Model Space Size?

[sbro238]

Hey guys.

 

I'm and engineering student and have recently stared work for a company which produces elevated work platforms (EWPs) which are aerial lifts mounted to trucks.

 

I've been given a few projects which involve producing sales drawings of units using AutoCAD LT 2010. I have been given some drawings of bare truck units showing the plan, driver and passenger side view of the trucks, onto which I am ment to draw an assortment of lockers and equipment, along with the aerial lift units.

 

Now, I have absolutely no experience with AutoCAD, but I have spent quite a large amount of time using Solid Works and other 3D modelling programs.

 

I understand that the "Model Space" is the area which is used for drawing, and the paper space is the area which is used for plotting those drawings, correct?

 

I was told by a colleague that the trucks are at 1/33.3333333 scale, meaning that one paper unit on Autocad LT is equal to 33.3333333 units on the truck drawings. So I scaled the drawing by 33.3333333 and everything appears fine. I then attempt to copy these scale truck drawings onto a new drawing's model space, this is where I have issues. It appears that the truck has not been copied at all, although closer inspection reveals that the truck is too large to fit into the model space. It was my understanding that model space is of infinite size? Does anyone know exactly what i'm doing wrong?

 

Thanks,

 

Seth.

 

EDIT: I don't have access to the drawings right now, but perhaps tomorrow I can post them here from work and it might give people a better idea of what i'm talking about if noone can help me.

[ReMark]

The cardinal rule of AutoCAD is that all objects in model space are drawn at FULL size. The days of doing a drawing "to scale" in model space are over. You should not be drawing as though you were were doing so on a drafting board by scaling everything.

 

Anyway, since that isn't the case here....

 

After copying the truck and pasting it into your new drawing did you do a Zoom > Extents?

 

1/33.33 scale? Yikes!

[ReMark]

The way one uses a Layout (which gives us access to paper space) is after drawing our objects at FULL size in model space we switch to a layout, insert our title block and border, create a layer for our viewport (set this layer to not print) and then create a viewport or viewports. A viewport is just a window that lets us look back into model space to view the objects we have drawn. We assign a scale to the viewport. When it comes time to plot we do so at a 1:1 scale. AutoCAD checks the scale of all viewports and prints what is in them at the assigned scale automatically. It doesn't matter if our objects are the size of a flea or the size of a Boeing 777 Dreamliner they are still drawn FULL size. Nothing is drawn "to scale" in model space.

[sbro238]

Thanks man.

 

After I "scale" these truck drawings by 33.33333, they do appear at a 1:1 scale in model space when I used the measuring tool.

 

Also, when I try and draw a "rectangle" in a new drawing that has the dimensions of 1000x300, the whole rectangle doesn't fit in the model space either.

 

When I zoom out to try and see these drawings which are too large for the model space, autocad eventually tells me that I can no longer zoom any further and stops.

[ReMark]

You should be able to draw an object of any size in model space and AutoCAD will accommodate it as the drawing environment you are in is virtually limitless.

 

Normally I don't even worry about Limits but if you want to give it a try set your limits to 1200, 1200 and see what happens.

 

How big are these trucks anyways?

Edited December 12, 2010 by ReMark

[sbro238]

About 5600 long and 3000 wide.

[sbro238]

Zoom> Extents worked great. Thanks bud.

[ReMark]

Zoom> Extents worked great. Thanks bud.

 

Better late (seeing the advice) than never I suppose. LOL

 

You're welcomed sbro238.

[BIGAL]

Thers an old drawing around called Solar was shipped with autocad say R10 maybe earlier you open it up and you get a picture of the sun with dots labelled earth venus etc it all at 1;1 some really big number 1E10 etc you zoom in on the moon then another dot apears "Lunar lander" zoom again the lander appears at tru scale 20' etc we used to put a bolt head on the foot plate with "made in japan" written on it so scale is never a problem

 

I think -2E99 to 2E99 is limits