Reduce and Restore Dimensions

Metal shrinks when it is cast, so a technical drawing often has to show the value before shrinkage rather than the value measured on the 3D model. These two commands change the number a dimension displays without touching its geometry: the dimension keeps pointing at exactly the same points, only its text is overridden.

Both come as a main command that works on the whole document and a by Selection variant in their submenu. Angular dimensions are never modified — only distance dimensions.

Reduce Dimensions

Run the command and Rhino asks for the percentage to reduce dimension values, default 5, between 0 and 100. Every visible distance dimension in the document that still shows its real measured value is then rewritten with the reduced number, rounded to two decimals.

Dimensions whose value has already been overridden — either by a previous run of this command or by hand — are left untouched. The command line reports how many dimensions were reduced and how many were skipped for that reason, which prevents reducing the same drawing twice by mistake.

Reduce Dimensions by Selection

Same behaviour, but you are first asked to select dimensions. Preselection is honored and whole groups can be picked. The percentage is asked afterwards and applied only to what you selected.

Restore Dimensions

Undoes the override. Every visible distance dimension in the document that is showing an overridden number goes back to displaying its real measured value, and will keep updating with the geometry again. Dimensions that already show their real value are left alone. The command line reports how many were restored.

Restore Dimensions by Selection

Same as above, restricted to the dimensions you select.