Scale bars in Viewport

[LyleBrowning]

Is there a way to put a scale bar in a viewport legend, as in on the area on the page that surrounds the viewport that one puts captions, north arrows and all the labels on? What I've been doing is creating a scalebar and placing it in a design layer that is visible within the viewport. Those results have to be resized for each one and a lot of what should be unnecessary work ensues.

Thanks,

Lyle Browning

[Tamsin Slatter]

Hi Lyle

The scale bar can't go directly onto the Sheet because the sheet is always at 1:1, so the scale bar ends up too large!

However, double-click the Viewport and choose to Edit Annotations. Now you can add your scale bar and it represent the same scale as the Viewport. Then click Exit Viewport Annotations.

P.S. If you use the Drawing Label within the Viewport in this way, it will also display the Viewport Scale and the Viewport Name for you automatically.

Hope that helps!

[doberman69]

OK so is it possible to have the scalebar be placed automatically when creating a viewport?

[Henry Finch]

I've only used scale bars (graphic scale) since starting my firm. Literal scale like 1/2" = 1'-0" on a detail makes no sense since so many printed or viewed images are shrunk or enlarged. Having a literal scale has caused untold estimating and design catastrophes over the years. With a scale bar, the scale is always correct no matter what size printed or viewed. The scale on a printed drawing is for takeoffs with a scale. Put your scale on the scale bar and know the correct scale in a second AND immediately see if it is some in-between scale because the print or image was enlarged or reduced.

So, this should be the first choice for viewport scales with titles. Still could have old way for those ancients who just don't get it. 

[doberman69]

Interesting point of view. I agree your argument holds water when the variables are within your control. I have clients that REQUIRE the scale bar. So really not my choice. I'm just saying there should be a setting to automatically have the scale bar inserted into view-ports. Like all other settings this can be used or not depending on your particular requirements. Not sure why this is an issue or why it should cause so much vitriol.

[Henry Finch]

doberman,

Totally didn't intend any vitriol. 

I never use the literal scale and my clients and general contractors see only using graphic bar scale as a revelation. But, VW should give choices, literal scale or graphic bar scale. I'm not suggesting to remove literal scale as an option. 

BTW, did you mean to say?  "I have clients that REQUIRE the scale bar. So really not my choice."

Many of my details are not BIM set up. I have a design layer for standard detail size I want to use. The details are drawn with title and graphic bar scale below the title and viewported to sheets in various locations. Full BIM for my custom residential work is not time efficient but I keep testing and adding in more to the CD set.