Problem with Copy & Paste

[garymunro4550]

Hi all, I'm new to forums so please bear with me...... When I try to simply copy and paste an object, whether it's text, linse etc, it pastes in at a smaller scale than the original, with the same proportion as meters to feet e.g. if I copy a line 1000 units long and paste the copy beside the original, it comes in at 304.8 units long. Note that this is all within the same drawing. I've checked INSUNITS, INSUNITSDEFTARGET, INSUNITSDEFSOURCE etc, but don't seem to be able to get my head round it. Attached is an simplified version of the drawing for you to check out the problem. Looking forward to any feedback at all, Gary.

[pendean]

Post the DWG file.

[dmfrazier]

"Attached is an simplified version of the drawing for you to check out the problem."

No DWG attached.

"I've checked INSUNITS, INSUNITSDEFTARGET, INSUNITSDEFSOURCE etc, but don't seem to be able to get my head round it."

Have you tried with all those settings = 0?  (The last two have no effect when the first is not = 0.)

[garymunro4550]

Apologies, for some reason it's not letting me attach the file. I'll try it again but I don't think it's going through.

[garymunro4550]

...and yes, sorry, I checked ALL the INSUNITS again just now but no difference. Originally I had them all at 0 but read online to change them all to 2. That was unsuccessful but seeing it was mentioned there I though I'd check it again and change them all back to 0 - no luck! Not having any luck attaching the file either. I go to 'Attachments' below, click on 'Browse', find the .dwg file which then inserts the address but, when I then click on 'Add Attachment' it just jumps to the top of the page and nothing gets attached - strange!! G.

[pendean]

ZIP the file first or use universally available free sites like Dropbox, Google drive, skydrive or dozens of others around.

[mathewkol · Accepted solution]

Type -DWGUNITS at the command line. Follow the prompts and when prompted about scaling, say NO.

[garymunro4550]

Success Matt! - I do find it strange though that the solution relates to scaling with reference to other drawings when there were no other drawings in question!! Thanks for that though. Gary.

[dmfrazier]

I agree with the OP that this "solution" is confusing.

Wouldn't it be nice to know exactly what is changed by this "command" (which has no help in Help)?

Do you know how the solution works?

[garymunro4550]

Unfortunately I'm not at all sure why it works in that, although the command says 'Scale objects from other drawings upon insert?' - there never was a time that another drawing had to be taken into consideration in this situation!

[dmfrazier]

My question was actually directed at Matt.

Based on some further searching, it looks like no one (at least among users) knows what -DWGUNITS actually does (under the covers).

Maybe it's best not to know.

[mathewkol]

This command originates from other vertical products.  For example, in Civil 3D, there is a setting which which is changing the -DWGUNITS scaling option.  When copying and pasting, depending on the units specified in the drawings, automatical scaling can happen.  For example, if a dwg is set to inches and another dwg is set to feet, regardless of INUNITS, INSUNITSDEFTARGET, and INSUNITSDEFSOURCE, when copying and pasting, the scaling WILL happen if -DWGUNITS scaleing is set to YES.

If you insert a block, -DWGUNITS does not have any effect, only the INSUNITS... settings.

[dmfrazier]

Thanks for the reply.

Yes, I get the basic gist of what it does and how to respond to the (undocumented) -DWGUNITS "command" options/prompts.  It's the how that is still a mystery.

Changing that option from "checked" (ON, or YES) to "unchecked" (OFF, or NO) is doing something that makes certain AutoCAD functions behave differently.  I understand that you have no control over this, but it'd be nice to know what that is so that it could be done in a more direct way (as in setting a variable), particularly since the "command" is (usually) "available" yet has no Help entries.