How does AutoCAD know what 1" Equals To?

Hello Everybody,

If I plot a layout, on size E profile, and the units are in inches. How can I know how many feet, 1" is equal too?

I suppose the easy way is to simply draw a line, say 100 feet long, and then measure how many inches that specific line is on the print out, and get my conversion that way. Is there a way AutoCAD can tell me what the conversion is?

Thanks

You can set the scale when you plot for 1" to equal 100'-0". If your units are in inches then it would be 1" = 1200 units for 1" = 100'-0".

Are you plotting strictly from model space?

You said you are plotting from a Layout, so I have to assume that layout is in paperspace.

 

DO NOT SCALE THE PLOT SCALE on the layout. It must be 1:1. 1" = 1 unit, that's a paperspace unit. It is measuring your paper.

 

You change your scale in the viewport. Set your viewport scale so that the longest horizontal dimension of your model will fit in about 40" +- and/or your longest vertical dimension will fit in about 30", for size E paper which is 34" x 44". The viewport scale is a ratio of paperspace to modelspace units, so one paperspace unit = however many modelspace units will fit.

 

If your longest horizontal dimension is about 100 feet, you will need to fit it into about 2.5 feet. This works out to be about 1/48th, which is 1/4" = 1'-0".

It's possible that in the context given the word "layout" is not being used to refer to a paper space layout.

Not sure I am following...I am printing on Model Space. I have drawn a Horizontal Polyline equal to exactly 100 feet. So, when I measure this line with a ruler, directly on the print out, the line measures about 6.8125 inches which is approximately 14.68 feet. What am I doing wrong here? Also, when I open the Plot Window, I see "Plot Scale" with the "Fit to Paper" box checked. When I uncheck this box, my Custom Scale is 1" = 174.4 units. So, if I multiply the 174.4 units multiplied by 6.8125, then wouldn't that equal 1200", or 100'? I'm confused...

And, my drawing scale is 1:1...I definitely found out never change that! ReMark made sure to always remind me of that in past post

It would really be to your advantage to utilize a paper space layout with a viewport and plot from your layout not from model space. Did you spend some time doing manual drafting on a drafting board by any chance?

 

What scale would you like to have the drawing plot at? Would it be 1"=100' as Tuns mentioned or something different? Is this a site plan perhaps?

 

Consider the following "engineering" (not architectural) scales.

 

At a scale of 1"=100' a 100 ft. long line when plotted out would measure 1".

 

At a scale of 1"=50' a 100 ft. long line when plotted out would measure 2".

 

At a scale of 1"=40' a 100 ft. long line when plotted out would measure 2.5"

 

At a scale of 1"=10' a 100 ft. long line when plotted out would measure 10".

 

At a scale of 1"=5' a 100 ft. long line when plotted out would measure 20".

 

At a scale of 1"=2' a 100 ft. long line when plotted out would measure 50".

 

What is the overall size of the object you are drawing? Is it 50'x100'? 250'x500'? Other?

 

Lastly, is your "E" size paper 36x48 by any chance?

Edited January 22, 2014 by ReMark

So let me clarify a little: This is a layout of a factory, which measures approx. 500' x 375'. The layout was designed by the Cad Tech on-site and given to me. We are doing an SLP (Systematic Layout Planning) workshop; therefore, we must cut aisle's and Assembly, storage, testing, inspection, etc..."Paper Dolls". So, the Paper Dolls are moved about on a layout to discover new flow paths. As such, they (Paper Doll Cutouts) need to be the correct scale, which I have done. However, if i measure from one point to another on the layout, then I should know how many feet it is from one point to another. Normally, of course, I would simply use AutoCAD to measure from one point to another, but that I cant do with an actual printed out drawing. So that is where I am at...measure a length, on the printout, and know how many feet that is.

Does that help any?

"Normally, of course, I would simply use AutoCAD to measure from one point to another, but that I cant do with an actual printed out drawing. So that is where I am at...measure a length, on the printout, and know how many feet that is."

 

And here I thought we were talking about a drawing opened in AutoCAD. Sorry.

 

So you have a print of a CAD drawing and you are trying to figure out what scale it was plotted to.

 

Measure the 500 ft. long side of the building. How many inches is it? Then do the math.

 

Example: Let's say it measures 40 inches long. Divide 500 by 40 and you get 12.5 therefore 1"=12.5'. That's your scale.

Edited January 22, 2014 by ReMark

Right, What I did was draw a 100' line and measured that, which when plotted is 6.8125", which equates to 1"=14.681'. So this is what I have done with other projects, I was just hoping that AutoCAD could tell me what one inch is equal to (because this drawing is in inch units) given the size E plot, with out having to draw an actual line of specific length on the layout.

Thanks

AutoCAD doesn't work that way. AutoCAD uses "units" and one unit can equal an inch, a foot, a yard, a mile, a furlong, a parsec, a light year or whatever. In other words, one unit can equal anything you want it to. Only when it comes time to plot are we worried about scale since we should be drawing everything full size in model space.

The way to avoid having to figure out what scale it is printed at is to assign a scale before printing. Control the print, don't let the print control you.

It's possible that in the context given the word "layout" is not being used to refer to a paper space layout.

Well then, given today's AutoCad usage and connotations of the word "layout", and the fact that the OP has since posted that they are in fact plotting from modelspace, I am backing off. One may as well set limits and turn on the grid.

 

Too much of my money has been invested in purchasing overpriced software designed specifically to make paperspace available and far more versatile than noodlespace. Noodlespace? Did I type that? I wonder what Freudian explanation there may be for that?

Noodlespace = The space between one's ears typically devoted to cognitive functions.

Noodlespace = The space between one's ears typically devoted to cognitive functions.

Metric or Imperial?

Units = Federation.

Resistance is futile.

Resistance is futile.

Ain't that the truth.

When are you guys going to make the switch to metric, life is so much easier in metric, all you have to worry about is, how many zero's,

You may as well expect us to join the European Onion.