Help Converting Engineer to Architectural Scale

[Jessy]

I managed to import an Autocad document that a surveyor did in engineer scale into my architectural scaled document. It looks fine; however, when I print my document, lines e.g. 45 degree angles, appear more like 30 degrees. Its not showing up in the print preview, just on the final printout. I use AutoCad LT 2004. Any suggestions to fix the printout?

[rkmcswain]

I managed to import an Autocad document that a surveyor did in engineer scale into my architectural scaled document. It looks fine; however, when I print my document, lines e.g. 45 degree angles, appear more like 30 degrees. Its not showing up in the print preview, just on the final printout. I use AutoCad LT 2004. Any suggestions to fix the printout?

I assume you have scaled the engineering document to fit your arch drawing...

If the angles are off, it's possible that one or both of the drawings are not set with UCS=World.

As far as not showing up on the print preview - not sure. It *does* print though?

[Jessy]

Neither document was set to UCS=World. Both were set to =Current. The document did print, just not the same as the preview (the angles were off). I changed my document to UCS=World, but no change to printing.

Now I can't remember how I imported the surveyor's drawing to see if resetting the UCS would help. I think it was import at 1/12 scale. Could you remind me.

One thing I have noticed though - when I open my document and the surveyor's document, it always lists "HJWSHP.shx" as the file name - I just hit cancel and my document opens. Could this be part of the problem?

Thanks for your thoughts!

[good_m]

an shx file is only a font file (similar to a ttf (true type font)). This will have no bearing on your printing settings. I would suggest that you start over. before you copy the surveyors drawing over I would suggest that you set it's ucs to world and set your architectural to world. This however might not be the solution because the surveyors drawing more than likely won't be at the same angle as your architectural drawing. Architectural drawings are normally drawn in a way so that the drawing looks appropriate on the page not necessarily with a specific direction (north) up.
Mike

[rkmcswain]

One thing I have noticed though - when I open my document and the surveyor's document, it always lists "HJWSHP.shx" as the file name - I just hit cancel and my document opens. Could this be part of the problem?


It's prompting you for a SHAPE file, not a FONT file. Tell your engineer/surveyor to use eTransmit to package the drawing before sending it. Then it will contain the SHAPE file(s).

See: http://cadpanacea.com/node/27 for more information.

[Paul Sweet]

It's possible that surveyor is usoing azimuth, with angles set to clockwise direction and 0 degrees at 12 o'clock. Type "units", see if Clockwise is checked under Angles, then click on the Direction button. AutoCAD traditionally uses Cartesian coordinates, with 0 degrees at 3 o'clock and counterclockwise angles.

[good_m]

Not trying to be a pain here Paul but I find that most of the time surveyors will input their angles in degrees minutes seconds, usually keeping north straight up (AutoCAD's default).
Mike

[Jessy]

Thxs -units are in Deg/min/sec and clockwise is not checked. The surveyor did use a layout for true north.

I have forgotten how import the document - I know its 1/12 scale. Could you help me? I will set UCS=World this time.

I really appreciate the help!

[good_m]

I'm assuming that you already have the architectural drawings done. Create a block of the surveyor's drawing and paste it into the architectural drawing. Now scale the surveyor's drawing (in the architectural drawing file) by whatever the factor should be depending on what the surveyor's units are in (ie. usually 25.4). Now move the block of the surveyor's drawing with a corner of the building as the reference point and drop it onto the architectural drawings of the building in the appropriate corner. Nor rotate the block about that point using a refernce angle to line it up with the architectural building drawing and that's it. you'll have the surveyor's drawing at the right angles in reference to the building.
Mike