensions group, open the Unit Format drop-down list, and choose Architectural.
Notice that this drop-down list contains the same unit styles as the main Drawing
Units dialog box (choose Format Units). Metric users can skip this option.
TIP
The Decimal Separator option a few settings below the Unit Format option lets you choose
between a period and a comma for decimal points. Metric users often use the comma for a decimal point, and U.S. users use a period. This option doesn’t have any meaning for measurements other than decimal, so it’s dimmed when the Architectural unit format is selected.
3.
Select 0´-01⁄4˝from the Precision drop-down list, just below the Unit Format list. Metric users
should select 0.00. The Precision option enables you to set the level of precision that is displayed
in the dimension text. It doesn’t limit the precision of AutoCAD’s drawing database.
This value is used to limit only the display of dimension text values.

TIP
Every dimension style setting has an equivalent system variable. See Appendix C for more on
system variables that are directly associated with dimensions.
4.
Just below the Precision drop-down list, open the Fraction Format drop-down list, and select
Diagonal. Notice what happens to the graphic: The fractional dimensions change to show
how your dimension text will look. Metric users can skip this step, because it isn’t available
when the Decimal unit format is selected.
5.
In the Zero Suppression group in the lower-left corner, click 0 Inches to deselect this check
box. If you leave it turned on, indications of 0 inches will be omitted from the dimension text.
(In architectural drawings, 0 inches are shown as in this dimension: 12´-0˝.) Metric users can
ignore this option.If you use the Imperial measurement system, you’ve set up My Architectural’s dimension unit style to show dimensions in feet and inches, the standard method for U.S. construction documents.Metric users have changed the Precision value and kept the Decimal unit system.

Setting the Height for Dimension Text
Along with the unit style, you should adjust the size of the dimension text. The Text tab of the New Dimension Style dialog box lets you set a variety of text options, including text location relative to the dimension line, style, and height.
Follow these steps to set the height of your dimension text:
1.
Click the Text tab to display the text options.

2.
Highlight the contents of the Text Height input box.
3.
Type1/8↵to make the text1⁄8˝ high. Metric users should enter0.3↵for the text height.
Unlike the text you created in Chapter 10, you specify the text height by its final plot size. You
then specify an overall dimension scale factor that affects the sizing of all dimensioning settings,
such as text and arrows.If you want to use a specific text style for your dimensions, select a text style in the Text Style drop-down list in the Text tab. If the style you select happens to have a height specification greater than 0, that height will override any text height settings you enter in the Text tab.
Setting the Location and Orientation of Dimension Text
AutoCAD’s default setting for the placement of dimension text puts the text in line with the
dimension line, as shown in the example at the top of Figure 12.2, earlier in this chapter. However,you want the new Architectural style to put the text above the dimension line, as is done in the center of Figure 12.2. To do that, you’ll use the Text Placement and Text Alignment options in the Text tab of the New Dimension Style dialog box:
1.
In the Text Alignment group in the lower-right corner of the dialog box, click the Aligned
With Dimension Line radio button.
2.
In the Text Placement group, open the Vertical drop-down list, and select Above. The
appearance of the sample image changes to show how your new settings will look.
3.
Again in the Text Placement group, change the Offset From Dim Line value to
1⁄16. Thissetting controls the size of the gap between the dimension line and the dimension text.


Each time you change a setting, the graphic gives you immediate feedback about how your
changes will affect your dimension style.
TIP Metric users may not need to change these settings, depending on your preference for dimension styles.

Choosing an Arrow Style and Setting the Dimension Scale
Next, you’ll specify a different type of arrow for your new dimension style. For linear dimensions
in architectural drawings, a diagonal line, ortickmark, is typically used, rather than an arrow.
In addition, you want to set the scale for the graphical components of the dimension, such as
the arrows and text. Recall from Chapter 10 that text must be scaled up in size in order to appearat the proper size in the final output of the drawing. Dimensions too must be scaled so they lookcorrect when the drawing is plotted. The arrows are controlled by settings in the Symbols AndArrows tab, and the overall scale of the dimension style is set in the Fit tab.

Here are the steps for specifying the arrow type and scale:
1.
Click the Symbols And Arrows tab to display the options for controlling the arrow style and
dimension line extensions.

2.
In the Arrowheads group, open the First drop-down list, and choose Architectural Tick.
The graphic next to the arrowhead name shows you what the arrowhead looks like.
TIPSee Appendix C for details on how you can create your own arrowheads. AutoCAD also lets
you set up a separate arrow style for leaders.
3.
In the Arrowheads group, change the Arrow Size setting to1⁄8. Metric users should enter.3.Next, you need to set the behavior of the dimension line and extension lines:
1.
Click the Lines tab to display the options for controlling the dimension and extension lines.


2.
In the Dimension Lines group, highlight the value in the Extend Beyond Ticks input box,
and enter1/16. (Metric users should enter0.15.) This causes the dimension lines to extend
past the tick arrows. This is a standard graphic practice used for dimensioning linear dimensions
in architectural plans.


3.
In the Extension Lines group, change the Extend Beyond Dim Lines setting to1⁄8. Metric
users should change this to.3. This setting determines the distance the extension line
extends past the dimension line.

4.
Again in the Extension Lines group, change the Offset From Origin setting to1⁄8. Metric users should change this to.3. This sets the distance from the point being dimensioned to the beginning of the dimension extension line.

5.
Click the Fit tab of the New Dimension Style dialog box to display the options for overall
dimension scale and miscellaneous settings.


6.
Turn on the Annotative option in the Scale For Dimension Features group. You may recall
from Chapter 10 that the Annotative option allows AutoCAD to automatically scale an
object to the drawing’s annotation scale.
7.
Click OK to close the New Dimension Style dialog box. The Dimension Style Manager dialog
box opens again.

Scale for Dimensions in Legacy Drawings
Drawings created prior to AutoCAD 2008 relied on scale factors to determine the scaling of dimensions.Because it’s likely that you’ll run into legacy drawing files, here is some information about the settingsused for those earlier dimensions.
Instead of using the Annotative option, the Use Overall Scale Of option is used in the Scale For DimensionFeatures group. You select the Use Overall Scale Of radio button and enter a drawing scale factor inthe Use Overall Scale Of input box.
All the values you enter for the options in the New Dimension Style dialog box are multiplied by this Use Over all Scale Of value to obtain the final size of the dimension components. For example, the text height you entered earlier,1⁄8˝, is multiplied by 48 for a dimension text height of 6˝. For metric users, the text height of 0.3 is multiplied by 50 for a text height of 15 cm. For more on the scaling of text and other objectin AutoCAD, see Chapter 3.

TIP
If you use the Scale Dimensions To Layout option in the Scale For Dimension Features group
of the Fit tab, AutoCAD uses the Layout view port scale to size the dimension components. See
Chapter 8 for more information about view port scale settings. This can be useful if you have a
drawing that you want to print at multiple scales.
Setting Up Alternate Units
You can use the Alternate Units tab of the New Dimension Style dialog box to set up AutoCAD to
display a second dimension in centimeters or millimeters. Likewise, if you’re a metric user, you canset up a second dimension to display feet and inches. The following exercise shows you how to setup alternate dimensions. You don’t have to do this exercise now; it’s here for your information. Ifyou like, come back later and try it to see how it affects your dimensions. You can pick up the tutorialin the next section, “Setting the Current Dimension Style.”
TIP
If you decide later that you don’t want the alternate units to be displayed, you can turn them
off by returning to this dialog box and removing the check mark from the Display Alternate Unitscheck box.
Here are the steps for setting up alternate dimensions:
1.
In the Dimension Style Manager, select a style, and then click Modify. Or, if you want to
create a new style, click New.
2.
In the New Dimension Style dialog box, click the Alternate Units tab.

3.
Click the Display Alternate Units check box. The options in the tab become available for
your input.
4.
Select the appropriate option from the Unit Format drop-down list. U.S. users should select
Decimal to show metric alternate units. Metric users should select Architectural.
5.
Select an appropriate precision value from the Precision drop-down list.
6.
Enter a scale factor for your alternate dimension in the Multiplier For Alt Units input box.
For U.S. users, the default value is25.4. This value converts feet-and-inch dimensions to millimeters.In our metric examples, you’ve been using centimeters, so change this setting to2.54. Metric users should enter0.3937to convert centimeters to feet and inches.
7.
In the Placement group, select where you want the alternate dimension to appear in relation
to the main dimension.
8.
Click OK to close the New Dimension Style dialog box. The Dimension Style Manager dialog
box opens again.

Setting the Current Dimension Style
Before you can begin to use your new dimension style, you must make it the current default:
1.
Click My Architectural in the Styles list box in the Dimension Style Manager dialog box.
2.
Click the Set Current button at far right in the dialog box.
3.
Click Close to exit the Dimension Style Manager dialog box.
You can also select a dimension style from the Dim Style Control drop-down list in the Dimensions control panel. You’re now ready to use your new dimension style.

Fitting Text and Arrows in Tight Places
Every now and then, you’ll need to dimension a small gap or a small width of an object that won’t
allow dimension text to fit. The Fit tab includes a few other settings that control how dimensions actwhen the extension lines are too close. The Text Placement group contains three options to place thetext in tight situations:
Beside The Dimension Line Places text next to the extension line but close to the dimension line.You’ll see how this affects your dimension later.
Over Dimension Line, With Leader Places the dimension text farther from the dimension line,and includes an arrow or a leader from the dimension line to the text.
Over Dimension Line, Without Leader Does the same as the previous setting, but doesn’t include the leader.
The options in the Fit Options group let you control how text and arrows are placed when there isn’tenough room for both between the extension lines.

In the next set of exercises, you’ll use the My Architectural style you just created. To switch to
another style, open the Dimension Style Manager dialog box again, select the style you want from the Styles list, and click Set Current, as you did in the previous exercise.

Modifying a Dimension Style
To modify an existing dimension style, open the Dimension Style Manager dialog box, highlight
the style you want to edit, and then click Modify to open the Modify Dimension Style dialog box.
This is virtually identical to the New Dimension Style dialog box you’ve been working with. You
can then make changes to the different components of the selected dimension style. When you’vefinished making changes and closed both dialog boxes, all the dimensions associated with theedited style update automatically in your drawing. For example, if you decide you need to changethe dimension scale of a style, you can open the Modify Dimension Style dialog box and change theScale value in the Fit tab.
This section introduces you to the various settings that let you determine the appearance of a
dimension style.
This section doesn’t discuss every option; to learn more about the other dimensionstyle options, consult Appendix B. There, you’ll find descriptions of all the items in the NewDimension Style and Modify Dimension Style dialog boxes, plus reference material covering thesystem variables associated with each option.

TIP If your application is strictly architectural, you may want to make these same dimension stylechanges to the Acad.dwt template file or create a set of template files specifically for architectural drawings of different scales.

Creating Table Styles

Creating Table Styles
If you find that you’re creating the same table layout over and over, you can set up predefined tablestyles. You can set up the properties of the title, column headings, and data in advance so you don’t haveto set them up each time you create a table. For example, if you prefer to use Arial bold at 0.25˝ for thetitle and standard Arial at 0.125˝ for the column headings, you can create a table style with those settings.
The next time you need to create a table, you can select your custom table style and specify the
number of columns and rows; then, you’ll be ready to add the data without having to format the text.
To create a table style, follow these steps:
1. Choose Format  Table Style from the menu bar to open the Table Style dialog box. You see
the Standard table style in the list box. This is the one you used in the previous exercises.


2. Click the New button to open the Create New Table Style dialog box. This is where you give
your new table style a name.

3. Enter My Table Style, and click Continue to open the New Table Style dialog box (see Figure 11.5).


4. You’ll learn more about the options in this dialog box next. For now, click OK to close the
dialog box.
5. Your new table style now appears in the Styles list of the Table Style dialog box. If you want
to edit an existing table style, you can select the style from the list and click the Modify button.
The Modify Table Style dialog box will appear, enabling you to edit the existing style.
The Modify Table Style dialog box is identical to the New Table Style dialog box shown in
Figure 11.5.
6. Click Close to exit the dialog box.
After you’ve created a style, you can select it from the Table Style Settings group of the Insert
Table dialog box that you used to create the sample table (choose Draw  Table).



You can also open the New Table Style dialog box by clicking the Table Style Dialog button just
to the right of the Table Style Name drop-down list in the Insert Table dialog box.
The Table Style Options
Let’s take a closer look at the New Table Style dialog box shown earlier in Figure 11.5. It may seema bit bewildering at first, but once you take the time to explore the parts of this dialog box, it’s fairlystraightforward. The following offers a description of the parts of the New Table Style dialog boxby group:Starting Table Typically, you can set up a new table style using the settings in the othergroups of this dialog box, but the Starting Table group gives you the ability to use an existingtable in the drawing as the basis for your new table style. This can be helpful if you’ve alreadydone some work formatting a table in your drawing. This group includes two buttons. The oneon the left lets you select an existing table in the drawing for your new style. If you click this button,the dialog box closes temporarily to allow you to select a table in your drawing. The buttonon the right removes your in-drawing table selection and reverts to the settings in the dialog box.
General The General group offers only one setting: the direction for the table. Typically, you’ll
use the Down option, which means the table reads from top to bottom. If for some reason you
need a table with titles at the bottom, choose the Up option.
Cell Styles You have a high degree of control over the appearance of individual cells through
the cell styles. By default, your new table style will have three cell styles called Data, Header,
and Title. You can select these cell styles from the drop-down list at the top of the Cell Styles
group. You can then edit the selected style using the three tabs below the drop-down list. Here
is a brief description of the function of each tab:
◆ General give you control over the background color, alignment, format, and type of
information presented in the cell. The Margins options control the margins in the cell.
The Merge Cells On Row/Column Creation option at the bottom of the General tab
causes the cells to merge into a single cell for the selected cell style.
◆ Text gives you control over the default text style, height, and color, and the angle of the
text in the cell.
◆ Borders lets you control the lineweight for the borders of the cell.
You can also create your own cell style using the two buttons to the right of the Cell Styles dropdownlist. The left button lets you create a new cell style. The button on the right lets you create,rename, or delete a cell style through the Manage Cell Style dialog box.
Cell Style Preview This window gives you a preview of what the cell style will look like with
the settings you make in the tabs of the Cell Styles group. This preview changes in real time as
you change the settings in the General, Text, or Borders tab.

The Bottom Line
Using Fields to Associate Text with Drawing Properties Fields are a special type of text object
that can be linked to object properties. They can help to automate certain text-related tasks.
Master It Name two uses for fields that you learned about in the first part of this chapter.
Solution Fields can be used to update text that labels a block. They can also be used to
update text and report the area enclosed by a polyline.
Adding Tables to Your Drawing The Tables feature can help you make quick work of
schedules and other tabular data that you want to include in a drawing.
Master It What is the name of the dialog box that appears when you click the Table tool
from the Tables control panel?
Solution Insert Table.Editing the Table Line Work Because tables include line work to delineate their differentcells, AutoCAD gives you control over table borders and lines.
Master It How do you get to the Cell Border Properties dialog box?
Solution Select the cell or cells in the table, right-click, and choose Borders.
Adding Formulas to Cells Tables can also function like a spreadsheet by allowing you to add
formulas to cells.
Master It What type of text object lets you add formulas to cells?
Solution Field.
Importing and Exporting Tables The Table feature allows you to import Microsoft Excel
spreadsheets into AutoCAD.
Master It Describe how to import a spreadsheet from Excel into AutoCAD.
Solution Open the spreadsheet, and select the cells you want to import. Choose Edit  Copy
to copy the spreadsheet data into the Clipboard. In AutoCAD, choose Edit  Paste Special. In
the Paste Special dialog box, select AutoCAD Entities, and click OK.

Adjusting Table Text Orientation and Location

Adjusting Table Text Orientation and Location
You now have the basic layout of the table, with one difference. The Floor, Base, Walls, and Ceiling
labels you just added are oriented horizontally, but you want them oriented vertically, as in Figure 11.1.The following steps will show you how to rotate a set of labels in a table so they appear in the orientation you want:
1.
Click in the cell labeled Floor to select it.
2.
Shift+click in the cell labeled Ceiling to select all four of the cells below the Finish heading.
The combined cells have four grips, one on each side of the group.



3.
Click the grip at the bottom of the selected group, and move it down about four rows. The
entire row becomes taller. This provides room for the text when you rotate it.
4.
Right-click in the selected cells, and choose Properties from the shortcut menu to open the
Properties palette.
5.
In the Properties palette, click the Text Rotation input box under the Content group.


6.
Enter90↵for a 90-degree rotation of the text. The text rotates into a vertical orientation.
7.
Close the Properties palette.
With the text in this orientation, the columns are too wide, so you’ll change the cell width for
the selected cells.
8.
Move the right grip to the left to decrease the width of the cells.



9.
For the final touch, you’ll center the text in the cells. With the cells still selected, right-click
in the selected cells, and choose Alignment Bottom Center. The text becomes centered in
the cells and aligned at the bottom of the cells.


TIP
You can also control the margin between the text and the cell border by using the Cell Margin
options in the Properties palette. Select the entire table, right-click, and choose Properties. In theProperties palette, click the Vertical Cell Margin option or the Horizontal Cell Margin option inthe Table group.
In the last exercise, you learned how you can adjust the text orientation through the Properties
palette. You can also adjust the width of multiple cells by adjusting the grip location. If you need
to be more precise about the cell width, you can use the Cell Width option in the Properties palettefor a set of cells.Now, continue to add text to the cells and adjust their sizes:
1.
Double-click in the cell in the Number column just below the row that contains the Floor,
Base, Walls, and Ceiling cells. A text cursor appears in the cell, and the Text Formatting toolbar
opens.


2.
Enter110, and press↵. Instead of advancing to the next cell to the right, you advance to thenext cell below.
3.
Enter 111, and press ↵ again. Continue to enter each room number in this way. When you’ve
finished entering the room numbers, click OK in the Text Formatting toolbar to close it.
Next, you’ll reduce the width of the column to fit the text a bit better.

4. Click in the cell with the Number text label. It’s the first column heading in the table.

5. Shift+click in the bottom cell of the Number column to select the entire column.

6. Click the grip to the left of the column, and move the grip to the right so the column width
is approximately half the width of the Room column. You can zoom in on the column to
allow more control over the positioning of the grip.
7. Press Esc to exit the selection and view your table so far.

Now, suppose you want to delete one of the extra rows of cells at the bottom of the table or add
a new row. Here’s what to do:
1. Click the bottom-left cell of the table to select it.
2. Right-click, and choose Rows  Delete from the shortcut menu. The row disappears.
3. To add a row, select a cell, right-click, and choose Rows  Insert Above or Rows  Insert
Below, depending on where you want the new row.
You may notice the Delete Columns and Insert Columns options in the shortcut menu that let
you add or delete columns. These options function in a similar way to the Delete Rows and Insert
Rows options.
Editing the Table Line Work
So far, you’ve concentrated on how you can format text and cells in a table, but you’ll also want
some control over the lines in the table. Typically, heavier lines are used around the border of the
table and between the title and the rest of the table.
The Cell Borders shortcut menu option lets you modify the outline of the border. When you
select this option, the Cell Border Properties dialog box opens.


You can use this dialog box to fine-tune the appearance of the line work of the table. Try the following exercise to see firsthand how this dialog box works:
1. Turn on the display of lineweights by choosing Format  Lineweight.
2. In the Lineweight Settings dialog box, turn on the Display Lineweight setting; then, click OK.
3. Click in the title cell at the top of the table to select the cell, and then right-click and choose
Borders to open the Cell Border Properties dialog box.
4. Click the Lineweight drop-down list, and select 0.30 mm.
5. Click the Outside Borders button in the Apply To group to tell AutoCAD to change the
borders of the cell to the selected lineweight.


6. Click OK. The title cell is now outlined in a heavier line. To see it clearly, press the Esc key
to close the Table toolbar.
You can also adjust the lineweights that encircle a group of cells, as in the following exercise:
1. Click the cell in the upper-left corner with the Number label.
2. Shift+click the cell in the lower-right corner of the table so that all the cells from the secondfrom-
the-top row down are selected.
3. Right-click, and choose Borders.
4. Select 0.30 mm from the Lineweight drop-down list. Then, click the Outside Borders button
as you did in step 5 of the previous exercise.
5. Click OK. The outlines of the selected cells are given the new lineweight setting.
6. Save this file for future reference.


TIP In addition to the table borders, you can change the background color for the cells of the
table through the Background Fill option in the Properties palette. Select a group of cells in
the table that you want to affect (but don’t select the entire table), right-click, and choose
Properties. In the Properties palette, click the Background Fill option in the Cell group.
The Cell Border Properties dialog box also lets you set the line colors by selecting a color from
the Color drop-down list before selecting an Apply To option.
In addition, the Apply To group offers four buttons: All Borders, Outside Borders (which you’ve
already tried), Inside Borders, and No Borders. The All Borders option applies the changes to all
borders. The Inside borders option applies the changes to just the inside borders. This option worksonly if you’ve selected multiple cells. The No Borders option lets you clear your border selectionsif you change your mind.
If you want to select only the vertical or horizontal inside borders, you can use the graphic in the
Cell Border Properties dialog box to select either the vertical or horizontal inside border. You can
also use the graphic to select individual sides of the outside border by clicking the sample border
in the graphic. The sample changes to show you which border lines are affected.
Adding Formulas to Cells
In the beginning of this chapter, I mentioned that you can include formulas in cells of AutoCAD
tables. This can be a great timesaver, because you can set up a table with quantities that automatically
adjust to changes in values in the table. You don’t have to manually calculate the changes.
You may recall that formulas are actually a type of field and that a field can be linked with
objects in a drawing so that the field displays the linked object’s properties. The formula field can
be linked to several numeric text values.
Although fields are the tool you use for formulas, you don’t have to consciously choose to add
a field to a cell every time you want to add a formula. The following exercise will demonstrate how
you can add a formula by typing directly in a cell. AutoCAD takes care of converting your input
into a field.
Using Formulas Directly in Cells
The simplest way to add a formula to a cell is to double-click the cell and then, when the Text Formatting
toolbar appears, enter the formula directly in the cell with the addition of an = (equal sign)
at the beginning. Try the following exercise to see how it works.
1. Open the FieldSample.dwg file.
2. Double-click in the cell, as shown in Figure 11.3, to select the location for your formula.


3. Enter the following text in the cell to add the values in cell A2 and cell D4:
=A2+D4
4. Press ↵ after you enter the value. The value of A2 plus D4 appears in the cell.


In step 3, the equal sign tells AutoCAD to convert the text into a formula field. You may have
noticed that when you start to edit a cell in a table, the row and column labels appear along the topand left side of the table. You can use these labels to determine the cell addresses for your formula.
In typical spreadsheet fashion, you can change the formula in a cell any time. Double-click the
cell containing the formula, and then edit the formula values and operators.
You can also use the Formula drop-down list from the Table toolbar to select from a set of
predefined math operations.


Click in the cell where you want to place the formula; then, in the Table toolbar, click the Formula
drop-down list, and select the operation you want to use. Next, place a selection window around the
cells you want to include in the formula. Click in the first cell that you want to include in the formula,
and then click in the second cell. As you do this, a selection window appears. All the cells that are
included in the selection window are included in the formula.

Using Other Math Operations
In the previous exercise, you used the plus sign to add the value of two cells. You can string
together several cells’ addresses to add multiple cells, as follows:
=A2+A3+A4...
You can also subtract, multiply, or divide by using the – (subtract or minus), * (multiply or asterisk),or / (divide or hash) sign. To perform multiple operations on several cells, you can group operationswith parentheses in a way similar to a typical spreadsheet formula. For example, if you want to add twocells together and then multiply their sum by another cell, use the following format:
=(A2+A3)*A4
The Average, Sum, and Count buttons that appear in the Formula drop-down list of the Table toolbargive you quick access to these frequently used functions. You can obtain the average value of a setof cells, quickly get the sum of a set of cells, or get a count of the number of cells you select. When youclick one of these options, you’re prompted to select several cells with a selection window. Onceyou’ve selected a set of cells, you see the appropriate formula in the selected cell. Clicking the Averagebutton, for example, produces a formula similar to the following:=Average(A1:B5)
Clicking the Sum button produces a formula like the following:=Sum(A1:B5)
In both cases, a range of cells is indicated using a colon, as in A1:B5. You can use this format whenentering formulas manually. You can also include a single cell with a range by using a comma:=Sum(A1:B5,C6)
Importing and Exporting Tables
Frequently, tables are created outside AutoCAD in a spreadsheet program such as Excel. You can
import an Excel worksheet as an AutoCAD table by using the AutoCAD Entities option in the Paste
Special feature. The ability to import tables lets non-AutoCAD users create the table data while you
concentrate on the drawing.
Try the following exercise to see how you can import a table from a worksheet:
1. Open the Excel worksheet called 11a-plan.xls, and highlight the door data, as shown in
Figure 11.4.

2. Choose Edit  Copy to place a copy of the selected data into the Windows Clipboard; then,
switch back to AutoCAD.
3. Choose Edit  Paste Special to open the Paste Special dialog box.
4. With the Paste radio button selected, click AutoCAD Entities in the list, and then click OK.
5. At the Specify insertion point or [paste as Text]: prompt, click a point in the lowerright
area of the drawing. The worksheet data appears in the drawing, although it’s very
small. You also see the Text Formatting toolbar.
6. Click OK in the Text Formatting toolbar to close it.
7. If needed, use the Scale tool to enlarge the table to a readable size.
In this exercise, you imported the worksheet by using the default standard table style. This givesyou a simple-looking table using the AutoCAD Txt font. You can set up a custom table style, asdescribed later in this chapter, with the fonts and borders you want, and then import the table fora more custom appearance. Make sure your custom table style is the current style before you
import the worksheet.

Exporting Tables
Some day, you might want to export your AutoCAD table to a spreadsheet program or database.
You can do this through a somewhat hidden option in a shortcut menu. Follow these steps:
1. Select the entire table. You can do so by clicking in a spot above and to the right of the table.
With the crossing selection window, completely enclose the table, and click.
2. Right-click anywhere in the table, and choose Export from the shortcut menu to open the
Export Data dialog box.
3. Specify a name and location for your exported table data, and click Save.
The file is saved with a .csv filename extension. This type of file is a comma-delimited file and
can be read by most spreadsheet programs, including Microsoft Excel. Unfortunately, the .csv file
doesn’t retain the AutoCAD table formatting.
To open the exported file from Excel, choose File  Open in the Excel menu bar; then, in the
Open dialog box, select Text File (*.prn, *.txt, *.csv) in the Files Of Type drop-down list. You can
then locate the exported table and open it.

Adding Graphics to Table Cells
One of the more interesting features of the Table tool is its ability to include blocks in a cell. This can be
useful if you want to include graphic elements in your table. Adding a block to a cell is a simple process.
Here are the steps:
1. Click in a cell to select it.
2. Right-click, and choose Insert  Block from the shortcut menu to open the Insert A Block In A Table
Cell dialog box.



3. Select a block name from the Name drop-down list. You can also click the button to the right of the
list to open a file dialog box that enables you to select a drawing file for import to the cell.
4. After you’ve selected a block and specified the settings in the Properties group of the dialog box,
click OK. The block appears in the cell you’ve selected.
The Properties group in the dialog box enables you to specify the alignment and size of the inserted
block. By default, the AutoFit option is turned on. This option adjusts the size of the block to make it fit
in the current cell size.

Using Fields and Tables

Adding text to a set of drawings can become a large part of your work. You’ll find that you’re editing
notes and labels almost as frequently as you’re editing the graphics in your drawings. To make
some of those editing tasks easier, AutoCAD provides a few special text objects.
In this chapter, you’ll look at fields and tables, two features that can help automate some of the
more common tasks in AutoCAD. Fields are a special type of text that can automatically update to
reflect changes in the drawing. Tables are a tool that helps to automate the process of creating and
editing tables and schedules. Tables are a common part of technical drawings and are similar to
spreadsheets. In fact, AutoCAD tables behave much like spreadsheets with the capability of adding
formulas to cells.
You’ll start this chapter with an introduction to fields and then go on to learn about tables.
Toward the end, you’ll revisit fields to see how they can be used to add formulas to tables.
◆
Topics in this chapter include the following:
◆
Using Fields to Associate Text with Drawing Properties
◆
Adding Tables to Your Drawing
◆
Editing the Table Line Work
◆
Adding Formulas to Cells
◆
Importing and Exporting Tables
◆
Creating Table Styles
Using Fields to Associate Text with Drawing Properties
The text labels you worked with in Chapter 10 are static and don’t change unless you edit them
by using the tools described there. Another type of text object, called a
field
, behaves in a more
dynamic way than the multiline text. A field can be linked to the properties of other objects and
updates itself automatically as the associated properties change. For example, you can create a
field that is associated with a block name. If the block name changes, the field text automatically
changes as well.
Try the following exercise to see how this works:
1.
Open the
11c-unit.dwg
file. This file is similar to the drawing you worked on in Chapter 10.
2.
Double-click the Kitchen text to highlight it and make it available for editing.
3.
Right-click the highlighted Kitchen text, and then choose Insert Field to open the Field
dialog box. A list to the left shows the types of fields available.



4.
In the Field Category drop-down list, select Objects. This limits the display of field types to
object fields.
5.
In the Field Names list, select NamedObject.
6.
Make sure that Block is selected in the Named Object Type drop-down list in the top of the
dialog box; then, select Kitchen. This associates the field with the Kitchen block name.
7.
In the Format list to the far right, select First Capital. This causes the field text to be lowercase
with a capital first letter, regardless of how the block name is actually spelled.
8.
Click OK to exit the Field dialog box; then, press↵
twice to return to the Command prompt.

When you return to the drawing, the text appears in a gray background. This tells you that the
text is a field rather than an Mtext or a Dtext object. The gray background is just a device to help youkeep track of field text; it doesn’t plot.
You’ve converted existing text into a field that is linked to a block name. Now, let’s see how the
field works:
1.
EnterRename↵at the Command prompt to open the Rename dialog box.
2.
Make sure Blocks is selected in the Named Objects list; then, select Kitchen from the Items
list. The wordKitchenappears in the Old Name input box near the bottom of the dialog box.
3.
EnterKitchenettein the input box just below the Old Name box; then, click the RenameTo button.
4.
Click OK to close the Rename dialog box.
5.
Choose View Regen. The field you created changes to reflect the new block name.

Fields can be associated with a wide variety of properties. You’ve just seen how a block name
can be associated with a field. In this exercise, you’ll use a field to display the area of an object:
1.
Choose View 
Zoom 
Extents to view the entire plan.
2.
Place a rectangle in the living room area so that it fills the area.


3.
Double-click the Living Room text to open the Text Formatting toolbar.
4.
Highlight the text that reads
230 square feet.
Right-click the selected text, and choose Insert
Field from the shortcut menu.
5.
In the Field dialog box, select Object from the Field Names list.
6.
Click the Select Object button next to the Object Type input box at the top of the Field dialog
box. The Field dialog box momentarily closes to enable you to select an object.



7.
Select the rectangle you just added. The Field dialog box returns.
8.
In the Property list just below the Object Type input box, select Area.
9.
Select Architectural from the Format list to the far right.


10.
Click OK. The field you just added appears in the drawing as the area of the rectangle.
11.
Click OK to close the Text Formatting toolbar.
Next, you’ll alter the rectangle to see how it affects the field:
1.
Click the rectangle to expose its grips. Then, select the top two grips and move them upward
so they align with the bathroom wall. Remember to Shift+click to select multiple grips.


2.
Choose View Regen. The field you just added updates to reflect the new area of therectangle.
3.
After reviewing the results, close11c-unit.dwg.
TIP
In previous exercises in this section, you changed existing text into fields. You can create new
fields in either the Dtext or Mtext command by selecting Insert Field from the shortcut menu
whenever you’re typing the text content.
In this exercise, you used a rectangle, but you can use any closed polygon to create an area field.
You’ve touched on just two of the many possible uses for fields. You can associate other types of
properties including the current layer, the drawing name, linetypes, and more. You can include Diesel
macros as part of fields. (You’ll learn about Diesel macros in Chapter 26.) Fields can also be used
in AutoCAD’s Table feature, described in the next section, which enables you to quickly create tables
and schedules. Fields are used to coordinate sheet labels with reference symbols in the AutoCAD
Sheet Set feature described in Chapter 28.
For most of your work, the standard text objects will work just fine, but you may find fields useful
when you know a label has to be associated with specific types of data in your drawing. In later
chapters, you’ll have more opportunities to work with fields.
Adding Tables to Your Drawing
One of the more common text-related tasks you’ll do for your drawings is to create schedules, such
as door and window schedules or parts schedules. Such schedules are tables used to provide more
detailed information regarding the elements in your design.
In the past, AutoCAD users used Mtext or Dtext to create the text for schedules and then used
line-drawing tools to create the cells of the schedule. Since AutoCAD 2006, you can use tables to
help you generate schedules more quickly. Tables allow you to automatically format the columns
and rows of text in a way similar to spreadsheet programs.


Creating a Table
The first step in creating a table is to determine the number of rows and columns you want. Don’tworry if you aren’t certain of the exact number of rows and columns; you can add or subtract themat any time. In this exercise, you’ll create a table that contains 12 rows and 9 columns, as shown inFigure 11.1.
Start by creating the basic table layout:
1.
Choose File New, and use the standardAcad.dwtdrawing template.

2.
Click Table from the 2D Draw control panel, or choose Draw 
Table from the menu bar toopen the Insert Table dialog box.



3.
In the Column & Row Settings group, enter9for Columns and12 for Data Rows.
4.
Click OK. The dialog box closes, and the outline of a table follows your cursor.
5.
Position the table in the center of your drawing area, and click to place the table. The table
appears with a cursor in the top cell of the table. You also see the Text Formatting toolbar
above the table.
6.
EnterRoom Finish Schedule, and press
↵. The cursor moves to the next cell.
7.
Click OK to exit the Text Formatting toolbar.

Adding Cell Text
You’ve just created a table and added a title. Notice that the table actually contains 14 rows, including
the title row at the top and an additional row for the headings of each column. You can delete these
additional rows if you don’t need them, but for now, you’ll start to add some text to the table:
1.
Adjust your view so the table fills most of the drawing area.
2.
Double-click in the first cell at the top left, just below the Room Finish Schedule label. The
cell turns gray, and the Text Formatting toolbar opens. You also see labels across the top and
left side showing the row and column addresses.

3.
EnterNumberfor the room number column at the far left, and then press the Tab key toadvance to the next cell to the right.
4.
EnterRoom, and press the Tab key again.
5.
EnterFinish, and press the Tab key four times to advance four columns. You do this
because the Finish heading shown in Figure 11.1 has four columns under it: Floor, Base,
Walls, and Ceiling. In the next exercise, you’ll learn how to format those four columns
under the single heading.
6.
EnterCeiling Ht., and press the Tab key again.
7.
EnterArea, press the Tab key, and enterRemarks
.
8.
Click OK in the Text Formatting toolbar to close it.
You have the column headings in place. Now, you need to do a little extra formatting. In step 5,
you left four cells blank because four of the columns will be combined under one heading: The
Finish heading covers the Floor, Base, Walls, and Ceiling columns. Next, you’ll combine the blank
headings with the Finish heading:
1.
Click in the center of the cell with the Finish label to select it.
2.
Shift+click in the third cell to the right of the Finish cell to select all four cells.



3.
Right-click in the selected cells, and choose Merge All. The four selected cells merge intoa single cell with the wordFinish.Now, you need to add the subheads under the Finish header:
1.
Double-click in the leftmost cell below the Finish cell to open the Text Formatting toolbar.


2.
EnterFloor, and press the Tab key.
3.
EnterBase,Wall, andCeiling in each of the following columns as you’ve been doing.
Remember that the Tab key advances you to the next cell to the right. Your table should look
like Figure 11.2.
4.
Click OK in the Text Formatting toolbar to close it.

Finding and Replacing Text

Finding and Replacing Text
One of the most time-consuming tasks in drafting is replacing text that appears repeatedly throughout
a drawing. Fortunately, you have a Find And Replace tool to help simplify this task. AutoCAD’s
Find And Replace works like any other find-and-replace tool in a word-processing program. A few
options work specifically with AutoCAD. Here’s how it works:
1. Click the Find tool in the Text control panel. You can also choose Edit  Find from the menu
bar or enter Find↵ at the Command prompt to open the Find And Replace dialog box.



2. Enter the text you want to locate in the Find Text String input box.
3. Enter the replacement text in the Replace With input box.
4. Click Find. When AutoCAD finds the word, it appears in the Context window, along with
any other text next to the word.
5. If you have any doubts, click the Zoom To button to display the text in the AutoCAD
drawing area.
6. When you’ve made certain that this is the text you want to change, click Replace.
If you want to replace all occurrences of a word in the drawing, click Replace All. You can also
limit your find-and-replace operation to a specific area of your drawing by clicking the Select
Objects button in the upper-right corner of the Find And Replace dialog box.



When you click the Select Objects button, the Find And Replace dialog box closes temporarily
to enable you to select a set of objects or a region of your drawing. Find And Replace then limits itssearch to those objects or the region you select.

You can further control the types of objects that Find And Replace looks for by clicking the
Options button to open the Find And Replace Options dialog box.



With this dialog box, you can refine your search by limiting it to blocks, dimension text, standard
text, or hyperlink text. You can also specify whether to match case or find whole words only.
NOTE If you need to edit a large drawing that contains a lot of text, but you don’t need to edit the
text, you can use the Qtext command to help accelerate redraws and regenerations when you’re
working on the drawing. Qtext turns lines of text into rectangular boxes, saving AutoCAD from
having to form every letter. This enables you to see the note locations so you don’t accidentally
draw over them. To use it, enter qtext↵ at the command prompt, and enter On or select the On
option from the dynamic input display.

Manipulating Text beyond Labels
This chapter concentrates on methods for adding labels to your drawing, but you also use text in otherways with AutoCAD. Many of the inquiry tools in AutoCAD, such as Dist and List, produce text data. Youcan use the Windows Clipboard to manipulate such data to your benefit.
For example, you can duplicate the exact length of a line by first using the List command to get a list of its properties. After you have the property list in the AutoCAD Text window, you can highlight its lengthlisting and then press Ctrl+C to copy it to the Windows Clipboard. Next, start the Line command, andpick the start point for the new line. Click the Command window, and press Ctrl+V to paste the linelengthdata into the Command window; then, add the angle data, or use the Direct Distance method todraw the line.
You can copy any text data from dialog box input boxes or from the AutoCAD Text Window to the Clipboardby using the Ctrl+C keyboard shortcut. You can likewise import that data into any part ofAutoCAD that accepts text.
Consider using the Clipboard the next time you need to transfer data in AutoCAD or even when you needto import text from some other application.

The Bottom Line
Preparing a Drawing for Text AutoCAD offers an extensive set of features for adding text to
a drawing, but you need to do a little prep work before you dive in.
Master It Name two things you need to do to prepare a drawing for text.
Solution Set up a layer for your text. Create a text style for your drawing.

Setting the Annotation Scale and Adding Text Before you start to add text, you should set
the annotation scale for your drawing. Once this is done, you can begin to add text.
Master It In a sentence or two, briefly describe the purpose of the Annotation Scale feature.
Name the tool you use to add text to a drawing.
Solution The Annotation Scale feature converts your text size to the proper height for the
scale of your drawing. To add text to a drawing, use the Mtext tool.
Exploring Text Formatting in AutoCAD Because text styles contain the font and text-size settings,
you can usually set up a text style and then begin to add text to your drawing. For those
special cases where you need to vary text height and font or other text features, you can use the
Text Formatting toolbar.
Master It What Text Formatting tool can you use to change text to boldface type?
Solution The Bold button.
Adding Simple Single-Line Text Objects In many situations, you need only a single word or
a short string of text. AutoCAD offers the Single Line Text object for these instances.
Master It Describe two of the three methods for starting the single-line text command.
Solution Click the Single Line Text tool in the Text control panel. Choose Draw  Text 
Single Line Text. Enter DT↵ at the command prompt.
Using the Check Spelling Feature It isn’t uncommon for a drawing to contain the equivalent
of several pages of text, and the likelihood of having misspelled words can be high. AutoCAD
offers the Check Spelling feature to help you keep your spelling under control.
Master It What option do you select in the Check Spelling dialog box when it finds a misspelled
word and you want to accept the suggestion it offers?
Solution Change.
Finding and Replacing Text A common activity when editing technical drawings is to have
to find and replace a word throughout a drawing.
Master It True or false: The Find And Replace feature in AutoCAD works very differently
than the find-and-replace feature in other programs.
Solution False.