Model Space Drawing Scale

[Anonymous]

Hello guys,

Right so when doing one of my jobs at work depending on the size of the project, I would use different scales in the plot file and the only way that I have come up for this is to do all of my drawings in the model space at ltscale of 1/20 and then when I have done them I copy the file and for example change the file name to model 1/50, then changing the ltscale to 1/50, this is all well and good, all I have to do is to xref both files in to the plot and zoom into the correct scale, but this is where the problem is ... when the client wants to makes changes to the bathroom for example (in the model1/20) I make the changes and the have to copy or replicate this on to the 1/50 model.

So what I want to know is, would there be away to have two drawings that are linked together, like an xref but editable or even have 1 model space with view ports for example that are linked together but in different scales ??

Thanks for your help.

[pendean]

You always draw at 1:1 scale in modelspace. Always.

1/20, 1/50 and others are plot/print paper scales: you decide we after you draw at 1:1 scale what to plot to, its the most flexible easy way ever.

[Anonymous]

I only change the ltscale (line type scale), so I do draw in 1/1, due to using so many line types I have to do this but obviously, when you zoom to 1/50 in the plot you will not be able to use the xrefed 1/20 model as the lines will not come out right

[-FDC-]

Try the variable "psltscale" (change it to 1) in paperspace.

Linetypes will be fine (don't forget to "regenall" after you changed it).

[Anonymous]

hello,

would you be able to explain 'psltscale' to me as I have never used this command ?

[-FDC- · Accepted solution]

Just go to paperspace and typ "psltscale" (when you ar NOT in a viewport).

It will ask you for 0 or 1

Set it to 1

Type "rea" (from regenall).

And your lines should be fine.

PSltscale will provide the same lengths of your different linestyles when you have different scale in paperspace.

[Anonymous]

so once this is all done, I can go into the plot file to print and go in to the viewports and scale to any scale and the lines will adjust to the correct scale ??

[dgladfelter · Accepted solution]

AutoCAD has 3 Linetype Scale Variables. My personal recommendation is to set all three to 1.

• LTSCALE: The age-old linetype scale variable that affects the scale of linetypes across the entire drawing.
• MSLTSCALE: This affects how linetype scale is displayed in Model Space. When set to 1 it uses the current Annotation Scale (set in the status bar).
• PSLTSCALE: This affects the linetype scale of paper space viewports. Like MSLTSCALE it uses the annotation scale of the view (the viewport in this case) to determine the linetype scale. (Note viewports have two scale properties; viewport scale and annotation scale.)

When all three are set to 1, you can have two viewports of differing scales (let's say 1" = 20' and 1" = 50') and the dashes will be the same length in both viewports. By contrast, when just using LTSCALE, the dashes would be two different lengths.

Likewise, I know some who prefer setting LTSCALE to some factor (say half) of the overall drawing scale.  In this scenario, simply set LTSCALE  to 0.5 (1/2) and PSLTSCALE and MSLTSCALE to 1.

[-FDC-]

You have to draw everything in modelspace in 1/1 scale.

Then you go to paperspace and make "viewports".

It's like another sheet you put on top of your modelspace and make different holes in it (mview).

These holes can have different zoom factors (scales).

But the different lines (the length of the dashes etc) depend on the zoom factor.

If you set psltsclale (the paperspace version of ltscale) to 1 all your lines (lengths of the dash etc) will have the same length.

[-FDC-]

Yes!

But if everything is already set you dont have to go in your viewports.

Leave everything as it is (with the different scale factors in your viewports).

Your linetypes will be different according to your zoom factor of the viewports.

But if you type "psltscale" and set it to 1 (dont type it in but outside of your viewport) all your lines will be the same.

See below: same drawing, just another scale factor in the viewport (the green rectangles are the viewports).

[pendean]

If you only draw at 1:1, why do you xref 1/20 models? You XREF at 1:1 scale as well.

Post your DWG file and include your XREF, let's all have a look at what it is you are actually doing, I suspect you're doing things the very hard way.

[dgorsman]

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@dgladfelter wrote:

AutoCAD has 3 Linetype Scale Variables. My personal recommendation is to set all three to 1.

• LTSCALE: The age-old linetype scale variable that affects the scale of linetypes across the entire drawing.
• MSLTSCALE: This affects how linetype scale is displayed in Model Space. When set to 1 it uses the current Annotation Scale (set in the status bar).
• PSLTSCALE: This affects the linetype scale of paper space viewports. Like MSLTSCALE it uses the annotation scale of the view (the viewport in this case) to determine the linetype scale. (Note viewports have two scale properties; viewport scale and annotation scale.)

When all three are set to 1, you can have two viewports of differing scales (let's say 1" = 20' and 1" = 50') and the dashes will be the same length in both viewports. By contrast, when just using LTSCALE, the dashes would be two different lengths.

Likewise, I know some who prefer setting LTSCALE to some factor (say half) of the overall drawing scale.  In this scenario, simply set LTSCALE  to 0.5 (1/2) and PSLTSCALE and MSLTSCALE to 1.

---

AKA "The Rule of One".  There's also the object LTSCALE which should be 1.0, although for schematic drawings it's ok to do a little tweaking (+/-) to get a good visual presentation.

When dealing with line types there's caveat that they should be loaded from the same file, or at least every file should use the same basis for dash/space lengths.  If you load some from ACAD.LIN (inch-lengths) and some from ACADISO.LIN (millimeter-lengths) they'll always be either too big or too small regardless of settings.

I'll add that there are two scale values applied to a viewport.  One is the graphical scale, the other is an annotation scale.  While it's best that they are the same, it's not a requirement.  It's possible to have a 1:50 scaled viewport with a 1:1 annotation scale, which can make linetypes appear buggered up.