scaling drawings

[stargazer520]

I am in the final stages of my design work and my architect needs 1/4 scale drawings. Since I already drew the plans with Home Designer Deluxe 7.0, what's the easiest way to make them 1/4 scale so I can export them to .dxf files for him? I really don't want to have to draw them all over again. Couldn't I just enlarge the magnification on the screen, or will that not actually change the scale?

Thanks...
jeff

[WendyWelton]

Believe it or not, the correct answer is that you don't! If your architect is going to use the dxf file and import it into any cad program, you should simply export to dxf and send that to your architect. If they're using cad (any cad, any program) and tell you anything otherwise, they really don't know to use it correctly.

[stargazer520]

Well, he's agreed to let me do as much of the work as I can to save money. He told me that he needed me to provide him with a set of plans drawn to 1/4 scale. The printed plans we went over together were on 8.5x11" paper which came out to about 1/8 scale or something. I don't mind printing them at FedExKinkos, if that's even possible, but I need to make sure I'm printing 1/4 scale drawings.

When I print them at home on 8.5x11, I adjust the magnification on the screen so the entire floor plan fits on the screen, then I "Print Image". That function apparently prints whatever I'm seeing on the screen. If I want to print a huge version, I would guess that I'd have to magnify it quite a bit, then save it to a JPEG and take it to FedExKinkos?

I think he also suggested giving him the JPEG or even PDF of the larger 1/4 scale plans. How can I do this without redrawing everything? Should I just ask him to clarify how he's going to use what I give him?

jeff

[MikePreble1]

You don't need to redraw.

Simply make a new layout and select a layout sheet size that is appropriate, such as 11x17 or 24x36. You'll have to remake the layout, but if you only want something like a plan view, then simply send that view to layout. In the "Send to Layout" dbx you'll be asked what scale you desire, and here you type in 1/4" = 1'.

Once this layout is finished you can print a pdf copy of it and this is what you email to the architect or Kinkos, who then print it, as is, since it is the correct size, already.

Trying to enlarge/stretch, etc. will rarely get you satisfactory results.


Mike

[lbuttery]

Are you now doing this in HDD7 or in Chief ?

If it's HDD7, I think your largest layout size is 11 x 17
If so create that size layout at 1/8 scale then Kinkos can enlarge by 200% to 22 x 34 at 1/4 scale.

Of make your layout at 9 x 12 at 1/8 scale and then enlarge by 200% to
18 x 24 at 1/4 scale.

Lew

[WendyWelton]

Jeff,

Is your goal to print a hard copy at 1/4"=1'-0" or to produce a dxf at 1/4"=1'-0"?

If it's the former, then printing in sections and taping them together will give you the best accuracy. I would totally not trust kinko's enlargement.

If it's a dxf that you need, I repeat my earlier advise. You do not scale a dxf - you simply export your plans and each elevation to dxf. The cad programs that can use a dxf import work the same way Chief does. The model is at full scale - only the prints or views are scaled. If you are trying to produce a scaled dxf, then either you are misunderstanding him (and he really wants prints at 1/4" and a dxf file) or he doesn't know what he's doing with cad.

[Tim O'Donnell]

Wendy is correct...if you have to provide prints at 1/4"=1' is entirely different that providing a dxf/dwg file, which should be as a model space(full size) drawing...not a paper space one(scaled)

[joey3032]

Mike...if all else fails, email the plan file to me, and I will print them for you. My email is joey@martindraftinganddesign.com. Simply pay for the paper and shipping.

sorry...Jeff

[stargazer520]

Thanks, Joey. Let me see what I can come up with. What would you charge per square foot to print? Kinkos is quite reasonable, compared to my site engineer I've been working with. I don't know what my architect would charge if I had him do everything.

Forgive me everyone, but what do you mean by "creating a size layout" to a specific scale? I searched through HDD7 and couldn't find that option. If you simply mean creating a new plan, where is the scale option? I also can't find the "layout sheet size" options.

Sorry, I have figured out how to create a simple plan, but that's about it. Not so familiar with the other functions.

My final goal here is to produce a print that is "clean enough" and large enough to obtain an engineer's stamp from my architect, then take it to my Building Inspector for a permit. My architect is allowing me to do whatever I can to save money.

Thanks for your patience, everyone!
jeff

[louis]

When you go to file, is open new layout one of the options?

[stargazer520]

Nope. Just "New Plan", "Open Plan...", "Search For Plans..."
I'm using HDD 7.08.

Any thoughts on how I could still accomplish this with the version I'm using?

Thanks...
jeff

[louis]

When you go to file print do you have a box to set the scale?

Do you have a file/ print/ page setup?

[lbuttery]

I think with the BHG versions (except PRO) they can only do 1 page layouts. So if he needs multiple pages they have to be saved as single pages.

One way might be to use PDF995 (free) and save each page as a PDF scaled as needed, and then use PDF995EDIT (free) to merge all the pages into a master PDF. Once the master PDF is created, he can then do a print to PDF995 again and set the paper size as needed (say 18 x 24) and set the scale as 1/4" and then send that "final" PDF to his architect.

Go to www.soft995.com to find PDF995 and PDF995EDIT and be sure to download all the components that go along with PDF995EDIT.

Lew

[stargazer520]

Yes! File --> Print --> Page Setup! The scale is there!
I can set the scale to 1/4" = 1 ft. Does that sound right? If I do that, part of the image turns gray (see attached image). Is that normal?

Now that Page Setup scale is set to 1/4" = 1 ft., what would the next step be? Would I still need to go through the PDF creation thing? How would I now get it to a large print format?

jeff

[joey3032]

Is that normal?

Yes...but only because the PAPER SIZE is wrong. All the greyed area will print off the paper. The white area is the PAPER. You need larger paper. If you are going to use PDF995, size the paper by going to: START MENU>PRINTERS and FAXES>right click PDF995>PRINTING PREFERENCES>click the ADVANCED BUTTON>PAPER SIZE>you will get a brop down box....select a larger paper size ( like ARCH C, or ARCH D)