Help- Do I have a Virus? Scale messed up

[Allisonnow]

Help! I just started a new job with later versions of Autocad than I had been working on. Scaling does not seem to work at all. Is there a virus that can affect scale?

When I make a line 10 units long in model space, the line measures something else when I check it. When I attempt to scale a viewport in paperspace, it does not work as my years of experience have led me to expect, and the scale is not right.

I have used 2 different computers in this office with 2 different version of AutoCAD, (one is a lite). Both seem to work the same way. My boss said the other employee (who is on vacation right now) has also had great problems with scaling.

Are they both infected with the same virus, or is there some setting I have neglected or am I going crazy? (I don't think it has anything to do with setting the units, but I could be wrong.)

[clshade]

Elaborate on your Units and what the difference in drawn length and measured length.
Also if the measured length is from a Dimension what is the Measurement Scale under Primary Units tab?

[Tom Beauford]

Are you using Map or one of it's verticles like Civil? What later version is it (2012)? What does the line drawn 10 units long list as?

[Allisonnow]

Okay, I'm calming down now. There are 2 versions of AC here. one is Autocad Lite 2007, the other is AutoCAD (Full) 2010.

I opened Autocad Lite this morning without opening a file and just drew some lines in model space and paper space and the units seemed fine.

Then I opened the drawing I've been having problems with, which came from an architect, and the units are alright in paper space (not the viewport, just the paperspace frame).

I went into model space and drew a line 100 units long. I used the LIST command, which said the line is
8'-4.0000"

When I measure the lines the architect has drawn they measure correctly. But when I input lines they are as stated above. So it must be inputting units as inches instead of feet.

my Units setting are:

Engineering
Decimal Degrees
Insertion Scale: feet

We are civil engineers and use only 2D in our drawings.

When I go to model space and click on the viewport then, go to the viewport tool bar and click on 1:100, then print out a test drawing at 1:1 paperspace, the scale in the viewport seems to be about 1" = 8.4' in the printout. (instead of 1" = 100')

Is there a drawing-specific setting that's causing this?

Thanks for your help.

[Tom Beauford]

Check the drawing, unit values are saved in the drawing. The one causing the problem is "lunits".

[Allisonnow]

Yes, the LUNITS seems to be one of the factors.


Now that I've changed the LUNITS to decimal, at least I'm getting accurate inputs.

Next I scaled the architect's drawing by 1/12, and that also seems to be correct.

Is there a way to do this scaling which scales the dimensioning too so the dimension text doesn't need to be changed item by item?

thank you very much for the info about LUNITS. I don't know that I've ever encountered that command before - it's been a couple of years since I used AutoCAD and I don't remember using it in my previous work.

[clshade]

You do need to play with your Dimension string and Units. Although if you are using Architectural standards it will be easier to just scale the Surveyors drawings IMHO.
The 1/12 or 12 units scale factors is typical when moving from Decimal Units to Architectural Units or vice-versa.

I typically bring Plats from the Surveyor in as a Block and Scale up 12 times so that it meets my Architectural standard.

[Tom Beauford]

Yes, the LUNITS seems to be one of the factors.


Now that I've changed the LUNITS to decimal, at least I'm getting accurate inputs.

Next I scaled the architect's drawing by 1/12, and that also seems to be correct.

Is there a way to do this scaling which scales the dimensioning too so the dimension text doesn't need to be changed item by item?

thank you very much for the info about LUNITS. I don't know that I've ever encountered that command before - it's been a couple of years since I used AutoCAD and I don't remember using it in my previous work.
I'd recomend creating a new dimension style with the scale set to 12. I have one like this in my template drawings which I use mostly for concrete structures like manholes and storm inlets. Then select the dimensions and change the style.

As a rule I never use the Standard text or dimension style because they vary user to user. A dimension style called "Anno-0.1-Structure" or a text style called "Swiss Light" is usually going to be exactly what you expect. If you insert a drawing into another that have the same style names defined differently expect problems.

[jaberwok]

Also look up INSUNITSDEFSOURCE and INSUNITSDEFTARGET in Help.
If set correctly in both your own and your architects' files, scaling on insertion will be automatic. Or have both variables set to Zero in all files and use manual (1/12, 1*12, whatever) scaling.

[clshade]

jaberwok - Since those are Global settings would it be worthwhile to create a Macro (my only choice in LT) that would be used just for this situation?
Not having used these variable before how would this effect Blocks and other entities that already exist as created by the OP if set specifically for the surveyor-to-architect need?

[jaberwok]

jaberwok - Since those are Global settings would it be worthwhile to create a Macro (my only choice in LT) that would be used just for this situation?
Not having used these variable before how would this effect Blocks and other entities that already exist as created by the OP if set specifically for the surveyor-to-architect need?

Hah! Now you're getting complicated. :)
Those settings only come into effect at the time of insertion of a block - the effect is similar to running a macro that starts with the insert command followed by the scale command with the scale factor (pre)set to a value determined by the two variable values (unless either value is zero).
If the source scale is always the same and host scale is always the same your could just use INSUNITS.
A macro in a case where you are working in inches and the block-to-be-inserted is in feet you just need -

INSUNITS;2;
Your INSUNITS value is probably = 1.

Disclaimer:- it's years since I've bothered with any of this so the above may not be exactly correct. GO METRIC! :)