LTScale & Metric

In imperial drawings, I am used to an LTScale of 1/2 DimScale, thus, an
LTScale of 24 for 1/4"=1' (DimScale 48) drawings. In PS LTScale is thus .5.
This allows for all three variations of a particular line type to be used.
Now I am working on setting up some metric drawings, and finding that I
really need an LTScale of DimScaleX10, this a 1:100 drawing needs an LTScale
of 1000 to look basically right, and an LTScale of 10 in PS works. I had
thought that, when you changed a drawings units to Metric, then the ISO LIN
file was used, which resulted in the same length of dash at a 1:1 plot scale
and LTScale of .5, but this seems not to be the case.

Anyone have any suggestions? I have code that manages LTScale relative to
DimScale, and I can reset it to X10 rather than /2, but I am not sure if
that is the best answer.

Also, the drawings in question come from another office, who seems to be
using different linetype definitions. Is the best answer to just automate
loading the definitions from our LIN file?

Best,
Gordon

 

I use ltscale of one half 25.4.

 

Hi Gordon,

I don't work in the same scales as you (mechanical discipline), but I do work with metric and inch all the time.

Just realize that mm's are 1/25.4 or the inverse, 25.4 X bigger than inches. And cm's 10 X larger yet or 254 X larger and meters another 100X larger or 25400 X bigger than inches.

So when you talk about a factor of 10, you won't even start to see a difference in the line. It will still appear continuous.

I just deal with them as they come as I don't usually encounter those big differences.

 

Hence the reason for ltscale to be 25.4/2 for mm.

 

Duh, that makes sense!

Thanks,
Gordon

 

Gordon - I don't know what the others are doing, but when I do metric
drawings or imperial drawings I use the same LTScale, 0.75 in both cases.

If you start a drawing using the metric template acadiso.dwt, when you load
linetypes they are loaded from the linetype file acadiso.lin. If you're
multiplying x10, there's something wrong, and you certainly don't need to
multiply by 25.4 -- that's all taken care of when you choose the acadiso.dwt
template. It also defaults to the metric hatch pattern file (acadiso.pat)
and the metric dimension style (iso-25).

 

Are you using MEASUREMENT to "change the drawing units to metric"?

 

Theris lies the problem, I think. The doco says when you use metric units
that acadiso.lin is used, not that you have to start from a different
template to get acadiso.lin to be used. Given that we already have a bunch
of templates set up, and this is a fast track job that is also rather small,
I think I will use 12.7 for now. Also, this is a remodel/addition job, and
we are using other peoples drawings, who seem to have used different
linetypes, so we are having to reload anyway. I really wish AutoCAD just
used the defs in the LIN file all the time, rather than loading and storing
in the drawing, but maybe that is just because of this situation.

Anyway, it seems to be working well enough to get thru the current project.

Best,
Gordon

 

Also see MEASUREINIT for drawing setup,

Sets the initial drawing units as English or metric. Specifically,
MEASUREINIT controls which hatch pattern and linetype files an existing
drawing uses when it's opened. Also controls which template is used.

0 English; uses the hatch pattern file and linetype file designated by the
ANSIHatch and ANSILinetype registry settings
1 Metric; uses the hatch pattern file and linetype file designated by the
ISOHatch and ISOLinetype registry settings

 

Reply From: Walt Engle
Date: Mar/31/05 - 17:52 (CST)

Re: LTScale & Metric
Hence the reason for ltscale to be 25.4/2 for mm.
**********
Hi Walt, Do you mean if my drawing that is in mm's is full, half, 1/10, 1/100, 2X, 10X or 50X? Is the ltscale 12.7 in all those cases? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm