In the previous lesson, you learned how to add new pages and insert basic content, and now I’ll show you how to supplement it all with dimension lines, captions and other supporting elements.

I will start by selecting this icon to return to the previous page (Previous), because I would like to add a few dimension lines to this plan. Since I will need completely different options for that, I will open the Layers, Shape Style and Dimension Style sections with a few clicks and close all the others at the same time.

Since we are now in a completely different working environment, it is no longer possible to control the display of individual elements through Tags, but so-called tags are used for that purpose – Layers. This means that the entire display is based on different levels and that the visibility of individual objects depends on their order.

To show you how it works in practice, I’ll create a new Layer by selecting the plus icon and immediately change its name. To that end, it is enough to double-click on the appropriate text and enter new content. As soon as I press Enter, the program will accept the new name and all I have to do is check if the Layer I just created is active. In this case, everything is fine, and this is confirmed by the pencil-shaped symbol that appeared on the left (Active Layer).

To add a new dimension line, it is necessary to start the Dimensions function first, and there is an option to choose linear or angular dimension. I’m going to select the first item and zoom in a bit on the drawing that’s currently on the screen.

Before I actually measure out some distance, I’d like to draw your attention to the options that allow you to choose the shape of future dimension lines. You must change them before you start dimensioning, otherwise all dimension lines will look like the one I just created. I would like slashes to appear instead of arrows at the ends, so to that end I will select the appropriate options and immediately check what I have achieved. At first glance, everything seems to be fine, but it would be even better if the measured value was displayed in a slightly different form. This can be achieved by changing the Precision parameter, and I will choose a slightly smaller value and thus reduce the number of decimal places.

If you don’t like the shape and size of the numbers used, you can change them very easily. To this end, it is enough to go to the section called Text Style and select the appropriate Font on the left. I have a really large selection, and I believe that you too will have enough different types of letters at your disposal. In addition, you will have the opportunity to determine their size, and I will opt for the standard value of 10 Points.

Now that I have successfully set all the necessary parameters, I can go back to the drawing and set up my first dimension line. It should cover the entire length of the room, so I will first click on the lower left corner and then select the point on the opposite side in the same way. After that, I only need to place the cursor outside the drawing and with one more press of the left key determine the final position of the new dimension line.

In order for you to understand how simple this all is, I will repeat the whole process and measure the distance between these two walls. As you can see, the program will automatically create a new dimension so I can go ahead and mark all the segments that make up the facade. To that end, I need to click on the characteristic points and determine the position of the new dimension line. To add a new segment, it is not necessary to repeat the entire procedure, but it is enough to mark the end of the next element with a double click, and the program will automatically add a new dimension. The same applies to each subsequent segment, and if the measured distance is relatively short, the numerical value will be written on the side. You can change its position later, and to that end, it is enough to activate the Select function, select the corresponding dimension line with a double click and simply move the measured value. I will settle for the default solution, but I will therefore take the opportunity to remove from the drawing all the dimension that I used as an example.

After that, it won’t be difficult for me to create a series of dimesional lines that extend along the right facade with a few strokes of the mouse, and it wouldn’t hurt if you do the same thing and get a little routine. In case you are not satisfied with how this all turned out, you can select certain segments and change their parameters. To that end, I will select these two dimension lines and by clicking on the Below option, transfer the measured values to the opposite side. If you prefer the numbers to be written horizontally, activate the Orient option and there is also the possibility to place them within the main dimension line.

In a similar way, you can control the length of the auxiliary dimension lines and thus relieve the entire drawing. To that end, it is necessary to select Length for the Extension Line parameter instead of the Gap option, but that this applies to both elements. After that, you will be able to determine the new length of the auxiliary dimension lines, and I will make sure that they are significantly shorter. The program will automatically apply the new parameters, but they will not apply to the dimension I created earlier. I would have to change them separately, but I will do it in a slightly different way. Namely, if I start the Eyedropper function and click on an dimension that has the appropriate shape, the program will automatically download its parameters, so it will not be difficult for me to transfer them to another element. In other words, if I now click on any of these dimension lines, they will immediately get a new look, which means a different position of the measured value and shorter auxiliary segments.