Basic dimension


In a technical drawing, a basic dimension is a theoretically exact dimension, given from a datum to a feature of interest. In Geometric dimensioning and tolerancing, basic dimensions are defined as a numerical value used to describe the theoretically exact size, profile, orientation or location of a feature or datum target.
Allowable variations from the theoretically exact geometry are indicated by feature control frames, notes, and tolerances on other non-basic dimensions.
Basic dimensions are currently denoted by enclosing the number of the dimension in a rectangle.
In earlier times, they were denoted by appending "BASIC" or "BSC" to the dimension
When features are located using BASIC dimensions by chain dimensioning, there is no accumulation of tolerance between features, because the dimensions refer to the theoretically perfect position of the feature, not the actual location of the feature within the range permitted by tolerances.