Inserted image not aligning with source points when using Align (command)

[Anonymous]

Hello All,

I use Align command to align inserted images so that I can scale them to real-world distances. I normally insert two circles and use their centres at the reference/source points. However in the last couple of days I have experienced an issue where the image will mis-align after I run through the Align command steps. 

I have attached a screenshot of this happening. After I hit 'yes' at the end of the command, the image will move to an different location, and sometimes will scale smaller. 

Can someone help me figure out why this is happening? 

[leothebuilder]

I don't think you can scale images or any other object with the Align command.

As the command name suggest, it allows you to align one object with another.

To scale objects, or in your case an image you need to use the Scale command.

To scale an image to a real world distance, you need to use the Reference sub-command. (check the command line

as you go thru the Scale command options)

[leeminardi]

In older versions of AutoCAD there was an option to scale as well as align with the align command.  I do not know when this feature was removed but it isn't available in AutoCAD 2019.

[Anonymous]

I am using AutoCAD 2018.

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

>> In older versions of AutoCAD there was an option to scale

As long as you don't assign a 3rd point AutoCAD asks if the source object should be scaled, also with current AutoCAD.

- alfred -

[Anonymous]

But this doesn’t resolve the issue I am experiencing. Objects are not aligning properly when I use the align command.

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

on my system it works well.

Does that only happen in this single dwg-file or with that special image?

Is that image a reference or an OLE object?

What does the command-line report when you run the _ALIGN command?

- alfred -

[Anonymous]

I have tried it on three separate computers using AutoCAD 2018 and AutoCAD 2020 LT.  It is very strange because this same command worked fine two weeks ago.

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

it might help to answer my questions ...

- alfred -

[Anonymous]

Sorry about that. 

So the external file I'm attaching is a google earth image. 

It is happening in separate dwg files. I tried creating a new file to see if it would work and unfortunately the same thing happens. 

See attached image. I tried running Align in order to align the scale on the google earth image to the two circles. As you can see, the resulting image is not aligned. 

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

can you try that with a different image too, just a small one like a screenshot?

How big is the GoogleEarth image (filesize)?

When you select the image and open the property window, does it show "Image" or "OLE Object"?

Can you upload dwg + rasterfile?

When you say that it worked previously ... and so to verify it there happened something to your AutoCAD profile ==> can you login to your system with a new Windows user account, and try it in AutoCAD (and so with a new AutoCAD profile) again?

- alfred -

[Anonymous]

I tried doing it with screenshot image and the same thing happened.  

The google image file size is about 1.15 MB and it is not an OLE object. 

I'll try logging in as a guest and see if that works. Standby. Thanks for this. 

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

your drawing works well, I can align your image based on these 2 points.

So it might be related to the AutoCAD type (is it Vanilla AutoCAD or a vertical), AutoCAD profile, update status, or plugins working on top of your AutoCAD (and on the other systems you tried this behavior).

Let's see what the result with a new user is.

If that does not help, you might start command _ABOUT and upload a screenshot from that dialog.

To see if there is a plugin or something similar running on your systems you can try to start AutoCAD with the /safemode parameter (described >>>here<<<) and see if _ALIGN works then as expected.

- alfred -

[Anonymous]

I tried both suggestions (logging in as a guest user and running in safemode). Both did not yield any change. 

I have no idea what is causing this. Especially considering it is happening on my home PC running AC 2018 as well as two work PCs running AC 2018 and AC 2020 LT. 

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

So I ended up figuring it out. I was doing the process wrong! I had reversed the source and destination points. 

Thanks for your help in trying to figure it out.