How do I set the drawing scale?

I apologize for asking this very basic question, but I am too much of a beginner so far . I can see there is a scale icon in the bottom menu bar of the screen, but it refers to Annotation Scale, which is for text only.

I need to make a drawing that is 1:1000 ( all units are in meters). Where do I set this?

Many thanks.

you don't - you should draw your model full size. If you have a line 500m long, you draw it 500 units long.

you only scale the item when it fits on paper. do a search here on paper space and yu will find many examples of how to fit it all together.

In fact, look below for some similar questions.

As Dave mentioned draw everything full size in model space. When done switch to your layout and create a viewport. A viewport is a "window" that allows you to see objects you have created back in model space. It is the viewport that is actually "scaled". At plot time, since you normally plot from your layout, the plot scale is considered to be 1:1. Any good after-market AutoCAD book will explain this whole process in detail. Do you have such a book at your side? If not, then go buy one and keep it handy. Recommended authors include Ralph Grabowski, Ellen Finkelstein and George Omura just to name a few.

Thank you for the explanations . I now understand the context of scaling: 1:1 on model space and then change in paper space to fit the paper.

Thank you for the explanations . I now understand the context of scaling: 1:1 on model space and then change in paper space to fit the paper.

Model space is always 1:1. Paper space will fit the paper however, dimensions will show as noted in model space.

platsk: Are you sure? Take a look at this CADTutor tutorial about Paper Space.

http://www.cadtutor.net/tutorials/autocad/paper-space-exercise.php

The only reason for not going about drawing as described above is if you have a client who lives in the dark ages and specifies the production of their drawings entirely in modelspace, or (the most frustrating example we've come across recently on CADTutor) you are a student who has a tutor who speaks fluent 'dinosaur' who expects an assignment to be produced in such an archaic fashion - in which case you should make good use of CADTutor and do all your assignments twice over - once to hand to your tutor to his satisfaction, and the second time as coached by CADTutor users so you're learning how industry is going to expect you to be able to work once you qualify!

Who are you calling a dinosaur? Just because we have over 200 "legacy" drawings, all done in model space, doesn't mean we're still in the Dark Ages does it?

No and especially if they're electrical drawings for which there is no point in faffing about with the whole paperspace thing

If a company has seen fit to migrate from a drawing board to CAD, it should really revise drawing methods occasionally to allow new efficiencies to be integrated into working practices :wink:

I still don't see the need for paper space, even with our mechanical drawings but I'll let it rest here.

Isn't that just to save confusion in trying to run two methods when most of your drawings are electrical Dave?

it is partly as we do mostly electrical drawings so there is no need for viewports but even our mechanical drawings don't need to be fancy. Draw the cabinet full size. Drop an A1 border around it @ 10:1 and print on PDF or A3 at "scale to fit". Why bother making it any more complicated?