Setup for Printing on A0 at correct scale

[fosbie]

I'm trying to convert a hand drawn paper plan of our house into Autocad so that I can tweak it. I'm not bad at drawing things in autocad, but I've no idea how to set it up properly for the file to be printed out in a shop on A0 at the correct scale. Can anyone help me? Either some info on how to set it up, or a template file that is already setup would be great.

Thanks.

[BIGAL]

Firstly draw in model space at true size either m mm.

 

Secondly in a layout tab create a rectang about 40mm less than a A0 sheet then create a model view just inside this box zoom e and then set your scale for final plot (use the viewports toolbar you get a list of scales) so it looks ok at A0 size jump back out of the mview and plot at 1:1 all should be ok

[daft vader]

BIGAL's way is correct but Unless you have one huge house A0 is far to big, A1 scaled at 1:50mm is normally more then big enough, as a tradesman (sparky) I hate A0 on sites it just to big in fact unless we need to scale I even reduce to A3

[fosbie]

Firstly draw in model space at true size either m mm.

 

Secondly in a layout tab create a rectang about 40mm less than a A0 sheet then create a model view just inside this box zoom e and then set your scale for final plot (use the viewports toolbar you get a list of scales) so it looks ok at A0 size jump back out of the mview and plot at 1:1 all should be ok

 

Sounds good, thanks for that. I've not heard of layout tabs and model views but I will give it a try tonight.

[fosbie]

BIGAL's way is correct but Unless you have one huge house A0 is far to big, A1 scaled at 1:50mm is normally more then big enough, as a tradesman (sparky) I hate A0 on sites it just to big in fact unless we need to scale I even reduce to A3

 

I guess I could do it on A1. But I still have the same issue about finding out how to set it up at any specific size.

[sparkyuk]

Sounds good, thanks for that. I've not heard of layout tabs and model views but I will give it a try tonight.

 

If you do not know what tabs and model spaces are then I guess you havnt used autocad much at all, so when you open autocad towards the bottom you will see 2 tabs one marked model and the other is your paper space tab, then follow Bigal instructions ok ?

 

You always draw 1 to 1 in model space so 1mm = 1mm autocad only see's 1's not measurements so if you want to draw a line 1250mm long then type 1250 and return it will draw that line 1250 it could just as easy be inches btw

[fosbie]

Excellent. Thanks for the additional info. I used to do autocad a lot about 20 years ago, since then I dip into it now and again but I've been using autocad 2000 for ages. I've just got 2009 now and it all looks a lot different, maybe these concepts weren't in the older versions I'm more used to.

[fosbie]

I've spent the last couple of hours trying to get the page layout right and scale etc. I don't think I'm far off but I haven't been able to set the scale up properly. When in the A0 layout view, if I right click and do Page Setup Manager and set the scale to 1:50 then my drawing and the border become tiny. Any suggestions? I've included the file.

Test Plan A0.dwg

[qball]

Your Viewport Scale is set to 1:50, which is correct. So you're Plot Scale in your Page Setup should be 1:1.

[fosbie]

Great, glad its all setup right finally. I've found where it says the scale is 1:50 by right clicking on the viewport border and doing properties, but I can't change it through that. Where am I meant to edit it?

[qball]

your Viewport is Locked (also in Properities). You have to unlock it to change it.

[sparkyuk]

If you havnt already got the viewports selected as shown in my picture then right click up where mine is and select ACAD then select it once you have it where mine is click on the pull down menu after selecting what you want in your paper space select the correct scale and the job is done, btw you have your view port locked so you cant do anything right now in your view port

[BIGAL]

Click on viewport then right button click on mouse the viewport lock is an option on the menu make sure is unlocked.

 

2nd make sure you have the mview toolbar open then double click to go inside mview, you can then use the toolbar and the little arrow a whole lot of scales will appear slect the one you want.

 

3rd a shortcut for metric when you jump into the mview a number will appear in the toolbar you can type a scale number in there

 

10=1:100 2=1:500 4=1:250 20=1:50 etc

 

4th double click outside mview then pick the window and lock it so you dont accidently rescale the window. A house plan would normally fit at 1:100 probably all plan and elevations.

 

5th smaller sheets just make a new layout click on label and it has copy option etc then draw a smaller bounding box to reprsent the sheet size A3 =420x297 use say 385x 265 still plot 1:1