Dimension Size and Font

[DanRathbun]

@medeek

Is there currently no way to set the font and size of linear dimensions created with the API?

Correct, and there never has been via the Ruby API.

@medeek

If this is the case it is a serious limitation

Others have agreed and said so, and requested this be added to the Ruby API for many years.

Discussed in these forums in Feb of 2015 …

Dimension font and height can't be changed?

I was surprised a week ago to find that there was no way to access and change model info settings for dimensions. Now I can’t seem to find anyway of directly changing a new dimension’s font, style (eg bold) or height. I especially like dimension text that is a fixed height inches rather than view dependent points. Is there a workaround that I don’t see?

And again later that year in November of 2015 …

Set font characteristics for leader text or dimension text

Finally I can set font characteristics for text in 2016. http://www.sketchup.com/intl/en/developer/docs/ourdoc/view#draw_text But It only works for screen text and the size can only be defined in points. I still can’t set font characteristics for leader text or dimension text. Dimension text especially should usually be set to a height in units not points as you can in the Model Info window. And I still can’t access or set the defaults in the Model Info window. So this “improvement” is no …

Officially requested in the official issue tracker in February of 2018 …
(… although it has been requested and logged long before even 2015.)

Dimensions Properties, Font and Attachment

Note also discussion threads in this category and issue filed specifically for leader text object font access. (Please search and add comments. Ask to unlock threads if needed.)

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@medeek

It appears that when I create dimensions the font and size default to the model settings found in the Model Info tab. Perhaps there is a way to set the overall model dimensioning atttributes within the API?

Not with the Ruby API. There is actually no Sketchup::OptionsProvider instance yet implemented for the “DimensionOptions” (seen in the Model Info dialog.)

I just logged an issue for this (just in case it’s been overlooked) …

Need "DimensionsOptions" Sketchup::OptionsProvider instance

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The SketchUp C API does actually have these methods to get and set dimension fonts, but last I heard from @thomthom, he said using the C API on a live model was unsafe.

So I can’t say if there are actually any workarounds.