Page Setup and Printing Goofs

[DuncanSanders]

Ok.

Ive spent a few days drawing up everything into VW2010 at a 1:1 scale. I then wanted to sort out the usual title block et all, and I couldnt find it. Turns out that its hiding in the corner of my design, at 1:1 size.

I was told that I should draw out all my plans then scale them down in the printing process (and I assumed it would then automatically sort the sheet scale info n stuff out at the same time).

How the heck do I go about scaling it down to say fit on an A2 sheet, whilst still being able to easily modify it n such like.

I hope this makes sense.

Many thanks

Dunc

[mike m oz]

I was told that I should draw out all my plans then scale them down in the printing process (and I assumed it would then automatically sort the sheet scale info n stuff out at the same time).

Whoever told you this simply does not know what they are talking about. You should be working with the Design Layer set to a particular scale. Contrary to the misleading belief peddled by some this does not affect the accuracy of what you have drawn.

You use Sheet Layers (which do have a scale of 1:1) to create the printed pages. The information is laid out on these pages in Viewports set to the desired scale.

You need to download and work your way through the appropriate free training manuals on this web page: http://www.nemetschek.net/training/free_resource.php

[JBenghiat]

A quick reply:

You will probably find it best to work in the scale you THINK you will use for your final printed output, usually 1:100 or 1:50. (1/4" or 1/2" for us in the States, Laos, etc...) You will find that thinking about line weights, font size, dimensions, and the general layout of your drawing is much easier if your working scale reflects your final output.

(As opposed to AutoCAD, VW is based on a WYSIWYG philosophy. It is foremost a drawing tool, even though your drawing is essentially a model, and elements of the drawing can be dynamic...)

As Mike suggested, investigate VW's Viewport and Sheet Layer features. Though them, you can easily lay out your page using any scale. You may even want, for example, a 1:50 plan for the shop and a 1:113 scale, non-ruler friendly version for your binder.

As you become comfortable with Sheet Layers, you may want to start placing your title block on the Sheet Layer, so it is always the same size and page position, regardless of drawing scale.

HTH,

Josh

[Fergy]

I actually usually work in a 1:1 scale on my design layer, because I never want to plot from that. I always plot through viewports on sheet layers, and scale each viewport based on what I want to see. I've honestly never really understood why I would want to set my design layer scale to anything different unless I'm planning to print from there. But that seems like a sloppy way of working anyway. And, I almost always plot as a PDF, then send that file to the plotter. It works a lot faster than trying to plot directly from VW for some reason for me, plus it allows me to send files out to clients without having to do a separate export.

As for scaling text, I always do it as page inches instead of point size. It just works better for me.

[Ray Libby]

If that method works for you that's good, but there's nothing sloppy about drawing in the scale you intend to print at. It makes it easier for dimensions, text, etc. to be correct without having to fiddle with it.

[mike m oz]

Having Design Layers at a particular scale was a necessity in the era before Sheet Layers and Viewports. Vw was and still is a WYSIWYG program and that is why Design Layers have a page size. It allows you to setup your drawing relative to the paper size you are going to print out at. What is inside the grey border is on the page and what is outside of it is not.

Drawing at a particular scale has some advantages:

- Line thicknesses as drawn are correct for printing at that scale.

- Text sizes as drawn are correct for printing at that scale.

- Less zooming is required when switching from Sheet Layers to Design Layers.

[Fergy]

Understood. And I remember having to do that from the old MiniCAD days.

I've gotten so used to using Zoom Extents when switching views or layers that I didn't think about that.

I actually hate seeing the page outline when working in design layers. I only want to see it in Sheet Layers.

I try to enter most of my text as overlays in the sheet layers, over the viewport because I'm trying to keep my model as 3D, and it's a pain with 2D text over that.