AutoCAD 2013 :: Scale Of Drawing Field Versus Scale Of Object
Jun 27, 2013
When I open a new drawing in my AutoCAD 2013 that I just recently installed last week, I encounter a problem that I am not familiar with from previus versions of AutoCAD I have worked on. First of all, the units default to decimal, and I want them to default to architectural, with feet and inches. I have to type UNITS in the command line every time I open a new drawing in order to adjust this. I have AutoCAD for Architecture 2012 on another computer, and the program automatically defaults to architectural units upon opening up. Just to let you know, the program I am having this difficulty with is part of a package called Autodesk Building Design Suite 2013. I was under the impression that it included AutoCAd for Architecture, but I think it has only standard AutoCAD.
The scale of the objects I draw vs. the scale of the drawing field is very out of proportion. What I mean is, when I open a new drawing and draw a 30' -0" line, the line appears so long on the screen that I cannot see the whole object, even if I zoom out to the maximum. I should be able to see the object in it's entirety. In fact, when I draw a line that is only 12" long, even when the zoom is all the way out, the line looks huge in length. I have tried adjusting the units to the architectural/inches setting of course, and I have tried adjusting the scale in model space from 1:1 to 1/4'=1'-0", but nothing is working.
am in the process of setting up a standard file for all designers to use our local office. This file will have most of the styles created for profiles, alignments, surfaces, profile views, etc... as mostly specified by the customer and industry standards.
I am having trouble maintaining the correct annotation scale in the viewport in paperspace and when plotting.
The attached word document has 3 figures. Fig 1 shows the correct viewport scale and correct annotation scale. Fig 2 shows how the annotation scale abruptly changes during the plotting process. This abrupt annotation scale change sometimes happens during the regen process or when I switch from layout to model space and back to layout.The annotation scale goes from 1:1 to 1:40 just as in the viewport. This change in annotation scale is not supposed to happen because I want to preserve a certain plotting height for my text versus a viewport scale by using various annotation scales.
I have researched the procedures for annotation scale and have not found any info related to this "abrupt change in annotation scale".
Curiously , this abrupt change in annotation scale does not happen if the text does not belong to any styles within Civil 3D. Stand alone text stays at the correct annotation scale and is not affected in the same way.
I would like to find a lisp that changes the scale of something that has an annotative scale and deletes all other scales in the object scale list. Often i have many different scales of existing dimensions or objects. i waste a lot of time opening the annotation object scale dialogue box, selecting add, finding my scale and deleting the old scale.
I have just updated to Autocad 2013. While working on existing drawings (previously created in V2012), I am having issues with the SCALE command. Most times, but not always, when I add a line or block, with a base point on an existing line or object and try to scale it, I get an "extremely small scale factor ignored" message, although I did not get a chance to enter a scale factor. While it appears most times, but not always, if I draw a new line in empty space on that same drawing, I am able to use the SCALE command without problems. I also have the same issue when trying to scale an existing line or block, most times but not always.
Here is a copy of the command line while I am trying to make it work:
Command: l LINE Specify first point: Specify next point or [Undo]: 100 Specify next point or [Undo]:
Command: sc SCALE Select objects: 1 found Select objects: Specify base point: Specify scale factor or [Copy/Reference]: Extremely small scale factor ignored.
Command: SCALE Select objects: Specify opposite corner: 1 found Select objects: Specify opposite corner: 1 found, 2 total Select objects: Specify base point: Specify scale factor or [Copy/Reference]: Extremely small scale factor ignored.
If you notice, it does not give me the chance to enter a scale factor. As soon as I pick the base point, it skips over to the error message, yet displays the scale factor prompt with a blank factor. I'm experiencing this issue on various files (not all but most), so I don't think it is a corrupt file. Why I get this and if I can correct it?
I am trying to insert a block into a file in Acad 2014 and it comes in too large. If I insert the same block into the same file using Acad 2012 it comes in at the correct scale. Doesn't seem to matter if insunits is 0 or 1, or insunitsdefsource or insunitsdeftarget are also 0 or 1.
There must be some variable or variables I'm missing.
I am having some problems getting the hang of applying the drawing scale to my assignment. I understand the scale factor that is applicable to the printing only and that AutoCAD doesn't care about the units used...but something is not clicking here and I'm sure it is pretty simple. My assignment requires me to draw 3 simple structures at 1/8" scale on 11X17 paper. Each house is 20' long with 10' walls and each is done in absolute, relative, and polar. I actually completed the work with all 3 formats without specifying the scale or paper size, just to get familiar with the commands. But now that I am trying to set the dimensions correctly, I cannot replicate my work because I'm getting lost in the way things are defined. I am using AutoCAD 2005, also have a 2002 version to which I can defer.
I have a block that i would like to scale based on the plot scale when plotting.
We set up our drawings full size and occasionally we want to plot them at half size. We do this by setting the plot scale to 1:2 (custom) in the plotting dialog. We have a few blocks that we want to print at the same size on paper, essentially become twice as big.
Is there is a way to fix the size or just set a few scale states and have them automatically adjust based on the plot scale (not drawing/annotative scale)?
I am working with surveying points and what I used to do was insert the dxf file containing the points to my drawing and they would be inserted with their correct scale. However, now in AutoCAD 2013, when I insert them they are in a different scale and I must adjust them. Is there anyway to have their original scale carry over in 2013?
We have a large project that we converted from 2012 to 2013 - it had always been a little buggy in 2012 as it was a piece together from another consultant. Now though, it is extremely slow and there seems to be a 'block reference' around every block in the drawing. You can drag your select window and they all pop up like crazy and slow things down immensely (see screen capture). You can select them individually, they have nodes on all 4 corners and to move them, scales your block up and down. I tried block replace to our blocks which we know are fine and same problem. It also seems to be drawing specific although audit is clean.
how to scale out these drawings. I have a CAD drawing using metric scale. This drawing has multiple title blocks. and each title block has its own scale. 1:500, 1:50, 1:150, 1:75. Now I make a block out of each title block and scale them out to find out if they plot out on the same sheet, and they do. Now, I still can't find out the scale factor to print them out to scale. I tried using using the scale shown in for each drawing for example 1:500 and it is super small when I do a print preview.
We created a field that is grabbing an object, the property of the object is the standard scale. Fields will not show the scale, it instead shows the word custom. This appears to be a AutoDesk bug. Please see the attachment.
One of the guys here has created a title block which has a scale field in it, this field reads the scale at which the title block is brought in, by use of an invisible attribute (he used the block in model space so that's why I scale them up). When he xref the dwg into my main drawing all is fine and the scales are as they should be but when he prints, the scales all show 1:1 on the print and in the main drawing. Could this be due to the fact that the xref is brought in at 1:1? But we can't see why this would change it as the block is obviously still at e.g. 1:50 in the xref.
I have been through all of the system variable field sources but cannot find one that stores the scale of a viewport. I want to add a field to my drawings that prints the viewport scale and updates it automatically if and when I change the scale.
What is the difference between the outcome of using the new content aware scale versus just going ahead and resizing the image? Or is this a matter of preference?
I've got a drawing that contains an XREF. I've got a field reading the viewport object's Custom scale>Use scale name. However, whenever the drawing is loaded up all of the XREF's scales get imported. Since they contain the same scales, the field changes to read the XREF scale instead of the one it was set to. They are the same scale, but the field reads the XREF one first. Here is a screenshot showing what I'm talking about. Notice that the viewport's properties never show the scale as 1:20_XREF, but the field does.
I've been having to click "show all scales", do a SCALELISTEDIT, remove the XREFs, then do a UPDATEFIELD. I have to do this every time the drawing is open. It stays that way until C3D is closed. This becomes a problem when I go to PUBLISH a sheet set. If I haven't opened all the sheets in the sheet set and changed the scale list then they all get the wrong scale list shown.
Infrastructure Design Suite Premium 2014 Civil 3D 2014 x64 Windows 7 64-bit 6GB RAM
We have recently noticed that after printing a PDF of a drawing I plotted from AutoCAD we are coming up with differences when we double check the scale on the printed hardcopy using a carpenter ruler.
For example, there is a dimension labeled on the drawing of 200 ft. However, if I try to scale this out with a carpenter's ruler at the drawing was set to (say for instance it is 1 inch = 100 ft) I am coming up short of the 2 inches it should be (typically come up around an 1-15/16" or around 194 feet, approx 97% of the correct amount).
In the Page Setup Manager in AutoCAD, I have the following options selected (see the print screen as well):
Printer/plotter selected: DWG to PDF.pc3
Paper Size: ANSI full bleed B (11.00 x 17.00 Inches)
What to Plot: Layout
I don't have a plot scale scale other than the default 1" = 1'
No plot style selected
Then, on the print menu when I open the PDF that I have exported from AutoCAD, I have the following settings (see the print screens I have attached):
Printer: The printer I use (Konica Minolta c650 Series PCL)
And I have selected the Options "Auto Rotate and Center" and "Choose paper source by PDF page size**"
** Note, that I have tried unselecting the "Choose paper source by PDF page size" option and accordingly changed the paper size in the "Page Setup..." button at the btoom to match the document size (i.e. 11.0 x 17.0in) and it gets the difference to be closer (i.e. I now get 198 ft but some of my border gets cut off). See the print screen below for this a print screen of the print menu and sub-menu of Page Setup showing the paper size selected.
I saw that some people in other forums state that there is no real solution when trying to scale off of PDF's and that there should be a disclaimer saying as much if you are to send the file out to a customer who may rely on doing some in the field scaling from the printed copy of the PDF file. I find it hard to believe there is no solution as we have received some drawings from others whom the scaling works just fine.
I am working on automating page setups in model space and am looking for a way to set the plot scale equal to the annotation scale for scaled drawings with
Setting the plot scale with !A causes the lisp to fail. However, when running each prompt through the command line individually, !A works fine. what is missing?
I have a drawing with several layouts, and in one particular layout only, I want the text to be smaller than the annotation scale would dictate (the viewport is 1"=300', but I want the text to display at 1"=50' annotation scale).
I tried selecting the viewport and changing the "annotation scale" property to 1"=50', then the "standard scale" property to 1"=300'.
Strangely, this seems to work for a bunch of MText objects I have in the drawing, but it won't work for an alignment station label group or for a particular linetype...for some reason, those two things insist on having their annotation scale equal to the viewport scale.
I tried messing around with the alignment station label group's style but couldn't figure anything out. As far as the line/linetype, I'm completely at a loss why that one wouldn't change.
I work in autocad 2010 and I draw in scale 1:1 . What an annotation scale is, moreover I have never used annotative objects in my drawings.
Nonetheless, when I try to plot a drawing, while I am in the model view, I choose the scale in mm/units, I select the plot area and when I press preview or plot, I get the message THE ANNOTATION SCALE IS NOT EQUAL TO THE PLOT SCALE. DO YOU WANT TO CONTINUE?
I press yes, I print it and the outcome is always a bit smaller than it should be.
When i am in the layout mode and I try to plot, I dont get this message. But I dont know how scaling works in this case. For example I want to plot in a A4 paper, scale 1:100. So I type 1000mm/100units, as I did in the model mode, but the result is wrong.
I realize it may be a Civil3D question. When I change my drawing scale in the "Drawing Settings" dialog box to 1"=40', for example. The Annotative scale in the Properties Palette changes to 1"=40'_XREF.
I have a floor plan with a very long footprint in a "View" drawn at a convenient scale.
The long building had to be broken to be put on several different "Sheets", and each of the floor plans on each of the sheet has a scale. When I change the scale of the partial plan on one "Sheet", all the other sheets also change to the same scale and also the original view changes to the new scale.
Is there a way to assign the desired scale of the plan on one sheet without affecting the scale on the other sheets and on the original drawing view?
