I’m starting to use LayOut to create construction documents for both residential and commercial architectural projects. Residential construction documents allow for a great deal of flexibility in the look and feel of the drawings. So this feature is not that big of deal. For Layout to function well in creating final construction drawings for commercial arhcitecture, there needs to be some refinement of the dimensioning tool. I need to be able to offset the extension line from the object being dimensioned a consistent, fixed distance. Ideally this distance remains consistent across whatever scale of drawing that I am dimensioning. I realize that you can manually fix this for each dimension but it really should be much easier to do.
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I also need it 
The offset distance for the extension lines is set in Shape Styles and can be set before inserting dimensions. You can set it to suit your needs.
I couldn’t find ‘offset distance for the extension line’ setting value in ‘Shape Styles’ dialog …
but I can change ‘offset distance for the extension line’ (screen shot [a] value).
- double click drawn dimension
- then carefully select only left (or right) extension line (need to click on line, not white space)
- adjust [a] value by drag blue point
- change extension line’s edge arrow style by selecting ‘Shape Styles’ dialog
(double click drawn dimension, selected dimension line, dimension value, right/left extension line)
(extension line’s extension [b] is just a ‘End Arrow’ symbol, not a line extension)
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You* could* drag the end points like that but I’d just set the offset value by changing the size of the “start arrow” for the extension line.
Change the top of the extension line if you wish, too.
Make those adjustments to each extension line on one dimension and then get the Dimension tool. Hit S and click on the dimension you just modified. Any new dimensions going forward will have those settings.
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I just mean I could set value after drawing dimension, not befor.
Befor drawing dimension, Shape Style Setting (start/end arrow, size, etc…) is for dimension line, not for dimension’s extention line.
I can store my dimension style to scrapbook and spoit it before drawing dimension.
Or, if it is a setting you’d use all the time, set it as part of your template
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Dave
i had no idea that those adjustments were available, i’ve been miserable for years… thanks for the tip…
drew
Happy that was helpful. I’m sorry you didn’t find this almost 5 years ago.
Since then there’s also settings for controlling the gap distance in Dimension Style, too.
Dang it… I’m always doing things the hard way… thanks for the info… again… I owe you a virtual beer…
Pretty soon it’s going to have to be a real one. 
not quite, though… 
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Check out these videos, they may be old news for you but there may be a tidbit in them:
Layout Dimensions
Drawing shapes in Layout
Layers and Pages in Layout
All by the SU Team