Dimensioneer Documentation

By NetMetropolis

Overview

Dimensioneer is a Blender add-on for placing clear, customizable measurements directly onto 3D objects in the 3D Viewport. It is designed for creators who need fast, readable dimensions without bouncing between Blender and another app just to finish technical views, layout drawings, or presentation screenshots.

Dimensioneer supports full bounding box dimensions, edit mode measurements, live viewport overlays, customizable styling, and scene-aware unit handling. Dimensions stay attached to the object in 3D space and update as the object changes, making it useful for design review, fabrication prep, technical communication, booth layouts, product sizing, and general modeling workflows.

This tool was built to reduce the pain of workflows where a user must:

• screenshot Blender views

• scale them externally

• add dimensions in Illustrator or another design app

• redo everything whenever the model changes

Dimensioneer keeps that workflow inside Blender where it belongs.

Core Features

Live 3D Viewport Dimensions

Place dimensions directly in Blender’s 3D Viewport. Dimensions remain attached to the object and update as geometry or object scale changes.

Bounding Box Measurements

Quickly add width, depth, and height dimensions to an object’s bounding box.

Edit Mode Measurements

Measure between selected vertices and edges directly in Edit Mode.

Rotation-Aware Dimensions

Bounding box dimensions can follow the object’s rotation, allowing measurements to align more naturally with angled objects instead of only world-space axes.

Scene Unit Support

Dimensioneer reads Blender scene unit settings and displays the correct units automatically when using Scene Units mode.

Unit Formatting

Supports:

• Scene Units

• Metric

• Decimal Inches

• Fractional Inches

• Feet and Inches

Custom Styling

Control the look of dimensions for better readability:

• line color

• text color

• extension line color

• line width

• font size

• background color behind text

• arrow, tick, dot, or no terminator style

Axis-Based Colors

Dimensions can automatically use different colors for X, Y, and Z axes for improved readability in crowded scenes.

Default axis colors:

• X: #F37DC5

• Y: #C6E7B2

• Z: #4DCAF9

Per-Item Color Overrides

Any individual dimension can override the default axis or global style colors.

Flip Dimension Side

Each dimension can be flipped to the opposite side of the object when a different annotation side is clearer.

Object-Based Color Shading

When multiple objects have dimensions in the same scene, Dimensioneer slightly shifts the shade of each object’s axis colors so dimensions are easier to distinguish visually.

Supported Blender Versions

Dimensioneer was developed and tested for Blender 5.0.

Compatibility with earlier or later versions may vary depending on Blender API changes.

Installation

1. Download the Dimensioneer ZIP file.

2. Open Blender.

3. Go to Edit → Preferences → Add-ons.

4. Click Install from Disk.

5. Select the Dimensioneer ZIP file.

6. Enable the add-on by checking the box next to Dimensioneer.

7. Open the 3D Viewport sidebar with N.

8. Look for the Dimensioneer tab.

If you are updating from an older version:

1. Disable the previous version.

2. Remove or uninstall it.

3. Restart Blender.

4. Install the new version.

A restart is strongly recommended after updates that change draw handlers or properties.

Quick Start

Add Bounding Box Dimensions

1. Select an object in Object Mode.

2. Open the Dimensioneer panel.

3. Click Add Bounding Box Dimensions.

4. Three dimensions will be added for the object’s X, Y, and Z size.

Add an Aligned Dimension in Edit Mode

1. Select a mesh object.

2. Enter Edit Mode.

3. Select two vertices.

4. Click Add Aligned Dimension.

Add Edge Dimensions in Edit Mode

1. Select one or more edges in Edit Mode.

2. Click Add Edge Dimension.

Adjust the Look

Use the Style settings to change:

• font size

• line width

• text background

• axis colors

• arrow style

• color overrides

Panel Overview

Main Tools

The main Dimensioneer panel provides access to:

• Add Bounding Box Dimensions

• Add Aligned Dimension

• Add Edge Dimension

Dimension List

Each created dimension appears in the dimension list, where you can:

• rename or identify the dimension

• toggle visibility

• flip the dimension side

• enable a custom color override

• edit that color directly

Style Settings

Global style controls affect how dimensions appear by default:

• default line color

• default text color

• text background color

• font size

• line width

• arrow style

• separate extension line color

• axis color mode

• X/Y/Z axis colors

Display Settings

Viewport display options include:

• visibility toggles

• draw behavior

• screen readability options

Units and Scale

Dimensioneer can display measurements using Blender’s own scene unit system or using explicitly selected unit formats.

Scene Units

When set to Scene Units, Dimensioneer reads:

• Blender unit system

• scene scale length

• selected length unit

This allows dimensions to match Blender’s Transform panel more accurately.

Available Display Formats

• Metric

• Decimal Inches

• Fractional Inches

• Feet and Inches

• Scene Units

Scale Factor

A scale factor is available as an additional multiplier when needed. In most normal workflows, the default value of 1.0should be correct.

Styling and Readability

Dimensioneer was built with readability in mind, especially for dense scenes and presentation screenshots.

Default Styling

Current default visual choices include:

• text background: solid black with full opacity

• axis-based colors enabled

• X axis: pink

• Y axis: soft green

• Z axis: sky blue

Separate Color Controls

You can choose separate colors for:

• main dimension line

• extension lines

• text

Per-Dimension Color Overrides

Inside the dimension list, individual dimensions can use their own color instead of the global or axis-based style.

Object Shade Variation

When multiple objects are dimensioned, Dimensioneer automatically shifts the shade of the axis colors slightly from object to object. This keeps dimensions grouped visually without abandoning the axis-color logic.

Line Width Notes

Dimensioneer includes a cross-platform solution for thicker viewport lines.

Some systems, especially macOS, limit native GPU line width rendering to 1 pixel. To avoid that issue, Dimensioneer draws thicker lines as geometry rather than relying on system line-width support. This allows the line width control to work more consistently across platforms.

Bounding Box Behavior

Bounding box dimensions can work in a more technical-drawing-friendly way than simple world-space measurements.

Rotation-Aware Bounds

For rotated objects, Dimensioneer can use the object’s local bounding box and rotation so dimensions follow the object more naturally.

Flip Side

Each dimension can be flipped to the opposite annotation side when needed. This is useful because an axis can often be dimensioned clearly from more than one side of the object.

Current Limitations

Dimensioneer is already highly usable, but there are some current limitations to be aware of.

Draw In Front

The current viewport drawing approach prioritizes reliable text and annotation rendering. Because of this, dimensions may still appear in front of objects even when a “draw in front” style option is disabled.

A future version may use a hybrid drawing approach for true depth-aware viewport occlusion.

Technical Drawing Output

Dimensioneer currently focuses on live 3D viewport dimensions. Full page-layout style output such as title blocks, sheet composition, and PDF export is planned but not yet complete.

Advanced Annotation Types

Some advanced drafting tools are planned but not yet implemented, including:

• angle dimensions

• leader lines

• dimension chains

• full multi-view sheet export

Planned Features

The add-on roadmap includes larger drafting and documentation tools.

Angle Dimensions

Measure and display angles directly in the viewport.

Leader Lines

Add note callouts with arrows pointing to features or locations.

Dimension Chains

Display a sequence of connected dimensions for segmented layouts or repeated spacing.

Multi-View Technical Sheets

Generate standard orthographic views such as:

• Front

• Back

• Left

• Right

• Top

PDF / SVG Export

Export dimensioned views to print-friendly formats for presentations, technical reviews, and documentation.

Best Use Cases

Dimensioneer is especially useful for:

• booth and exhibit layout drawings

• product sizing mockups

• fabrication prep

• model documentation

• viewport screenshots for client review

• quick technical communication

• concept presentation boards

• internal design reference images

What’s Included

Your purchase includes:

• the Dimensioneer Blender add-on ZIP file

• product documentation

• updates according to the marketplace listing terms

License

Please refer to the product listing for the selected license type.

For Blender add-ons distributed commercially, GPL is generally the most compatible choice with Blender’s ecosystem.

Support

Support should be handled through the marketplace contact method listed on the product page.

When contacting support, include:

• Blender version

• operating system

• a short description of the issue

• screenshots if relevant

• whether the issue occurs in a fresh Blender file

Short Marketplace Description

Dimensioneer is a Blender add-on that lets you place customizable measurements directly on 3D objects in the viewport. Add bounding box, vertex, and edge dimensions, use scene-aware units, customize colors and styles, and keep dimensions attached to objects as your model changes.

One-Line Tagline Options

Here are a few storefront-ready taglines:

• Viewport dimensions without the Illustrator detour.

• Measure it in Blender. Keep it in Blender.

• Technical dimensions for real-world Blender workflows.

• Fast, readable 3D measurements directly in the viewport.