Layer scale ranges & plotting to paper maps?

[Nrhoads]

Pardon me if this is a dumb question...

How do you KNOW what to set your scale range values to when you want that particular range to plot on a particular scale?  So far from my tests it makes no sense. I am having to "test" plot to see if it is what I want!  For example, I want to plot a map at 1"=2000' on letter-portrait paper and one of my layers would not plot.  I had to set the scale range to at least 0-46300 before it would plot!  There must be an easy way to set the scale range and not have to "test" to see if it will plot.

I am using Map 3D 2008.

Thanks,

Nick

[tjmapper]

You might check what your thresholds are for you map. Do that by right clicking your default(EDIT*** I  meant Map Base instead of default) layer and selecting compare thresholds.

I usually delete them all, because they drive me absolutely nuts and have never found a way to turn them off. For some reason they are generated automatically and I am sure it is just because I don't want them.

I don't understand why they force you to use thresholds when setting scale ranges does the same thing.

[Nrhoads]

Thnaks for the info!

I had no idea that was even there... there are a ton of those "thresholds" listed here.  So, just delete them all?

After further "experiementing", the different layers in my map have to have different scale ranges to appear on my plot.  Is it this "threshold" crap or the shp file data it came from?  BTW, the layers were created form shp files!

Thanks for any further insights 🙂

~Nick

[tjmapper]

I would delete them all.

The thresholds, by some method unknown to me, pick a View scale and saves the state of a feature layer at that particular View Scale. 

So if it says 1:30000 and you zoom in below 30000 and turn that layer off it will remember that. So then if you zoom out above 30000 it will come back on and so on.

 Why have this when we have scale ranges in the Styling is something I don't understand and maybe someone else can help us with?

But if that does not solve you plotting problems then i can really only recommend (Other than making sure you refresh before a plot.) trying out a newer version of map. Plotting has come a long way in the last releases of Map3D.

[Murph_Map]

TJ, The thresholds that you are getting in the Compare Threshold are for AutoCAD entities (basemap) and are not "suppose" to have anything to do with the scales ranges in the style editor for FDO layers.

Nick, what I always recommended when you get to the plot point of your map is do it all in in model space with setting up the views and styles, then save that map to AutoCAD format, if you need 2 or more different views then set those and save as autocad format also. Then open those dwg and plot from the layout tabs as you need to. Once you plotted delete or archive those dwgs.

[tjmapper]

Do you know of a way to disable them Murph?

I can run a workflow in a new drawing that remakes my entire map and the thresholds are still generated somehow.

Sorry for the thread Hijack 

[Nrhoads]

TJ, No problem on the "thread hijack" ! We are all here to learn.

Murph, Two possibly really dumb questions...

1. What do you mean by set up views in model space?  Do you mean set my scale ranges for each layer then save to AutoCAD format?

2.  Is there a glamorous way to save AutoCAD Map dwgs to AutoCAD format dwgs?  I know Civil 3D has to use the "exporttoautocad" command!

Thanks for your help guys!!!