Viewport scale list

[Anonymous]

Hi 

was on LT 2006,

recently upgraded to a new stand alone LT 2012 on brand new machine (lucky me?)

I only work in metric millimeters. 

When I open a new drawing and set up a viewport on a new layout tab the viewport scale list is as one would expect i.e. 1:1 1:2 1:4 1:5 1:10 1:25 1:50 etc etc

when I open an existing drawing I only have the option of imperial scales i.e. fractions. I have tried simply adding the most commonly used scales to the list but once the drawing is saved and closed, they have disappear when reopened

any suggestions gratefully received

apart from going back to the year 2006!

Many thanks

Phil

[Bob_Zurunkle]

On the problem drawing, type -dwgunits and see what value it returns.

[pendean]

A DWG file is either Metric, or Imperial, never both: your AutoCAD default installation/setup is always ignored, and drawings don't just change on their own, they are set to be that. Been that way since before your 2006 version.

So... share a file you think is Metric but opens as Imperial and let's all have a closer help. The tip above is a great tool to see what your DWG file is set to do.

[heinsite]

What is your Default Scale List?  (Options - User Preferences tab).  If you only use metric set that as your default.  If it's been modified Reset it once you're in the Options dialog.  See if that makes any difference.

Dave.

[Anonymous]

thanks for all the replys.

just to give you some more background, because i don't believe this is PEBKAC type of error, (although this could easily be a possiblity)  

With previous versions of LT i have had no problems

the files i am having trouble with are those created by my collegue, some of these files we have been using since 2000

I am in the UK, i work in the architectural sector, no one works in Imperial now, we have been working in Metric millimeters for the last 25 years at least therefore all setups have always been millimeters

i have checked various files using -dwgunits as suggested and they all return the answer "millimeters".

I have also looked at OPTIONS > USER PREFERENCES > DEFAULT SCALE LIST. now that was interesting and repeatable if i try change from Metric to Imperial i hit OK then reopen the dialogue box it reverts to imperial. Now, i have also tried this with a drawing that is working fine in metric and tried the same thing in reverse however same problem, the setting won't "stick"

i have attached a drawing file. i have removed our title block and most of the information however this file does still exhibit the problem. 

thank you for showing an interest

[heinsite · Accepted solution]

Try this:  Click the Annotation Scale in Model space > Custom > Reset >Metric Scales, and OK.  Then save the drawing and reopen it.  The scales should be set to only metric with no imperials. 

Dave.

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

Heinsite 

you are star 

thankyou!

do you know why this would have happened?

is this something that has happened to you?

thanks again 

have a great weekend

Phil

[heinsite]

Yeah... you can mark my note as a solution to your problem if you like.

I've seen this lots, and what can happen over time is the scales lists get bloated.  That will have a big effect on drawing performance.  How does it happen?... lots of ways, but mostly because somebody gets careless along the way.  The scales thing is fairly new in AutoCAD still.  It came along with Annotative scaling and judging by all the questions on various forums it's still a mystery to a lot of folks.  It's only complicated at first.  Once you work out what's going on it's fairly easy and really nice because you can say so long to computing scale factors.  Unfortunately what you ran into is probably one of the downsides.

Glad you got it worked out! 

Dave

[Anonymous]

Dave 

thanks

have marked solution as requested

just started using 2012 December last year

previously on 2006

have obviously noticed this Annotative thing, what is the idea? to keep text etc the same size in viewports regardless of scale? have struggled to get my head around it quickly so have shelved until i have a little less to do.....sometime in 2050! if i live that long

for the most if/when i do need to dimension a drawing i usually put dimensions on the layout and not the model, as they tend to be information for that particular drawing only. however i normally include general text on the model with specific text on the layout.

thanks again for your input it was most informative

regards

Phil

PS Interestingly from Options > user prefs. > default scale list > still shows imperial and when i try to change to Metric it will not "stick"

please see screen shot

[Charles_Shade]

SCALELISTEDIT and Reset to remove unwanted scales. This will also ask if you want Imperial or Metric scales.

Either of you using LT 2008 or LT 2009 on those drawings?

You mentioned 2006 but I do not recall Scale lists growing being and issue then.

Heinsite is right that this became a problem with the introduction of Annotative scaling and has been corrected in recent releases - Notably LT 2011and LT 2010 ( I believe)

What is possible is that all of your "older" files are in this predicament. There is a utility to clean these files which may or may not help you if this is the problem:

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/ps/dl/index?siteID=123112&id=2334440&linkID=9240818

Scroll down to the 2009 and 2008 entries. Run the utility - it won't hurt.

[heinsite]

> PS Interestingly from Options > user prefs. > default scale list > still shows imperial and when i try to change to Metric it will not "stick".

Mine too.  Everybody probably.  I think it's just the way the software is set up.  It knows that when you go there you're probably messed up, so Imperial is just the first option.  I set this just before I create a new template to be sure I don't run into the kind of troubles you had.

Annotative scales work with text/dimension/mleader/table styles to eliminate having to compute scale factors between model and paper/layout spaces.  You set up what size you want the text to be on paper and AutoCAD does the rest.  All you need to do is make sure the annotative text is set up to display properly at the scales you want, and then make sure that the scales match.

Ex.  Set the scale in model space to 1:20.  Create a text style and set the text height to something common you'd normally use on paper (maybe 4mm?).  Then create a dimension style that uses it.  Then in model space draw an object and dimension it with your new style.  Create a View in a Layout and click on it.  Set the scale there also to 1:20 and look at your dimension (and text, if you placed some).  They'll all be 4mm, just the way you want.

If you go back to the model now and change the scale the dimensions and text in the layout will disappear!  Why?  Because they're not "mapped" to the new scale.  But you can fix that in Properties.  Click on the objects, look at the scales, and Add the new one and Presto!... all the stuff comes back again.  AND, they're still at 4mm.  Cool?  Cool.  Setting the scale value only changes the way the model looks (sizewise) in the Layout, but the text won't change.  It will stay at the size you set in your style.  In Model space changing the scale won't change the size of the model, but it will change how text looks "depending" on (1) how you've set the things to display, and (2) whether the objects are "mapped" to the new scale.  You can use these characteristics to your advantage quite often.

From there on it's just a matter of figuring out the little Display Annotative objects icons ... it takes a little experimenting to get it worked out, but it isn't bad.

That's the basics and should get you going.  It's the way to go for sure.

Dave. 

[Anonymous]

Hi Dave

just had a quick play with that. Actually really straight forward.

probably won't use it too much for dimensioning as mostly i do this on the layout. but will be really useful for model space text

thanks once again 

Best regards

Phil

[heinsite]

I do very little annotation in paper space anymore, and even less dimensioning there.  But no matter how you prefer to work you will find Annotative objects useful.  Blocks can be annotative too.  That's worth a few hours of playtime as well! 

Dave.

[Anonymous]

I too had this same issue and tried all the above and the only one that was quite easy to do was Charles_Shade comment.

I typed this in and it worked straight away.. Thanks for that 🙂