Expert: Bill DeShawn - 1/28/2003

Question
I have a .dxf file of a blueprint. It was imported from another file type. How do I go about changing the size of the drawing so that the it is actual size?

I am not talking about printing it out to scale but actually changing the drawing itself so that the measurements match.

Thanks

Answer
Believe it or not, I just did one of these myself.  If the other file type was one that wasn't scanned, then it will work even better. Anyway, create a block of the entire drawing.  Set the insertion point at 0,0.  Then insert the block at 0,0.  

Using the Scale command, you can scale the block using the Reference option.  Invoke the scale command, select the block, the base point will be The first of two points you want to use for a reference dimension.  When AutoCAD asks for a scale factor enter R for reference and then it will allow you to measure from one point to another.  Here you can pick an existing distance.  After that, AutoCAD asks you for a new length and has a rubber band from your first point.  Here, you can either pick the second point or enter a distance manually by typing it.  

If the X and Y axes did not get scaled together correctly, you need to take the next step for the Y axis.  This is the real reason that you made a block out of the drawing.

Using PROPERTIES, (AutoCAD 2000 and above) Change the Scale Y value until the Y axis height of the block comes out the right size.

If rotation is off, you can use the properties command to also change the rotation as well as the scale.

Now after all that manipulation, you will probably have to put the right part of the drawing back on 0,0

Explode the block when both X and Y axes are correct and in the correct rotation.


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Bill DeShawn
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