Cannot get plot to scale correctly re: Plot scale, Viewport scale, Drawing units

[Anonymous]

Hi community, thanks very much for reviewing. This problem is driving me crazy. I measured my living room and kitchen to do a simple flooring takeoff. The area calc is fine, but I cannot get it to print correctly to scale. This is about the simplest drawing ever made (attached).

I'd like to print at 1" paper = 5' drawing. It seems like something is getting mixed up among 

1. Plot scale
2. Viewport scale
3. DWG Units

I have the following settings (and shown in photos):

• UNITS: "architectural" (insertion scale = inches)
• DWGUNITS: <2> feet
• Plot Scale (Page Setup): 1" = 1 unit
• Viewport Scale: 1" = 150' (drawing fits on 8-1/2 x 11 page, but this scale is extreme)
• Viewport Scale: 1" = 5' (what I'd like, but drawing looks massively blown up)

What's going on here? Between "UNITS", "DWGUNITS", "Plot Scale", and "Viewport Scale", I'm banging my head on the wall here. How do I get this to print on 8-1/2 x 11 paper at a clean 1in on paper = 5 drawing feet? Thank you for any help!!!

model

"UNITS""DWGUNITS"

Page Setup

VP 1" = 150' ??

VP 1" = 5'??

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

please upload the dwg-file, that's the only thing where we can look into and play with all settings, also to the modelspace content.

- alfred -

[Anonymous]

Files attached (cad2018, cad2013 compatible, and Zip containing both).
Thank you!

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

sorry, can't see anything attached here. Could you upload a ZIP to a free cloud service (like wetransfer.com) and share the download link with us?

- alfred -

[Anonymous]

Thanks Alfred! Didn't initially see the place to attach files so tried by email (didn't work), now I see the attachment field. Should be good now -- included the same file from 2018 cad plus 2013 compatibility save.

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

I'm assuming to handle the first layout now ... and see the first difference between your description and your file.

Your initial description:
>> Plot Scale (Page Setup): 1" = 1 unit

This is what I see looking to your page setup (Layout 1 in file "kathryn_floor_takeoff_2021-08-14.dwg"):

Is that already what you where looking for?

- alfred -

[Anonymous]

Hi Alfred, sorry I should have specified. I was working in the second Layout tab. But either way, if you can show me how to actually get this thing to plot on standard letter sized paper at 1" paper  = 5 ft drawing, in either layout, I would be so grateful!

[Anonymous]

I think I figured this out. When I select Architectural from the Units dialog, CAD treats DWGUNITS as inches. After selecting Architectural, if I run DWGUNITS, CAD displays the currently selected unit as <2> "feet", when in reality the program operates on <1> "inches". I confirmed this through testing. 

When I'm on unit type Architectural, a viewport scale (irrespective of title) of 1" = 1 drawing unit means an inch in model space shows as an inch on paper. But when I type DWGUNITS, the current setting shows as <2> "feet". This is not the case in reality, since 1" on paper is 1 unit of drawing.

The second part of this problem is the default scale titles AutoCAD pre-populates. When I change UNITS to type = Architectural, CAD auto-populates scales in layouts. The pre-populated scale with title 1" = 1' is 1" = 1 drawing unit. When I select this, 6" on paper is 6" in the drawing. Confirmed through measuring in paper space. Even though DWGUNITS shows <2> "feet", it's clearly acting in <1> "inches". The pre-populated scale of 1" = 1" is defined as 1" paper = 0.0833 drawing units. The scale is acting as though DWGUNITS are set to <2> feet (which is what DWGUNITS shows), but the actual layout and drawing are acting in <1> inches since selecting the scale of 1" = 1' is actually 1"  = 1 drawing unit, and 6" on paper = 6" polyline. 

This seems like a bug. Maybe it was fixed with updated versions of CAD, I'm way behind.