Creating a Scaled Drawing

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

As a consequence, you tin describe to scale and adjust that scale in LayOut without having to do a lot of mental math.

The following sections explain how to create and edit a scaled drawing. You also detect tips for using the scaled drawing feature with SketchUp viewports and imported CAD files.

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

Creating a scaled drawing

In a LayOut, a scaled drawing must be in a group. You lot can create a grouping for a scaled cartoon in 2 ways:

  • Create the grouping first and then start drawing.
  • Showtime drawing and create a grouping from selected entities.

Tip: If you mistakenly apply the wrong scale to a group, use the Remove Scale control to undo your piece of work and offset over. Although yous tin can cull a new scale to fix the error, know that this will resize your geometry. In other words, geometry never resizes when the first scale is practical; even so, after you lot apply the commencement scale, changing the calibration 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 Cartoon.
  3. Choose a calibration.
  4. (Optional) From the Length drop-down list, choose Decimal, Architectural, Engineering, or Fractional. Depending on your selection, you might be able to choose a unit, such equally meters or feet.
  5. Using the drawing tools, begin creating your drawing, and LayOut applies the scale you selected, as shown in the following effigy.
  6. When you lot're done, double-click with the Select tool anywhere in the drawing area that's outside 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 drawing and desire to turn what you've fatigued into a scaled drawing, follow these steps:

  1. Select the entities that belong in the scaled cartoon.
  2. Context-click the selection and select Brand Group from the submenu that appears.
  3. Context-click the new grouping, choose Calibration, and then select a calibration from the submenu that appears, every bit shown in the post-obit figure.
In LayOut create a scaled drawing from existing geometry.

Editing a scaled drawing

To edit the entities in a scaled cartoon, yous just need to open the grouping's context. (See Group Entities for details.)

Y'all can as well change the calibration by selecting the scaled drawing's grouping entity and and so selecting options from the Scaled Cartoon panel.

Tip: Recall that, after you lot apply a calibration, choosing a new scale will alter the size of the geometry.

Working with SketchUp viewports and CAD files

A SketchUp viewport tin't exist in a scaled group. If yous desire to utilise the scaled drawing feature to depict over a SketchUp viewport, you demand to lock the viewport on a separate layer. Then, on a new layer over the viewport, you can create a scaled drawing.

If y'all import a CAD file into LayOut, you might exist able to adjust the scale of your imported data to fit your LayOut document. Remember that the dotted line around a grouping indicates a scaled cartoon, and you can see the current scale when the scaled drawing grouping is selected, as shown in the following figure.

In LayOut create a scaled drawing from existing geometry.