Scale

[Anonymous]

I am having trouble setting the scale factors in AutoCAD architecture 2016.

When opening a drawing for some reason the scale factor in the drawing setup menu is set to 1:100 and i cant seem to change it.

When i then go into paper space to print i try to set the zoom scale and it does not work correctly. i am setting the paper space scale by using 'zoom' 'scale' and setting the scale factor to 1/100xp but the drawing goes tiny and is clearly not at the desired scale.

Could someone tell me where i am going wrong please?

Many thanks

[David_W_Koch]

Are you using the Drawing Setup dialog, Scale tab to set the drawing scale?  That tab no longer performs that function.  Set the drawing scale using the scale control on the Status Bar.

What drawing units are you using?  The 1:100 scale suggests metric; is the drawing unit set to millimeters or something else?

[Anonymous]

Hi David,

Thanks for your response to this.

Yes i am using metric and the drawing is set to millimetres.

I have no problem setting the scale as you detailed earlier, my issue arises when i am trying to set the scale within a viewport in paperspace.  

My drawing in model space is set to 1:1 but when i go to print, i try to set the scale within my viewport to 1:200 for an A3 printout (as i have always done in earlier versions) and the drawing goes tiny and i cant get my desired scale.

The only way i have been able to get around this is by scaling the drawing up in model space and setting the viewport to 1:1. This is a way of getting the drawing to display correctly, but as i will be setting several scale factors for different paper sizes, i am left with several drawings of different scales, which will obviously be an issue if i need to make any amendments.

I am sure that there is just one process that i am missing out during this exercise but cannot figure it out.

[dbroad]

Make sure your viewport is "unlocked" when you change view scales.  ACA automatically locks the viewports when views are placed on sheets.  It does this to avoid issues with accidentally zooming in viewports.  IMO, the best approach if using PN, is to delete the viewport (and associated sheet view and all its callouts and add them back in again).  Hint:  When placing a view, you should be able to change the view scale before the last pick.  Even cancelling the view before placing it can give you a chance to modify the view properties before placing the view.

[Anonymous]

Hi David,

Thanks for the advice.

I have checked and my viewport is definitely unlocked.

The trouble i am having is that the scale factor seems to be in reverse. I and carrying out the command 'Zoom' 'scale' then setting a scale factor of 1/200xp but as i mentioned this makes the drawing within the viewport tiny as opposed to enlarged. Although i have been using CAD for a long time i am new to ACAD architecture, has the way you set the veiwport scale changed?

I have attached a screen shot to highlight the problem i am having. The small dots in the middle of the viewport is the drawing i am trying to show at a scale of 1:200. The paperspace is set to A3 and i do not encounter this issue on older versions of ACAD? I have included the command line in the picture to show the last command that i entered.

[dbroad]

My name is Doug.  David is also helping you.  1/200xp is a very small scale, only suitable for very large objects.  How big is your object and how big is your sheet? 

The easiest way to diagnose these problems is for you to post a file.

[Anonymous]

Huge apologies for getting the name wrong Doug (very embarrassing).

I am using the 1:200 scale as the drawing is of a student residence building, roughly 500m2 and i'm trying to print it on an A3 sheet.

This is something I have done many times in previous versions, (up to and including architecture 2013)  but for some reason i cant get it work on the 2016 architecture (I am assuming something has changed with the way drawings are scaled) 

Unfortunately, I am unable to send the actual file as it would be in breach of the data protection act in the UK, as the drawing is not owned by my company and we are simply working on it for a University. 

I will send a drawing though, in which I can replicate the problem and hopefully you may be able to shed some light on it. The building I have sent is very similar in size to the one i am working on. I have created two paperspace sheets, one for A2 at a scale of 1:100 and another A3 sheet with a scale of 1:200.

Thanks for persevering with me on this, it's very much appreciated, and once again sorry for getting your name wrong.

Kind regards,

Luke

[dbroad · Accepted solution]

Your titleblock is 62,500mm across.  That is too big for a printer.  If you draw your titleblock to fit your printer and then add viewports, you should be able to print logically.  Use a 1:1 scale in paper space.  The viewport is what does the scaling for you.

You should also start to create titleblocks as blocks and not as separate drawn objects.  Look at the built in sheet templates in the ACA template folder for hints.

[Anonymous]

Thanks so much Doug, that completely explains where my problems lie.

As for using blocks for the title sheets, we already do for any drawings that we generate within my company, but the vast majority of drawings that i deal with are sent from various clients throughout the UK, each with different levels of skill in AutoCAD, so am slightly restricted to how much i can amend their drawings.

Once again thanks for your help, it's very much appreciated.

[dbroad]

You're very welcome.  Glad you got it fixed.