CabMasterPro User Guide
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    Dimensions Format Label Tutorial
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    Formatting Labels

    On every dimension line you use, a label is placed along it showing details about that line/angle/leader. These labels can show a range of different items such as units, decimals, notations etc.

    For example, the default text on a dimension could simply just display, as shown, 1472.9 or it could include a leading notation, have a different colour, be placed on an angle or even include a trailing units e.g. 1472.9mm.

    Click to view more examples of leading and at angle

    Click to view more examples of leading and at angle

    You can also easily change the default dimension label to show a different number of decimal places or fractions and extra details. We do this by using the label details in combination with a format string, as discussed below, which is a special text code containing formatting information.

    Units displayed (metric or imperial) depend on Length Units you have selected in File Options.

    If using imperial, see the tutorial on Imperial Measurements.

    Once we have figured out the format string to use, it gets entered in the Text edit box of the Line Label page of the dimension's property sheet.

    Click to view Label page

    Click to view Label page

    Each dimension line (Dim Line) can have a different label format using the drop list for selection. Example, Base_Cabinets and Benchtops.

    To create your own default, edit the Dimension Tool - see Dimensions tutorial.

    Click to view DimSet Tool

    Click to view DimSet Tool

    Format the DimSet Item

    A label is placed along dimension lines showing details that can be customised before or after placement.

    DimSet - Before and After Placement

    Before Placement - Open the DimSet Tool by right clicking on the 'Dimension Set' icon. Tools are displayed with a blue background.

    After Placement - Open by selecting dimension line on the drawing and then from the right click menu select 'Format DimSet'. The only visible difference is that the background is displayed in light grey.

    The DimSet has four control pages which allows you to control all aspects of dimensioning lines. Click on links for detailed discussion on each of the following:-

    Text String Format

    Mandatory

    Every format string has a particular structure, which indicates that it is a format string and not a regular section of text.

    Format strings must start with a percentage sign ( % ) and must end with the letter 'F' in upper or lower case.

    Optional

    There are a number of optional elements though, two of which are the period (or full-stop) and the forward-slash ( / ). These are called the remainder characters, and indicate that decimal places or fractions are to be used.

    You can only include one or the other, although you won't usually want to use these by themselves. This is because the default remainder (decimals or fractions) is selected based on what units you use i.e. metric units have decimals and imperial units have fractions.

    If you use a remainder character, you can also include a precision number after it (but before the 'F' at the end) to indicate the precision e.g %.2F which, when you use decimals, determines the number of decimal places to display. With fractions, the precision number is the maximum denominator.

    So the general structure of a format string is:-

    % [remainder] [precision] <show units>
    where:

    This will be made clear in the examples below.

    Format String Examples

    Result Format Used Comment Notes
    Dimension Format 1   No format used (default) With the default precision and no units shown
    Dimension Format 3 %.0f no decimals, hide units Since precision was specified as "no decimal places", note that the number has been rounded, not just cut off.
    Dimension Format 2 %.2F 2 decimal places, show units Shows the current units being added to the label with 2 decimal places.
    Dimension Format 5 Start Text %.f End Text custom text before and after format

    Shows that you can still have other text in a dimension label.

    The text is printed as it appears, except the format string is replaced with the dimension length. The format string is only replaced once, and if no format string is explicitly included it is appended at the front of the label.

    Dimension Format 4 %/32F accurate to 1/32", show units

    With fractions, the precision indicates the smallest fraction to use (1/32" in this case).

    Fractional remainders are always simplified, i.e. 14/32" will be written as 7/16".

    Elevation Item Labels follow the same rules as discussed here for Dimension Line Labels.

    Example Elevation Item with Labels

    In this example the Text displayed is ...

    1. formula controlled to display 2 decimal points with Length Units i.e. mm [%.2F] and;
    2. set to an angle of 180 degrees.

    Dimension Format 1