AutoCAD dimensions

[IceAged]

I've received some AutoCAD files that were apparently created in Microstation. Unfortunately the dimensions don't appear to be anything specific - the width of a window for example is shown as '1.3250'.

I need to translate these drawings into millimetres before importing them into Max 9, but i can't see any option to do so under 'Format --> Units', other than an 'insertion scale' menu.

Does anyone have any idea how to convert the units in the drawing? I've not used AutoCAD for a while and now find myself using the latest version, (2008), so probably missing something obvious here...

[ameo]

You can use scale command in autocad to scale entire drawing. Sellect all elements and scale (type "ctr+a" then "sc" and follow instructions).

[Ricardo Eloy]

Do you know what unit was used in first place? Because if you know the units used you can, when importing a drawing, ask Max to rescale it. Choose the units the drawing originally uses (milimiter, meters, whatever). Then, after the import is done, you can choose your favorite unit under Customize -> Display Units.

[neko]

i think 'ameo' is closest to the solution in autocad.

 

the only info i would add to his advice is that you are scaling by 'Reference'

 

when you scale the entire drawing, you need to know the exact length (or dimension) of some object. in the scale command, using a base point on that object, you select 'R' for reference and then pick the second point. after that you tell it what those two points should represent.

 

it could also be ricks solution and the file is in meters. there is no changing units in autocad - the units are what you want them to represent....if you want millimeters then scale the drawing by 1000.

 

hope that helps

 

paul

[jesca]

unedr command line type (dimstyle)

you should see dimension style box..go to the dimension option...

find style and edit to meet your dimension needs...for example feet and inches or metric ...

[rotten42]

i think 'ameo' is closest to the solution in autocad.

 

the only info i would add to his advice is that you are scaling by 'Reference'

 

when you scale the entire drawing, you need to know the exact length (or dimension) of some object. in the scale command, using a base point on that object, you select 'R' for reference and then pick the second point. after that you tell it what those two points should represent.

 

it could also be ricks solution and the file is in meters. there is no changing units in autocad - the units are what you want them to represent....if you want millimeters then scale the drawing by 1000.

 

hope that helps

 

paul

 

 

we do this all the time at work. (scale by reference) For some reason I get a lot of drawings with mixed up scales from people that use Autocat LT

[neko]

where can i get a copy of this autoCAT LT ?

 

sounds cool.

[IceAged]

Thanks a lot

The drawings were in 'meters' of some-sort so i enlarged them a thousand times to get something that resembled millimetres.

Strange though that Max did not recognise the drawings as any dimension when i imported them, but then recognised them as millimetres after the conversion, (otherwise I would have used Rick's method).

Instead Max displayed a 'drawing limits unknown' message, which i find often happens when the AutoCAD drawings are drawn in model space very far from 0,0 - and any attempt to scale them in Max failed.

 

(But it worked using 'scale' in AutoCAD)