Layout not the same scale as my model

[NarkDuffy]

Hi

I am newish to AutoCAD having just gone through a Lynda tutorial. Have looked for my issue here and not found it though i am sure someone must have had the same issue.

 

When i open my layout i see my drawing as a very small drawing at the bottom. When i expand the whole layout i see shapes which re related in that its the basic shape of the drawings but that's it. No lines at all. In the Lynda tutorial all seemed so easy. I am using metric. I have uploaded the file.

 

Would really love to get this sorted as I want to apply for planning on Monday.

nark

Plans layer castelnau.dwg

[Dana W]

Well, for one thing, you have your viewport on a layer designated as "y dimensions" which is turned off, so you cannot select the viewport frame itself.

 

Another thing is that there are extranious objects WAY OFF, and up above, to the left and right of your drawing models. You need to delete (erase) these objects. These objects are what's making your default new viewport zoom so far away. In modelspace, zoom extents or zoom all and you will get the same viewpoint.

 

Open your layer manager dialog by clicking the icon next to your layer choice dropdown list.

Turn on y dimensions layer, and Viewports layer. Select your viewport frame and move it to the viewports layer. Now look at the "plot" column for viewports layer in your layer manager window. Make sure the viewports layer is still set to not plot. There will be a red mark on top of your printer icon if it is set to not plot. Go to your page set up dialog. Set your plot scale to 1:1, and just below that set 1 mm = 1 unit. This means that 1 mm in paperspace is equal to 1 modelspace unit (meter).

 

Now you can go to your layout, double click inside of the viewport which will put your cursor back in modelspace. zoom your viewport to get what you want to show in the frame. Then double click outside of the viewport frame to return the cursor to paperspace. Now select your viewport frame. You can now check your properties sheet to see what the scale of your viewport is. Change it to the closest standard scale that will still fit your image in the viewport frame. It appears that 8:1 will fit an elevation in your viewport as you have it sized now. You can expand your viewport until it is just smaller than the dashed line shown on your paper. That dashed line is the printable area limit. Once you have your viewport looking like you want it, lock your display (viewport) so you won't accidentally change it. To do this, select the viewport frame again, and open Properties again. Select Yes in the display locked line.

 

Make extensive use of the F1 key while you are messing with this stuff.

 

There are dozens of other viewports, excuse me, I meant layers, turned off. Some of them you may want to see. I didn't check to see if some of the viewports, excuse me, I meant layers, are frozen in paperspace or the viewport or what. There are too many of them for me to look at right now. You have a start. Go to it.

 

 

I meant to say There are dozens of other layers turned off, not

viewports. Some of them you may want to see.

Edited September 15, 2012 by Dana W

[NarkDuffy]

Thanks for the long and detailed reply. I am going to see if I can get all OK with this. This is not to doubt your instructions but my knowledge of what is what and where.

Thanks you r a great help.

[ReMark]

Here's the deal. No matter if you are working in metric or imperial, drawing a key fob, the world's tallest building or a Boeing 777 Dreamliner draw everything at FULL size in model space.

 

When done, switch to a paper space layout and create your viewport(s). Viewports are windows that let us see the objects we created back in model space. It is the viewport that gets a scale assigned to it not the objects in model space.

 

Use layers to your advantage. Don't put everything you draw on layer "0", color: white.

 

Not sure what the purpose of all your viewports were. I think you got carried away a bit don't you? LoL

[Dana W]

Thanks for the long and detailed reply. I am going to see if I can get all OK with this. This is not to doubt your instructions but my knowledge of what is what and where.

Thanks you r a great help.

 

If you think that was long and detailed, well......... Hurry up, my trial version of 2013 expires in 16 days.

[Dana W]

Not sure what the purpose of all your viewports were. I think you got carried away a bit don't you? LoL

 

Could you elaborate a little on that? I only found two VP's, one on each layout. What am I missing?

 

Or were you going by what I said. I meant to say dozens of layers, not viewports. I went back and edited that into my post.

Edited September 15, 2012 by Dana W

[NarkDuffy]

Hi again here is what i have done so far. I have my comments below in an attached word doc and have updated the DWG.

 

Well, for one thing, you have your viewport on a layer designated as

"y dimensions" which is turned off,

so you cannot select the viewport frame itself. Open your layer manager dialog by clicking the icon next to your layer choice dropdown list.

 

 

Turn on y dimensions layer, and Viewports layer.

Done If by on you mean the light bulb Should this be renames as I thought viewport was a given layer. Sorry to sound so dumb.

 

Select your viewport frame………..have googled the expression “frame” and can get no results which tell me what it is.

and move it to the viewports layer. See last comment

Now look at the "plot" column for viewports layer in your layer manager window. Make sure the viewports layer is still set to not plot. There will be a red mark on top of your printer icon if it is set to not plot. OK red mark on it

 

Now you can go to your layout, double click inside of the viewport which will put your cursor back in modelspace. zoom your viewport to get what you want to show in the frame. Dome that and zoomed to see my drawings. Great so far.

Then double click outside of the viewport frame to return the cursor to paperspace. Yes the frame has dimmed in brightness.

Now select your viewport frame. By this you mean clicking on the now dimmed frames till it shows corners. Done

You can now check your properties sheet to see what the scale of your viewport is.

 

Change it to the closest standard scale that will still fit your image in the viewport frame. It appears that 8:1 will fit an elevation in your viewport as you have it sized now……….. At this point I am flummoxed. I don’t know how to start going about this. What I under scale to be is 1:8 but I can’t see how to do that. Ideally I would like to have drawings so someone with a scale ruler can use it.

 

You can expand your viewport until it is just smaller than the dashed line shown on your paper. That dashed line is the printable area limit. Once you have your viewport looking like you want it, lock your display (viewport) so you won't accidentally change it. To do this, select the viewport frame again, and open Properties again.

Select Yes in the display locked line. OK I have done that.

 

Make extensive use of the F1 key while you are messing with this stuff. Of course but a lot of the time it confused me even more.

 

There are dozens of other viewports turned off. Some of them you may want to see. I didn't check to see if some of the viewports are frozen in paper space or the viewport or what. There are too many of them for me to look at right now. You have a start. Go to it.

 

I am sure that I am not doing this in accordance with the proper convention. Something I have to learn I have done layers for everything I need so I can use it. Electrics no all in one but several. Works for me as I am doing the project management. Last time every screw was as per the plans. But is can see that not working to a standard protocol make it difficult to share and discuss.

 

I have intentionally not done anything for layout two as I will attack that once I have learnt more. One way on the other I want to get the appropriate bit in to planning tomorrow.

Comments for forum.docx

Plans layer castelnau.dwg

[NarkDuffy]

Hi Sorry for the delay i had to go and see a property yesterday.

[Organic]

Did you upload the wrong file? the 'new' file looks the same/has the same problems as the original one as mentioned by the posters above from my quick glance at it.

[NarkDuffy]

Yes I did. Somehow. Hope its corrent this time will check myself. Can't delete the last uploaded file. Could be a forum security issue.

Plans layer castelnau.dwg

[Organic]

It looks better now

 

Your viewport fits the page well and is locked which is good. You have it set to a scale of 12.559 though?

You should also rename the layer the viewport is on from 'y dimensions' to Viewports or something similar and the make that layer set to not print by clicking the little printer button in the layer properties manager for that layer.

 

I would drag the extents of the viewport so that you are not showing the other elevation of the house at the top or the linework to the left of the elevation you are showing. I.e. (without fixing the scale)

[NarkDuffy]

Hi Dink

Keep being interrupted again. Have 45 minutes in which I intend to see if i can grasp the scale issue. I want to get my layouts to be in a scale. Also have to put in my details etc. But thanks again for all the help

[ReMark]

Are you familiar with some of the acceptable scales for metric architectural drawings?

 

1:10

1:20

1:50

1:100

1:200 and a few extra which I don't think would apply to your drawing.

[eldon]

One added factor for you to consider is that your drawing unit is metres, whereas the drawing scales are set up for millimetres.

[NarkDuffy]

yes I realized the meter versus millimeters standard when looking at other plans. I do understand the scale issues and thanks for pointing them out. in all honesty I have been a bit lazy when studying the program. I did not need to give my plans to anyone other than the builders and trades men so had not bother to study the layouts. Now I am. My tutorial is for 2010 and a few bits have been moved about just for a bit a mischief no doubt.

 

I am sure it is not that difficult to re do it to millimeters but not sure how and am working on the scale issue now. Still hoping to get my plans in today. .

 

Thanks for all the help.

[ReMark]

Don't redo it just change the viewport scale.

[NarkDuffy]

yes OK Still getting my head round the type sizes and what is what. getting there but painfully slow. Thanks for all the help

[eldon]

Once one has a bit of background knowledge about how the scaling works, it is very easy to get a predictable viewport scale.

 

The plotting scaling ratio is Drawing units (in millimetres) to required scale. So for drawings using millimetre units the ratio is 1 to 100 i.e. 0.01 (for a 1 to 100 plot). For drawings using metre units, the ratio is 1000 to 100 i.e. 10, and for a 1 to 50 plot, the viewport scale is 1000/50 which equals 20. The viewport is then plotted at 1 to 1.

[NarkDuffy]

I'm going to have to go back to school. The Lynda tutorial i have used is good but has an american orientation hence all in feet and inches. Also they are all the same as far as i can see it. there was not a single set system to do architectural drawings so I am inventing mine. I need to find another tutorial metric orientated. Well anything other that US.

[eldon]

In countries where the metric unit system is used, AutoCAD is a foreign language programme.