Dimensioning offset distances

You can dimension the horizontal or the vertical offset distance between two objects. These objects can be:

• Two control points.
• Two arcs, circles or fillets.
• An arc, a circle or a fillet and a control point.

To dimension the offset distance between two objects

1. Do any of the following:

• On the Dimensions toolbar, click Associative Dimension .

• On the Dimensions menu, click Two Objects.

2. Click consecutively the two objects.

A dimension line appears that follows the mouse pointer.

3. (Optional) To make the dimension-line text centered, ensure that Centered Text is pressed in.
4. Press and hold down SHIFT, and then rest the pointer until you find the dimensioning mode you want.
5. Holding down SHIFT, click where you want to place the dimension line.

Notes

• If you want to set a dimension between a point and line, you can measure only the direct distance between them along the perpendicular from the point to the line. Similarly, you cannot set a horizontal or a vertical offset distance dimension between two parallel lines or axes, as well as between an arc, a circle or a fillet and a line or an axis.
• You can set a horizontal or a vertical offset distance dimension between the starting and end points of a line segment when you use the Object Dimension mode (Dimensions | Single Object): click the line once, and then do Steps 3–5 from the procedure above.
• When possible, avoid using this horizontal/vertical offset distance dimension type; such a dimension will change if the objects that define it rotate at some later point in time — for example, as a result to specific modifications in the design.