Adding Dimensions

Overview

Dimensions are one of the most important tools for communicating your design. They clearly define cabinet locations, wall lengths, appliance openings, and other critical measurements that installers, project managers, and clients rely on throughout the project.

One of the biggest advantages of Revit is that dimensions remain connected to the model. Rather than manually updating dimensions every time a design changes, Revit automatically updates them whenever the model is modified. This helps improve accuracy while reducing repetitive work.

Adding the Dimension Tool to Your Quick Access Toolbar

Since dimensioning is one of the most frequently used tools in Revit, we recommend adding it to your Quick Access Toolbar.

To do this:

1. Navigate to the Annotate tab.

2. Locate the Aligned Dimension tool.

3. Right-click the command.

4. Select Add to Quick Access Toolbar.

This places the Dimension tool at the top of the Revit window, allowing you to access it quickly regardless of which ribbon tab you're working in.

Creating Dimensions

To create dimensions:

1. Navigate to the Annotate tab.

2. Select Aligned Dimension.

3. Click the elements you want to dimension, such as walls, cabinets, or reference points.

4. Click again to place the dimension line.

Revit automatically creates clean, accurate dimensions based on the elements you've selected.

Customizing Dimension Styles

Dimension styles can be customized to match your company's drafting standards.

To modify a dimension style, select an existing dimension and click Edit Type in the Properties palette.

From here, you can control a variety of settings including:

• Text size

• Text font

• Arrowheads

• Tick marks

• Line weights

• Precision and rounding

• Units displayed

You can also choose whether your dimensions display in metric, imperial, or both.

This allows you to produce drawing packages that match your office standards or the requirements of a specific project.

If your projects regularly involve both Canadian and U.S. measurements, displaying both metric and imperial dimensions can improve communication and reduce confusion during installation.

Automatic Dimension Updates

Because dimensions are associated directly with the Revit model, they update automatically whenever the design changes.

For example, if you:

• Move a cabinet

• Resize a cabinet

• Adjust a wall location

• Modify the layout

the associated dimensions update automatically without requiring manual edits.

This is one of the major advantages of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and helps ensure your documentation always stays coordinated with your design.

Best Practices

• Add the Dimension tool to your Quick Access Toolbar for faster access.

• Dimension from meaningful reference points, such as walls, cabinet faces, and appliance openings.

• Keep dimension strings clean and easy to read.

• Avoid duplicate or unnecessary dimensions that may clutter the drawing.

• Review dimensions after major design revisions to ensure the drawings clearly communicate your design intent.

Why It Matters

Well-dimensioned drawings are easier to understand, easier to review, and easier to build.

Combined with Revit's intelligent modeling capabilities, automatic dimensions help reduce drafting time, improve accuracy, and ensure that everyone involved in the project is working from the same coordinated information.