About Formatting Dimension Display
You can customize the display of dimensions within your drawings to meet your detailing requirements. You can format these dimensions in one of the following ways:
• Individually selecting the dimension and using the options on the Dimension ribbon tab.
• Globally using either Detail option and configuration options or using options in the Format group on the Annotate tab.
Individually Formatting Dimensions
The Dimension ribbon tab enables you to format the display of individual dimensions. The dimension must already exist in your drawing if you want to access and customize its properties. The property settings only apply to the selected instances. From within the dialog box, you can:
• Modify the dimension values and set tolerances.
• Set the display of dimensions to decimal or fractional format and adjust the settings for decimal places, trailing zeros, and angular dimension units.
• Set the display of the dimension value rounded off to the defined number of decimal places.
• Change the way the dimension is displayed (basic or inspection).
• Change the configuration of the dimension (linear, center leader, leader).
• Modify the orientation of the dimension text with respect to the leader line.
• Format the positioning and decimal places for dual dimensions.
• Show and erase dimension witness lines and intersection witness lines.
• Display intersection witness lines for dimensions.
• Modify the dimension text, including adding symbols, prefixes, and suffixes.
• Define the dimension text style, including font type, height, line spacing, and color.
The Nominal Value box in the Dimension ribbon tab always displays the stored value of the dimension with minimum significant digits required by the dimension value, up to the maximum supported significant digits, that is 13. These include significant digits on either side of the decimal point.
The stored value of a fractional dimension or an angular dimension with unit in the form of Degree, Min., or Degree, Min., Sec., is displayed in the help text of the Nominal Value box.
Globally Formatting Dimensions
You can format dimensions globally by using the Format group on the Annotate tab, Detail options, and configuration options. After you define the dimension format setting, such as number of decimal places, the setting applies to all newly created or shown dimensions in the drawing.
Several drawing options contribute to the formatting of dimensions. You can find a complete listing if you sort the drawing options by category in the Options dialog box ( > > , and click change against Detail Options).