If you have played around with dimensional constraints, you have noticed that they look very different than regular dimensions. In fact, they are so different that they are not presentable. Well… they will be presentable after reading this tutorial.

First, let’s make a dimensional constraint:

Scenario 1 – No existing dimensions

• In the “Dimensional” panel on the “Parametric” ribbon, click the “Linear” dimensional constraint button.
• A pickbox will appear, and if you hover over a line, a red x will appear at the end of the line that the “dim” will measure from. Click to accept and do the same for the other side of the line.
• Place the dimension

Scenario 2 – Converting an existing dimension into a constraint

• In the “Dimensional” panel on the “Parametric” ribbon, click the  “Convert” button.
• Pick the dims that you want to convert. After selecting, hit <enter>.
• The dims will now be converted.

These new dims are very functional, but not very presentable, so let’s fix that.

What we will do is change the constraint to not show the lock symbol, the “d1=” (name of the constraint), and put it back to the layer & color as it originally looked like when it was created.

Settings:

• In the lower right corner of the “Dimensional” panel on the “Parametric” ribbon, click the diagonal arrow to open the “Constraint Settings” dialog.
• Click the “Dimensional” tab
• Change the dropdown from “Name and Expression” to “Value”
• Uncheck the “Show lock icon for annotational constraints”
• Click OK

Settings dialog

Notice that the name (prefix) of “d1=” has been removed but the lock symbol may still be visible and the color/layer is not correct yet.

• Select the dim(s)
• Right click and select Properties to open the Properties Tool Palette
• Change the “constraint form” from “Dynamic” to “Annotational”

• Exit the Properties palette and your once un-presentable Dimensional Constraints are now presentable.