topic Re: Model in meters, problem with layout scale in AutoCAD Forum

Model in meters, problem with layout scale

Anonymous — Sat, 27 Aug 2016 17:22:18 GMT

I am facing a general problem when I go to "meters" in unit and create a layout to scale.

http://imgur.com/a/TJAx8
-> In this link are the screenshots where I describe my workflow in a simple example.
My problem is when I create a 10 m line or so, and want to insert it in a layout at size A4 (21x29cm).
I suppose that to scale it down from 10 m to 10 cm, I would need to scale it down to 1:100 but the result in the layout is different and shows a scale like 10:1 approx.
What did I miss in my workflow?

Re: Model in meters, problem with layout scale

Alfred.NESWADBA — Sat, 27 Aug 2016 18:16:27 GMT

Hi,

welcome @Anonymous.autodesk.com!

>> I create a 10 m line or so, and want to insert it in a layout at size A4 (21x29cm)

Please understand that all in your "drawing units" are by default to be placed in modelspace, then you can change to the layout, create a viewport and give that viewport the scale.

My principle rules:

never draw model geometry in layout
never create model geometry scaled, always create them 1:1

And the layout is measured in the units you set in the _PAGESETUP dialog (or _PLOT dialog, which is quite similar).

- alfred -

Re: Model in meters, problem with layout scale

Anonymous — Sat, 27 Aug 2016 20:10:24 GMT

Thanks 🙂
Actually I created my scale 1:1 in the model and didn’t draw anything in the layout, but just “imported” a viewport from my model.

But what you said about the “drawing units” in the model gave me an idea and I tried to ignore these units and made one more try:

So I let the Units in the model as they are (mm).
Created again a 10x10 square in the model and imported it in the A4 layout.
Put a scale of 1:1 in the layout and I got that picture in the screenshot (see picture annexed).
Which makes sense to me as 10 mm in a 1:1 scale should looks like that big in an A4 paper.

So, now, what I could do if I want to build my model in “meter” units is to let the units in “mm” as they are by default but “imagine” I am in meter and draw my model.
Then in the layout only, I have to make the right conversion. In that case : I set the layout to 1:1 (mm) but write on the paper “to scale 1:1000” (m to mm). 10m in reality becomes 10mm on paper.

A kind of workaround but can work, what do you think?
How do other people do actually?

Re: Model in meters, problem with layout scale

Alfred.NESWADBA — Sun, 28 Aug 2016 21:21:42 GMT

Hi,

>> So, now, what I could do if I want to build my model in “meter” units is to let the units in

>> “mm” as they are by default but “imagine” I am in meter and draw my model.

When you have set your drawing units to Meter then you have an additional factor of 1000 as the paper is (for metric drawings) measured in Millimeter.

You can use now command _SCALELISTEDIT to create your scales which fit the Meter ==> Millimeter conversion like here:

After you have created that new scales you can assign them to your viewport 😉

- alfred -

Re: Model in meters, problem with layout scale

Anonymous — Fri, 17 Feb 2017 19:03:08 GMT

Hi, I have the same problem.

I think that your solution is possible, but if there is the possibility to turn the unitis from mm to meters, I think that the program will be able to recognize the different value of the units, and so, adapt the scale on layout viewport.

Please if someone help me

Re: Model in meters, problem with layout scale

Alfred.NESWADBA — Fri, 17 Feb 2017 20:13:42 GMT

Hi,

>> I think that your solution is possible,

Take it, if it is a solution for you 😉

>> but if there is the possibility to turn the unitis from mm to meters, I think that the program

>> will be able to recognize the different value of the units, and so, adapt the scale on layout viewport

Not really, you can scale your drawing so that a line with 1000(mm) is after the scaling 1(m), but the issue is that AutoCAD always has mm as plotting units.

- alfred -

Re: Model in meters, problem with layout scale

Anonymous — Sat, 18 Feb 2017 14:55:24 GMT

I'm agree with you, but i try to explain that this isn't the right way to drawing.

Your solution avoid the issue, but did't resolve it.

What I think about the possibility to set a specific unit it's to employ our workflow, e so, avoid the issue to scale my drawing before the plot.

For example, I have a big dwg file (90mb), it's the whole plan of a city downloaded from internet, and the file was drawn in meters.

Now, i can't plot correct the plan because AutoCad work and scale on layout in mm, also when i set the unit in meters.

And to scale the whole file it's a problem for the weight of the file, that stop the program.

So what i'm saying it's that, if I set the correct units and i draw correctly, the program must be able to scale the drawing correctly in layout in order to plot , independently the unit i set.

And i think that is a bug, because one time I be able to do this correctly.

Gian.

Re: Model in meters, problem with layout scale

Alfred.NESWADBA — Sat, 18 Feb 2017 15:30:07 GMT

Hi,

>> i can't plot correct the plan because AutoCad work and scale on layout in mm

>> And to scale the whole file it's a problem

I don't understand that. You never need to scale the geometry, why do you think so?

You can plot correct, it's just the setting of viewport plot-scale-factor (or some suggest to set the factor 1:1000 between mm and m in the page-setup-dialog), but again, there is no need to do any scaling of the geometry!

From what I think now ... I hope you don't insert the "whole plan of a city" directly in the paperspace of a layout, do you?

>> And i think that is a bug

Well, that's how AutoCAD works since it has introduced layouts (ages ago). 😉

- alfred -

Re: Model in meters, problem with layout scale

fernandogoP6LCU — Fri, 05 Mar 2021 04:49:04 GMT

I was kinda lost too! this video will help:

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/learn-explore/caas/screencast/Main/Details/e2549f68-867e-4713-9c8a-a1721091b270.html