Automatic dimension/measuring tool please
A tool to automatically dimension signs would be an advantage to those of us working in the sign industry who create visuals for clients. It would also assist in maintaining accuracy of the artwork created and automatic checking device. This with the removal of the artboard size limitation would create a full working drawing platform for the manufacture of large signs for the retail industry.

Here we go, the first Beta version with the Dimension tool. Still very basic, but more features are to come. Please try the Beta 27.7 (available in the Beta section in your Creative Cloud Desktop application), test the tool and give the team your feedback here in comments. and refer to roadmap to see what will be added later.
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Richard Geoffrion commented
About your answer to me, Egor
WOW! Thanks for your example. Indeed, if you know this way to do it, it is not necessary to use an additional tool.
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Anonymous commented
Poor first attempt, not very adaptive and needs eventually be a click and drag type arrangement. We need the ability to move these dimensions away from the object, choose arrow heads and stroke weight etc. I can't even get it to measure in mm only pts
Have you guys never seen a copy of ...dare I say it...CorelDraw? -
Richard, to me personally this center lines thing feels like it’s beyond the arsenal of the tool... If I needed something like this, I’d use graphics styles and just one line. Please check the file attached.
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Richard Geoffrion commented
With dimension commands, a function to provide center lines would be very useful. Here's a simple possible approach to creating a command based on an existing function in the software. We could use the dashed line command for this. Only the length of the center cross and the space (equal) on both sides and the overshoot of the circle would need to be configured. I tested this using calculations in Excel and it seems to work well (see the attached drawing, note the result with a circle that's too small).
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Rene Andritsch commented
It is great to see this feature coming to Illustrator. As Richard already pointed out it would be helpful, to be able to place the dimensions manually once I clicked either a path or clicked two points.
1) define what gets measured
2) position the measurement
3) if the user likes it placed according to the preferences a double-click could doThanks!
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Richard Geoffrion commented
I think it's reasonable to use the "Arrows" function in "Strokes" to choose your arrowhead. However, it should be possible to reuse the document while retaining the arrowhead, even if you're using another computer without the library, after adding your arrowhead to the library. It's a bit like what is possible to do with styles.
I'm looking forward to testing the arrowhead selection in the tool. -
Richard, thanks, these are exactly what I expected to see.
And the text below the line is a known bug, will be fixed (and allowed to be customized, I hope) -
Anonymous commented
Great news. Very happy to see this is finally being implemented.
Being able to set the scale (and accuracy) is critical for my workflow though, so I won't make the switch from my current script just yet. But otherwise it seems to work great.
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Anonymous commented
So where's the Beta section of the CCD application? Can't find it via search......any help please?
Update page states I'm up to date????? -
Richard Geoffrion commented
When dimensioning, there is no space provided when pulling the dimension line. When two points are found, there should be an option to pull the dimension line.
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Anonymous commented
Firstly ... Hall-e-lujah ! Had a quick look, early days clearly. Will need click and drag extensions so that chain dimensions are possible. + Radius, OD, centres. True length can be obtained in Object info but would fit here too please.
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Richard Geoffrion commented
Illustrator is a graphic software. It is important to maintain complete control over all graphic aspects and the arrow is essential. Ideally, we should be able to create our own arrow using the symbols function instead of the arrow function in the stroke (adding arrows in the system is too complicated for an average user). The text should be placed above the dimension line.
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Allan Clarke commented
Thanks so much!
Even in the first beta it's very useful and saves extra steps over what I'd been doing before. The ability to assign preset dimensioning "styles" (units, stroke value, arrowhead/text size, etc.) and add them to a dimension presets library would be very nice. Thanks so much for this feature/tool! I can't wait to see how it develops from here! -
Carl Wallis commented
Nice feature but could do with a few tweaks...
1. Option to select how many decimal places the dimension displays.
2. Each completed should generate already grouped.
3. Dimension tool for measure angles.
4. Annotation toolOne extra useful addition - remove the artboard size cap.
This means we can draw artwork at full size scale with dimension shown etc instead of having to save at a percentage scale. -
Eloi commented
@jean-michel-le-goff
Bizarre, je suis en France et j'ai bien eu accès à la Beta 27.7 dès hier... -
@Jean-Michel Le Goff in CCD Updates section there is a button check for updates or it will give you update in 24 hours.
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Jean-Michel Le Goff commented
@Bradley,
Yes I know but for now here in France, we are still in 27.6 -
Bradley Smith commented
@jean-michel-le-goff in the CC APP on the left hand side you will see beta apps!
be sure to backup any work you open in the beta apps (do not over wright original content) i have experienced a loss when doing that. -
Jean-Michel Le Goff commented
Oups, I'm sorry but my CC Desktop app tell me that I am "up to date" but with a 27.6
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Anonymous commented
It looks like what you've got so far is a tool that describes the dimensions of the selected object, by generating line and text objects as entities in the page. Looking at the details of this feature request it looks like that may have been all OP asked for, but what I had intended to voice support for was a feature that would allow me to establish a dimension as a defined entity, then change that number to enforce a change in the shape of the design, which would propagate out through other elements that are defined relative to that initial one. I'm looking for this because I find these tools really useful in CAD software, but it often feels silly to be using tools like Fusion360 for things like graphic design, which lack many of the other features Illustrator is designed for.
Is this a direction that this tool is going to move towards, or should I expect that continued development of the dimension tool is going to remain strictly functional for automatically generating graphics describing the already prescribed dimensions of the art on the page?