Today’s tool is all about the scale our model objects are displayed in our Layout Viewports.
While folks shouldn’t be scaling geometry from paper plots, as long as scales are still available, they will. :)
Because of this, it is very important to ensure our models plot to scale. This is typically done by establishing/setting a scale on each of our Layout Viewports. Unfortunately, once the scale is set, it is not immediately obvious what the scale has been set to. (would make for a great tooltip!!)
For the longest time, if I wanted to see what scale has been applied to my Layout Viewports, I would use the Properties Panel. Until a couple of months ago.
Contained within the Express Tools that ship with Civil 3D is a tool designed specifically to list a Layout Viewport scale and it is incredibly easy to use.
Check out the video below to see how it works.
-Jerry
Hi Jerry,
Love your work. But on this one isn't the viewport scale immediately displayed on the status bar when you double click within the viewport? The video seems to show that. So then you do not need to start this command after the double click?
Posted by: Dean Petersen | 02/13/2018 at 08:19 PM
When you click on or in the viewport, the scale is displayed in the AutoCAD taskbar at the bottom right as well.
Posted by: Chaz Loughridge | 02/15/2018 at 09:01 AM
Thanks for the folks who pointed out that the Viewport scale can also be found at the bottom of the interface. (Confirms that no one knows everything. :) )
Posted by: Jerry Bartels | 02/20/2018 at 12:14 PM
Hi Jerry,
I think it is fair to say no one on the planet knows all of the commands in just Autocad. Let alone Civil3D!
Thanks for the good work.
Posted by: Dean Petersen | 02/21/2018 at 12:59 PM