Zoom to Limits

[BearsFan]

Well I would like this implemented in AutoCAD as a whole.  I personally use mechanical, but there is no idea section for just AutoCAD or Mechanical, so I leave it here.

So from time to time I add a dimension to a drawing that is a radius.  And of course the center is about 2 pages away from anything significant.

Or I am working from ordinate dimensions, and on the particular detail i am calling and zoomed into exists many meters above 0.

When i zoom all to see everything, I now see mostly empty space.  Which is not helpful  see image below.

I have my limits set to the corners of the page for printing.  And i wish i could easily zoom to my limits.

Another possible solution would be to have an option to ignore dimension points (ie. center points and ordinate home point)

Just a thought.

I know I am going to get responses to use layout tab.  I know.  I am trying.  3 years now i have been trying to get my company to switch over.  We have a new boss now, he is open to the idea, plenty of new employees who have used them before so I have some traction.  But I'm not holding my breath.  I honestly think I'll be promoted out of the department before we ever do change.

[rhesusminus]

Hi @BearsFan

Isn't this already a part of AutoCAD?

If you "Zoom Extents", it will zoom to the extents of he drawing, i.e. to far out, as the center point if your dimension Is "off sheet".

If you "Zoom All", it will zoom to the set limits.

I'm actually working on an add-in for AcadE that does this automatically "on save":

[BearsFan]

No what your describing does not do what I asked. 

Create a 100 by 100 box in a blank auto cad file.  Now create an ordinate dimension to the bottom of the box.  Now let's pretend said box is 14000 mm up in the air.  so move the (0,0) of the ordinate down 14000.  now zoom extents or zoom all.  (This is what the above PNG I attached is showing.)

Or create that same 100 by 100 box.  draw whatever you want inside that box because that is all you care about.  now create an arc inside that box that has a radius of 1500.  and dimension it.  now zoom all or zoom extents.

[rhesusminus]

What is your LIMITS set to?

[rhesusminus]

Hmm.. You're right. I have to fix this in my code.

This does what you want 🙂

(command "zoom" "w" (getvar "LIMMIN") (getvar "LIMMAX"))

[BearsFan]

Essentially yes.

I would like to type

Z (enter)

Li (enter)  <-can be any letter, or short abbreviation

and have it zoom to my limits.

Unfortunately we still use model space and all out templates are already set to have limits at the page border.  So limits works for me.  But I am not apposed to having to set a predefined window.

So if I had to do:

z (enter)

define (enter)

I then select the window I want my zoom to zoom to

and from here on in that document i can 

z (enter)

b (enter)

now zooms to my window every time.  This works too.

My dream come true though, would be for an option to make zoom all ignore ordinate (0,0) point, and ignore CP on radius/diameter dimensions.  I believe these are both def points.  if you explode either dimension those points disappear, but I'm trying to avoid exploding.

This is the dream because the easiest zoom all is the double middle mouse button click.

[rhesusminus]

I wish there was a LIMITS option in the zoom command as well. his is however more a AutoCAD issue than AutoCAD Electical, as this Is a part of the core AutoCAD Functions. But, let's hope they pick up the idea from here 🙂

If you paste THIS to your command line and press enter, you'll get the ZL command at least, to zoom to limits:

(defun c:zl () (command "zoom" "w" (getvar "LIMMIN") (getvar "LIMMAX")))

[BearsFan]

Thank you so much.  This was amazing.

[rhesusminus]

No problem 🙂

I was trying to see if I could make this available for the "double-click of the mouse wheel" but it doesn't seem like it's possible using CUI 😞

[BearsFan]

I was trying the same.  It also seems that it doesn't save with the file.  I have to re-do it every time I open said file.

Still useful.  I had already started opening up my templates and adjusting them.  a co-worker walked by, i wanted to show him, and nothing.

Closed Autocad.  Restarted.  Typed long command.

Closed Autocad.  Restarted.  LZ and nothing.

Typed long command.  leaving autocad open, re-opened file, lz - nothing.

I appreciate the help, it is useful.  I'm going to create a custom button I can add to my machine to have it do it automatically.

You don't by chance know how to make it an either permanent command on a pc, or within a file do you?

[rhesusminus]

Download this file and put it in the Douments\AcadE 201X folder:

This will make sure the file is loaded each time you open/create a drawing, maiken the zl-command available at all times.