AutoCAD help please?

[Captain Starfish]

I have a drawing. Set up as 1mm = 1 unit.

Before I send it off to the laser cutters, I want to do a dry run with a stanley knife on old box cardboard for fit testing. CAD or Cardboard Aided Design, as [MENTION=7947]Creme[/MENTION] puts it

It's bigger than 210x297 (ie A4). So I want to print it at 1:1 in a series of pages that I can line up. And I cannot get this fucking scaling between models, layouts and printer to work like I want.

Any of you genii about teh Cads (not momma) can halp plz? AutoCAD 2013 Mac if it makes any difference.

[stoner]

Make constructions lines every 190 wide and 277 up/down.

When printing, print to window and select a "grid square" made by the construction lines. Dont forget to centre the plot.

make the construction lines a different layer and turn off print layer for the construction line layer.

You'll have to cut 10mm off each edge of the page (allows for margin printer can't reach) but should line up perfectly.

Rinse and repeat for all the "grid squares" you need to print off.

Also make sure all your scales and print scales are 1:1.

[Captain Starfish]

Thanks. It's not the registration and cutting to page that's getting me though, it's the bloody scaling that doesn't want to play. Grrrr.

[RA35GT]

I put alignment marks in such that they get printed on more than one page so you can line them up on the different pages.

[stoner]

Just make sure your model/layout scale is 1:1, and your print scale is 1:1. Should all fall into place once those variables are used consistently.

[BenG]

How big is it? Will it fit on A3?

I might even be able to get the drafties to print it on the plotter for you at work if you needed to, provided it's smaller than A1... Either way those guys could probably solve any scaling issues...

[marras]

I have a drawing. Set up as 1mm = 1 unit

Before I send it off to the laser cutters, I want to do a dry run with a stanley knife on old box cardboard for fit testing. CAD or Cardboard Aided Design, as Creme puts it

A tape measure is going to tell you the same thing as printing all that paper and sticking it together.

[Captain Starfish]

450mm high for one bit. I don't mind a bit of cropping (the bit that will get pinged off an A3 I can print at work won't be missed for what I want to do).

I just can't get the fuggin thing to scale properly for some reason.

[Captain Starfish]

Nice one [MENTION=8413]marras[/MENTION]

Funny thing is when you get shapes a little more complicated than a box with a door on it, and you have to fit irregular shapes inside down a couple of axes, it ain't so simple anymore.

I've already blown over $300 on the first try, would like to get it right this time.

[marras]

Is your cad drawing 3D?

[RA35GT]

make sure to set the paper size first (and printable area on printer) then choose 1:1

I have access to a a0 plotter and work near the airport if you want a print out.

[Captain Starfish]

Model is units mm and 1:1

Layout has printer chosen and 1:1.

Tonight, it all bloody works. I dunno what I did differently.

Thanks guys.

[Happy Steve]

Tonight, it all bloody works. I dunno what I did differently.

You probably held your mouth the right way
This is definitely a characteristic of AutoCAD plotting!

[Captain Starfish]

Hah hah

Fark, multi-page printing. They don't make it easy, neh?

If I'm getting this right I need to either create another layout per page and align them or I need to set up a layout, move the viewport, print, move the viewport, print, etc.

No sign of "print these ten pages, it's cool".

:-/

[Dark Shadow]

Assumption...
you have a large drawing that you wish to print in viewable sizes on maybe an A4 or A3 printer?
if so, yes, create a new layout, double click on your page then scroll wheel your zoom in our out or drag a rectangle to the size you want, create another layout, do the same, continuing on from near the extremity of your previous layout

If not, explain exactly what you're trying to achieve?
after reading the thread now, maybe what I sugguested is the problem, you haven't zoomed in your layouts at all have you? this will obviously change the scale on a printed page