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How to scale DXF imports


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I am very new to Vectorworks and GPS measuring. I am pulling my hair out for a week now trying to get imported DXF files in a scale that matches (feet or yards) my GPS measurements in the field. If I scale it in VW so it is a reasonable on screen size, and use the measuring tool I get strange fraction of an inch numbers instead of the 50-300 yards it should be.

I'm exporting the DXF files from Trimbles Pathfinder Office software and there do not seem to be any way to set scales in there.

So when i import it how do I set up VW scales and units so I can measure in yards preferably or at least feet. The real world recordings are in range of 160-590 yards in each file (golf hole length for those of you that recognize those numbers). Tried to talk to VW techs but could not seem to make them understand and they seemed to act like I was stupid (which I can freely admit at this stage!!)

thanks in advance

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I'm not sure I understand your problem. Are you saying that the measurements in the VW file do not match the measured coordinates? For example 1200' real world is 100' in VW.

I ask this because we have had trouble with dxf files importing 12 times too small so a 36" door would measure 3". Simply scaling the entire drawing by 12 solves the problem.

I hope this helps.

Good Luck

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That's sort of my problem. I just tried some more and on the import window for the DXF file it offers various choices for scales etc and no matter what I choose, when it opens in VW and I measure (after setting units to yards and scale to like 1:100) I get measurements of 1 1/8 inch for like 90 yards in real world and if I change scale the drawing gets really tiny on screen but still measures in nonsensical results.

On anothe file i was able to change it to yards and got it really tiny again but it was closer like it said 80yards for something I know in fact to be 100 yards real world.

Thanks for the tip though and any more would be greatly appreciated.

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You use the wrong tool. First you find something in your drawing to measure. Then you select all objects, that you want to scale. Then you use "Scale Objects...", and in the dialog choose symmetric. Then in the field you enter the number 1 divided with the measurement from your drawing multiplied with what the measurement should have been. For instance 1/3*345. Vectorworks then scale all selected objects 115 times. If it won't do it, you need to change (increase) the "Layer Scale...", so that the scaled objects will fit into the drawing space.

regards

Kaare

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