Jump to content

Drawing paper space or model space


12Chris

Recommended Posts

Paper space was just introduced the last time I used AutoCAD professionally. I didn't become familiar with it and it seemed like an unfathomable concept then; at least from the way it was explained to me. I'm getting back into freelancing - and hopefully find a full time position in this area.

So I did some drawing for this guy all in paper space...that was what first opened up in AutoCAD. After five hours and getting ready to send the files, I realize that maybe I shoulda done it in model space. Is it really going to make that much of a difference?

If he wanted me to redo it in model space - is there a fast way to do this?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 32
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • 12Chris

    10

  • ReMark

    7

  • eldon

    4

  • fuccaro

    3

Top Posters In This Topic

Posted Images

Try the CHSPACE command. It is an Express tool, but I am not sure if AutoCAD 2004 has it.

If that fails: select all, CTRL+X, go to model space and paste.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Model space is where I draw all the stuff, paper space is where I put my titleblock and notes and such. Think of it this way. Your model, either 2d or 3d, is sitting in a room. Paper space is the window into that room. You can have one or more viewports on the same layout tab or on several layout tabs.. They can all be different scales, have different layers turned on or off. They can look at different part of the model, or the same part in different zoom levels. Here's where it gets really cool. No matter what scale you use in the viewport, if you put all your dimensions on in paperspace, they will all be the same size! Even if you change the scale, a regen will fix all the dimensions and they will be correct, and still be the same size. At any rate, when you get the scale you want, you can lock it so zooming doesn't screw it up! Well, in 2010 it does, I don't remember if 2004 does it or not. I skipped from 2000 to 2007 and then to 2010.

 

Feel free to ask all the question you like. Its a really good tool that you'll find great uses for once you get a handle on how it works.

 

--Edit-- I forgot to mention the most important part! Using paperspace to set the view scale allows you to draw at 1:1 in model space. No screwing around with drawing at a particular scale. Draw it full size, then set the view scale in paper space to fit the paper you need to print on! Never again will you have to deal with accidentally bringing in a 3/8 scale block in a 1/4 scale drawing and having your boss look at you with that "you are a stupid fish" look (don't know what a stupid fish is...its a dumb bass).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What type of drawings do you do? Anything that needs to be plotted to a particular scale should be drawn FULL size in model space and a paper space layout (with viewport(s)) should be utilized. Technically, any schematic (usually not drawn to a scale) could be completely done in a paper space layout.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I will second the motion. For years I only played around with AutoCAD when I needed to view a drawing someone else prepared or layout a few simple lines and points for a survey. But when the time came and I first started learning about model/paper space and using viewports I was confused about the concepts, but only for a short time.

 

Place a coffee cup (or any object) on your desk in front of you. Now form your hands and fingers into a viewing screen like a Hollywood film director would do when viewing a scene. Now slide your hands and fingers apart to simulate making the screen bigger and smaller. Then move your hands in synch closer and farther away from the object like you're zooming in and out with a camera. This is the same concept for using viewports in paperspace. You can open a window and change the size and shape of it, and then zoom in and out to enlarge or shrink the size of the object in the window. You can have custom scales or use typical ones like 1/4"=1', etc... And all this is done without ever changing anything to your 1:1 object in model space. It is a very powerfull tool which you should master and once you do you'll wonder how you ever did without it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks VERY much for all your replies. I'm not sure why, but copying and pasting from paper space to model space doesn't work. I can copy in as a picture, but that will not work either.

So I decided to start over in model space. Good practice for me...right! So somehow this guy's got the ucs icon oriented in what appears like isometric mode and the crosshairs are like that as well. I attached screenshot; crosshairs next to it. Isometric snap is not on. Only x and y axis are visible, unless he's got z pointing straight out.

As far as I can tell, this is a 2D drawing. So the ucs icon and I are both disoriented. Any clues as to what might be going on here? I guess I'm still a little rusty on some things, but hopefull will get back up to speed soon.

UCSIcon_crshrs.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not sure why, but copying and pasting from paper space to model space doesn't work. I can copy in as a picture, but that will not work either.

 

It's possible that you pasted to model space, couldn't see the result, and assumed it "doesn't work." That can get you into trouble. If you can't see what a command did, it may have put something outside your current viewing area. It's best to UNDO in these cases and try again.

 

In the case of the copy/paste, you may have put the item(s) somewhere you didn't intend. Unless you use Copy With Base Point, you can't be sure where the item(s) will appear. In paper space, things are typically near the origin. When you paste them into model space, they may appear near the origin, so if your viewing area is somewhere else, you won't see them.

 

Another possibility is that the items look normal in paper space but get much smaller in model space. They are still there, just so small that you don't notice them. That's a good reason to use CHSPACE instead of copy/paste.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They are still there, just so small that you don't notice them. That's a good reason to use CHSPACE instead of copy/paste.
After copy-pasting, do a zoom to extents. And the good news: I just checked and AutoCAD 2004 was the first version with the CHSPACE command
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey, thanks again! CHSAPCE comes up with "unknow command" though.

You're right about the copy deal. I copied it with a base point, and pasted in in model space...it was such a itty bitty thing I could barely make it out. I guess I can scale it up, or is there some Autocaddy kinda trick I can use for that?

About the UCS icon, the thing that threw me off was the command line would say I'm drawing at an angle of 270 when it's showing up as 30. Either he rotated the whole page, or I dunno what he did this for. Kinda embarrased to ask him at this point. :-).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

when I type ucs in the command line, it says "current ucs name: *NO NAME*. Below that, is the default, so when I hit Enter, the ucs rotates so the X axis is pointing down and Y axis is almost horizontal, pointing slightly upwards. I dunno what's going on here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey, that did it! So now I'm starting to see what this guy mighta did. Maybe somehow oriented the ucs and crosshairs to whatever he was working on in the drawing. It's very large, and the various objects are oriented at different angles. I was reading a little about this, but haven't quite got it yet. Anyone familiar with this? I just never ran across it before.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I do it all the time. When a floor plan has non symmetrical layouts I will rotate the UCS around the Z axis then use the PLAN command to realign the drawing orientation.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Type UCS, choose Z, then type in the rotation angle or pick two points. Then type PLAN and hit Enter twice to align the drawing orientation. To get back to normal, type UCS and hit Enter twice, then PLAN and Enter twice. Simple as that. ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

... Here's where it gets really cool. No matter what scale you use in the viewport' date=' if you put all your dimensions on in paperspace, they will all be the same size! Even if you change the scale, a regen will fix all the dimensions and they will be correct, and still be the same size ...[/quote']

 

Another tip ...

 

Set DIMASSOC to "2".

This will allow you to dimension (in paperspace) everything that you drew in modelspace, and it will dimension correctly.

 

For example, you drew something true size (let's say 30 foot long) in modelspace. Looking at it in paperspace, your screen is not 30 foot long, so the item has to be looked at through a viewport. If you dimension the item (in paperspace) and DIMASSOC is set to "2", then even though the item is actually 30 foot long, the item will dimension correctly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Type UCS, choose Z, then type in the rotation angle or pick two points. Then type PLAN and hit Enter twice to align the drawing orientation. To get back to normal, type UCS and hit Enter twice, then PLAN and Enter twice. Simple as that. ;)

 

Thank you for that tip! I didn't know about the PLAN command. 8)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is a good tip.The crosshairs and ucs look right, but now the whole drawing rotates somehow. Haven't figured this one out yet.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


×
×
  • Create New...