How to Use Dynamic Dimensions in BricsCAD

Quick answer: Dynamic dimensions show length and angle fields right at your cursor while you create or grip-edit a linear entity, so you don’t need to look away to the Command line. Beyond creating and editing, they can also measure entities on hover, and display automatically when entity snap tracking points are acquired.

Accessing Dynamic Dimension Settings

Right-click the DYN field in the Status Bar and choose Settings to open Dynamic input settings.

Variable	Controls
`DYNMODE`	Whether and when dynamic dimensions display: as Editable dynamic dimensions while creating or manipulating entities, or as Tracking dynamic dimensions while using entity snap tracking
`DYNDIGRIP`	Which dynamic dimensions display (depends on `DYNDIVIS`): Resulting length (total length of the line/segment), Extended length (incremental length), Absolute angle (relative to the current UCS’s X-axis), Relative angle (relative to the entity’s original angle), or Arc radius
`DYNDIVIS`	How many dynamic dimensions display at once when creating or grip-editing
`DYNPICOORDS`	Whether dynamic coordinate input defaults to Relative or Absolute

Appearance and Unit Formatting

Colour, linetype, position, and transparency are controlled by five separate preferences: DynDimColorHover, DynDimColorHot, DynDimDistance, DynDimLinetype, and DynInputTransparency.

For units specifically: if bitcode 16 of PROPUNITS (“format dynamic dimensions”) is set, dynamic dimensions display using a dedicated unit. Separately, if bitcode 1 is set, typing a unit directly into a length field auto-converts it to the drawing’s base unit, for example with INSUNITS set to mm, typing 2m converts to 2000.0000 mm, and 1ft converts to 304.8000 mm. If you don’t specify a unit at all, whatever INSUNITS is set to gets used by default.

Creating Entities with Dynamic Dimensions

Launch a 2D entity command, LINE with DYNDIVIS set to 1 or 2, for example.
Specify the first point, then move the cursor. The Length dimension appears and highlights.
Either type a length and press Tab to jump to the Angle dimension (Length locks and turns red), type a length and click to finish the line at the cursor’s current angle, or just press Tab to jump to Angle without typing a length.
Either type an angle and press Enter to finish the line, type an angle and press Tab to go back to Length, press Enter alone to finish at the cursor’s current angle, or press Tab alone to go back to Length.

Two things worth knowing:

If DYNDIVIS is 0, only one dynamic dimension shows at a time; press Tab to move to the next field.
Type a value into the Length field and add a comma, and that value gets copied straight to the Command line with an @ automatically placed in front of it, letting you specify the next point using relative coordinates from the previous one.

Grip-Editing with Dynamic Dimensions

Select the entity or entities; their grips appear.
Click the grip you want to edit and move the cursor. Depending on DYNDIVIS, one, several, or all dynamic dimensions appear at once, and the first one highlights.
Either type a value and press Tab to lock it (it turns red) and move to the next dimension, type a value and press Enter to finish, or press Tab alone to move on without typing.
Repeat, or press Enter to stop.

Measuring Entities with Dynamic Dimensions

This works in the 2DWireframe visual style only, and doesn’t require actually editing anything:

Select the entity or entities; their grips appear.
Hover over a grip. It highlights, and every dimension related to that grip displays, just from hovering, without clicking.
Optionally click to start editing that grip if you want to make a change.

Dynamic Dimensions with Tracking Points

If the Tracking dynamic dimensions option of DYNMODE is set, dynamic dimensions also appear whenever entity snap tracking points, or temporary tracking points, get acquired.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I enter a point relative to the last one using dynamic dimensions? Type a value in the Length field and add a comma. It copies to the Command line with an @ prefix automatically added, ready for relative coordinate input.

What’s the difference between DYNDIGRIP and DYNDIVIS? DYNDIGRIP decides which dimensions are available to show (length, angle, radius, and so on). DYNDIVIS decides how many of them are actually displayed at once.

Can I measure an entity’s dimensions without editing it? Yes, in the 2DWireframe visual style, hovering over a grip shows all its related dimensions without requiring a click.

Why would typing “2m” into a dynamic length field show up as millimetres? Because bitcode 1 of PROPUNITS auto-converts whatever unit you type into the drawing’s base unit, set by INSUNITS. If no unit is typed at all, INSUNITS is used automatically anyway.