Creating a Scaled Drawing

Within a group, you can apply a scale to a 2nd cartoon and so that all geometry in that group reflects the selected scale. This geometry includes all native LayOut entity types. However, when you employ this scale, group entities such as text, labels, and dimensions retain their original properties, such as line and font size.

As a result, you can draw to scale and adjust that calibration in LayOut without having to practice a lot of mental math.

The post-obit sections explain how to create and edit a scaled drawing. You also find tips for using the scaled drawing characteristic with SketchUp viewports and imported CAD files.

Table of Contents
  1. Creating a scaled cartoon
  2. Editing a scaled drawing
  3. Working with SketchUp viewports and CAD files

Creating a scaled drawing

In a LayOut, a scaled drawing must exist in a group. You tin create a group for a scaled drawing in ii ways:

  • Create the group outset and then offset drawing.
  • Start cartoon and create a group from selected entities.

Tip: If you mistakenly apply the wrong calibration to a group, use the Remove Scale command to undo your work and start over. Although you can choose a new scale to fix the error, know that this will resize your geometry. In other words, geometry never resizes when the beginning scale is applied; however, subsequently you utilise the first calibration, changing the scale does resize the geometry.

To brainstorm with a scaled drawing group, follow these steps:

  1. Select Window > Scaled Drawing.
  2. In the Scaled Drawing console that appears, click Make Scaled Drawing.
  3. Choose a scale.
  4. (Optional) From the Length drop-down listing, choose Decimal, Architectural, Engineering, or Fractional. Depending on your choice, y'all might be able to cull a unit, such as meters or anxiety.
  5. Using the drawing tools, brainstorm creating your drawing, and LayOut applies the scale you selected, as shown in the post-obit figure.
  6. When y'all're done, double-click with the Select tool anywhere in the drawing area that'south exterior the scaled drawing context. Or press the Esc key.
To create a scaled drawing from scratch in LayOut, use the Scaled Drawing panel

If you've already started a cartoon and desire to turn what yous've drawn into a scaled cartoon, follow these steps:

  1. Select the entities that belong in the scaled drawing.
  2. Context-click the selection and select Make Group from the submenu that appears.
  3. Context-click the new grouping, choose Scale, then select a scale from the submenu that appears, as shown in the following effigy.
In LayOut create a scaled drawing from existing geometry.

Editing a scaled cartoon

To edit the entities in a scaled drawing, you simply need to open the group's context. (Encounter Grouping Entities for details.)

Y'all tin also alter the scale by selecting the scaled drawing's group entity and then selecting options from the Scaled Cartoon panel.

Tip: Call up that, later on y'all apply a scale, choosing a new scale volition change the size of the geometry.

Working with SketchUp viewports and CAD files

A SketchUp viewport can't be in a scaled grouping. If you want to use the scaled drawing feature to describe over a SketchUp viewport, y'all need to lock the viewport on a split layer. Then, on a new layer over the viewport, you lot can create a scaled cartoon.

If you import a CAD file into LayOut, you might be able to adjust the scale of your imported information to fit your LayOut document. Remember that the dotted line effectually a group indicates a scaled drawing, and yous can see the electric current scale when the scaled drawing group is selected, as shown in the following figure.

In LayOut create a scaled drawing from existing geometry.