Journal #8243
Posted 11 years ago2013-09-07 05:59:58 UTC
Does anybody here know how to use AutoCad? I've been learning from online material and I think I'm getting the hang of it but there's one thing I still can't get right: scale.
I start up a new drawing, set UNITS to use Metres. Draw everything in Model space by the premise that "1" means 1 metre. All looks good and pretty until I move over to Paper space, where it looks TINY. If I set it to 1:1, it seems to take up the space on paper I'd expect it to take if I set it to 1:100 or something. It would seem that what I used as "1" wasn't interpreted as 1m but maybe 1mm or something. Hence the drawing needs to be set to a much larger scale to take up about the space I expected it to take relative to the printable page.
I've looked online but it doesn't seem to be clear ANYWHERE. I've asked people but haven't gotten a straight answer. Does anybody here know how to get it right?
I need to draw buildings, floor plans. This is one of the things I'm supposed to know if I intend to be an Architect
I start up a new drawing, set UNITS to use Metres. Draw everything in Model space by the premise that "1" means 1 metre. All looks good and pretty until I move over to Paper space, where it looks TINY. If I set it to 1:1, it seems to take up the space on paper I'd expect it to take if I set it to 1:100 or something. It would seem that what I used as "1" wasn't interpreted as 1m but maybe 1mm or something. Hence the drawing needs to be set to a much larger scale to take up about the space I expected it to take relative to the printable page.
I've looked online but it doesn't seem to be clear ANYWHERE. I've asked people but haven't gotten a straight answer. Does anybody here know how to get it right?
I need to draw buildings, floor plans. This is one of the things I'm supposed to know if I intend to be an Architect
10 Comments
You must log in to post a comment. You can login or register a new account.
Set both to desired unit you wish to use.
I personally use millimeter because meter is too big.
And on another note, 1 meter can not fit on a single piece of A4 paper. Thats why you need to scale it down.
Mess around with plotting and exporting a bit until you get what you want.
Of course I know I can't draw a building 1:1 on an A4 page. Standard scales are 1:50, 1:100, and such. But at those scales, the drawing I made is tiny which makes me thing I've been using the wrong units all along. My question was how do I set/check that the units are correct, because my drawings are coming out all wrong.
Go to Options > User preferences
AutoCAD unit can be anything, so it doesn't really matter untill the final plotting stages and for insertion of objects.
Write Command > units
@ Captain T
I used AutoCAD multiple times. I like it because its more technical than for example Illustrator.
http://www.3ds.com/products-services/draftsight/download-draftsight/?xtor=SEC-6-GOO-%5b%5d-%5bold%5d-S-%5bdraftsight%5d&gclid=CLP5uPW9ubkCFRGg4AodPk4AmQ
As far as drawing to scale, stu, just make a note in the title block that says 1mm = 1m, or you can even go 10mm = 1m.
So long as the scale is noted, everything should be fine IMO.
This is something you set up along with the page size. It says: [input] mm = [input] units
Meaning that, say, 1mm on paper equals 1 generic unit of that I used in the model space drawing. If I set it to 1000mm = 1 unit, now everything that measures "1" in model space will be interpreted to measure 1 metre, so I can set the viewport scale to 1:100 effectively making it 1cm on paper = 1m.
SOMEONE SHOULD EXPLAIN THIS ON THE INTERNET.
Stu: So there are other drafting software out there, i thought AutoCad was the only one
Tetsu0: thanks for the tip on the freeware AutoCad =P
I'm saying it's close down to the typing commands...
IDK if you use AutoCad with a keyboard (typing commands etc...)
if you type: LINE, it starts the line function and you pick 2 points, if you type CIRCLE, it starts the circle tool etc etc....
DraftSight is the same thing. It's reverse-engineered and it works amazingly.
Keep using autocad since it's legit - when it runs out however, you have a free tool (forever) that's 99% the same thing
Oh also, DraftSight can import/export AutoCad files.