Setting up dimension to correct show whole feet

[donny46137234]

I am just getting back into AutoCAD. Been using Generic CAD and when I have a long line to put down, I would just give it a length of say, 300ft. Then I would zoom-all and the line fits my page. I am trying to dimension a building with AutoCAD, that is 300' long. Is the only way to do this is to figure out what fraction or decimal place I need to use to get a 300' long line on my page?

Don

[tedg]

I am just getting back into AutoCAD. Been using Generic CAD and when I have a long line to put down, I would just give it a length of say, 300ft. Then I would zoom-all and the line fits my page. I am trying to dimension a building with AutoCAD, that is 300' long. Is the only way to do this is to figure out what fraction or decimal place I need to use to get a 300' long line on my page?

Don

First, make sure you're in what ever units you want to be in.
I assume you'd want to be in Architectural units?

Draw your building 300' long.

Figure out what you're final output size will be.
Are you using a title block in paper space with a view port?

You need to set a dimension style to what ever your ouput scale is.
If you're final scale when plotted is 1/16" = 1'-0 then you set your overall dimscale to 192 and this scales text and arrows to the correct size.

Does this help?
Any more information?

[jaberwok]

First - are you working in modelspace, paperspace, or both?

[tedg]

First - are you working in modelspace, paperspace, or both?

Good question, I'm assuming at least model space for his building.
Sounds like he's just getting back into it.

Either a title block scaled up in model space (ouch)
Or a titleblock in paper spece with a viewport scaled x/xp.

He would set the dimscale for dimensioning in model space, (that's what I meant).

[donny46137234]

Your getting way ahead of me with "model" space, etc. I'm just trying to do a simple floor plan. Let's keep this real simple. I open a new drawing. I start a line, then tell it to be 300' long. I don't see anything. (I do have units set to Architectural) I'm not even putting deminsions on the drawing. This is just a floor plan set to a close scale to fit on a piece of paper.
I'm going to be away from the program until next week so any ideas, I'll try them then. Thanks for your replies.
Don

[tedg]

Your getting way ahead of me with "model" space, etc. I'm just trying to do a simple floor plan. Let's keep this real simple. I open a new drawing. I start a line, then tell it to be 300' long. I don't see anything. (I do have units set to Architectural) I'm not even putting deminsions on the drawing. This is just a floor plan set to a close scale to fit on a piece of paper.
I'm going to be away from the program until next week so any ideas, I'll try them then. Thanks for your replies.
Don

Ok, with that said...
When you open AutoCAD, you want to go into model space (there should be a tab at the bottom of the screen that says "Model", select it and you're in model space).
Another way to get there is type "tilemode" on the command line and then type "1".

Then draw your line 300 feet long. I usually start at 0,0,0.
Try this on the command line:
line
0,0,0
@ 300',0

Next, zoom extents
On the command line:
zoom
e

You shoud see your 300' line filling the screen.
That shoud get you started.

*****Another option for you building footprint*********
If you know the building size try a rectangle, 300' x (100' ?)
on the command line:
rectangle
0,0,0 (lower left corner of your building)
@ 300',100' (upper right corner of your building)

The second coordinate is your building height in the "Y" plane on your screen, I used 100 feet as an example.

Next, zoom extents
On the command line:
zoom
e

Hope this helps

[donny46137234]

Thanks Ted. That looks like what I need. I'll give it a try in a couple days. I did have the "model" tab so I thought that was what you ment by that.
Don