With the Dimension tool and dimension objects we got several important commands that deal around not having presets for these: Apply to All and Set as Default.

These commands are available only as buttons, and are not accessible from anywhere else, including Control panel (here is a request about it: http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/49010126) and top menu.

In case Properties doesn’t work (as it doesn’t for me) and another case a user just doesn’t like the panel (since it’s still very raw and buggy), we can’t get to these in any other way, and can’t assign a hotkey (since Ai just doesn’t allow to hotkey all the things we can call or press (here is a request about it: http://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/333657/suggestions/31609237).

Please put these into a menu!