Expert: Bob - 2/1/2008

Question
Hi,
I am an Interior Design student and I tutor AutoCAD at school too. I am having a problem with AutoCAD 2008 and I hope you can help me.
I have a project that requires kitchen’s dimensioned elevations.
The drawing should be in a 3/8”= 1’0” or 1/4”= 1’0” scale.
Here is the problem, whenever I try to print the drawing using either of the following two methods, the layouts method or the window feature in the plot dialog. When I measure the printed drawing using architecture’s scale, I find that it is not giving an accurate dimension measure and that it is a little bit less than it should be, even though the dimensioned plan was giving the correct measurement.
Example:
The height of the ceiling is 20’ and it indicates that on the dimensioned plan, but when I measure the drawing I find it to be actually 19’10” which is 2” less of the actual ceiling height.
The height of the cabinet is supposed to be 3’ and it showed that in the dimensioned plan, but when I measured it was like ½” less.
I hope I explained the problem correctly and thanks in advance for the help,
Lina


Answer
Hi -- glad you are doing well.

May I gently point out that the ceiling height is to be expressed as 20'-0", the counter as 3'-0" (but, typically one says 36" for a counter) when you WRITE, rather than speak, and are following that with a mention of another dimension.

Next: 2 inches short on 240 inches is 0.833% short, and, considering that those in the field are supposed to go by the dimensions, is probably fine, in the real world, if everything is dimensioned -- but NOT in school, since we have to have a standard of perfection to aim for.

The problem -- if you are printing on a small ink-jet printer (you left out the MOST important clue, the plotter or printer). you can expect, with many of them, some small shrinking. Or there may be a setting which makes a your plot smaller, becsause you have not allowed for the margins the printer needs.

If you are printing on more than one machine and getting the error, there is something you are doing wrong, but I cannot tell from what you write.

I am imagining you are plotting on large sheets ---because you can see and measure a tiny problem. For more help, you will need to check your settings, review that you are plotting "according to the book", and speak to your instructor to see if you are the only one having the problem, or if he/she has encountered it and knows the solution.

If you gather all the facts -- and the instructor does not solve it, I will see if I can catch the problem, or I will show you where to post it in an Autodesk Discussion Group, where others who are familiar with your plotter model can answer.

Good luck

BOB