Dimension styles

A dimension style describes how a dimension feature is displayed, including its symbology, label font, and label text. Each dimension feature class has at least one style. Dimension features within the dimension feature class are associated with a particular style. All dimension features of a particular style have certain characteristics that are the same and other characteristics that can be overridden on a feature-by-feature basis.

Caution:

Dimension styles are specific to dimension features, not to be confused with project styles. However, dimension styles optionally can be saved as style items into project styles for reuse.

ArcGIS Pro provides tools that allow you to store dimensions in your geodatabase. You can also create dimension styles to apply to your dimension features so they are consistent with your application standards. ArcGIS Pro supports a number of dimension types and methods for creating dimensions.

Once a style is created in a dimension class, it cannot be modified. If you want to modify the properties of an existing dimension style, you must create a new dimension style with the new properties. You can create styles based on the properties of an existing style, or you can select a style from a style file.

The dimension styles' properties are defined on the Dimension Style Properties view. This view has three sections: Lines and Point Symbols, Text, and Fit. The Lines and Point Symbols section allows you to set the properties for the dimension lines, line arrows, and extension lines. The Text section allows you to control the content of the dimension text as well as its symbology. The Fit section allows you to define how the dimension and dimension text adjust when the dimension's length is too short to display the point symbols and text between the extension lines.

When creating dimension features and assigning them a style, some properties can be overridden on a feature-by-feature basis. The properties that you can override for each feature are as follows:

• Dimension line display
• Point symbol display
• Expression
• Extension line display

Dimension style properties

Lines and Point Symbols

Property name	Description
Starting point symbol	The point symbol used for the arrow at the end of the begin dimension line. Note: The properties listed below are the basic point symbol properties. Learn more about point symbols Point symbol subproperty Description Color The color of the point symbol. Outline color The color of the line symbol used to draw the outline of the point symbol. Outline width The width of the outline measured in points. Size The size of the point symbol measured in points. Angle The angle of the point symbol, measured counterclockwise, in degrees. Angle alignment Specifies whether point symbols align to the map or to the display when a rotation is applied to the map. Display—Points remain aligned to the display when the map is rotated. Map—Points are rotated with the map. Halo symbol subproperty Description Color The color of the polygon symbol used to draw the halo for a point symbol. Outline color The color of the line symbol used to draw the outline of the halo for a point symbol. Outline width The width of the outline measured in points. Halo size The size of the halo, measured in points, that extends beyond the symbol shape.
Ending point symbol	The point symbol used for the arrow at the end of the end dimension line. Note: The properties listed below are the basic point symbol properties. Learn more about point symbols Point symbol subproperty Description Color The color of the point symbol. Outline color The color of the line symbol used to draw the outline of the point symbol. Outline width The width of the outline measured in points. Size The size of the point symbol measured in points. Angle The angle of the point symbol, measured counterclockwise, in degrees. Angle alignment Specifies whether point symbols align to the map or to the display when a rotation is applied to the map. Display—Points remain aligned to the display when the map is rotated. Map—Points are rotated with the map. Halo symbol subproperty Description Color The color of the polygon symbol used to draw the halo for a point symbol. Outline color The color of the line symbol used to draw the outline of the halo for a point symbol. Outline width The width of the outline measured in points. Halo size The size of the halo, measured in points, that extends beyond the symbol shape.
Display	Indicates which begin and end point symbols should be displayed: Both Start End None
Dimension line symbol	The line symbol used for the dimension line. Note: The properties listed below are the basic line symbol properties. Learn more about line symbols Subproperty Description Color The color of the line symbol used to draw the dimension line. Line width The width of the dimension line in points.
Display	Indicates which dimension lines should be displayed: Both Start End None
Baseline dimension height	The height of the construction for creating baseline dimensions with this style.
Extension line symbol	The line symbol used for the extension lines. Note: The properties listed below are the basic line symbol properties. Learn more about line symbols Subproperty Description Color The color of the line symbol used to draw the dimension line. Line width The width of the dimension line in points.
Display	Indicates which of the extension lines should be displayed: Both Start End None
Overshoot	The length of the extension line overshoot.
Offset	The length of the extension line offset.

Text

Property name	Description
Font name	The font family name—for example, Comic Sans.
Font style	The style name for the font family—for example, Regular, Bold, or Italic. Note: In addition to preset styles, variable fonts enable customization of their font variations, such as width, weight, slant, and so on. Click the Font Variation button to access the variations. Subproperty Description Array of font variations The value specified for the variation, for example, weight, width, slant, and so on.
Size	The size of the text measured in points.
Edit Text Symbol	The text symbol used for the text.
Expression	The actual string that is displayed for the dimension text. This can be one of the following: Only display the value of the dimension length. Display the value of the dimension length with a prefix and suffix. Display a text string derived from a custom expression. Do not display any text. Subproperty Description Expression parser name The text expression parser for the text expression for the style. Prefix The prefix for the text expression for the style. Suffix The suffix for the text expression for the style. This is a list of units.
Align text to dimension	Specifies whether the text should be aligned with the dimension line.
Display units	The units in which the length of the dimension text is displayed.
Precision	The precision for the value displayed by the dimension text.

Fit

Property name	Description
Point symbol fit	The adjustment in the display of the point symbols and text when the dimension's length is too short to show the point symbols and text between the extension lines. The arrow fit policy of the style. Symbols collide with text—Fit markers when overlapping the text. A tolerance is reached—Fit markers with text using the length of the dimension line. Do not adjust symbols. Subproperty Description Tolerance The arrow fit tolerance of the style.
Draw line between inward symbols	Specifies whether a dimension line should be drawn between the extension lines for an inward dimension.
Text fit	The adjustment in the display of the point symbols and text when the dimension's length is too short to show the point symbols and text between the extension lines. The text fit policy for the style. Start of dimension line—Move the text outside the begin extension line. End of dimension line—Move the text outside the end extension line. Do not adjust text.
Extend dimension line to length of text	Specifies whether the dimension line will be extended to underline the text on inward dimensions.