SITE PLAN NOT PLOTTING TO CORRECT SCALE IN PAPER SPACE

[Anonymous]

I am having quite an issue with plotting my site plan to a 1:60 scale I have drawn it to.

After printing, my 50' setback scales to 45'  and my 228.94' property line along the front is measuring 210'

I have attached the drawing to my post in a ZIP File, in hopes someone can have a look and let me know what I am not doing correctly.

My client really needs to get this drawing turned in for permits, but the permits department will not accept any drawing that they can't put a scale on and measure accurately.

Thanks, in advance for any assistance in finding a solution to this conundrum.

Martin

BTW: I am using AutoCAD Architecture 2010.  In model space all my measurements are true and accurate.

[David_W_Koch · Accepted solution]

How are you plotting the drawing?  The viewport in the layout is set to 1/16" = 1'-0".  Are you really plotting the extents "to fit" on an 8.5 x 11 inch sheet of paper (the plot settings assigned to the layout)?  It appears that the layout is set up to be approximately 34 x 44, so the plot might be about 1/4 of that (depending upon what the plottable area of an 8.5 x 11 sheet is on the plotter you are using.  That would make the final plot approximately 1/64" = 1'-0", or 1" = 64'-0", which may account for the results you are seeing when using a 1" = 60'-0" scale on the plot.

I would never use "plot to fit" if I wanted a plot that would be close to scalable.  (I would never rely on a scaled dimension on a physical plot - besides potential inaccuracies in the plotter, paper expands and contracts with changing relative humidity levels.)  Ideally, your title block would be created full size for the plotted size, and the viewport would be scaled at 1" = 60'-0" - which is 1:720, not 1:60.  If the intent is to be able to plot both 8.5 x 11 and 34 x 44 from the same layout, with the graphics set up for a 1:1 plot at 34 x 44, then I would plot the layout explicitly at 1 inch = 4 units and I would scale the viewport at 1:180 (0.005555555555555555555555555555555555555555...).

[Anonymous]

Hello David,

I totally agree that physically scaling a printed document is never recommended due to the issues you mentioned, however the people I have to deal with do not either understand or care.  Unfortunately I need their approval to get the required permits for my contractor.

Now back to the plotting issue.  I am sure I have messed up the paperspace setup and I know I should be useing "actual size" for the plot.  I have just tried to setup an engineering paperspace in an architectural setup drawing.  (NOT MY GREATEST HOUR, I admit).  What I want to produce is a 1"=60' drawing (site plan" on an 8.5x11 (LETTER) format.

I just don't seem to be able find my way there...

[Anonymous]

Thank you, David.  I have resolved my issue...