Have you ever wanted to dimension a drawing without doing it manually? Solidworks includes various tools and settings that might make the work much easier for you. A drawing is dimensioned by including size information and changing the shapes and locations of features on objects. After orthographic drawings have been used to define a part’s shape, measurements are added to provide sizing information. It is vital to know how to use auto-dimension in Solidworks.

The Solidworks Auto-dimension scheme tool is an option that will speed up the dimensioning process in your drawings and make annotations simple. Another option is to use Solidworks’ Automatic Sketch Dimensions. It speeds up the dimensional process considerably. Automatic Sketch Dimensions automatically add dimensions to your design or sketch as you sketch, rather than after you’ve done sketching an item. You can insert reference dimensions into drawing views using the Autodimension tool as baseline, chain, and ordinate dimensions. The Autodimension tool works similarly in sketches. The Auto-dimension scheme is a tool that makes dimensioning easier, faster, and more accurate, and this article will explain how to use auto-dimension in Solidworks.

How To Use Auto-dimension In Solidworks

Solidworks make dimensioning drawings and sketches easier and more precise. Solidworks’ Auto Dimension Scheme tool may automatically apply measurements and tolerances to manufacturing features of a component, drawing, or sketch. The tool’s goal is to constrain the selected features for size and placement using a collection of reference or datum features. The tool does not erase or override pre-existing measurements and tolerances; it applies different measurements and tolerances as necessary to limit the features properly. Except for an option to apply angle dimensions to planes at an angle to a datum or reference plane, the tool does not construct angle dimensions to find features from the datum or reference features. Follow the step-by-step below so you can learn how to use auto-dimension in Solidworks.

Step 1: You can find this tool under DimXpertManager. Choose the Auto Dimension Scheme under this tab.

The tool is also accessible through the Tools menu. Navigate to the Auto Dimension Scheme by clicking on MBD Dimension.

Step 2: After you enable this tool, go to the Dimension PropertyManager in Drawings’ Autodimension Tab and set the following properties to insert reference dimensions into drawing views as baseline, chain, and ordinate dimensions. You have the following options:

1. Dimensions for all entities in view: Dimensions for all entities in view

2. Selected entities: Dimensions are just the entities that have been chosen. Select Selected Entities to Dimension by clicking entities in the drawing view.

3. Dimensions horizontally:

Scheme: The horizontal Dimensioning Scheme specifies the entity utilized as the vertical point of origin. The Horizontal Dimensioning Scheme governs the dimension types that include: Placement of the Baseline, Chain, and Ordinate Dimensions: You have the option of selecting the Above view, which places dimensions above the drawing view, or the Below view, which places measurements below the drawing view.

4. Dimensions vertically:

Scheme: It defines the Vertical Dimensioning Scheme and the entity utilized as the horizontal point of genesis. The Vertical Dimensioning Scheme governs the following dimensions:

Ordinate, Chain, and Baseline.

Dimension placement: You can place measurements to the left or right of the drawing view.

5. Origin: This determines where the measurements should start. Don’t use horizontal and vertical datums; instead, use an origin. The starting point for all measurements should be placed at a horizontal edge. Click Apply after choosing a different edge to modify the origin.

Step 3: You will take the 3D model and produce a 2D drawing to which you will apply dimensioning when finished. Follow the instructions below:

Step 4: Click the option to make a drawing from a part or assembly, and pick a sheet format and size.

Step 5: Using the “View Palette,” you can add the views of the 3D design to the 2D drawing. You can add any view, including the front, top, right, and isometric. Click the Display Style option to make hidden lines visible, and you can also increase or decrease the sheet size using the Scale option.

Step 6: You can dimension the entire model or the parts individually. To add auto-dimension to any view of the drawing below, click Smart Dimension and navigate to the Autodimension tool.  

Step 7: Click on the part of the drawing or sketch you want to add dimension to, or in this example, a drawing. Select the necessary options you want to configure, as explained in step 2. When you are finally done, click OK, the green tick. All the measurements you established or used and the tags you supplied or used by default have now been applied to every view and feature in your 2-Dimensional design. The dimensions are set out to provide a clear view of each annotation.

Step 8: After you are done, click on the part you are dimensioning. An option to Auto Arrange Dimensions pops up, and you select it to arrange the dimensions very well. 

The dimensions are correctly arranged. You may then upload your part to eDrawings for evaluation after adding these dimensions with the Auto Dimension Scheme tool. The dimensions will be saved automatically.

Step 9: You could also pick an option under the Annotation tab that also performs the function of autodimension. The ‘MODEL ITEMS‘ After clicking on the tool, select the part you want to dimension and also select the view. Additionally, assign each property to the propertymanager, and the dimensioning is complete. You only need to go into “Model Items” and use the “Selected Feature” option for the reference choice to guarantee that only one feature is selected for dimensioning. Do not pick anything other than the feature directly. When a feature is selected, its orange outline turns blue, indicating that the feature has been selected and the function has been committed, as seen below.

Conclusion

That’s all there is to autodimension.In this article, I explained how to use autodimension in Solidworks and other options you need to set in its propertymanager. With the steps described here, you can save a lot of time and mouse clicks while instantly dimensioning your model. I hope this article was helpful and you can get started.