Trouble Getting Architecture Callouts and Some Line Layers to Function

[Craftsman]

I'd like to first introduce myself to the forum. I'm a journeyman carpenter by trade and have always been interested in architecture and engineering. My wife and I recently purchased a house, and I'm spending free time drafting plans for both repairs to be submitted for permits and some additional built-ins and trim work I'm planning on constructing. My employer is letting me take home a work laptop with AutoCad Architecture 2016. I'm green and self-taught with AutoCad and have been relying on internet forums, YouTube, and AutoCad's help publications to make my way through the program, but I can't resolve two crucial issues, nor can I find answers searching here or elsewhere.

 

Here's how I have things set up:

 

-Annotation on

-Annotation Plot Size: 48 (1/4" = 1'-0")

-Dimscale: I've read it should zero using annotations, but it shows 8'-0" and doesn't change no matter what I plug in.

-msltscale: 1

-psltscale: 1

-cannoscale: 1/4" = 1'-0"

-celtscale: 1

-paper space page setup: 8.5" x 11" letter, 1:1 scale

-global scale factor (linetype manager): 48

-current object scale (linetype manager): 1.0

 

My issues:

1. I cannot get dashed or zigzaged lines to appear in either model or paper space; they just show up as solid lines. I've tried playing with the line layer scales via "properties" and even the global scale factor in linetype but to no avail. If I create a new drawing and don't touch any settings, I can get the dashes and zigzags to appear, so it must be somewhere in my drawing setup.

 

2. The "title," "section," and "elevation" callouts under "annotations" are gigantic when created in either model and paper space. I did find that if I adjust the "annotation plot size" found under drawing utilities > drawing setup to small fractions, these callouts shrink. If I set annotation plot size to 1/16, the callouts are about correct for scale, but I'm not sure if leaving this plot size there will cause issues with other scales. It doesn't seem to do anything to text and dimensions if I regen, but I don't know what will happen once I'm deep into drafting and have a lot of layers working.

 

I've attached a basic .dwg with the issues for your reference. I already have another drawing with many elevations/sections, so I'm hoping these are just setting issues so I won't have to trash what I've already done. I appreciate all the help I can get and your patience understanding I'm not a trained in AutoCad or a professional architect or engineer.

 

Callout Dash Zigzag Issue.dwg

[ReMark]

If I change the global LTSCALE to 1 and also change the scale of the individual lines to 1 they appear as one would expect. In model space they would appear like this...

 

 

I don't use annotative scaling as I find it much easier to place all my dimensions and text in the layout at real world sizes. The only variable I have to worry about is the one for making dimensions "associative" which is not the same as "annotative".

[ReMark]

OK...I went back and took a shot at your text and annotative scaling and this was the result.

 

 

I created a new layer called Text, color white/black, and using the MText command reproduced the three lines of text you did originally. The layout viewport was assigned the scale of 1/4"=1'-0". In model space the text has a height of 9" but in the layout the text height is 3/16" (note the dimension to the right). I also created a new layer called VPorts for the viewport, assigned the color blue to it and set the layer to "no print' in the Layer Properties Manager. To make the linetypes appear correctly I set PSLTSCALE and MSLTSCALE to 1 and LTSCALE to 0.5.

 

I believe this addresses most of the issues you raised.

[Craftsman]

ReMark, Thanks for the help. I'm having trouble reproducing some of your results, and I've created more confusion for myself. I get the dashes and zigzags to appear in model space by changing their line scales to 1 or below and ltscale to 0.5, but they show as solid lines in the viewport. And now the font scaling has me all messed up. If I turn off annotation in the text, multileader, and dimstyle managers, the numbers and letters all appear as actual 3/16" in both model space and the viewport. And the callouts are still gigantic.

 

Would you please attach the document you modified so that I can go through and see where you have everything set? That might resolve my confusion

 

I did find that if I go through the text, leader, and dimension managers and change all the values to 4.8 (as in 48 for 1/4" = 1'), the text and numbers appear as about 5" tall in model and 3/16" in viewport, but then the callouts are still screwy and the zigzag and dashes are tiny.

[ReMark]

I am not able to attach a copy of my drawing as it resides on my CAD computer which I am not on at the moment.

 

I'm pretty sure I clearly spelled out what MSLTSCALE, PSLTSCALE and LTSCALE need to be set at (1, 1, 0.5). As for the annotative scaling issue I won't attempt to explain it any further without the drawing I did in front of me. That will have to wait until tomorrow. As I said previously I do not use annotative scaling (although I have practiced its use) rather I place all my dimensions and text in my layout.

[rkent]

Where did the callout bubbles come from? When I edit one in the block editor the circle measures 4.5 but it should measure 0.5 . I don't know if those are metric callouts or if Architectural does things differently from plain AutoCAD but that is the source of the trouble for those.

[Craftsman]

I am not able to attach a copy of my drawing as it resides on my CAD computer which I am not on at the moment.

 

I'm pretty sure I clearly spelled out what MSLTSCALE, PSLTSCALE and LTSCALE need to be set at (1, 1, 0.5). As for the annotative scaling issue I won't attempt to explain it any further without the drawing I did in front of me. That will have to wait until tomorrow. As I said previously I do not use annotative scaling (although I have practiced its use) rather I place all my dimensions and text in my layout.

 

No worries on not being able to attach the copy just now; I thought seeing it would save us from unnecessary questions about the callouts. I'm clear on what you said about the scale settings and have followed your advice. I was finally able to get the dashes and zigzags to appear in both model and viewport after adjusting the settings in linetype command, and I have since created new text, dim, and leader styles that aren't annotated. I'm successfully placing dimensions and notes in paper space versus model space. However, I still cannot get the callouts to scale properly.

 

Where did the callout bubbles come from? When I edit one in the block editor the circle measures 4.5 but it should measure 0.5 . I don't know if those are metric callouts or if Architectural does things differently from plain AutoCAD but that is the source of the trouble for those.

 

The callouts are my last issue with which I'm grappling. Titles, sections, and elevations callouts are located under annotations > callouts, if that's what you're asking. I have the drawing setup for imperial units, so I'm not sure the callouts could be in metric. If I create a callout in either model or paper space, they are huge. I've attempted to adjust them in their properties but get no results. I notice that if I go into the paper space layout property setup manager (right clicking the layout tab) and adjust the plot scale from where I have it to 1:1 or 1/4" = 1' or so on the paper space area will grow considerably to where the callout is a little smaller in comparison, but the callouts are still too large. Any thoughts on how to get these scaled down to the view port scale?

Edited January 12, 2016 by Craftsman

[Craftsman]

For what it's worth, I decided to try starting a new drawing from scratch, and I appear to have everything working now. I took all the details I already drafted from my document, merged all the layers into one to clean up the access layers, and copy and pasted them into the new drawing; I'll have to go through and redo my hidden and jagged lines, but I was going to have to do that anyway for scaling. I then re-drafted my title blocks in paper space. Using 1:1 scale in model space and then applying dimensions, callouts, and text in paper space all scales out to whatever I set the text scales to, so that's much easier. The callouts are also all the correct scale!

 

I'm not sure what was happening with the old dwg document, but I know I've learned a lot about AutoCad trying to troubleshoot and research these issues. I appreciate all the help.

[ReMark]

Ah, I see we've made some progress. Good to hear. Thanks for updating us.

[Andrew1979]

Once you have all the scales set as you want, might be worth saving the drawing as a template file (.dwt file) Then in future you can always start with the template file knowing all parameters are already correctly set

[Craftsman]

Once you have all the scales set as you want, might be worth saving the drawing as a template file (.dwt file) Then in future you can always start with the template file knowing all parameters are already correctly set

 

Good idea. I ended up doing that, so I should be squared away for new drawings. Again, thanks for the help all.