topic Re: Drawings or PDF NTS in AutoCAD Forum

Drawings or PDF NTS

Anonymous — Fri, 12 Apr 2019 10:01:32 GMT

I converted a drawing to PDF. When I scaled it to 1:20 before saving as a PDF, upon printing a wall of 3m now measured 2.6m. I wondered if this was because of the conversion, so I printed it straight off as a CAD drawing, still not to scale? I wondered if it was because of the tab? I made a new tab in A4 and printed the drawing off, still the same size and NTS? I used my normal approach in viewport, Z then XP, then 0.05 for 1:20, but still not coming out to scale. Even if I could get the scale right it CAD, at the very least, I could print the drawings off and trace over them on my drawing board rather then having to start all over again and draw from scratch. Anybody know why they are not coming out to scale, in CAD and PDF format?

Re: Drawings or PDF NTS

Alfred.NESWADBA — Fri, 12 Apr 2019 10:41:08 GMT

Hi,

>> I converted a drawing to PDF. When I scaled it to 1:20 before saving as a PDF

Please, never scale a geometry. Simply create a layout, create one or more viewports and assign these viewports the scale you want to have, then run command _PLOT and select a PDF-device like "DWG to PDF.pc3".

>> still the same size and NTS?

I don't know what "NTS" means.

>> I used my normal approach in viewport, Z then XP, then 0.05

>> for 1:20, but still not coming out to scale

Please upload the dwg-file and the pdf-file you get as a result.

>> Anybody know why they are not coming out to scale,

For now I don't know, if

your dwg-layout/viewport is wrong, or
your PDF is wrong, or
printing the PDF is wrong (wrong settings like automatic fit to page), or
your method you measure the PDF content is wrong

- alfred -

Re: Drawings or PDF NTS

Anonymous — Fri, 12 Apr 2019 16:01:56 GMT

Not To Scale (NTS). I just tried again to save it as a PDF, you can physically see that the drawing is too small if you put your scale rule on a sheet of A4, if the drawing were to scale at 1:20 it wouldn't quite fit on the page. So even if you scaled it down, it still would not be properly to scale. Originally, I had it printed off at A3 and a 3m dimension only measured 2.6m. Scale still not working. I tried printing it off at 1:1, but you can see it is not right, now my cartridge has run out I've ordered a new one.

Re: Drawings or PDF NTS

Alfred.NESWADBA — Fri, 12 Apr 2019 16:04:13 GMT

Hi,

can you please upload the dwg-file too?

- alfred -

Re: Drawings or PDF NTS

Anonymous — Fri, 12 Apr 2019 16:13:21 GMT

In what format? I have many options.

Re: Drawings or PDF NTS

Alfred.NESWADBA — Fri, 12 Apr 2019 16:25:37 GMT

Hi,

>> In what format?

If you save an AutoCAD drawing, then the default file format is DWG.

The version of DWG should always be the most current.

- alfred -

Re: Drawings or PDF NTS

maratovich — Fri, 12 Apr 2019 16:43:59 GMT

The size of your drawing is larger than A4 (210x297)
When printing, you set the scale to fit.
You need to set the scale to 1: 1.
Or use a utility that automatically calculates the size of the print area.

Re: Drawings or PDF NTS

Anonymous — Sat, 13 Apr 2019 10:38:09 GMT

I'll attach a DWG file. As far as PDF is concerned, one has the option in plot of DWG to PDF. I didn't use any scale, I did the same as I always do, and it usually saves the drawing as a PDF whatever scale the drawing was.

Re: Drawings or PDF NTS

Alfred.NESWADBA — Sat, 13 Apr 2019 10:43:51 GMT

Hi,

select your viewport in the layout (the active layout, when I opened your dwg-file, was "A4 Layout").

There you see that the viewport is not set to a correct plot scale:

- alfred -

Re: Drawings or PDF NTS

Anonymous — Tue, 16 Apr 2019 14:14:16 GMT

What should the custom scale be then? Why is it set to that scale, I didn't set it to that?

Re: Drawings or PDF NTS

Anonymous — Tue, 16 Apr 2019 14:16:48 GMT

Thanks Alfred!

Re: Drawings or PDF NTS

Anonymous — Tue, 16 Apr 2019 14:19:37 GMT

Also, how do you get to that screen, so I can change it?

Re: Drawings or PDF NTS

Bob_Zurunkle — Tue, 16 Apr 2019 15:51:18 GMT

Just stopping by with a tip - when you do get your viewport scale set properly, lock it!

Re: Drawings or PDF NTS

Anonymous — Tue, 16 Apr 2019 18:39:53 GMT

How do you set your viewport scale though?

Re: Drawings or PDF NTS

s.borello — Tue, 16 Apr 2019 22:39:23 GMT

Never scale your geometry... create layouts and assign annotative scales to viewports... see video below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppRjgAWhmYU

Re: Drawings or PDF NTS

Alfred.NESWADBA — Wed, 17 Apr 2019 09:26:11 GMT

Hi,

>> What should the custom scale be then?

If you want to plot your part 1:1 then the custom scale should be 1 (in case the plotting units are the same as the units for the model)

>> Why is it set to that scale, I didn't set it to that?

Always be careful with "I didn't set that", because it was no one else 😉

A simple zoom in the viewport changes that factor (as long as the viewport is not locked).

>> Also, how do you get to that screen

What I have shown in my screenshot was the selected viewport and the property window, the property window can be opened/closed by <CTRL><1>

>> so I can change it?

You can change it using the property window (having the viewport selected), or the status line (or with newer versions of AutoCAD the arrow-like grip in the center of the viewport):

- alfred -