Expert: Bob - 3/20/2007

Question
QUESTION: Hi Bob,
I need to know if there is a tool that I can either download or create myself that would automaticly set
my drawing to 1/8 scale or any other scale I chose.
For Autocad 2006.

ANSWER: Hi -
FYI "shortcuts" in AutoCAD normally means assigning a key on your keyboard to start a command (L for line, for instance)
-- after that note, I am going to have to ask you to write back with a more complete question, so I can answer your specific need.
1-- I hope you draw full scale and want to PLOT at 1/8" = 1'-0" (which is technically 1/96 scale commonly and inaccurately referred to as 1/8 scale).  If you want to draw at other than full scale for some reason, that is only cool if no one else ever handles your drawings.
2-- following point 1, you would make LAYOUTS using the correct scale, in all releases since 2000. And, of course, your dimensions and text would be set up so they would plot correctly
3-- the way to do all this is to create your own template, which is fairly easy. You could have a template in which all the set-up was for a certain scale, or one containing layouts at different scales. Once you have made a good template, you can use it a long time, and have much less fuss for each new drawing.

The above points make up several chapters in a good AutoCAD book, so I really cant give all of it here. I hightly suggest to everyone to have a good book on AutoCAD witten for his field (yours is probably Architecture, if you use that scale). SELF TAUGHT AUTOCAD IS HORRIBLE QUICKSAND.

If you want to write back with better info on what you are doing, and your experience  -- as well as more specific questions, cool, please do. Just please understand I cant teach major subjects here, or without understanding where the student is, so far, in learning.

BOB

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I have another question how do I load lisp routines in Autocad 2006. Need procedure.
p.s. thanks for the quick response to my previous question.

Answer
HI -- I AM PRETTY FLABBERGASTED AT NO REPLY TO THE POINTS OF THE OTHER ONE, BUT LET'S GO ON.
ON lisp  - I am no fan of it, finding 90% of peoples old favorites to have been supplanted by tool palettes, or interface improvements, as well as the verticals and add-ons.
In any event, I would only give help to someone who showed me that the routine was still needed, otherwise I would point him at the new stuff.
In your case, since you never so far gave me your experience level, the question comes off as shooting from the hip -- and I HIGHLY recommend being careful of lisp, since old routines can mess you up on newer releases.
I stopped teaching them and forgot about them, so I am going to tell you to look in that  book, or AutoCAD help.

Best I can tell you -- must run to client now
Good luck

BOB