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Lost in the metric system

7 REPLIES 7
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Message 1 of 8
civman_daar
386 Views, 7 Replies

Lost in the metric system

I have a project that I am doing overseas.  I have only worked in the U.S. in the Feet-Inches format.  I now need to work in meters.  I need a border that will print at size A0 (1189mm X 841mm).  I only have borders that are in inches, in paperspace (Arch D, E1)  How do I scale the Arch D & E1 borders to mm?  How can I check it in C3D Metric to comfirm that the sizes are correct in paperspace?

 

Thanks

7 REPLIES 7
Message 2 of 8
troma
in reply to: civman_daar

All the usual caveats about starting from a metric template if you're working in metric.....but you're asking about the layouts, not the actual drawing.

 

I would suggest looking into getting an A0 layout from someone.  But if you want to start from one you have set up and modify it for metric, that could be done too.  Use 'design center' or insert your layout 'from template' into a metric drawing.  Then I'm guessing you need to scale everything by 25.4.  This will put it in milimetres from inches, but obviously not the right size (36" goes to 914.4mm) you'll need to adjust it to the metric size (841mm).

 

Also, be sure to check this setting, very important for getting C3D to plot right in metric (especially if you live in a country where your computer is liable to reset things to inches when you're not looking):

plot.png


Mark Green

Working on Civil 3D in Canada

Message 3 of 8
AllenJessup
in reply to: civman_daar

If you were actually using metric paper sizes you'd simply pick the correct size as you would in imperial. However you're probably trying to use you're D size plotter and 36" paper. So you can just use you're standard title block and scale it from inches to mm's. Then set up your plot as troma has shown.

 

I'll attach a drawing with a couple of layouts as reference. These are set up for out plotters so your's will probably be a little bigger or smaller.

 

Allen

Allen Jessup



Allen Jessup
Engineering Specialist / CAD Manager

Message 4 of 8
troma
in reply to: AllenJessup

Glad you piped in with some actual experience. I grew up with all A-size paper, but haven't seen any since I moved to Canada. So much for being a 'metric' country!

I gotta speak up for the metric paper sizes—I love them. The main reason is that they are all the same shape; I mean the exact same proportions of length to width. The A0 sheet is a square metre in area, the subsequent ones are all halves of the last size. So if you cut an A0 sheet in half, you have two A1 sheets (841 x 595mm), cut that in half and you have two A2 sheets (595 x 421mm) etc., and all of these are the exact same proportions. Here we have trouble when we want to do 50% plots of 24" x 36" sheets and try to fit them on 11" x 17" paper—something gets lost, clearly. No such problems with the A-size paper scheme.

Mark Green

Working on Civil 3D in Canada

Message 5 of 8
dgorsman
in reply to: troma

That 24 x 36 isn't a "true" ANSI D, its an architectural (shaking fist) D size.  "True" ANSI paper sizes work the same way as the ISO paper sizes, just with different values.  But there isn't much use of the architectural B size paper.

 

One of the things our users like with the ISO sizes is when printed on an 11 x 17 paper (which is *not* the same as an A3), it leaves an extra white space at one side, allowing them to be hole-punched or bound without part of the drawing getting cut off or set into the binding.

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If you are going to fly by the seat of your pants, expect friction burns.
"I don't know" is the beginning of knowledge, not the end.


Message 6 of 8
troma
in reply to: dgorsman

What are the true values? (Not all of them, obviously.)

Mark Green

Working on Civil 3D in Canada

Message 7 of 8
dgorsman
in reply to: troma

Letter/A - 8 1/2 x 11

11 x 17/B - 11 x 17 (rotate and double)

C - 22 x 17 (rotate and double)

D - 34 x 22 (rotate and double)

E - 44 x 34 (rotate and double)

 

My standard reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paper_sizes

----------------------------------
If you are going to fly by the seat of your pants, expect friction burns.
"I don't know" is the beginning of knowledge, not the end.


Message 8 of 8
troma
in reply to: dgorsman

Yes, we do use 34 x 22 for some plots, so we can halve them onto 11 x 17. But here's the point: 44 x 34 is not the same shape as 34 x 22, and 8.5 x 11 isn't the same shape as 11 x 17—the proportions are different. The A-size papers use the 'golden rectangle' so they are all the same shape, while also maintaining the 'rotate and double' relationship.
(Golden sector or golden rectangle: the length of the rectangle is the same as the hypotenuse of the isosceles triangle formed by the width.)
[Possibly this is not normally an issue, since the sizes you list all work with 50% plots, but I'm just trying to explain my earlier point a little clearer.]

Mark Green

Working on Civil 3D in Canada

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