|
| Dimensioning toolbar:
|
|
| Dimension menu: Leader |
|
| Command line: leader |
The following prompt is displayed at the command line.
From point: Specify
a point or use an Object Snap mode to attach the leader line to
an object
To point: Specify a point
AutoCAD LT draws a leader line segment to the point specified and continues to prompt for other points and options.
A leader is an object that can be composed of an arrowhead attached to splines or straight line segments. In some cases, a short horizontal line, called a hook line, dogleg, or landing, connects text and feature control frames to the leader line.
You can use various dimensioning system variables to control the appearance of leader lines, such as placing the text above the hook line with DIMTAD.
The LEADER command creates complex leader lines. DIMDIAMETER and DIMRADIUS create simple automatic leader lines for circle and arc dimensions.
Draws a leader line segment to the point specified and continues to prompt for points and options.
To point (Format / Annotation / Undo) <Annotation>: Specify a point, enter an option, or press ENTER
Controls the way the leader is drawn and whether it has an arrowhead.
Spline / STraight / Arrow / None / <Exit>: Enter an option or press ENTER
After each option, AutoCAD LT returns to the To Point (Format / Annotation / Undo) <Annotation> prompt.
Draws the leader line as a spline. The vertices of the leader are the control points, each of equal weight.
Draws the leader line as a set of straight line segments.
Draws an arrowhead at the start point of the leader line.
Draws a leader line with no arrowhead at the start point.
Inserts annotation at the end of the leader line, such as line text, paragraph text, a feature control frame containing geometric tolerances, or a block.
Annotation (or ENTER for options): Enter text or press ENTER
When you press ENTER AutoCAD LT places the text you enter at the end of the leader line and ends the command. Pressing ENTER without entering text displays the following prompt:
Tolerance / Copy / Block / None / <Mtext>: Enter an option or press ENTER
After you enter the text, the LEADER command ends.
Creates a feature control frame containing geometric tolerances using the Geometric Tolerance dialog boxes. For a complete description, see TOLERANCE.
You can create datum indicators and basic dimension notation in these dialog boxes. After you specify the geometric tolerance, the LEADER command ends.
Copies text, paragraph text, a feature control frame with geometric tolerances, or a block and connects the copy to the end of the leader line. The copy is associated with the leader line. The display of the hook line depends on the object copied.
Select an object: Use an object selection method
AutoCAD LT places the object and ends the LEADER command. The text is inserted at a location determined by the value of the current text gap (see the DDIM command or the DIMGAP dimensioning system variable). Any blocks or feature control frames with geometric tolerances are attached to the end of the leader line.
Inserts a block at the end of the leader line. AutoCAD LT uses the same prompts as the INSERT command. The block reference is inserted at an offset from the end of the leader line and is associated to the leader line. No hook line is displayed.
Ends the command without adding any annotation to the leader line.
Creates paragraphs of text using the Edit MText dialog box. Enter the text. Strings for prefixes should precede, and for suffixes should follow, angle brackets (< >). Enclose format strings for alternate units in square brackets ([ ]).
The units settings and the current text style determine the appearance of the text. The paragraph of text is vertically centered, and it's horizontally aligned according to the X axis direction of the last two vertices of the leader line.
The text is offset from the hook line by the distance specified under Gap in the DDIM Annotation dialog box. If the offset specified is negative, the paragraph text is enclosed in a box as a basic dimension.
Undoes the last vertex point on the leader line. AutoCAD LT redisplays the To Point (Format / Annotation / Undo) <Annotation> prompt.
Leader lines are planar 2D objects similar to dimension objects. The appearance of the leader line is controlled by a dimension style. Any units or text style settings defined in the dimension style are applied to the annotation whenever possible.
| Leader line feature | Controlled by | System variable |
| Color of leader line and arrowhead | Color option for dimension line in the DDIM Geometry dialog box | DIMCLRD |
| Arrowhead type | 1st option for arrowheads in the DDIM Geometry dialog box | DIMBLK or DIMBLK1 when the arrowheads vary |
| Arrowhead and hook line size (hook lines are one arrowhead long) | Size option for arrowheads in the DDIM Geometry dialog box | DIMASZ |
| Gap between annotation and hook line | Gap option for text in the DDIM Annotation dialog box | DIMGAP |
| Scale | Overall Scale option in the DDIM Geometry dialog box | DIMSCALE |
| Basic dimension annotation boxed text | Basic option for dimension tolerance in the DDIM Annotation dialog box | DIMGAP
(negative value) |
AutoCAD LT automatically includes a hook line if the angle of the leader line is greater than 15 degrees from horizontal.
To position text above the hook line, as it is in JIS (Japanese Industrial Standards), select the Outside Horizontal option for text and the Above option for vertical justification options in the DDIM Format dialog box. AutoCAD LT stores these values in the DIMTOH and DIMTAD variables, respectively.
Related Commands:
DDIM creates and modifies dimension styles. DIMDIAMETER
creates diameter dimensions for circles or arcs. DIMRADIUS
dimensions the radius of a circle or arc, with an optional center
mark or centerline. MTEXT creates paragraphs. SPLINE
creates a spline (NURBS) curve. TOLERANCE creates geometric
tolerances to control form, profile, orientation, location, and
runout of a feature.
System Variables:
DIMASZ controls the size of arrowheads. DIMBLK defines
the block for arrowheads. DIMBLK1 defines the block for
the first arrowhead. DIMCLRD controls the color of the
dimension line. DIMGAP controls the size of the text gap.
DIMSCALE controls the overall scale of dimension objects.
DIMTAD controls the vertical justification of dimension
text.