Entering Survey Data using AutoCAD

by R.K.McSwain

Introduction
These techniques apply to basic CAD programs such as AutoCAD, IntelliCAD, etc. If you have a civil/survey program or add-on, such as Land Desktop, SurvCADD, Eagle Point, etc., then there are builtin tools for entering lines and curves.

Lines and tangent curves

Let's say you have a paper plot or a legal description of a closed boundary. Let's work our way around it. Below is an example of what you might have. Start with a line segment if there is one. Let's start in the lower left (or most southwesterly) corner and work clockwise for this example.

For each line segment, a bearing and distance is given.

Start the ._LINE command and pick a starting point. If you have XY or Northing and Easting coordinates, you can enter them, otherwise just pick any point in the drawing. Then at the next prompt enter @107.65<N28D45'21"E. Now stay in the line command and draw the next segment. Enter @27.23<S61D14'39"E Now end the ._LINE command because you need to draw a curve next. We will assume that this curve is tangent to the previous segment (we'll cover non-tangent curves later). Draw a line perpendicular to the previous segment towards the inside of the curve. Make this line the same length as the radius of the curve. You can use the ._LENGTHEN command to set the exact length. The opposite endpoint is the center point for the next curve. The image below is how it should look now (the green line is the new one).

Now rotate this line, using the opposite endpoint as the radius point. Since this curve is to the right, rotate the line clockwise (meaning you will have to enter a negative angle) the amount of the delta of the curve. 6035'03" in this case.

Now you have the three points needed to draw the ARC. See the picture below.

Start the ._ARC command, enter "C" for center point and pick the endpoint of the line that represents the center point. Next pick the other endpoint of the line, that is the startpoint of the ARC. Next pick the endpoint of the previous line segment. Your curve is complete. Now we have another curve to draw. This curve is also tangent, but in this case the previous entity is a curve. If the second curve goes in the same direction, it's called a compound curve, if the second curve goes in the opposite direction, it's called a reverse curve.

Notice that this curve is to the left, not the right, so this is a reverse curve. We need to do the same as above to find the center point, except rather than draw a perpendicular line, we need to draw a radial line from the previous curve. In this case we already have the green line in place, so extend it out past the last curve a bit. Now trim off the part that is inside the previous curve. It should look like this now.

Now use the ._LENGTHEN command to make this line 500 foot long (the radius of this curve). The other end is the center point for the next curve. Now rotate this line the amount of the delta, just like before. Because this curve is to the left, the rotation angle will be positive, not negative. Now it should look like the picture below (the radius point is not shown since it is so far away).

Now you have your three points from which you can construct the arc. The last line segment is constructed just like the first two. Start the ._LINE command and pick the endpoint of the last arc, then enter@116.77<N86D32'54"W

Non-Tangent curves
The orientation of tangent curves is determined by the previous entity, but for non-tangent curves you need to know how the curve is oriented. This is the case for non-tangent curves in the middle of a figure or if you want to start your figure with a curve. You can use either the Chord Bearing and Chord Distance or you can use the Radial Bearing.

Chord Bearing and Chord Distance

The Chord Bearing is the bearing from the start point of the curve to the end point of the curve. Going back to the first curve in the figure above, we can see that the Chord Bearing is N30D57'08"W. However, take a look at the figure. Is the other end of this curve really in the NW direction? No. This is something else you may run into. Depending on the direction you are traversing a figure, you may need to reverse bearings by 180 degrees. Remember, the Chord Bearing is the bearing from the start point to the end point so in this case, the Chord Bearing is in the SE direction, not NE. So just replace the NE with SW. The actual Chord Bearing is S30D57'08"E.

So now, draw a line that represents this Chord Bearing, using the same syntax as above. The string you will use is @75.66<S30D57'08"E.

After you have this line, you can draw the curve. Start the ._ARC command and select the start point, then choose the "E" option and pick the end point, then use the "R" option and enter the radius. If the curve is opposite of what you expect, select the start and end points in the opposite order.

Use this same technique for non-tangent curves.

Radial Bearing
The Radial Bearing is the bearing from the start point of the curve to the radius point of the curve. If you are given a radial bearing, you can use this to lay out a non-tangent curve also. This line will run from the last endpoint to the center point of the next curve. In our original example, the radial bearing is not given but it is S28d45'21W. So start the ._LINE command and use the string @75.00<S28D45'21"W. It should look like this.

This should look familier. From this point on, you can follow the same steps as above when you constructed the perpendicular line and rotated it.

Summary
Using most CAD programs including vanilla AutoCAD, you can enter survey data from a drawing or deed without needing any special tools or add-ons. However, if entering this type of data is a frequent occurance, you may consider upgrading to a program that includes faster methods for this type of data entry.

Topics covered in this Lesson: Linetypes | Linetype Scale | Lineweights When you have been drawing in AutoCAD during these tutorials, almost all of the lines have been continuous. This is a particular linetype. Most simple drawings can be drawn with just this one linetype. More advanced drawings will require different linetypes such as center lines, hidden lines, phantom lines and others. When you first start AutoCAD, the default template has only one linetype is available. This is the continuous linetype. AutoCAD has many more available, but only loads in one to start with in order to keep the drawing file size smaller. If you need a different linetype, you must load it into your current drawing. As is usually the case in AutoCAD, there are a few ways to do this. Command Linetype Linetype scale Lineweight Keystroke LINETYPE / LT Location Result

Home > Properties > Opens the LINETYPE dialog Linetype box None Allows you to set the linetype scale globally. Set line weight globally

LTSCALE / LTS

LINEWEIGHT / None LW

Invoking the LINETYPE command brings up the Linetype Manager dialog box as shown below.

You'll notice that it is similar to the layer dialog box. Instead of creating a new linetype (like you would a layer), you will have to LOAD it into your drawing. AutoCAD has many different linetypes that you can load, as well as giving you the option to create your own. (This will not be covered in this lesson.) To load a linetype, press the Load... button that is towards the top-right corner. When you do this, you'll see another dialog box appear (shown above). Notice that AutoCAD is giving you a choice of different linetypes as defined in the acad.lin file. Scroll through the list to see what options you have available. You'll see the most common ones (hidden, center, etc) as well as some that are only for certain applications. Click on the Hidden linetype and then press OK. Adding a linetype to your drawing is that easy. Notice that there are three different hidden linetype options: HIDDEN, HIDDEN2, HIDDENX2. All of these are valid linetypes, but as you can see from the samples shown in the right side of the dialog box, they are slightly different. Which one you choose is up to you. Remember one thing though. If you pick HIDDEN2, then you should also pick CENTER2, if you need a center line. This will keep your linetype scale consistent. Only change your linetype scale singly if you have a specific reason to. Here is an example of 3 different linetypes:

LINETYPE SCALE Your linetype scale determines how the linetype is displayed and plotted. Depending on your linetype or original area you set up, you may have to change it. This is one more reason, why you should set up your drawing properly from the beginning. If you need to change your linetype scale, type in LTSCALE and try different values to get the look you want. You can also change you linetype scale from the LINETYPE dialog box by changing the value in the Global Scale Factor box.

Note: you can change the linetype scale separately on each object, but this is not recommended as it can be very difficult to keep track of, and therefore lose consistency. Here is a single linetype (hidden) with 3 different linetype scales applied. Notice that the line with a LTS of .5 has lines and dashes that are 1/2 the size of line above it. The line with a LTS of 5 has lines and dashes that are 5 times longer.

You can change the linetype of an object by changing its properties, or use the droplist of layers on the main drawing screen. This is a simpler, quicker method - just select the object, then pick the linetype from the list.

Linetypes can also be controlled by putting them all one layer and using the ByLayer option. For example, you could have all of your hidden lines on one layer so you can turn them off all at once or give them a light lineweight. LINEWEIGHTS Another property of lines is their lineweight, or how wide they display on the screen and when printed. One common example of a heavier lineweight would be a border around a title block. Some times, you may use a lighter lineweight for hatching. But whatever you use them for, they are powerful display options. Here are the range of lineweights available (There are more options in between):

The methods for changing the lineweight for objects is similar to the ones for linetypes (above). There is also the option of turning the lineweight display on or off. Just click on the LWT icon of the status bar. Below the icon indicates that lineweights are shown in the drawing.

Type in LW to access the Lineweight Settings Dialog box.

The options are quite straightforward, but you also have the option of displaying lineweights or now (Display Lineweight) and changing the default display lineweight. By working with different linetypes and lineweights you can make a drawing clearer. Some people will make their objects have a heavier lineweight than the dimensions to make them stand out better.

Extra Practice: Make an isometric drawing that uses a heavier lineweight for the main objects and a lighter lineweight for hidden lines.

Topics covered in this Lesson: Dimension Styles Concept: A drawing needs to contain certain information. Most drawings will show you what the object is (as clearly as possible) but won't tell you everything unless you dimension it. Would you agree to buy a house just by looking at the floor plan if it wasn't dimensioned? Would manufacturers know how to build your product if you didn't dimension it? You can see how important it is that a drawing used to convey information must have clear, accurate dimensions. In previous lessons, you have done some dimensioning (first was Lesson 1-8). To continue with this lesson, you should at least have a good concept of basic dimensioning. There are many ways to dimension a drawing, each drafting discipline has it own set of "rules". For example, a drawing of a gear would use a different style of dimensioning than that of a subdivision. My background is in mechanical drafting, so I use that discipline as an example of how to work with setting your dimensions to work with your drawing. Below is an example of how a drawing can be dimensioned:

As you can see, on a simple drawing like this one, only 8 dimensions are needed to convey all the information about the size and shape of the object. With a little more information you can have everything you need to build it. This is the default style you get with the AutoCAD template. Below shows the same drawing, but with added tolerances and note about what the object is made out of.

The changes in the dimensions above were done easily using the DDIM command. This command opens a dialog box for changing the parameters of your dimensions. In this example, the text style was also changed. The great thing about AutoCAD is that it is very versatile. In the case of dimensions, you can modify any component that is part of it. Below are the names of various parts of a dimension:

Also, you can modify the dimension text dramatically, here are some examples:

: The Dimension Style Manager So now that you have seen what can do - how do you do it? All options are available in the DDIM (Dimension Style Manager) dialog box.

On the left is current style for working with (highlighted in blue). In this lesson, you will create a new Dimension Style and use it in a drawing. From there, you should try different styles and get familiar with the options. Most companies these days will have a standard style (or set of styles) to use on drawings, but this is a very important tool to know if you want to turn out professional looking drawings. Start but invoking the DDIM command and press the NEW button to open the small dialog for entering the name of the style you

are creating. In this example I used the name "DIMSTYLE 1".

Make sure that "Start with" has "Standard" as its setting. Press the Continue Button when everything is set. This will open the dialog box for settings, so just press OK to close it for now. Back at the "Dimension Style Manager" dialog box, you will see that the new style you created is listed at the top (left side). To modify it, select the name, then press the modify button. The dialog box opens and click on the second tab (Symbols and Arrows).

As a general rule, I recommend not change much on this tab - especially when you're learning. Set as defaults, the dimensions are sized proportionately, if you change the setting on one parameter, your dimension can look 'off-balance'. For example, you could end up with huge arrows and small text. For the purposes of this lesson, the only thing that will change on this tab is the arrowheads. Select something other than the standard. You'll also see that you can set the colors, but just like regular objects, it's best to leave them set to "Bylayer" - and make sure you have a separate layer for all dimensions. Go to the third tab (Text). Start up the Text Styles dialog box by pressing the button with the ... next to the text name. Create a new textstyle using RomanS and a width of 0.8 and call it "DIMTEXT". (For more info, see Lesson 1-8.) Close the Text Styles dialog box. Select DIMTEXT as your text for dimensions as shown. The great thing about this dialog box is that it shows you a preview of what your changes will do the final dimension in the top right window. In the bottom right, select ISO as the Text Alignment option. Try some other changes to see their effects in the preview, then end with the settings as shown below:

So far you haven't changed much, but you've seen the options available in just 2 tabs. Click on the next tab to continue. As a rule, I leave this tab alone. AutoCAD does a good job of placing and fitting dimension where I want them. If I don't agree, I usually just use grips to edit the placement. Click on the next tab (Primary Units) to continue. In the Primary Units, you find some of the more common parameters that need to be changed. Precision is very important. First off, you usually don't need to show 4 decimal places. If you do show 4 decimals places and send your drawing off to the machinist, you are asking him to manufacture the part to within 1/10000 of a unit - which can be a very expensive mistake. 3 Decimal places is usually enough - or less for rougher jobs. Also, I have added a couple of other changes; adding trailing zeros and a suffix denoting the units. Note how angular dimensions have a separate section - make sure you don't neglect them.

Make the changes you see above and check the preview after each change. In this tab, you can also set the overall scale of your dimensions. This can also be done using the DIMSCALE command. Using the DIMSCALE setting If you have dimensions on your drawing that are either too large, or too small, use the DIMSCALE setting to make scale them. If your DIMSCALE is currently set to "1", you can make the dimensions larger by entering larger numbers. For example, enter 12 will make your dims 12 times large than they were at "1". This does not enlarge the value of the dimension, just the size of the dimension. To make your dimensions smaller, you can also enter fractions or decimal numbers like " .5". These numbers are all based from the standard sizes set in your DDIM dialog box. For example, if you enter "12" to make them larger, entering 1/2 later will not make them scale to "6". After changing the DIMSCALE, all new dimensions will use this scale. Using DIMSCALE is important to make sure that people can easily read your drawings. Set your DIMSCALE before

adding all of your dimensions. After changing the scale, you will not see a change. You will need to update the dimensions. Follow these steps: Command: DIMSCALE Enter new value for DIMSCALE <1.0000>: 12 Command: DIM Dim: UPDATE Select objects: ALL 2 found Select objects: <ENTER> Press <ESC> twice to exit the Dim prompt.

The next tab (alternate units) is used if you want to display two different units in your dimension. For example, you can draw your drawing in imperial inches, then dimension with inches as your primary units and add the alternate units behind. Skip this tab for now and go on to the last tab (Tolerances). In this example, you will set the tolerances to be +/- .05 units and display them at 80% of the primary units. Sound easy? It is. Look at the image below to see how this is done.

Once again - preview shows you how it will turn out. Click OK to close the dialog box. At the original Dimension Style Manger, press the name of your new style, then click the "Make Current" button. Close the dialog box to go back to your workspace. Draw the wedge shape at the top of the less and dimension it using your new Dimension Style. It should look something like this:

Now you have the basic understanding of how dimensions work, you can experiment and work with other styles. Here are some common rules about dimensioning: Keep them on a separate layer. Dimension towards the end of your project or you could be moving them as you add more objects. Use your Osnaps and confirm what you are snapping to. Assign them a unique colour in the drawing, and use that colour in all of your drawings to make it easier to identify dimensions (especially when zoomed in close) After you create your first dimension, AutoCAD creates a new layer called "DEFPOINTS". This is used only for the small points you see at the end of an extension line. This layer will not print - so be sure not to draw on it. Keep even spacing between you dimensions and between your dimension and your object lines. Use DDE while placing dims. Try not over lap lines (either object or dimension). Use enough dimensions to make sure that all measurements are there - one dimension left out can hold up a project. Try to keep dimensions outside of the objects you are dimensioning. For clarity, don't over-dimension. If you need to override one dimension (perhaps a unique suffix), you can change it in the properties (select > right click > properties)

Dimensioning in Layouts If you are familiar with Layouts (or Paper Space) as shown in Lesson 2-4, you can continue with this lesson which will explain dimensioning in Layouts.

Using the same wedge shape from above, delete your dimensions and then scale the wedge up by 24X. Go into your Layout and use a zoom factor factor of 1/12xp for your viewport. Start dimensioning your lines. AutoCAD now does a great job of dimensioning in Layouts. It will recognize the scale of the viewport and find the correct size of the object you are dimensioning. I recommend doing all of your dimensioning in you Layouts. There are a few reasons for this: It leaves your model space free of dimensions For 3D objects, this system is MUCH easier. You only need one size of dimensions for full view and details. You can add your title block, notes and dimensions in one area.

I hope that this lesson has given you the ability to create professional, accurate dimensions. Like everything else in AutoCAD, practice make perfect. For more practice, create a simple floor plan and create a dimension style using Architectural units and 'ticks' instead of arrows. Use a precision of 1/2". Here's a very simple Architectural drawing using this style.

Topics covered in this Lesson: Dimension Types Concept: This tutorial will explain the different types of dimensions that commonly used in AutoCAD and help you understand their differences. A good AutoCAD drawing will convey the needed information clearly and accurately. Dimensioning is used to let the drawing reader know what size each length or curve is, without having to open the drawing. If your dimensions are inaccurate, you will not be working in CAD for very long, no matter how accurate your drawing is. Learn when each dimension is needed and how to use it. If you need to modify the appearance of your dimension, please refer to the previous tutorial - 4-11. Dim Type Linear Keystroke Icon Description Dimensions for straight lines either horizontal or vertical to the UCS. Dimensions for straight lines that are angled to the UCS and provides the line's length. Dimensions between 2 points and gives the resulting angle measurement. Dimensions the length of an arc or arc segment of a polyline. Dimensions the radius of an arc, circle or arc segment of a polyline. Dimensions the diameter of an arc, circle or arc segment of a polyline. Places a center mark at the center point of an arc or circle A modifier to a dimension to make it parallel to a selected line. Aligns the selected dimensions to an even spacing.

DIMLINEAR / DIMLIN DIMALIGNED / DIMALI DIMANGLUAR / DIMANG DIMARC DIMRADIUS / DIMRAD DIMDIAMETER / DIMDIA DIMCENTER DIMROTATED DIMSPACE DIMCONTINUE / DIMCONT DIMBASELINE / DIMBASE

Aligned

Angular Arc Length Radius

Diameter Center Mark Rotated Align

Continue

Continues dimensioning from a base dimension Continues dimension from a base dimension to give an overall dim.

Baseline

Types of Dimensions in AutoCAD You have most likely already used some of the common dimension types like 'linear' or 'radius'. This section will describe how each one works in mre detail.

Linear Dimensions: Linear dimensions are used to create a dimension that measures a line that is either horizontal or perpendicular to the UCS. This is the most commonly used dimension and is very easy to use. Below is a typical linear dimension:

It's good practice (thought not always allowed by time) to have your dimensions at a consistent distance from the object. Make sure that it is not to close to overlap the object and not too far to confuse which object you dimensioned. To create a linear dimension, either use the icon or key in DIMLINEAR. Just pick the two endpoints of a line (or any two points) and then place the dimension line where you want it. Very quick, very simple.

Command: DIMLINEAR Specify first extension line origin or <select object>:SELECT FIRST POINT Specify second extension line origin:SELECT SECOND POINT Specify dimension line location or [Mtext/Text/Angle/Horizontal/Vertical/Rotated]: SELECT LOCATION OF DIM LINE Dimension text = 5.00
Note that there are some options at the command line:

MText / Text Angle Horizontal Vertical Rotated

You don't need to use these, it doesn't really affect your dimension This will place your text at the angle you specify This will create a horizontal dim, but you select this when you place your dimension line. Rarely needed. This will create a vertical dim, but you select this when you place your dimension line. Rarely needed. This will create a 'rotated' dimension. This is explained below.

You'll also notice on the first prompt, you can <select object>, Press <enter> at this point, and then you can just select the line instead of the two endpoints. This is a lot quicker and more accurate as you don't have to worry about picking the wrong

Osnap. Since this is a common command, it is worth creating an alias for it (see next lesson). Aligned Dimensions: The Aligned dimes ion works just like the linear dimension. The big difference is that it works with lines or distances that are not square to the UCS. You can also use this on any 2 points that are also compatible with the linear dimension. It will create a dimension parallel to the angled line.

Command: DIMALIGNED Specify first extension line origin or <select object>:SELECT FIRST POINT Specify second extension line origin:SELECT SECOND POINT Specify dimension line location or [Mtext/Text/Angle]: SELECT LOCATION OF DIM LINE Dimension text = 2.00
You'll see that command line prompts are almost the same. Of course, there are no option for horizontal or vertical placement. Also Rotate is missing to avoid confusion and errors. You can also select Angle for your text to match the angle of line (just select 2 points on the line you are dimensioning). Angular Dimensions: Not every dimension gives the reader a length. Sometimes other measurements are need. Angular dimensions will display the angle between two objects. The measurement of the angle is defined by your dimstyle, but degrees is standard. The command works similar to the linear dimensions (see a pattern?).

Command: _dimangular Select arc, circle, line, or <specify vertex>: <select first line> Select second line: <select second line> Specify dimension arc
The example above shows 3 common uses of this tool. To get the angle on the arc, just select anywhere on it. Getting the outside measurement (225 in this example) is done by following the prompt <select vertex>.

Command: DIMANGULAR Select arc, circle, line, or <specify vertex>: Specify angle vertex: <select point A> Specify first angle endpoint: <select point B> Specify second angle endpoint: <select point C> Specify dimension arc line location or [Mtext/Text/Angle/Quadrant]:<place dim> Dimension text = 225

Arc Length: This is a fairly new command in AutoCAD and will not be available on some older versions. This command works quite simply, just start the command and select an arc or arc segment of a polyline. In the example below, I have shown the Angular (180) dimension with the Arc length so that you can see the difference. Notice the symbol in front of the 3.14.

Command: _dimarc Select arc or polyline arc segment: <select the arc> Specify arc length dimension location, or [Mtext/Text/Angle/Partial/Leader]: 1.2 Dimension text = 3.14
Once again, you are offered some options when dimensioning. Mtext/Text/Angle are the same options for text that you saw earlier. Partial will allow you to dimension only part of the arc. This is useful for midpoints or nodes, when the arc is segmented.Leader will draw a leader from the dim text to the arc that it refers to.

Radius Dimension: Another common and simple command. DIMRAD will dimension any arc or circle and give you the radius and place a center mark at the center of the selected object. A center mark is a cross the indicates the center point of an arc or circle.

Command: _dimradius Select arc or circle: <select object>

Dimension text = 0.40 Specify dimension line location or [Mtext/Text/Angle]: <place the dim>
Once again, you have some options for the text at the command prompt. Diameter Dimension: The diameter and radius dimensions work the same, but give a different measurement. As a rule, I will use the diameter dim on things like a hole to be drilled or for the dimensions of an overall part and radius for filleted corners, etc.

As you see, the diameter and radius dimensions add a center mark (this can be turned off, or changed to a larger line in will usually dimension the circles first so that I can select the center mark and have a small gap (it looks cleaner).

DDIM). I

Command: _dimdiameter Select arc or circle: <select the object> Dimension text = 1.00 Specify dimension line location or [Mtext/Text/Angle]: <place the dim>
In the example image above, you can see that even a very simple drawing can have enough dimensions to clutter things up. Make sure that you have enough dimensions and don't duplicate or miss any. Make sure that they can be read from one or two angles when printed (usually from the bottom right corner). Center Mark: By now you should be getting the hang of how this works. The center mark command adds a center mark to a circle or arc. How it is displayed is set in the DDIM dialog box under the "Symbols and Arrows" tab. If you select "None" you will not be able to place a center mark using this command. The icon for center marks is in the sub menu on the dimension panel.

Sometimes you might use both in the drawing. Below. on the left, I used the center mark that was made with the diameter dimension, then I dimensioned from it. On the right, I used a Line center mark and extended one of the lines to the other side to indicate the the holes are aligned. Then I double-clicked on the diameter text and added a suffix to indicate that both holes are the same size.

But when you do this, any of the center marks made by the diameter or radius dimensions will change to the new style that you selected. It's best to start with one style and leave it. Rotated Dimensions: A rotated dimension is not a dimension that was rotated using the rotate command. Instead it allows you to create a linear dimension to two points that are not in a straight line. Look at the image below and see the difference between an aligned dimension and a rotated one.

First, look the dimension on the far right. See how it gives a true overall size of 10 units? On the right, the aligned dimension is not the overall size due to the 94 angle in the bottom left corner. Also in the top right, notice the rotated dimension with 2.00 units. I need to rotate it as the 2 points that I selected were not on the same axis. A little confusing at first, but try it a few times.

Command: dimlin DIMLINEAR Specify first extension line origin or <select object>: <first endpoint> Specify second extension line origin: <first endpoint> Specify dimension line location or

[Mtext/Text/Angle/Horizontal/Vertical/Rotated]: R <enter> Specify angle of dimension line <0>: <select first point on axis> Specify second point: <select second point on axis> Specify dimension line location or [Mtext/Text/Angle/Horizontal/Vertical/Rotated]: <place dim> Dimension text = 2.00
When it comes to selecting points on the axis, pick the common parallel line (in this example, I click 2 points on the 10 unit dimension. You can also created a rotated dim by using the DIMROTATED command. In this case, you select the angle first. Align Dimensions: Sometimes you might have a bunch of dimensions in one area and want to space them evenly. The easy way to do this is to place them quickly, then use the Align Dimension command, DIMSPACE. Look at the image below with the random spacing. Then mouse over it to see how this commands gives them even spacing.

Draw a similar shape and try this. Place your dims, but allow for enough room to fit them all (just don't worry about the spacing). Then start the DIMSPACE command.

Command: DIMSPACE Select base dimension: <I selected the 2.00 dim in this example> Select dimensions to space: Specify opposite corner: 3 found <select the others> Select dimensions to space: <enter> Enter value or [Auto] <Auto>: <enter>
Fast and easy. You have the option at the end to enter a distance between each dim, but Auto should work in most cases. Continue Dimensions: Another shortcut is to use continued dimensions. With this command, you can select a 'base' dimension and then have AutoCAD help by continuing the command so that you can just click and endpoint and continue to the next, click an endpoint, etc. Have a

look at the drawing below:

When you have a series of dimensions all in one plane like this, just create the first one with DIMLIN and then use the DIMCONTcommand to create the rest of them. In this example, I created the dim on the left first. Tip: When using this command or the Baseline dimensions, select your points for the base dim in the direction that the others will follow. In the example above, since I selected the base dim on the left, I had to first pick the left point and then the right point. This sets the direction for the others to follow. With the the DIMCONT command running, just select the next points to the right (A and the B in this example). After doing this, the next time you start the DIMCONT command, it will return to this point and continue on. Try this out in your own drawing with a simple shape like the one above. Baseline Dimensions This command is very similar in function to the continue command, but instead provides an overall dimension based upon the first point you select in your first (base) linear dimension.

Once again, I first needed to create a base dimension with the DIMLIN command. I again used the dim on the left. Then I started theDIMBASE command and selected points A and B. Once again, try it out and see how this works. See what happens when you create your base dim from right to left. Summary: You have a lot of tools at your disposal when it comes to dimensions. The trick is to know when to use each one. It's also extremely important that you are accurate. Clicking on another dimension instead of a line's endpoint can be a huge mistake especially in mechanical drafting where tolerances are small. Review your dimensions before sending a drawing off to someone else, or printing it- then check it again. Check for overlaps or other confusing areas. The commands themselves are easy to use, but accuracy is critical.