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Metric Paper space scaling problem


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I'm working in Metric system, with centimeters as drawing units (1 cm = 10 mm).

I've researched many tutorials with no luck, plus the majority are for the Imperial system.

 

I needed to display a small object (5x5 cm) at its real size, 1:1, on the screen.

So after creating in Paper space a viewport of 29x21 cm (an A4), I set the VP scale to "1:1", thinking it would display it full size.

But instead, it became much larger than its real dimensions, becoming even larger than the viewport.

If it helps, the 1:1 scale description reads: 1 Paper millimeter = 0.1 Drawing centimeter. Which is corect, 1mm=0.1cm.

So why does it scale it up?

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What template file did you start with? Was it acad.dwt or acadiso.dwt?

 

Aec Model (Metric Stb).dwt

[i posted in the Autocad beginner forum even if I use the Architecture version, because it was a "beginner" question.]

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I am not familiar with AutoCAD Architecture and its available template files. I'll assume you did start with a metric based template file and not an imperial. Perhaps eldon's reply should be considered.

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I would say that your viewport is actually 29mm x 21mm.

It is possible but just to be sure, I re-did the whole drawing and noted the steps:

1) I created the dwg and I ran Drawing Setup and set Drawing Units to Centimeters;

1') Created a rectangle of 5x5;

2) In Paper space I deleted all VP's;

3) I ran Page setup, set it to A4; set Plot Size to 1 mm = 0.1 unit (I thought "unit" meant Drawing Unit, i.e. centimeters) to insure the 1:1 ratio;

4) "Mview -f" and I obtained a viewport that the Properties panel say is W: 28.54 and H: 17.44;

 

Did I do it right?

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I don't see where you applied a scale to the viewport. Also, aren't you supposed to be plotting in millimeters since you are doing so from a layout? The plot scale therefore would be 1:1.

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Just to be clear viewport on screen at 1:1 is not going to be actual size. It will be when it is printed on paper but if you want it at 1:1 on the phsical screen which is how the first post reads you will need to do some mathematics with pixels, and it will never be 100% accurate.

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Did you read steven-g's response above? Is he stating it correctly that you want the image to appear on your screen at 1:1 size (as if you were going to measure it right off your screen)?

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Not being used to pushing buttons to set drawing units, I take it from first principles.

 

In this case, if I wanted the layout to print at natural scale, I would set the VP scale in paper space to 10:1, i.e. 10 plotting units = one drawing unit.

 

But then I am old fashioned.

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Thanks for the replies. However before I can go on I have to ask some basic questions, to make sure there hasn't been some misunderstanding on my part.

 

1) As eldon remarked, I can't be sure of the viewport size. In Paper space, if the viewport's Properties list "Width: 28.54 ; Height: 17.44", what measuring unit does that mean? Is it the unit chosen as Drawing Units (in the Drawing Setup window), in this case: centimeters? Or another unit?

 

2) In the layout's Page Setup > Plot Scale area. It says there "1:1" is "1 mm = 0.1 unit". Which of these: "1" and "0.1" refers to the size in the drawing and which to the size on the printed paper?

 

3) Same place as above, where it says "0.1 unit". What does "unit" mean? Is it the unit defined in Drawing Setup's Drawing Units, in this case: centimeters? Or another unit?

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(...)you want the image to appear on your screen at 1:1 size (as if you were going to measure it right off your screen)?

At first I wanted that. But after finding out that physical screen size at 1:1 is different from plotted size at 1:1, I only want to be sure that my 5 cm square, printed on paper, will really measure 5 cm.

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Have you tried out my suggestion of making the VP scale at 10:1?

 

It is usually quicker to try some suggestions first, rather than trying to theorize as to what is the solution.

 

If it works then remember how to do it. If not, attach the drawing file that does not work.

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paper space sizes are real world sizes if you are printing on A4 paper and a viewport is 28,54x17.44 then that is the size it will be on a sheet of A4 paper (otherwise you have printer driver problems).

Model space can be any units you want and what you choose is of no importance so long as you stick to it and draw everything in full units, be it millimeters, centimeters, decimeters, inches, feet etc. But the hard part to grasp is that in paper space 1:1 refers to physical paper sizes be it millimeters or inches and if you have used something other than one of those in model space then you will need to alter the way the scales are set up, so if you draw in mm then 1:1 is 1mm=1 unit and if you use cm as model space units then 1:1 is 1mm=0.1 unit, and you have to set that up yourself. The units entered in the drawing units setup is only really of value if you import or export information with other drawings that use other units as there base.

That line in model space that is 10 units long is just that, it's 10 units, it's not millimeters or feet those are in your mind, and dwgunits is just there to remind you of it.

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You don't apply the scale to paper space you apply it to the viewport in the paper space, your myscale is exactly the same as 1:1 just worded differently "10 paper units = 1 drawing unit" is no different to "1 paper units = 0.1 drawing unit"

Drawing4.dwg

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