SOLIDWORKS: Moving Dimensions, Techniques, and Best Practices

How do you move dimensions in SOLIDWORKS?

Moving dimensions in SOLIDWORKS is a fundamental skill for creating clear, readable, and professional engineering drawings, primarily achieved through direct dragging, using the Leaders tab in the PropertyManager, or leveraging auto-arrange features.

Understanding Dimension Placement Significance

Effective dimension placement is critical in technical drawings, transcending mere aesthetics to impact clarity, accuracy, and communication. Properly positioned dimensions ensure that manufacturing and assembly processes are executed without ambiguity, minimizing errors and rework.

• Clarity and Readability: Well-placed dimensions enhance the overall readability of a drawing, making it easy for anyone interpreting the drawing to quickly grasp the design intent and critical measurements. Overlapping or haphazardly placed dimensions lead to confusion and misinterpretation.
• Compliance with Standards: Industry standards (such as ASME Y14.5 for dimensioning and tolerancing, or ISO standards) dictate specific guidelines for dimension placement, spacing, and appearance. Adhering to these standards is essential for professional communication and interoperability.
• Efficiency in Design and Manufacturing: Clear drawings reduce the time required for design review, manufacturing setup, and quality inspection. Ambiguous drawings often lead to requests for information (RFIs), slowing down the entire product development cycle.

Basic Methods for Moving Dimensions

SOLIDWORKS provides intuitive methods for repositioning dimensions on your drawings, ranging from simple drag-and-drop operations to more controlled adjustments.

• Direct Dragging: This is the most common and straightforward method.
  • Select the Dimension: Click directly on the dimension text or the dimension line you wish to move. The dimension will highlight, indicating it's selected.
  • Click and Hold: With the dimension selected, click and hold the left mouse button on the dimension text or a portion of the dimension line (often near the text).
  • Drag to Desired Location: While holding the mouse button, drag the dimension to its new position. SOLIDWORKS often displays "snap lines" or inference lines to help align dimensions with others or with standard positions.
  • Release: Release the mouse button to place the dimension.
  • Smart Dimensioning: When dragging, SOLIDWORKS intelligently tries to maintain optimal spacing and alignment, snapping to predefined positions or aligning with other dimensions.
• Moving Dimension Text Only: Sometimes you need to move just the dimension text without altering the extension lines or leader lines.
  • Hold Alt Key: Select the dimension, then hold down the Alt key while dragging the dimension text. This allows you to separate the text from its default position between the extension lines, placing it freely or outside the extension lines while maintaining the dimension's association with the geometry.

Advanced Dimension Manipulation Techniques

Beyond basic dragging, SOLIDWORKS offers sophisticated tools to fine-tune dimension placement for professional-grade drawings.

• Using the Leaders Tab (Dimension PropertyManager): When a dimension is selected, the Dimension PropertyManager appears on the left side of the SOLIDWORKS interface. The "Leaders" tab within this PropertyManager offers precise control over dimension text position and leader line display.
  • Custom Text Position: Under the "Dimension Text" section, you can choose various options for text placement, such as:
    • Free: Allows complete freedom to place the text anywhere.
    • Centered: Centers the text between the extension lines.
    • Above/Below: Places the text above or below the dimension line.
    • Offset from Dimension Line: Provides a numerical offset value.
  • Leader Display: Options here control how the leader lines are drawn, including:
    • Smart: Default, optimized placement.
    • Display on One Side: Forces the dimension text and arrows to one side of the dimension line.
    • Break Line: Creates a break in the dimension line where the text is placed, preventing the line from passing through the text.
• Snap Lines and Inference: As you drag dimensions, SOLIDWORKS displays dashed blue lines (snap lines) that indicate alignment with other dimensions, view edges, or drawing sheet boundaries. Leveraging these visual cues helps maintain consistent spacing and professional appearance.
• Auto-Arrange Dimensions: For a quick cleanup of multiple dimensions, SOLIDWORKS can automatically arrange them.
  • Select Multiple Dimensions: Hold Ctrl and select all the dimensions you wish to arrange.
  • Right-Click -> Arrange Dimensions: Right-click on one of the selected dimensions and choose "Arrange Dimensions." SOLIDWORKS will attempt to evenly space and align the selected dimensions. This is particularly useful for cleaning up a block of dimensions quickly.
• Jogged Dimensions: When space is limited or dimensions overlap, a jogged dimension can provide clarity.
  • Creating Jogs: Right-click on a dimension and select "Display Options" -> "Jog Line." You can then drag the jog points to create a "Z" shape in the dimension line, moving the dimension text away from crowded areas while still pointing to the correct feature.
  • Adding/Removing Jog Points: You can add multiple jog points by right-clicking on the jogged dimension and selecting "Add Jog Point," or remove them by dragging them back to the dimension line.

Best Practices for Dimension Movement

Adopting best practices ensures your drawings are not only clear but also compliant with engineering standards.

• Avoid Overlapping: Never allow dimension lines, extension lines, dimension text, or other drawing annotations (like notes or balloons) to overlap. This is paramount for readability.
• Maintain Consistent Spacing: Strive for uniform spacing between parallel dimensions and between the object and the first dimension line. This contributes significantly to a clean, professional look.
• Group Related Dimensions: Keep dimensions pertaining to a specific feature (e.g., all dimensions for a hole pattern) together to make the drawing easier to interpret.
• Utilize Drawing Sheets and Views: For complex parts, consider using multiple drawing views or even multiple drawing sheets to spread out dimensions and avoid clutter.
• Regular Review: Periodically zoom out and review your drawing as a whole. A fresh perspective can help identify areas where dimension placement could be improved for clarity.
• Adhere to Standards: Always follow the specific dimensioning and tolerancing standards relevant to your industry or company. Consistency is key in technical documentation.

Troubleshooting Common Dimension Placement Issues

Even with intuitive tools, users may encounter minor issues when moving dimensions.

• Dimensions Snapping Incorrectly: If dimensions are snapping to unintended locations, try resetting the view or carefully dragging them away from dense areas before repositioning. Sometimes, restarting SOLIDWORKS or the drawing can resolve persistent snapping issues.
• Lost Associations: If a dimension seems to lose its connection to the geometry (e.g., its extension lines detach), it might have been accidentally moved away from its reference points. Delete the problematic dimension and re-add it using the Smart Dimension tool to ensure proper association.
• Overlapping Text/Lines: This is a common issue in crowded drawings. Utilize the "Jog Line" option, adjust the text position via the Leaders tab, or consider breaking the dimension line to avoid text overlap. If necessary, reconsider the placement of the drawing view or add an enlarged detail view to provide more space for dimensions.