viewing scale and dimensions

I'm very new to CAD so please be gentle with me.

 

I'm going to ask two questions at once, I hope that's acceptable.

I've got .dxf files of parts that need to be manufactured, however in this instance I need to manufacture 3/4 scale versions of these parts. So far I've been simply printing the plans and using my trusty calculator to change the scale of the dimensions.

 

But now I've got a couple of pages in this set of plans that have over a thousand dimensions on them. It would be really cool if I could just open a dialog or enter a command and have all the dimension on the page multiplied by a scaler so I can print the plans with the correct dimensions on them.

 

Scaling the model has been suggested. I assume that when you scale a model that the dimensions automatically update. However, I have no idea if these .dxfs contain model information or just 2D plan data and I don't know how to check.

 

The second question of my post is only; Is there a way to view the actual size of the plans in auto cad? Sort of a "Display actual size" button?

 

Thanks. I'm sure I'll be hanging around here a fair bit now.

Ok, Hi and this is a simple solve. DO NOT SCALE THE MODEL!!!

 

First of all let's findout if you are using Modelspace or Layout?

 

If you are using Modelspace..

As long as all of the dimensions you want to change are on the same layer, apply these commands.

 

type: LAYISO

SELECT one or 2 dimensions you wish to change. This wil isolate only the dimensions.

type: _dimstyle

a dialog box will appear. Select modify from the buttons.

Another dialog box will come up. Go to the MODIFY tab. Choose the FIT tab.

Go down to use overall scale. If this value is set to 1, then make it 0.75. This will reduce them by 25%.

 

If you are using Layout set the radio button to SCALE DIMENSIONS TO LAYOUT. If this does not work, check your viewport scales.

 

Enjoy..:-P

... on the other hand, if the parts are going to be manufactured at 3/4 scale, then scaling the model is actually the correct way to make 1:1 drawings for this batch of parts.

 

Attach a sample drawing if possible.

 

As for the 2nd question, Put a ruler up to your screen and measure the width of the "paper" on your screen. Divide the "actual" width of the paper by the dividend, then use ZOOM>nnX (nn = dividend)

Ok, Hi and this is a simple solve. DO NOT SCALE THE MODEL!!!

 

First of all let's findout if you are using Modelspace or Layout?

 

If you are using Modelspace..

As long as all of the dimensions you want to change are on the same layer, apply these commands.

 

type: LAYISO

SELECT one or 2 dimensions you wish to change. This wil isolate only the dimensions.

type: _dimstyle

a dialog box will appear. Select modify from the buttons.

Another dialog box will come up. Go to the MODIFY tab. Choose the FIT tab.

Go down to use overall scale. If this value is set to 1, then make it 0.75. This will reduce them by 25%.

 

If you are using Layout set the radio button to SCALE DIMENSIONS TO LAYOUT. If this does not work, check your viewport scales.

 

Enjoy..:-P

 

Okay. I typed in LYISO and select some dims. Modified the dimstyle so the overall scale was .75, but none of the values of the dimensions changed. I don't believe there is any model data in this file (it's just 2D plans), but to be honest, I don't know for sure. I wouldn't know how to check. It opens as plans when I open the file.

Attach the drawing if possible.

I opened one of the .dxfs I'm working with and did a "save as" with the default settings in AutoCad.

 

So it's no longer a .dxf but it appears that this has not changed the plans in anyway I can discern. I hope this helps

Hose Fitting.dwg

That drawing has been exploded to the point where the dimensions are just individual lines, texts, and solid hatches (arrowheads), so there's no hope of re-using the dimensions. If this is typical of the drawings you have to work with, we can help you scale the geometry, but the bottom line is that you'll have to replace the dimensions. This may seem like a lot of work, but once you have a dimension and multileader style set up, you'll probably be able to knock it out in 5-10 minutes, which is way faster than using a calculator and manual text edits.

 

I can do one for you and explain exactly what needs to be done, but you'll have to explain exactly what you're tying to do because just scaling the drawing X 0.75 won't produce parts that correspond to "real world" thread and fitting sizes.

Thank you very much for taking the time to help me out. Thread size and such isn't a problem I will convert those to whatever is appropriate during the manufacturing process. It's just the dimensions to cut the stock to that I would like converted. The scale I'm converting to is actually .771, I was just rounding to .75 for simplicity's sake. If you can explain the process in short, easy to understand words I should be okay to do the others.

OK, I made some assumptions about what you want to do, but here's the basic procedure. Scale the drawing so the geometry is 1:1, either by applying a known scale factor, or by using SCALE > [R]eference. Create a new layer for the new annotation, and set the layer current. Choose a Text, Dimension, & MultiLeader style that is appropriate for your plots. Change DIMASSOC = 2 so the dimensions are not automatically "exploded" upon creation. Dimension and annotate the drawing, then either turn off, or delete the "old" exploded dimensions that don't match the geometry.

 

You may also want to recreate the hatch(s) since they've also been exploded into individual lines and becomes too dense when scaled down.

 

If I were doing this for myself, I'd be using Layouts/Viewports, but that's another subject.

 

BTW, you do know these drawings contain the Autodesk Educational plot stamp... right?

 

Demo Video -->

Hose Fitting-3.dwg

First I want to apologize for how long it has taken me to reply to you. Work got crazy and I had to set this project aside.

 

Secondly, my deepest and sincerest thanks for the information and your efforts. The movie you created is excellent, easy to follow and understand and has been a huge help. Thank you very much for taking the time to create it and provide for me a corrected file.

 

Yes, I was aware of the educational plot stamp. It gets those from my educational license of the software

 

Thank you again. Very much.

s.c.

First I want to apologize for how long it has taken me to reply to you. Work got crazy and I had to set this project aside.

 

Secondly, my deepest and sincerest thanks for the information and your efforts. The movie you created is excellent, easy to follow and understand and has been a huge help. Thank you very much for taking the time to create it and provide for me a corrected file.

 

Yes, I was aware of the educational plot stamp. It gets those from my educational license of the software

 

Thank you again. Very much.

s.c.

Well, it is good that you are aware of the stamp, but are you aware of the ramifications of using the educational copy of the software for commercial purposes and that doing so is a violation of your license?

 

Are you aware that the plot stamp will be transferred to any and all drawings that any part of your drawing is copied or cross referenced into? Moreover, those drawings will continue to send the plot stamp on to other drawings that they may be copied into.

 

No commercial outfit is going to want to deal with that, at all. At least no reputable firm will use the drawings.

Well, it is good that you are aware of the stamp, but are you aware of the ramifications of using the educational copy of the software for commercial purposes and that doing so is a violation of your license?

 

Are you aware that the plot stamp will be transferred to any and all drawings that any part of your drawing is copied or cross referenced into? Moreover, those drawings will continue to send the plot stamp on to other drawings that they may be copied into.

 

No commercial outfit is going to want to deal with that, at all. At least no reputable firm will use the drawings.

 

Thank you for your concern.

 

I happen to be an educator and I'm teaching high school students the finer points of engineering. Autodesk (and a number of other software vendors) have been kind enough to provide educational licenses of their software for this purpose. Though I do a great deal of 3D for commercial purposes, I use other, properly licensed, software for those tasks.

Thank you for your concern.

 

I happen to be an educator and I'm teaching high school students the finer points of engineering. Autodesk (and a number of other software vendors) have been kind enough to provide educational licenses of their software for this purpose. Though I do a great deal of 3D for commercial purposes, I use other, properly licensed, software for those tasks.

Well, then. Sharing that up front would have been appropriate, especially since you posted an educational stamp drawing without notice.

 

Of course, there is nothing in your first post that would have anyone thinking otherwise.

 

I'm going to ask two questions at once, I hope that's acceptable.

I've got .dxf files of parts that need to be manufactured, however in this instance I need to manufacture 3/4 scale versions of these parts. So far I've been simply printing the plans and using my trusty calculator to change the scale of the dimensions.

I happen to be an educator and I'm teaching high school students the finer points of engineering. ....

 

I can't help by wonder why you are scaling a threaded feature by .771?