Learning to scale properly

Thank you for that example and even more insight to all of this. I will absolutely take advantage of the tutorials and continue to learn.

Couple more quick questions if you don't mind. How are you making your annotations red? Are you creating a new layer for them and assigning them a color?

Is the larger purple box a rectangle viewport that you created and put it around the drawing?

When you are changing your scale, as we spoke about, are you doing that in the paper layout? Creating a viewport, going to properties and changing the scaling from there?

As I said before I create different layers for different objects and assign each a distinct color and linetype (when necessary). I always have a separate layer for dimensions and text. And I try very hard never to override a layer setting unless I absolutely have to. All this is done in the Layer Properties Manager.

The purple rectangle represents my viewport which is on its own layer. The layer is set not to print. Viewports are utilized in layouts. Think of them as windows through which one can see the objects that were created back in model space. When making use of layout it is the viewport(s) that a scale is assigned to not the drawing itself. When it comes time to plot from a layout we do so at a scale of 1:1.

BTW....the cyan color (light blue) rectangle would be my border. Notice that it falls within the dashed lines I spoke of previously.

I can provide you with a link to a thread I put together about viewports if you are interested.

I would really enjoy that! Thank you ReMark!

Please try to contain your excitement. This ain't magic. LoL

Start with this link:

http://www.cadtutor.net/forum/showthread.php?72972-Things-you-should-know-about-Viewports.&highlight=viewport+scale

Then move on to this link re: Viewports and the different methods for setting their scale.

http://www.cadtutor.net/forum/showthread.php?72213-Viewports-and-Setting-Scale&highlight=viewports

Thank you for those links I will check them out.

I want to ask one more quick thing. I just started a new drawing with the new information and knowledge I have. I created my layers as you instructed, started in the Islands layer. Working with Engineering now, but when I go to draw my first line at 24' it is HUGE. I referenced your drawing and your islands are nice and tidy with a 24' square. What am I doing wrong? Am I drawing in inches and need to be drawing in feet?

Is there a specific template I should be using or just the start drawing?

Given your newness to AutoCAD I'd venture to say that you used the default template named acad.dwt and there is nothing wrong with that.

After drawing your 24' long line stop and do a zoom > extents by double clicking the scroll wheel on your mouse. Things should look better now. Remember you can zoom both in and out and also pan using the scroll wheel.

BTW....drawing a square or a rectangle? Use the Rectangle command and the Dimensions option. Input the distances on your command line.

I have to step away from my desk for 15 minutes or so. If you have any further questions just ask; I'll answer, or try to answer, them upon my return.

Correct, I am using that default template at the moment.

That is a huge help! I had tried using the rectangle function before with no luck I will try it with the dimension.

Nevermind I got it!!! The more that I started drawing and filling up space the more it let me actually zoom out. I am learning, you the man ReMark thanks for all your help.

Now to learn how to properly line up my islands, so much to learn.

I do hope you are making using of Orthomode (the "F8" key for keeping lines straight both vertically and horizontally. As for lining things up there are two or three different things one can do.

That is one thing I did learn how to do, I also just made a default template that has the settings we discussed automatically.

If I were trying to make the new island on the left and then one across the street, how would I go about lining the one across the street up with the first? In the past I have made a line from the top right corner of the first shape and start with the top left corner of the second shape to line them up properly. I'm sure there has to be an easier way to do that.

Object Snap Tracking could be one option. Or go old school and use a construction line. You could copy the existing island on the left to the right 129' (24'+105') then edit the size of the island using the Stretch command. There are probably another two or three ways besides these. That's the beauty of most CAD programs; the user has more than one way to accomplish the same thing.

If I was going to copy the first island, I am guessing it prompts me to put in those specs for the move? I will look more into this and Object Snap Tracking to see how this can be used for my drawing.

Thanks again!

The Copy command will prompt you for a basepoint. Pick the lower left hand corner of your 24'x24' island using your OSnaps (Endpoint or Intersection will work). BTW...make sure Orthomode is enabled. Then you are asked to specify the second point. Drag your mouse (cursor) to the right. Let go of the mouse; don't click anything. At the keyboard type in 129' then press the Enter key. I am assuming you are using Engineering units.

You should really go through the tutorials here especially the one entitled Basics > Modifying Objects as it covers most if not all of the editing commands. Many users are under the mistaken impression they will be drawing all the time but in reality they will be editing much of the time using such commands as copy, move, rotate, mirror, stretch, break, offset, array, trim, erase, extend, fillet, etc.

I have been running through some videos already, thanks for clarifying that for me ReMark. I will continue to go through them. Thanks!