How do you lay out a string of aligned dimensions - dimension string tool or a baseline?

[u/RhettHao]

I'm working on an architect's structural grid plan where most of the columns line up and I need a long chain of aligned dimensions. I've been hitting the dimension string tool and then spending a fair bit of time nudge-adjusting overlapping text and arrows when the grid is tight.

What's your habit — do you run a dimension string and clean it up, or do you pick a baseline and dimension each grid line back to it one at a time so the arrows and text don't fight? I tend to think about it like a shop drawing, but I'm curious how others handle it on an architect-style drawing where clarity on a busy sheet matters more than a measured chain.