Annotative scale greyed out

[Anonymous]

I created an annotative dimension in modelspace on a layout tab.  The text is very small.  The viewport scale is 3/16"=1'0".  When I look at the dimension properties, the annotative scale is 1:1 and I cannot change it.  The select box allows me to create new scales and I can even select one, but it does not 'take' and reverts back to 1:1.

I have other dimensions that are annotative with an annotative scale of 3/16"=1'0" on my drawing that work perfect.  What would be stopping me from changing the annotative scale on new dimensions?

The crazy thing is that when I select the dimension, it is highlighted blue and the text size is correct.  When I select off it, the text size shrinks to nothing.

And it looks like it is correct in the modelspace tab.

What am I missing?

Thanks.

[TheCADnoob]

could you by change upload the drawing so we could take a look at it?

[Anonymous]

Full blown new guy here, I did not realize someone replied - the email did not come through.

Please see attached file.  The 18' dim has a 3/16":1' scale but anything new I put in is scaled 1:1 and I cannot seem to change it.

Thanks.

[TheCADnoob]

I am unable to duplicate your problem. the dimension appears to be the same as the others in the drawing. 

I may be incorrect but from your wording (or at least the way im interpreting it) it seems like you are trying to change the text height using the annotative scale. If this is the case, this is not how you achieve a text height change. You set the text height using the text height property and the annotative scale is used as a 'trigger' to display the text height at the different scales.  so if your text height is 3/16" and you annotative scales are 3/16":1' and 1/4":1' your text will appear as 3/16" in both of those scales. In other words the text will appear the same height while the geometry changes scale. (unless ive just really got this wrong hehe)

So when you try to apply an annotative scale to the dimension as you describe it should revert back to what ever scale the the viewport is set at. The annotative scale is just a table spelling out when the text height will be 'triggered' to be the size listed in the properties. The annotative scale follows the view port. 

Aslo you have two assocaitve dimensions in your drawing which may be behaving differently than your wother dimensions. 

As far as i can see the dimensions look good to me. 

[TheCADnoob]

Ok after some more playing i was able to get what i think may be the behavior you are experiencing. 

I removed the 3/16" annotation scale from one of the dimensions and it reverted to a smaller text. I then added the 3/16" scale and it stayed the same even after updating it and putting it at the right scale. 

I was able to get it to display correctly by unlocking the viewport and changing the scale away from 3/16 and the changing it back to 3/16 and the change took hold. Give that a go and see if it helps. 

REGENALL may also achieve this result. 

[Anonymous]

How did you remove the annotative scale?  That is what I cannot figure out.

I appreciate the help, but I am still having issues adding a dimension that looks correct on the layout tab.  See the attached file.  There are two 18' dimensions.  One has an annotative scale of 3/16=1 and the other is 1=1.  Why?  Shouldn't that annotative scale be controlled by the viewport?   Is it somehow related to the ANNOAUTOSCALE setting?  Did I take a nap during the class that talked about how easy that is to control?

When I select the dimension whose annotative scale is 3/16=1, the highlighted text is a different size than the original text.

Both 18' dimensions have a text height of 3/16" but only one looks correct.  When I select both dimensions, there are only two differences, one is associative, one is not and the annotative scale is not the same.

I am sure I just have a setting someplace that is out of whack but I have no idea which one and it is driving me mad.

[TheCADnoob · Accepted solution]

The appearances of the text is controlled by the view port scale. 

You can change the individual properties for each dimension elements using properties. Ideally you would have them set to you likeing in a chosen style but you can change them individually. 

In the below example i change the second 18.' i get it to update by changing scales. 

EDIT: It looks like i accendently edited out the part where i added the scale of the view port 😞

[Anonymous]

So the only step I was missing was the unlock and regen and re-lock?  I did not understand that, because I was able to change it but it lookedlike nothing happened.  Any idea what this is all about when I select the dimensions?

 

Thank you!!

[TheCADnoob]

you can change that behavior with SELECTIONANNODISPLAY

Glad i was able to help 🙂