Dimension lines/arrows-should be simple

[KenD]

So I'm drawing along (2-D) and got to where it was time to apply dimensions. Out of the blue I have arrows at the ends.

 

 

The file/template began with this style. This is what I like.

 

Somewhere along the line I must have grazed the keyboard or something causing this, so it must be simple to change. I have hunted around and cannot find where to change this.

 

Silly me thought it must be under Document Preferences+Dimensions...but nope. Units+Dimensions...nope. When I look for stuff like this its never where my mind thinks it logically should be. Obviously its somewhere and maybe even keyboard commands because I changed this without even knowing it.

 

Can anyone point me to the right place?

 

I have since just opened another template and copied and pasted in place so I can move on and not spend so much time trying to figure it out, but keeping the old file in case someone replies so I can learn what to do to fix this in the future. Searching help...was no help, and usually because I'm using the wrong words like "Dimension arrows" and "Dimension lines". They are probably called some technical word I'm not using.

 

VW 2021

 

Thanks

[Pat Stanford]

The term you are looking for is Dimension Standard.

 

You can set it in the Object Info Palette (OIP) for an individual dimension.

 

You can set the default and edit the Dimension Standards in the Document Preferences:Dimensions pane.

[Jonathan Pickup]

I have a YouTube movie to cover this: 

 

[jmcewen]

I suspect you have changed from Arch to ASME.  to change the existing dimensions choose Arch from this pull down in the Object Info Palette.

 

 

and to stop it from happening on new dimensions change it to Arch here.

 

Both are easy places to accidentally click, especially the second one which is your culprit.  Accidentally catching it while changing layers or editing existing layers

is probably when it happened.

[KenD]

Thanks Y'all! "Dimension Standard" was definitely what I was not thinking, but that's certainly what it was. I had somehow changed it to BSI which I had to look up to know what it means.

 

Hopefully I can remember this. I knew it was something very basic. I really appreciate you all being here and helping. I hope your kindness is returned in life.

[jmcewen]

18 hours ago, KenD said:

Thanks Y'all! "Dimension Standard" was definitely what I was not thinking, but that's certainly what it was. I had somehow changed it to BSI which I had to look up to know what it means.

 

Hopefully I can remember this. I knew it was something very basic. I really appreciate you all being here and helping. I hope your kindness is returned in life.

There are worse buttons to accidentally click.  I once turned off unified view before I knew much of anything and was totally lost for a whole day!

[KenD]

I am always grazing the number pad on the keyboard changing whatever view those do with the stroke of one key. I had to call premium tech support to get out of that jail. Again it was a simple solution, just press zero to return to the plan view.

 

On that note, any idea if there is a way to disable the number pad from changing views? I dont change views (intentionally), I am 2-D plan only.

 

It would be nice to have a go-back feature that we could just select the setup that existed 5 or 10 minutes ago to be able to back out of an unknown situation we didn't intend to get in to.

[Tom W.]

I'm pretty sure the numeric keypad switch view shortcuts can't be modified. But if you do change the view by mistake you can use the 'Previous View' button on View Bar to get back to where you were:

 

[jmcewen]

17 minutes ago, KenD said:

 

On that note, any idea if there is a way to disable the number pad from changing views? I dont change views (intentionally), I am 2-D plan only.

17 minutes ago, KenD said:

 

 

Does your keypad have a numlock button?

[jmcewen]

6 minutes ago, Tom W. said:

I'm pretty sure the numeric keypad switch view shortcuts can't be modified. But if you do change the view by mistake you can use the 'Previous View' button on View Bar to get back to where you were:

 

I was so happy when I figured that out.

[KenD]

Yes I do have a numlock but I actually use the number pad to enter numbers while drawing. Thanks for bringing my attention to the previous view button. It pretty much does what hitting zero does when I accidentally touch a number key and it goes in to 3D mode. I think what happens is I'll start to enter a number before I click in to a dimension cell, etc. in the object info palette for instance. The keypad is just sitting there ready to change to 3D with the strike of a key.

[E|FA]

I worked in 2D-only for many years and used the background color to clue me in if I accidentally switched to 3D, and then hit '0' on the numpad to get back to 2D.  The default 2D/3D background colors are pretty subtle, but you can change the 3D background so at least you'll know you accidentally switched to 3D right away:

 

File menu->Vectorworks Preferences->Interactive->Interactive Appearance Settings -> "General-Background-3D Views"->Color

Edited August 9, 2023 by E|FA