Dimscale is a fundamental concept in AutoCAD that plays a significant role in ensuring accurate and precise drawings. Understanding dimscales is crucial for any AutoCAD user, as it directly affects the way dimensions are displayed in your drawings.
What is Dimscale?
Dimscale, short for dimension scale, is a system variable in AutoCAD that controls the scale factor for dimensions. It determines how dimensions are measured and displayed relative to the actual size of objects in your drawing.
By default, AutoCAD uses a dimscaled value of 1. This means that dimensions are displayed at their true size on screen and when printed. However, you can adjust this value according to your needs.
Why Adjust Dimscale?
There are several reasons why you might need to adjust the dimscales in your drawing. One common scenario is when you’re working with large or small-scale drawings. In such cases, displaying dimensions at their true size may not be practical or visually appealing.
For example, if you’re working on a building plan where the actual wall length is 30 meters, displaying it on paper at that size would make the drawing difficult to read. By adjusting the dimscales appropriately, you can shrink or enlarge the dimensions so that they fit within reasonable limits without compromising clarity.
- Enlarging Dimscale: When working with smaller objects or detailed drawings, increasing the dimscales can make dimensions more visible and readable.
- Reducing Dimscale: Conversely, reducing dimscales is useful when dealing with larger objects or drawings where space constraints are a concern.
How to Adjust Dimscale?
In AutoCAD, there are two primary methods to adjust dimscales: using individual dimension styles or modifying the overall dimension scale in your drawing settings.
Method 1: Adjusting Dimscale Using Dimension Styles
1. Open the Dimension Style Manager by typing “DIMSTYLE” in the command line or accessing it from the ribbon menu.
2. In the Dimension Style Manager dialog box, select the dimension style you want to modify or create a new one.
3. In the Modify Dimension Style dialog box, go to the “Primary Units” tab.
4. Look for the “Scale Factor” option and enter your desired value. For example, if you want to reduce dimensions by half, enter 0.5.
5. Click “OK” to apply the changes to your dimension style.
Method 2: Modifying Overall Dimscale in Drawing Settings
1. Type “UNITS” in the command line or access it from the ribbon menu to open the Drawing Units dialog box. In the Drawing Units dialog box, go to the “Length” category and find the “Dimension Scale” option. Enter your desired dimscaled value and click “OK” to save changes.
Note: Changing dimscales at drawing level will affect all dimensions across your entire drawing unless overridden by individual dimension styles applied locally.
Conclusion
Dimscale is a powerful tool in AutoCAD that allows you to control how dimensions are displayed in your drawings. By adjusting dimscales appropriately, you can ensure that your dimensions are visually appealing, readable, and accurately represent object sizes.
Remember that dimscales should be adjusted with care, considering factors such as drawing scale and legibility requirements. Experiment with different values until you find a dimscaled setting that best suits your specific needs and enhances your overall drawing experience.