AutoCAD Pocket Reference. Cheryl R. Shrock

primary function of Paper Space is to prepare the drawing for plotting.

      When you select the Layout tab for the first time, the “Page Setup Manager” dialog box will appear. The Page Setup Manager allows you to specify the printing device and paper size to use.

       (More information on this in “How to .....)

      When you select a Layout tab, Model Space will seem to have disappeared, and a blank sheet of paper is displayed on the screen. This sheet of paper is basically in front of the Model Space. (Refer to the illustration on the next page)

      To see the drawing in Model Space, while still in Paper Space, you must cut a hole in this sheet. This hole is called a “Viewport.” (Refer to “How to ....)

       Try to think of this as a picture frame (paper space) in front of a photograph (model space).

WHY LAYOUTS ARE USEFUL

      I know you are probably wondering why you should bother with Layouts.

      A Layout (Paper Space) is a great method to manipulate your drawing for plotting.

      Notice the drawing below with multiple viewports.

      Each viewport is a hole in the paper.

      You can see through each viewport (hole) to model space.

      Using Zoom and Pan you can manipulate the display of model space in each viewport.

      To manipulate the display you must be inside the viewport.

CREATING SCALED DRAWINGS

       A very important rule in CAD you must understand is:

       “All objects are drawn full size”

      In other words, if you want to draw a line 20 feet long, you actually draw it 20 feet long. If the line is 1/8” long, you actually draw it 1/8” long.

       Drawing and Plotting objects that are very large or very small.

      What if you wanted to draw a house? Could you print it to scale on an 8-1/2 X 11 piece of paper? How about a small paper clip. Could you make it big enough to dimension? Let’s start with the house.

       How to print an entire house on an 8-1/2 X 11 sheet of paper.

      Remember the photo and picture frame example I suggested on page 2-4. This time try to picture yourself standing at the front door of your house with an empty picture frame in your hands. Look at your house through the picture frame. Of course the house is way too big to fit in the frame. Or is it because you are standing too close to the house?

      Now walk across the street and look through the picture frame in your hands again. Does the house appear smaller? Can you see all of it in the frame? If you could walk far enough away from the house it would eventually appear small enough to fit in the picture frame in your hands. But....the house did not actually change size, did it? It only appears smaller because you and the picture frame are farther away from it.

       Adjusting the Viewport scale.

      When using AutoCAD, walking across the street with the frame in your hands is called Adjusting the Viewport scale. You are increasing the distance between model space (your drawing) and Paper space (Layout) and that makes the drawing appear smaller.

      Example: A viewport scale of 1/4” = 1’ would make model space appear 48 times smaller. But, when you dimension the house, the dimension values will be the actual measurement of the house. In other words, a 30 ft. line will have a dimension of 30’-0”.

      When plotting something smaller, like a paperclip, you have to move the picture frame closer to model space to make it appear larger. For example, use a viewport scale of 8 = 1.

ADJUSTING THE VIEWPORT SCALE

      The following will take you through the process of adjusting the scale within a viewport.

      1. Open a drawing.

      2. Select a Layout tab. (paper space)

      3. Cut a new Viewport or unlock an existing Viewport. (See “How to....”)

      4. Zoom / All to display all of the drawing limits.

      5. Adjust the Scale.

      A. You must be in Paper Space. (See below)

      B. Select the Viewport Frame.

      C. Unlock Viewport, if locked.

      D. Select the Viewport Scale down arrow.

      E. Select the scale from the list of scales.

      6. Lock the Viewport.

       Note: If you would like to add a scale that is not on the list:

      1. Type Scalelistedit

      2. Select Add button.

      3. Enter Scale name to display in scale list.

      4. Enter Paper and drawing units.

      5. Select the OK button.

       Notes:

Section 3

       Dimensioning

DIMENSIONING

      Dimensions can be Associative, Non-Associative or Exploded. You need to understand what these are so you may decide which setting you want to use. Most of the time you will use Associative but you may have reasons to also use Non-Associative and Exploded.

      Associative

      Associative Dimensioning means that the dimension is actually associated to the objects that they dimension. If you move the object, the dimension will move with it.

      If you change the size of the object,