Expert: Bill DeShawn - 12/22/2005

Question
My client knows little about AutoCAD. He uses version 2000 or 2002 (not sure which). When he brings in a geo-referenced image (via Image-Insert) it changes its coordinates to something far out wacky and does not position itself properly; in fact he has to place it himself, which is not how it should work. This happens when opening a brand new drawing with nothing in it, and then inserting the ortho image. Is there a setting to check on? I'm sure something has his program messed up, as by default the program changes the projected coordinates to numbers that do not even make sense. I made sure the image comes in at 1:1 and it is set for feet (which is what the ortho imagery is in). Have tried multiple image formats. I do not know what else to try; clearly it's a problem with AutoCAD, and I am hoping it's a setting issue. I myself know nothing about AutoCAD except for bringing in imagery.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
If you can provide the solution to my problem I'll send an ortho image of any desired area (based on availability of coverage).

Answer
John:
Check the INSUNITS system variable:


INSUNITS
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 1
Specifies a drawing-units value for blocks or images inserted from AutoCAD® DesignCenter™. INSUNITS applies to blocks and images only, and does not affect other content, including drawings.

0  Unspecified (No units)
1  Inches
2  Feet
3  Miles
4  Millimeters
5  Centimeters
6  Meters
7  Kilometers
8  Microinches
9  Mils
10  Yards
11  Angstroms
12  Nanometers
13  Microns
14  Decimeters
15  Decameters
16  Hectometers
17  Gigameters
18  Astronomical Units
19  Light Years
20  Parsecs


IfINSUNITS is set to "unitless" or if the image does not contain resolution information, the scale factor becomes the image width in AutoCAD units. If INSUNITS has a value such as millimeters, centimeters, inches, or feet, and the image has resolution information, the scale factor is applied after the true width of the image in AutoCAD units is determined.

If this doesn't answer your question, send me a drawing file and an image.  Tell me how big you want the image to be in inches or mm when you insert it and exactly where you want it to end up in the drawing.  Pretty much all the settings that would affect this are saved in the drawing.  Make sure the coordinates match. The lower left corner if the image is the insertion point (as a rule).  Make sure your UCS is set for world.  Make sure ANGDIR is set for 0.

ANGDIR
Type: Integer
Saved in: Drawing
Initial value: 0
Sets the direction of positive angles. Angle values are measured from angle 0 relative to the orientation of the current UCS.

0  Counterclockwise
1  Clockwise

Set OSMODE to 0
(just in case you are bringing your insertion close to another object.)

That's about it for now.  Keep trying.


Keep in touch
Bill DeShawn
http://my.sterling.net/~bdeshawn