Scale an element / drawing whislt keeping certain child elements fixed size

[John Whyte]

Ive got a detail drawing of a piece of paneling / mounding.

I want to be able to change the overall dimensions of the whole panel BUT keep the gaps between each level of the paneling the same.

So if the panel was 1000mm x 1000mm with 10mm gaps and i scale it either using the scale tool or dragging it corners to 500mm x 500mm i still want to keep the gaps at 10mm rather than 5mm.

Is it possible to specify static measures that will stay the same even when scaled ?

Please see the image below (click it to see larger)

Edited April 24, 2014 by John Whyte

[PVA - Admin]

Not with any of the Scale commands or Symbol Scaling, this would have to be done manually within the geometry of that symbol. (Assuming that is a symbol?)

[John Whyte]

Thanks @Jim - You mentioned that "(Assuming that is a symbol?)" If it wasnt a symbol just a group of rectangles would that make a difference ?

When you say "this would have to be done manually within the geometry of that symbol." Does that mean i would have to make 2 symbols one for 100% size and one for 70% size each one having the 10mm dimension specified separately. As if they were scaled symbol instances surly everything would scale.

Edited April 24, 2014 by John Whyte

[PVA - Admin]

It it was a group, then it would just need to be an edit of the components within the group. I mostly meant that if it were a group or symbol it would need to be done manually as opposed to a plugin object like a window or door, where its parameters can be edited via the objects settings, (or that it needed to be broken apart and edited manually as a symbol or group can be.)

Yes, a separate instance would need to be created. The original can be duplicated in the resource browser, and then a "-70" or something similar to denote its difference could be added to the name.

[IanH]

Completely off the wall suggestion, but could you use a constraint?

[PVA - Admin]

I tried it here and it looks like the constraint's distance/angle scales with the rest of the geometry when within a symbol.

If I try to constrain them in this manner outside of a group or symbol, it reports an unsolvable constraint for the majority of the constraint types.

I'll check with a few others here and see if this is possible though, its an interesting thought.