Scaling issues

[DWrightLocal80]

Ok, I'm new here, so this may be an easy/obvious fix but...

 

When I import a drawn plan at a particular scale, how do I communicate to Vectorworks what the reference is for the scale?

 

I know I set the new document to the same scale as the drawing, but how do I sync the new document with the pdf? In other programs I've been able to scale the drawing by going into a mode where I measure a known dimension on the drawing so the program has a size reference for the drawing.

 

I followed the directions in someone else's question which said to go into Modify> Scale Objects...   I drew a line on a known dimension and entered the resulting number into Current Distance in Symmetric by Distance, then I entered the correct measurement from the drawing. I hit OK, scaled the whole thing, but the measurements are still off by several feet in my document.

 

Thanks in advance

 

 

 

[Pat Stanford]

It will depend a lot on the scale of the drawing and the size of the object you are measuring. If you are off by a couple of feet over a 100 foot distance you are accurate to a few percent. If you are off by a couple of feet over a 6' wide door you have probably done something wrong ;-)

 

You want to zoom in a lot to set the end points of the measuring line so you can be as accurate as possible. This is especially important if you are working with a bitmap that you can't snap to.

 

I find that I often have to do the scale several times so that as the image gets larger I have a better ability to locate exactly where the measuring line end points should be. I am typically looking for 1mm resolution over a distance of 1,000 to 20,000 mm.

[DWrightLocal80]

Thanks for the response, Pat.

 

My discrepancy was several feet on a drawing of a space about 200' x80', so it was really obvious.

 

Is the method I followed above the correct method to calibrate scale between an imported drawing and the vectorworks scaling system? Or is there another better way to do it?

 

 

[Pat Stanford]

What you are doing sounds correct.

 

Like I said, I often have to scale several times to narrow it down to the accuracy I want on bitmapped images.

 

If you are really concerned, try using a different measurement, maybe something running in a different direction.

 

Is it possible that either your imported image was not truly to scale? Or that it somehow got stretched or compressed at some point?

[DWrightLocal80]

Its possible that the drawing I have wasn't printed to scale or scanned at scale since I'm working with a pdf, but once I measure a dimension of say 16'-0" and tell vectorworks that that (say) 8'-7.565" measurement is equal to 16'-0", shouldn't vectorworks calibrate everything to that?

 

I just remeasured the line that I told vectorworks is 16'-0", and the length of the line I just drew is 8'-11.144"

 

The tape measure tool tells me the same thing, but in the dialogue box that follows along, its telling me the scale is 1/96. I can't remember how to get back to the settings, but I know I set the new document to 1/8"=1' when I opened it

[Pat Stanford]

1:96 is 1/8" scale, so that is right.

 

Something does not sound right. Can you post the PDF so I can try it?

[DWrightLocal80]

Here you go Pat...

 

BO2_Stage1_SpottingPlan_071315.pdf

[Pat Stanford]

It seems to have worked for me.  

 

New blank file based on the Spotlight(Imperial) template. Imported PDF. Rotated to get to read from bottom of screen. Changed Layer Scale to 1:96 (1/8").

 

Zoomed in on the 16' dimension at the top right. Selected the PDF and went to Modify:Scale Objects. Selected Symetric by Distance.

 

Clicked the "dimension" button to the right of Current Distance. Used the Snap Loupe to zoom in on the left end of the dimension and clicked to set the starting point to measure from. Moved the cursor to the right end of the dimension and sued the Snap Loupe to zoom in and click on the end point. The current distance measured 2' 3.855". I then entered 16' as the New Distance and clicked OK.

 

I then used the Constrained Linear Dimension tool to "measure" the revised width of the dimension and got 16' 1/4". Pretty accurate based on the width of the lines and random clicking without snap points. As I said in an earlier post, you can then go in and scale again if you need to get it more accurate.

 

I recommend always scaling in a new drawing. I you accidentally check the Entire Drawing button and don't realize until you have run out of undos it is really hard to go back.

 

Ask again if you still need more help.

 

[DWrightLocal80]

Thanks, Pat.  I'm going to give this a try tonight or tomorrow morning.

 

 

 

[Andy Broomell]

Just want to toss in the notion that the Design Layer scale has nothing to do with getting the PDF scaled properly or drawing objects at the correct size (since you're always drawing in 1:1 real-world measurements). The Design Layer scale is nothing more than a preview scale: you could set your Design Layer to any scale and it doesn't affect object dimensions. It could even be changed after things are drawn. (I know Pat knows this, but just commenting for anyone else who might read this thread).

 

That being said, setting the Design Layer to the intended output scale right off the bat is usually a wise choice 😉 

[Pat Stanford]

Thanks for the pointer @Andy Broomell.

 

I have started to referring to the Drawing Scale as a fixed zoom level rather than a scale.

 

Since in VW you "always" draw things at actual "size" (in you want a 10 meter long wall, you draw a wall that is 10 meters long no matter what scale the layer is at), you don't ever have to think about adjusting object sizes. If it is too big to fit on the page size, change the scale (zoom) and boom the same object fits on the page. If it is too small (need a bigger detail), change the scale and the object is now bigger.

 

The term scale seems to confuse a lot of people coming from other programs which is why I have started referring to it as a zoom instead of scale.