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Controlling Annotation Scale Further

September 30, 2009 in AutoCAD, CAD, Revit

In my previous post, I’ve introduced annotation scaling for dimension. We have added two scales to all of our dimensions automatically. In this post, we will discuss how we use annotation scale for hatches. We will also discuss how we can control annotation scale further.

Two questions popped up when I first time learn about annotation scaling:

Can we selectively show objects in a certain scales, but not in other scale?
Showing annotation in different scales is great. But sometimes it can obstruct my drawings on relatively large scale. But I need it there in small scale.

To answer these questions, let’s open our drawing again. Select any wall, right click, and select block editor from context menu.

Here’s what we are going to do: We want our brick pattern will be not too large in 1:50. And we don’t want this pattern shown in 1:200 scale. Let’s assume we only use those 3 scales.

First, we need to tell AutoCAD this is how we want it look like in 1:100 scale. Change your annotation scale to 1:100.

Now we need to add annotative behavior to this pattern. Select it, right click, select hatch edit. In the options area, activate annotative.

Click OK to close this dialog. Now try to move your pointer above this pattern, you will see annotative symbol right next your cursor.

Now we need to tell AutoCAD to also show this pattern in 1:50. Select the pattern. Look at your properties palette. If it’s not opened yet, right click and select properties.

In pattern section, click on text field next to annotative scale. You will see … button next to it. Click it.

This will open object scale dialog. You will see 1:100 scale listed here. Click add. Select 1:50 and click OK. Now this pattern will show only in 1:50 and 1:100 scale! This is how you can add scale manually to your annotations. Save this block and close block editor.

Turn off annotation visibility. It’s the button next to your annotation scale list. Try several scales. You should see your pattern only in 1:50 and 1:100. Try to compare how it looks in your layout, different viewport scale.

Now let’s back to our dimension. Add some more dimension using 3mm style like this.

Now, here’s a challenge. Can you show all dimensions in 1:50 scale, but only some in 1:100?

After you finish, here’s the last one on this post.

Activate 1:100 viewport. Let’s pretend that our dimension too far from our drawing. But we feel it’s OK for 1:50. Select a dimension. You will see your dimension showing two sizes: On 1:50 and 1:100.

Drag your dimension closer to your drawing. Pay attention to your other viewport while doing this. It’s only adjusted in your active viewport, but not in the other scale! Amazing isn’t it?

Basically that’s all you need to know about annotation scale. But I’ll cover a little about blocks and text on my next post.

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Source: CAD Notes – Controlling Annotation Scale Further
Go to Source: CAD Notes

Tags: annotation, brick pattern, click, context menu, dimension, hatches, pattern, scale, scales, select properties No Comments »

by CADcaster

Using Linestyle to Replace Wall Pattern

September 21, 2009 in AutoCAD, CAD, Revit

See image on the left. The pattern on the first image was created using ANSI32 pattern. Looks ugly. The ANSI32 pattern looks great for horizontal/vertical wall. But not so great for arched wall.

The pattern on second wall was created using linetype. Looks better, isn’t it?

How to do it? Simply add one more line, and change the linetype to your custom linetype.

Creating custom linetype is very easy. Simply do these following steps:

Draw lines that will define your pattern. For replacing ANSI32, just create the first two. Remember that these lines must match your pattern size. You might need to create several linetype for different type of objects.
Create shape from that lines. If you installed express tools, just use MKSHAPE. After you create it, insert the shape to your drawing.
Create linetype. Like point no. 2, Express tools have a great tool to make it so easy: MKLTYPE.
Test to see if the linetype has working correctly.

I don’t write many details in creating linetype here. But if you are interested to see more, I’ve written about it before here.

The other advantage of using this kind of linetype is, you can add it to your multiline style. I’ve written using dynamic block for walls, but you may like using multiline more. Wouldn’t that be great, using multiline and you can also have pattern with it?

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Source: CAD Notes – Using Linestyle to Replace Wall Pattern
Go to Source: CAD Notes

Tags: ANSI, dynamic block, express tools, first image, linetype, Multiline, pattern, paypal, Replace Wall, vertical wall, wall No Comments »

by CADcaster

Hatch your Drawing by Dragging the Hatch Pattern from the Design center

July 22, 2009 in AutoCAD, CAD

Hatch is an integral part of our drawing, without hatch pattern our drawing is somewhat dull in presentation. And without hatch our drawing will hardly be understood by the readers. Well of course if you are a Draftsman or an Architect, you should already know the importance of hatch in a drawing. After all, it is instilled in drawing standard which we studied when we still in college, studying Architecture or Drafting I supposed.

Anyhow, I just recently discover some technique in doing a hatch so I decided that I’m going to share it here in this blog. So to start, there are many ways to add a hatch pattern in our drawings, one of that ways is the conventional approach or the most commonly use method in adding a hatch, and it is by using the command BHATCH or simply HATCH. You can find Hatch command, under the Draw Pulldown menu, then Hatch. Alternatively, at the command prompt, key-in BHATCH/HATCH or simply BH or H for shortcut. Then after that, a dialogue box will appear (fig.1). From there you can just select the hatch pattern that you want to use by clicking the box at the side of the Pattern (fig.1), then the hatch pattern pallette will appear (fig.2) then just select which hatch you wan to use.

(fig.1)

Fig.2

And finally, the other way of adding a hatch in our drawing is by dragging the hatch pattern from the DesignCenter. A method that somehow relatively new for me, and I can safely say that for most of us AutoCAD user’s as well. Anyway, here is the step by step method on how to drag the hatch pattern from the DesignCenter.

Fig.3

Fig.4

Click the Insert Pulldown menu, then Design Center (fig.3), or Ctrl+2 for keyboard shortcut. Alternatively, at the command prompt, key-in ADCENTER. Then the Design Center dialogue box will pop-up (fig.4).
On the Folders tab, click the search button.
In the Search dialogue box, do the following entries (fig.5):3.1. In Look For, select Hatch Pattern Files.
3.2. In the In Box, select the drive where the program is installed.
3.3. Select the Search subfolders option.
3.4. On the Hatch Pattern Files tab, in Search for the Name, enter * (asterisk) . (dot) pat.
Click Search Now button. , the default hatch pattern file is acad.pat or acadiso.pat. The search results may display the same file in different locations.
In the search results, double-click the file to laod the hatch patterns into the content area of DesignCenter.
Right-click a pattern to display a shortcut menu with the following options: (Optional only)6.1. HATCH - Opens the hatch and gradient dialogue box.
6.2. Copy - Stores the hatch pattern to the clipboard.
6.3. Create Tool Palette – Creates a new Tool Palette with a selected pattern displayed.
From the content area, drag the hatch pattern you want onto a closed object on your drawing. If you the hatch pattern scale is too large or too dense you can adjust it, by double-clicking the pattern to display the hatch dialogue box or by adjusting it in Object Properties (assuming your object properties is open) (fig.6).

Fig. 5

Fig.6

There, thats it for today.

Source: PinoyCAD[dot]net | Your Daily dose of AutoCAD Tutorials – Hatch your Drawing by Dragging the Hatch Pattern from the Design center
Go to Source: PinoyCAD[dot]net | Your Daily dose of AutoCAD Tutorials

Tags: box, designcenter, Easiest Way, Easy Way, fig, Hatch, hatch pattern, keyboard shortcut, pattern, Search, search dialogue, studying architecture No Comments »