topic Re: Extending existing Dimension Lines in Documentation

Extending existing Dimension Lines

sirduncan02 — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 20:36:47 GMT

Something has changed in AC and I can't figure out what it was. See attached video clip.

I have an existing dimension line. I select the line, then I ALT-click the line to activate. Then I can CTRL-click on a point to extend the dimension. I used to be able to choose which wall (at a corner) I wanted to connect the dimension line too by using the shift key. But if I use the shift key now to try to choose a different wall, the dimension does not extend when I CTRL-click.

Did something change? Maybe a setting? Or the process?

Now, instead, I have to create a new dimension line, then use the ALT-Click CTRL-Click on the new dimension string to connect the two.

This only happens when extending dimension lines. When creating NEW dimensions, I can still use the SHIFT key to choose from the different options at points (such as wall corners).

I have noticed, though, that if I cycle through the wall corner options a couple of times, it will sometimes then let me CTRL click the preferred wall corner and it will extend the dimension line.

Any suggestions?

Operating system used: Windows 10

Re: Extending existing Dimension Lines

Karl Ottenstein — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 02:31:41 GMT

You don't need an extra step to alt-click the dimension line to activate the dimension tool. By shift-clicking the dimension line as step one, you select it and make the tool active. Then, simply cmd/ctrl click the nodes that you want to add. If you shift click a wall, then you've lost the dimension line and selected the wall. Just ctrl/cmd click to add nodes as always.

Re: Extending existing Dimension Lines

sirduncan02 — Fri, 15 Mar 2024 16:04:57 GMT

Karl,

Thank you. I did not know you could skip the select first. Sure enough - simply SHIFT-Clicking on a dimension line does exactly that, select the dimension line and activate the extension option. I note that this would work very well for adding dimension points to doors and windows and even TEE connected walls.

Unfortunately, this method still doesn't allow me to choose which of the 2 walls (at a corner) I want to connect the dimension to. So then when I end up moving one of the walls, sometimes the dimension (if connected to the other wall) doesn't come with it.

Still looking at how to extend an existing dimension line to a new wall corner and be able to choose which of the 2 corner walls I can connect the dimension point to. Any other ideas?

Re: Extending existing Dimension Lines

Karl Ottenstein — Sat, 16 Mar 2024 15:55:53 GMT

With the dimension string selected and not pressing any other keys, zoom somewhat if necessary to the wall corner and simply hover your mouse over the intersection point. The pop-up will tell you that there are multiple elements and to press the Tab key to select the desired one. Press tab and you'll see the blue highlight change from one wall to the other. When the wall that you want is highlighted in blue (and the dimension string is still selected because you have not pressed any other keys), press cmd/ctrl and click on the point.

A weirdness I just noticed is that if the wall I want is initially highlighted in blue... I don't consistently get the point on that wall. I have to tab twice to highlight the other wall, then back to the wall I want... and then I get the point on that wall.

BTW, shift-click with any tool activated is the standard/quick way of activating the select tool. So you can select anything with that method even while working with a different tool. And, tab always cycles through elements that are on top of one another... and there can be many at times.