scales

[Anonymous]

can someone please explain this stuff to me, apologies for being extremely ignorant on how this stuff works. I am not an architect or designer, I have no specific training in this field. I am an Arboricultural consultant/ surveyor. I usually use other peoples drawings, topographicals, architects drawings etc. I simple add into these drawings root protection areas and canopy distributions of trees on the site. Occasionally I do not have the benefit of working with an architect. 

so, this drawing i am doing by myself. I have set the units in model space to metres. I want to now export this to a pdf that will be a suitable scale to print @Anonymous. I go to layout 1,  I would like the drawing to fit onto A4, the site is approx 76 metres by 81 metres. 

how do I accomplish this correctly ???? help very much appreciated    

[BeKirra]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I need to scale everything back down by a certain factor so as the radius of that RPA (T1) is 7800. How do I work that out mathematically?

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Based on your scale bar you need to use command scale to scale 30000mm to 30000 units by selecting everything in model space. (Please have a look in HELP for the scale command.)

Currently 30000mm represents 762000 units on your drawing.

After changing the drawing scale your drawing will be in 1:1 scale.

For setting up paper size in layout you need to use command _pagesetup while in layout.

Here is screenshots for your reference.

HTH

Edit. Comment added.

Finally you need to create a viewport in layout1. Follow what @Patchy mentioned in his post #6.

You will be fine.

[Anonymous]

Bob, thank you very much for your input, its very much appreciated! I will follow those steps next time I start a new drawing, as, I have not correctly learnt the basics, and THAT is the real problem here. Using Autocad is not a huge part of my job, I am an Arboriculturalist (that is I study trees), I didnt use or learn about this program in university, I studied plant biology, tree biomechanics, pests and diseases etc etc. My part with Autocad is very simple, an Architect prepares a drawing and overlays a topographical drawing, which shows me the location of the trees, I go to site and collect data about the trees, I evaluate them, categorise them, study them for defects and disease etc etc, in line with the British Standards recommendations. Then after I have calculated certain data and formulated root protection areas.. I simply add this into the drawings provided to me by the architects, I basically just add in circles that represent the root protection areas, and other odd shaped circles that represent canopy distribution, we call this a "constraints" drawing and this allows the architect to plan around said constraints etc, I accompany this drawing with a 50 page report detailing the potential impacts of the proposals upon the trees in the area and make my recommendations. The local planning authorities will not grant planning permission if said proposals are detrimentally impacting the trees, so the Arb report and constraints drawing is very important to the architect. Anyway! I am not an expert with this Autocad program, it really isn't my field, however, I do need to be able to find my way around it, Hence I thought I could get some quick answers and advice here, without me needing to start at page 1 and laboriously read the whole book, when in actual fact I only need to carry out a few simple operations with the program. Maybe I have been a bit naive, as sometimes I do not have the help of a 3rd part architect, and I need to produce something by myself. 

Anyway back to the original problem... I scaled the drawing down by a factor of 0,0394 and now the radius of the RPA of T1 is 7805.9280 so nearly correct! However, I seem unable to fine tune it.. how do I make it exactly 7800. ?????   

[Anonymous]

Hi BeKirra. Hmm, not sure I understand correctly.. when I converted the inches into millimetres, the radius of my circle was 198120. 

I selected everything in the drawing and scaled it by 0.0394 and now the radius of my circle is 7805.9280 so pretty close, however, I need to make it 7800. how do I fine tune it? because I cant seem to get it any closer than this.

[BeKirra]

If you want to scale the scale down to 7800 exactly, you use scale again to scale your entire drawing (model space) based on your circle.

The radius of the circle on your drawing is 198120.

Again, have a look in HELP for command scale before you do.

HTH

[Anonymous]

OK, thanks BeKirra. I will try that, and I will indeed have a look at the HELP option.

I realise you are all probably shaking your heads and wondering why the heck isn't he getting it.. But I'm just not getting it... Neither am I here to try and annoy you. 

You guys are the experts, I just simply want to understand this better. 

Thanks for the input. 

Dave. 

[BeKirra · Accepted solution]

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@Anonymous wrote:

OK, thanks BeKirra. I will try that, and I will indeed have a look at the HELP option.

I realise you are all probably shaking your heads and wondering why the heck isn't he getting it.. But I'm just not getting it... Neither am I here to try and annoy you. 

...

Dave. 

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@Anonymous 

You're welcome. We all started to learn AutoCAD somewhere... 

FYI

Always look into HELP when you think a command doesn't work "properly".

For example, when/how to use "copy" and "Reference" when scaling objects?

Another place you may need to look into is "system variables" in HELP.