How Do I Use Annotative Scale in AutoCAD?
AutoCAD’s annotative scale feature is a powerful tool that allows you to create and manage annotations that automatically adjust their size based on the scale of the drawing. This means you no longer have to manually resize your annotations when changing the scale of your drawing.
In this tutorial, we will explore how to use annotative scale in AutoCAD and take advantage of its benefits.
Understanding Annotative Scale
Annotative scale is a property that can be assigned to text, dimensions, hatches, blocks, and other annotation objects in AutoCAD. When an object has an annotative scale assigned to it, it will automatically adjust its size based on the current drawing scale.
This ensures that your annotations remain readable and proportionate regardless of the zoom level or plotted output.
Assigning Annotative Scale
To assign annotative scale to an object in AutoCAD, follow these steps:
- Select the annotation object you want to assign the annotative scale to.
- Right-click and go to Properties.
- In the Properties palette, scroll down until you find the Annotative Scale property.
- Click on the drop-down menu next to it and choose the desired annotative scale from the list.
- Click OK to apply the changes.
Creating Annotative Objects
Once you have assigned an annotative scale to an object, you can create multiple instances of that object with different scales within a single drawing. This allows you to have annotations that are visible at different scales without having to duplicate the objects manually.
To create annotative objects in AutoCAD, follow these steps:
- Make sure the Annotation Scale in the lower-right corner of the AutoCAD window is set to the desired scale.
- Create the annotation object using the appropriate tool, such as the Text or Dimension tool.
- The object will automatically adjust its size based on the current annotation scale.
Working with Annotative Scale
AutoCAD provides several features that make working with annotative scale easier. These features help you manage your annotative objects efficiently and ensure that they appear correctly at different scales.
Viewport Scaling
When working with multiple viewports in a layout, you can control how annotative objects appear within each viewport. By default, AutoCAD uses the Annotation Scale property of each viewport to determine how annotations are displayed.
However, you can override this behavior by adjusting the Annotation Scale Override property of individual viewports.
Publishing and Plotting
When publishing or plotting your drawing, AutoCAD automatically adjusts the size of your annotative objects based on their assigned scales. This ensures that your annotations are consistently legible regardless of the output size or resolution.
To enable annotative scaling during publishing or plotting, make sure to select the “Plot with Plot Styles” option in the Publish/Plot dialog box. This ensures that AutoCAD applies all necessary adjustments for annotative objects during output generation.
Conclusion
The annotative scale feature in AutoCAD is a game-changer for managing annotations in your drawings. By assigning annotative scales to your objects, you can ensure that your annotations always appear correctly at different scales, saving you time and effort in manual adjustments.
Remember to assign annotative scale to your objects and take advantage of features like viewport scaling and publishing/plottings to make the most out of this powerful tool.