Here is a useful command that lets you easily add clarity to your dimensions. If you have ever dealt with dimension lines that cross over other dimension lines, you might recognize that these dimension lines can easily be confused for objects in the drawing. The old way of dealing with this was exploding a dimension and then adding a break to one of the lines. This tool adds the break and yet keeps the dimension intact and associative.

Plus, this tool will keep your drafting instructor at school happy…

Here’s how:

• DIMBREAK <enter> at the command line or
• Annotate tab on the ribbon > Dimensions panel > “Break” tool (as seen below)
• Select the dimension line that you want the break applied to
• Select the dimension line that crosses the first line. Where these dimension lines cross is where the break will occur.

To change the size of the break that this command creates:

Open the Dimension Style Manager

• At the command line: D <enter> or DIMSTYLE <enter>
• Or on the ribbon: click the diagonal arrow in the bottom of the “Dimension” panel of the Annotate tab of the ribbon
• Once in the Dim Styles manager:
• Select the Dimension Style that you want to change and then click “Modify”
• Then click the “Symbols & Arrows” tab
• Then at the bottom left of the dialog box, you can change the size of the break (as seen below)

Click here to learn how to remove dimbreaks from objects