bar scale

[noah]

Does anyone know how to make a bar scale? I like to put my bar scales right on my view titles. Can I add it to my view title family some how?

[studio3p]

I'm attempting to create one right now. I'm not hopeful.

[aggockel50321]

Try setting up a graphic scale as a generic annotation family. You can then load it into a vew title template.

You'd have to set one up for each scale you use I think.... Don't think you could tie the view scale & have it drive the graphic symbol size.

I just made them up as generic annotations & place them on the views.

[funkman]

Here are two in metric. Just place as a symbol in sheet view

[DanielleAnderson]

Don't think you could tie the view scale & have it drive the graphic symbol size

Boy wouldn't that be a cool idea? I'd love to see a parametric view title.
I've attached our standard bar scale, it's nice and punchy. :)

[noah]

Tell me what you think of this idea. Since we can't have Revit atutomatically pick the right bar scale for each view why not just embed all the various bar scales into the title block. I can imagine this being very subtle tick marks around the border that are always present as a handy reference no matter what scale the views are set to. I've never seen anything like this before but I may give it a try. Does this go against any established drafting standards? Are there such a thing as graphic standards for bar scales?

[Scott D Davis]

here's a quick way to use Dacree's Bar Scale, modified slightly with additional text, on/off parameters, and some new Types added to the RFA, that you can load one Bar Scale, and by simply changing the drop down list, you can have the same RFA include all of your Scales.

This one just has 1"=20'-0" and 1"=30'-0" for simplicity, but all other scales could be easily added if you study how I did this one.

Have fun!

(p.s. it may not be apparent in the RFA if you open it, because there are pieces of text over the other pieces of text, that are controlled by on/off parameters, which wont really do anything until loaded into a project and placed on a sheet.....)

(ps.s. added image, same scale bar family, copied, change type in drop down from 20 to 30....)

[jarod.tulanowski]

Nice workaround Scott!! love the on off implementation. Our firm decided to scrap the old bar scale since in my opinion is a carryover from the old hand drafting days. We are trying to cut most of our ties with the old ways and to innovate our product as much as possible (hence the Revit implementation).

The only thing that puzzles me in the fact that you are using a great technology in Revit, but want to take a way from the power of revit's scaling features, by putting in dumb annotation. So if you change the scale of a drawing you then have to click on the annotation and change that also. one extra step than I want to deal with.

Just my two cents worth no offense to anyone

[sfaust]

I'm not sure that's a holdover convention. I agree that it may not be worth using in Revit until they make it parametric (and adjust per the scale of the view), but they can be nice in some instances because even if the print or view is resized the scale remains correct.

I find them highly useful for things like presentations where you might print out an 8.5x11 as well as a full size board, then you might also have a powerpoint which it could also go on for reference. In some ways I find it to be a better system than simply writing the scale...

Just my $.02

[bud]

attached are two that i made a long time ago, not even sure what they look like but you are welcome to do with them as you please. i used them on one project and actually forgot i had them since no one has requested since


hope it helps someone.

[Scott D Davis]

Here's the same bar scale from earlier, with a bunch more common scales added.

If you don't like the graphic part, open the family and change it! :razz:

[noah]

Thanks Scott. That will do nicely.

[beegee]

Waiting patiently for the Metric versions.... :-)


If you don't like the graphic part, open the family and change it! :razz:

[Scott D Davis]

do you want them in M or CM, or MM, or DM, or KM, or....:-)

[beegee]

Mmmmm, mm is finnee.




do you want them in M or CM, or MM, or DM, or KM, or....:-)

[gordolake]

Hi, here are 3 metric bar scales we have developed to allow multiple scales on a single sheet with parameter control of text divisions by entering known scale.

1. bar scale var. for 1:50 1:100 1:200 and multiples ie 1: 5000

2. bar scale 0.8 var for 1:125 1:250 1: 1250 1:2500 etc

3. bar scale 1.25 var for 1:400 1:800 etc

8)

hope these are of help.

any comments welcomed

thanks

steve.

[Scott D Davis]

Mmmmm, mm is finnee.beegee....can you double check. make sure I got this right:

[beegee]

Scott,

Repeat after me,
1" = 25.4mm
1' 0" = 304.8mm
1 M = 3' 3.370078"

Easy enough when you get the hang of it.

Just write that on the blackboard 100 times, then you can out to play.

[Scott D Davis]

good, so my scale is in CM.....

see? that was easy!

[beegee]

No wonder the US haven't converted to metric. :banghead:

[beegee]

Gordons,

Thanks for posting those, I'll look throgh them as soon as I can.

Appreciated.



Hi, here are 3 metric bar scales we have developed to allow multiple scales on a single sheet with parameter control of text divisions by entering known scale.

1. bar scale var. for 1:50 1:100 1:200 and multiples ie 1: 5000

2. bar scale 0.8 var for 1:125 1:250 1: 1250 1:2500 etc

3. bar scale 1.25 var for 1:400 1:800 etc

8)

hope these are of help.

any comments welcomed

thanks

steve.

[jcarrillo.75185]

CAN ANYBODY SHOW ME HOW THEY MODIFIED THE BAR SCALE TO ADD MORE SCALES TO IT.....THANKS IN ADVANCE

[boofredlay]

Anybody have a 3/32" = 1'-0" scale?

[kcarlson]

I made a bar scale that is parametric but I ended up needing two or three types to make sure I end up with even numbers. I guess you could overlap and control by visibility.

It really work be nice if the graphic scale could read the scale of the drawing. For now I just change out families or family types as needed.

[bowlingbrad]

I just made one.

Symbol text annotation to control numbers
Length parameter to control size of bars
Any Scale you need. Just add the numbers.
Visibility to control CD or Presentation graphics.

Enjoy...

[Griff]

Great barscale Brad! Very easy to use. Thanks

[jarod.tulanowski]

WOW nice one bowlingbrad that one is so easy to use. Now we could take it further and add a rotating north arrow haha

[rudolfesterhuyse]

Revit should allow parametric fomulas with the default scale as reference. You can then load one scalebar into your titlesheet with an on/off visibility parameter and never have to worry whether it is displaying the correct scale. You should then also be able to load it into a view type for use when you have more than one view on a sheet (like having a title / not having a title)

[Kiteman48]

Bar scales are infinitely parametric across many platforms. Print poorly from Revit, not to scale but as a percentage of a scale. print again, fax again, scan and reprint. The bar scale is still very accurate.

[rudolfesterhuyse]

Here's my crack at a Bar Scale which requires only that you enter the scale used on the sheet. I have loaded it into my title sheet file and then set a visibility parameter for the family as well as an instance parameter for the drawing scale there. If we are given additional use of parameters i.e "Scale" this can be substituted there for an automatic, accurate Scale Bar on every sheet! Fortunately metric scales all tend to produce only integers on the bar so one length can be used. I had to work in a decimal factor for larger and smaller scales though.

[OKA_BIM_Man]

Thanks rudolf. I used this one and made it stretch based on metric scales with factors like 1:25, 1:1250, 1:250, etc.
:)

[USMCBody]

And to come full circle... Think of what the people in the field do. In America they have tape measures in the basic unit of Inches (they way the rest of the world should be... B-)... just kidding around). So guess what they are going to use to measure the scale of the blueprints to see where everything is set up... If nothing else it is the thing they will always have on them so they 'will' learn to use the tape measure trick. Which is taking the scale 'in reverse' using the ruler they have on hand... Did I give enough hints... Too many I bet...

So, they take their tape measure to the blueprint and then apply in their head, or on the nearest stud, the math to get the full scale dimension. So now your graphic scale will never really change because it is based off an inch and ,to make the graphic scale easy, just double the inch mark on the graphic scale and such. Add a few graphic divisions in for further needs. And there you go, easy as eating pancakes. Just use Labels...

Granted going this path you have to keep one for Imperial Arch scales and an Imperial Civil scales, but that is basically just the same scale with a tweak of the formulas and the text where needed. But then you're probably only in one trade or the other, so maybe you only really need one....

And sure, of course the metric versions if you need. I'm not sure what the basic unit is on tape measures in metric, but you would have to draw a different graphic scale depending on the metric 'unit' that the tape measure the person in the field would have on them at all times. You should be able to follow the inch version. basic unit x1, x2,x4... And of course new formulas and text to boot.

Did I confuse you... Well then I've done my job as a... 'teacher' B-) Sorry it seems I can't upload a file. not even an Image. I guess it is and IT department security setting....

[kim.74445]

This is a FANTASTIC family file. Thank you for posting it!

[galmquist387974]

Great bar scale Scott! Just what I was looking for!

[Bones]

Warning, Do Not Scale off drawings, only use the dimensions shown on the drawing or you are asking for trouble.