diff --git a/src/Mod/TechDraw/App/DrawViewDimension.cpp b/src/Mod/TechDraw/App/DrawViewDimension.cpp
index 869f8e62f..4779e38f1 100644
--- a/src/Mod/TechDraw/App/DrawViewDimension.cpp
+++ b/src/Mod/TechDraw/App/DrawViewDimension.cpp
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ App::DocumentObjectExecReturn *DrawViewDimension::execute(void)
 
 std::string  DrawViewDimension::getFormatedValue() const
 {
-    QString str = QString::fromUtf8(FormatSpec.getStrValue().c_str());
+    QString str = QString::fromUtf8(FormatSpec.getStrValue().data(),FormatSpec.getStrValue().size());
     double val = std::abs(getDimValue());
 
     Base::Quantity qVal;
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ std::string  DrawViewDimension::getFormatedValue() const
     }
     QString userStr = qVal.getUserString();
 
-    QRegExp rx(QString::fromAscii("%(\\w+)%"));                        //any word bracketed by %
+    QRegExp rx(QString::fromUtf8("%(\\w+)%"));                        //any word bracketed by %
     QStringList list;
     int pos = 0;
 
@@ -220,12 +220,12 @@ std::string  DrawViewDimension::getFormatedValue() const
     }
 
     for(QStringList::const_iterator it = list.begin(); it != list.end(); ++it) {
-        if(*it == QString::fromAscii("%value%")){
+        if(*it == QString::fromUtf8("%value%")){
             str.replace(*it,userStr);
 //        } else {                                                       //insert additional placeholder replacement logic here
         }
     }
-    return str.toStdString();
+    return str.toUtf8().constData();
 }
 
 double DrawViewDimension::getDimValue() const
diff --git a/src/Mod/TechDraw/Gui/CommandCreateDims.cpp b/src/Mod/TechDraw/Gui/CommandCreateDims.cpp
index 6e5af062f..966dee3a1 100644
--- a/src/Mod/TechDraw/Gui/CommandCreateDims.cpp
+++ b/src/Mod/TechDraw/Gui/CommandCreateDims.cpp
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ void CmdTechDrawNewDimension::activated(int iMsg)
 
     std::string contentStr;
     if (dimType == "Radius") {
-        contentStr = "r%value%";
+        contentStr = "R%value%";
     }
     doCommand(Doc,"App.activeDocument().%s.FormatSpec = '%s'",FeatName.c_str()
                                                           ,contentStr.c_str());
@@ -332,7 +332,7 @@ void CmdTechDrawNewRadiusDimension::activated(int iMsg)
         doCommand(Doc,"App.activeDocument().%s.CentreLines = False", FeatName.c_str());
     }
 
-    doCommand(Doc, "App.activeDocument().%s.FormatSpec = 'r%%value%%'", FeatName.c_str());
+    doCommand(Doc, "App.activeDocument().%s.FormatSpec = 'R%%value%%'", FeatName.c_str());
 
     dim = dynamic_cast<TechDraw::DrawViewDimension *>(getDocument()->getObject(FeatName.c_str()));
     dim->References2D.setValues(objs, subs);
@@ -425,7 +425,7 @@ void CmdTechDrawNewDiameterDimension::activated(int iMsg)
         doCommand(Doc,"App.activeDocument().%s.CentreLines = False", FeatName.c_str());
     }
 
-    doCommand(Doc, "App.activeDocument().%s.FormatSpec = '\u00d8%%value%%'", FeatName.c_str());   // \u00d8 is Capital O with stroke
+    doCommand(Doc, "App.activeDocument().%s.FormatSpec = '\u2300%%value%%'", FeatName.c_str());
 
     dim = dynamic_cast<TechDraw::DrawViewDimension *>(getDocument()->getObject(FeatName.c_str()));
     dim->References2D.setValues(objs, subs);
diff --git a/src/Mod/TechDraw/Gui/QGIViewDimension.cpp b/src/Mod/TechDraw/Gui/QGIViewDimension.cpp
index d3e52824e..4cfd663b5 100644
--- a/src/Mod/TechDraw/Gui/QGIViewDimension.cpp
+++ b/src/Mod/TechDraw/Gui/QGIViewDimension.cpp
@@ -240,11 +240,10 @@ void QGIViewDimension::updateDim()
         return;
 
     const TechDraw::DrawViewDimension *dim = dynamic_cast<TechDraw::DrawViewDimension *>(getViewObject());
-    QString labelText = QString::fromStdString(dim->getFormatedValue());
-
+    QString labelText = QString::fromUtf8(dim->getFormatedValue().data(),dim->getFormatedValue().size());
     QFont font = datumLabel->font();
     font.setPointSizeF(dim->Fontsize.getValue());            //scene units (mm), not points
-    font.setFamily(QString::fromAscii(dim->Font.getValue()));
+    font.setFamily(QString::fromUtf8(dim->Font.getValue()));
 
     datumLabel->setPlainText(labelText);
     datumLabel->setFont(font);
@@ -411,7 +410,10 @@ void QGIViewDimension::draw()
 
         // Get magnitude of angle between dir and horizontal
         float angle = atan2f(dir.y,dir.x);
-        if (angle > M_PI_2+M_PI/12) {
+        //Vertical text should be legible from the right
+        if (std::abs(angle + M_PI/2.0) < FLT_EPSILON) {
+            //noop
+        } else if (angle > M_PI_2+M_PI/12) {     //keeps some diagonal dims from turning upside down?
             angle -= (float)M_PI;
         } else if (angle <= -M_PI_2+M_PI/12) {
             angle += (float)M_PI;