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Text and dimension arrow sizing

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Message 1 of 12
blowout
22019 Views, 11 Replies

Text and dimension arrow sizing

I am as-building some model space drawings.  Client wants model space. I am trying to determine how to size the text and dimensions.

Ex: drawing 1/2" =1'-0",  I scaled the drawing bdr up 24 times. What is the right sizing for text, dims. Arrows to get 1/8" text, etc? So far the arrow heads look to tiny.

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Message 2 of 12
jggerth1
in reply to: blowout

set DIMSCALE to 24 for 1/2" = 1'-0"

 

that's the only value you need to change.  just divide the decimal equivalent of the secont element of the scale by the first element,    e.g. (/ 12   0.5) returns 24

 

 

Message 3 of 12
steve216586
in reply to: blowout

Your text should be 3". Our arrow size is 1-1/2 the text size so it would be 4.5". I'm not sure about your arrow size so please adjust as you adjust the other dimension settings.

"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. "-Eleanor Roosevelt
Message 4 of 12
GrantsPirate
in reply to: blowout

1/2"=1' or .5" = 12", divide 12 by 5 = 24.  (Answers the question "how many 1/2"s are in 12")

 

Text height .125

Arrow height .125

24 X .125 = 3

 

3/16" = 1' or .1875 = 12", divide 12 by .1875 = 64

 

Text height .125

Arrow height .125

64 X .125 = 8

 


GrantsPirate
Piping and Mech. Designer
EXPERT ELITE MEMBER
Always save a copy of the drawing before trying anything suggested here.
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Message 5 of 12
heinsite
in reply to: blowout

Just a question for the OP:  Do you know about or have you learned how to use Annotative Scaling yet?  Because it's really the key to allowing you to place text, dimensions, and other annotation objects in model space and have them quickly and easily plot at consistent sizes in Layout views regardless of scale.

 

Dave.

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Dave Hein, P.E.
Message 6 of 12
blowout
in reply to: heinsite

David, I knew about Annotative using paper space, but had no idea I could use it in model!!! Any tips?

Message 7 of 12
heinsite
in reply to: blowout

Annotative scaling is kind of hard to explain in a short forum message, but the general idea is this:

 

Let's just talk about DIMSTYLEs first.  But note that you can create Text, Multi-leader, and Table styles as well.  And that's the first step.  Learn how to create styles.  The idea is to use a style in either the model or in paper space because it will keep your text heights and object heights consistent regardless of scale.

 

Here's an example (note that model space always contains things at real world scale):  Let's say that you want to plot a portion of your model in a Layout view at 1" = 100'.  You set the view up in the Layout the way you want and set the viewport scale at 1:=100'.  Then you activate (dbl click inside of) it to go into the model.  You will be working in model space "as if" you were in model space now and had set the scale there at 1"=100'.  If you choose a DIMSTYLE that you'd set up that had all dimension text as 3/16" high and arrowheads a 1/8" (examples) AutoCAD would take care of the scale factors for you so that they would display at these heights in paper space when you exit the viewport.

 

Let's say you had another area in your model that you wanted to plot in a layout at 1:=20'.  Same thing, either go into the model to that area and set the scale at 1:=20' and do your annotations, or get there via the viewport in the Layout as you did before.  Regardless now of the scale, if you used the same DIMSTYLE your text in this vport would still be 3/16" high, etc.  AutoCAD did the scaling for you.

 

The idea of using Annotative objects like text, mleaders, dims, or tables is that you're free to do your work.  All that figuring out of how high to make the annotations is done for you.

 

Grab a reference or do a little more study on this.  It's very useful.  And if you start to run into trouble, head on back here and we'll help you out!

 

Dave.

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Dave Hein, P.E.
Message 8 of 12
blowout
in reply to: heinsite

Dave!! I've been working in Paper/ Models for years but after reading your response... I've not used it smartly!!

 

One thing though, I have to change the dimstyle back and forth based on which "area" I'm working, if I work exclusively in Model space. But the dimscale will be automatic if I work thru a viewport?

 

 

 

Message 9 of 12
jggerth1
in reply to: blowout

Annotative can be handy for dimensions,  if you need the same dimension showing up in two viewports on the same file.  Since I avoid that like the plague...... I don't require annotative properties in my dimensions.  (Annotative can get kinda ugly when mixed with Xrefs too.)

 

On the other hand, if you use a non-annotative dimension style, set DIMSCALE to 0, and then dimension in model space though a viewport, the dimensions (and MLeaders!) will be automatically scaled to the correct size for whatever the viewport is.  The object is created at the right scale, but only at that scale, and will not adjust or let you assign a second scale if you view it through a different viewport at a different scale.

 

that won't help with regular Mtext, or hatches, or blocks - for those to automagically resize you need to use annotative properties and assign scales to the objects as required.

 

Message 10 of 12
blowout
in reply to: jggerth1

Thanks a million Dave!!! Now because of you I have to redo all my VP setups! 🙂 but i'm excited to try this.

 

thanx agin!

Message 11 of 12
nestly2
in reply to: blowout

I also use "Scale Dimensions to Layout"  (DIMSCALE=0) primarily, but I'm not shy about using Annotative dimensions when there's a need to control dimension visibility based on scales.    Either method is  preferable to maintaining a separate Dimstyle for each scale used.

Message 12 of 12
heinsite
in reply to: blowout

Smiley Very Happy

The work you've already done is fine I'm sure.  Wrapping your head around Annotative scaling can be a little bit frustrating for some at first, but eventually it sinks in.  And it really is worth mastering because so many things get a lot easier once you know how to navigate it.  Probably as tricky as anything is understanding how the two annotative icons in Model space work (Annotation Visibility & Automatically add scales).  Normally you want Annotation Visibility for current scale only and Automatically Add Scales OFF.

 

I put a short example together to show a taste of how this works.  Play with it a little and you'll start to see what this is about.  It comes with a few free styles already set up.  Be sure and examine them too because the styles are key.

 

Enjoy!

Dave.

 

 

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Dave Hein, P.E.

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