Regarding your comment Joe. I was not advocating to use CAD Tools what I meant was that Adobe should copy the CAD Tools set up and incorporate this into AI as part of the already expensive package.
We shouldn't have to rely on 3rd party plugins.

I'm a state school teacher, we pay for Ai site licences from our very limited resources. Ai is great but unfortunately we need to use, teach and pay for other software for dimensions which I use to get from CorelDrawV11 way back in the nineties. Plug ins are not an option given price and our network controls. We'd like basic functionality - L x W, centres, distance between centres, angles, radii, true length, quick areas etc. Simple stuff given all the other bells and whistles Ai offers but which I don't use. Thank you.

You're missing the point. We already have CadTools, and yes, it's OK at serving our needs. But considering the amount of money we give to Adobe every year to pay for the Creative Cloud, surly they could include notes and dimensioning in the base product, instead of all these other tools Adobe develops that we don't use.

We can't use Illustrator to get our work done without CadTools, and it shouldn't be that way. If Adobe needs to buy out HotDoor, then they should do that. If HotDoor won't sell, then put them out of business by writing the code yourself.

This has been going on for years, and I can't figure out why Adobe has not included this tool, unless they are somehow profiting off of the HotDoor Cadtools somehow.

And every time there is a new update for Illustrator CC, Adobe directly emails our end users, they run out and install the new version because they think there will be something useful included, and all it does is break CadTools, which they actually need.

Adobe, listen to your end users and give us the tools we need to do our work.

As I have mentioned previously, just take a look at HotDoor CADTools, this covers what is needed from my point of view. We need to add dimensions to all the label proofs, including curves, angles, etc.

Love it, do it! I've been looking for something like this in Adobe Illustrator for a while. I also work in the sign industry. If it could also measure angles and the length of a curve plus measure/display the distance between one line and another for client and in-house visuals that would be fantastic.

Really, really want dimensioning ... pretty please Adobe

The ability to set multiple scales within the same document would be ideal. I know CadTools allows this by allowing a scale to be set per layer. I found this to be really cumbersome because I don't typically use layers in Illustrator and also do a lot of copying and pasting within the document. I would suggest being able to set a scale on a group. This would allow for a much more efficient workflow. For example, I could have an elevation of a sign design at 1"=1' scale and on the same artboard I could also create a detail drawing of a different scale by creating a group and setting a different scale.

Just repost this... very useful ! The best free alternative I've found so far !
Thanks to Kyle !
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Kyle commented · September 10, 2019 12:33
LMP
have you tried this script yet? I discovered it the other week and while not perfect it's free and does all I need: https://adamdehaven.com/blog/dimension-adobe-illustrator-designs-with-a-simple-script/

On another note these kind of basic features really shines a light on how well Adobe knows Its customers... aka we're not all graphic designers

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@Jonny / To delete measurement, just unlock the layer "spec". Yep, It's that easy !

Would be great. If you do this please make sure we can set a scale on the document i.e... 1/10 Scale versus Full size. :)

Give dimension tools for Illustrator, so i can draw easily a dimension without using any product out of Adobe product.

This would be a really awesome feature.

This would need to be in illustrator. They would need to be 'live'.

Regarding what dimension types and settings are appropriate, the 3rd party plugin CadTools would be a good baseline.

The problem with cadtools is the buggyness and unexpected results/ crashes that i am sure adobe could get rid of if writing the code native to their system.

YES PLEASSSSSSSSSSSE

I too was desperately looking for that feature. This plugin, costing $ 25,–, is quite useful for me: https://o2creative.co.nz/shop/Add_Dimensions_PowerScript_for_Adobe_Illustrator
I hope it helps.

tried the scrip below but can't delete measurements....is there a solution.

LMP
have you tried this script yet? I discovered it the other week and while not perfect it's free and does all I need: https://adamdehaven.com/blog/dimension-adobe-illustrator-designs-with-a-simple-script/

On another note these kind of basic features really shines a light on how well Adobe knows Its customers... aka we're not all graphic designers

LMP...……. problem is there is no alternative, only a monopoly, I agree Adobe don't really care and there's nowt we can do...….. and they know it,. there are so many issues with illustrator, mainly basics which it does very poorly, purchasing additional 3rd party software to supplement it's inadequacies is not the answer.

So today Cad Tools announces Version 12 is available. In the announcement they state that previous version of Cad Tools will not work with new version of AI. So the decision to throw more money at Cad Tools for the feature is right in my face. Why can't this addition be made to AI? Very frustrated with Adobes lack of caring. Looking for other alternatives.

Why so reluctant to add this feature?
I really can't understand it.....

A dedicated dimension tool that can show, horizontal/ vertical/ angles and Diameters/ radius dimensions

Jason
Completely agree with you, this is a so much needed tool, live, customizable, elegant, etc. pleaase