To Display Dimension Text Symbols
The following procedure provides a more permanent replacement of dimensions with symbols.
1. Select the dimensions containing text to replace with symbols. Press CTRL or use region selection for multiple selections. The Dimension ribbon tab opens.
2. Click the Display button. The Display panel opens. In the dimension text box, note the current @D setting.
3. Replace the @D with @S.
4. Type a prefix or a suffix value in the Prefix and Suffix fields respectively, if you want to add prefix or suffix text to the value of the dimension.
5. The selected dimensions now display their symbolic values rather than their dimension values.
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To change the dimension back to normal display, use the preceding procedure and modify @S back to @D or @O (for drawing dimensions that show text instead of a dimension value). You can replace the symbol without invalidating relations where the dimension appears.