Are you looking to change the viewport scale in AutoCAD? Well, you’ve come to the right place! In this tutorial, we’ll walk you through the step-by-step process of changing the viewport scale in AutoCAD.
What is a Viewport Scale?
A viewport scale determines the relationship between the size of objects in model space and their representation in paper space. By changing the viewport scale, you can control how your drawing appears when plotted or printed.
Changing the Viewport Scale
Now, let’s dive into how to change the viewport scale in AutoCAD. Follow these simple steps:
Step 1: Accessing Model Space
To begin, make sure you are in model space. You can do this by double-clicking inside a layout tab or by using the ‘MSPACE’ command.
Step 2: Selecting a Viewport
Next, select the viewport you want to change the scale for. You can do this by double-clicking inside the viewport or using the ‘MSV’ command followed by an ‘ENTER’.
Step 3: Opening Properties
Once inside the selected viewport, right-click anywhere within it and choose ‘Properties’ from the context menu that appears.
Step 4: Adjusting Viewport Scale
A properties panel will open up on your screen. Look for the ‘Custom Scale’ option and enter your desired scale value. Alternatively, you can choose from one of the predefined scales from the drop-down list.
- Note:
- If you want to use an architectural scale (e.g., 1/4″ = 1′-0″), simply enter ‘ARCH’ followed by a hyphen and then the scale factor. For example, ‘ARCH-48′ represents a scale of 1/4″ = 1’-0″.
After entering the desired scale value, press ‘ENTER’ or click outside the properties panel to apply the changes.
Additional Tips
Here are some additional tips to keep in mind while working with viewport scales in AutoCAD:
- Locking Viewport Scale: If you want to lock the scale of a viewport, you can enable the ‘Lock Scale’ option in the properties panel. This ensures that the scale remains unchanged even if you zoom in or out.
- Multiple Viewports: If your layout contains multiple viewports, you can repeat the above steps for each viewport individually to set their respective scales.
- Scaling Annotations: Remember that changing the viewport scale also affects how your annotations and dimensions appear. Consider adjusting their sizes accordingly to maintain consistency.
Congratulations! You’ve successfully learned how to change the viewport scale in AutoCAD. Now you can confidently control how your drawings are presented when plotted or printed.
We hope this tutorial was helpful. Happy designing!