Home      About    Downloads   License registration guide   TroubleShooting    Tips & Tricks 

1. FEATURE DETAILS

Two unit systems

App assumes that Model drawing object is always drawn with scale 1:1.  

For example:  

• 1000m-long alignment at site is presented by a 1000m-long polyline object in Model space (Model unit is meter)

• 80"-high wall at site  is presented by a 80"-high line object in Model space (Model unit is inch)

App supports 2 unit system:

1. Metric system:  Model unit should be meter, centimeter, millimeter.  Paper unit is mm.

2. Imperial system:  Model unit should be inch, feet, yard. Paper unit is inch.

Remark: 

Imperial unit system is available only if users choose English as interface language

Three ways to draw print area blocks in Model space

When Print area size in Model space are know, a rectangle block is automatically defined.

Each print area, called a Frame, is presented by a block instance with Frame number and Frame Group number.

Frames are inserted into Model space by 3 ways:

1. Manually insert each Frame at desired positions. App will help user auto-numbering Frames

2. Manually copy an existing Frame and paste to new positions. App will help user auto-numbering Frames

3. Auto insert and number Frames along a selected Civil 3D alignment or a Polyline.  Frames overlap is allowed.  Users can also insert Frames from station A to station B

Bonus tools

App provides 2 useful commands:  Copy base similar and  Move base similar:

1. Copy base similar: Copy source object(s) with base point read from base object then paste them to multi places.  Destination points are read from objects similar to base object.

2. Move base similar: Move similar source objects while keeping relation vector with similar base objects unchaged. Relation vector a calculated from selected source-base object pair

2. WORK FLOW

1. Understanding what you want

Before starting App, it's better to spend a small amount of time to answer:

Target Paper size:  which paper size will your document be printed on?

Paper drawing scale: which scale best fit your needs?

2. (Optional) Prepare a Title block

A Title block can be drawn at any scale, by any unit.  

However, it should contains an outer boundary (by lines, polylines...) that exactly describe physical paper edges

3. (Optional) Prepare a Template layout

A typical template layout includes:  

• One viewport: Viewport scale should be suitable with target drawing scale. For example:

Model unit = meter,  Paper unit = millimeter, Target drawing scale = 1/200 then 

Viewport  custom scale = 1/200 :  (1mm /1m) = 5

• One Title block: Title block should be manually scaled so that it's boundary fit paper edge

• Plot settings: Printer, paper, Plot area, Plot style... should be set

• (optional) Other Text, Leader, Legend block... 

If you need to combine 2 or more viewports in a sheet, all viewports must be pre-arranged in one Layout template.  Each Viewport may have a different custom scale.

<Run the App>

4. Define print area in Model space

a. Define print area size (Frame size) by one of two ways:

• by Paper size and Margins or

• by a Template layout

b. (Optional) Match each Frame Group number with a Viewport in Template layout

c. (Optional) Choose an active Frame Group number. Size and scale of the Viewport corresponding to that number will be used to calculate print area size in Model space

d. (Optional) Modify Frame overlap value if you want 2 nearby drawing to overlap each other.  This value only takes effect if Frames are automatically inserted along an alignment

e. Manually insert Frames into Model space:  you need to pick an insertion point, choose a rotation angle for each Frame.  Frames' order number is automatically increased.

f. (Optional)  Provide start station and  end station values to auto insert frame from start to end station of and alignment.

g. (Optional) Change Active Group number and repeat from a. to f.   New Frames of new Group(s) will be created.

5. Create Layout(s), Viewport(s) and Drawing(s)

• 1 Frame 🡆 1 Layout:   Create multi Layouts from Frames.  Each Frame (or Frame set in case using multi-viewport-per-1-layout template) corresponds to a Layout.   Viewport(s) in Layout will be automatically zoomed and rotated to fit corresponding Frame.

• All Frames 🡆 1 Layout:   All Viewports created from Frames of active group are put into one Layout.  If using multi-viewport-per-1-layout template then All Viewports created from paired Frame groups are put into one Layout.

• 1 Frame   🡆 1 Drawing: Create drawings from Model Frames.  Each drawing contains 1 Layout + 1 Viewport.  Model objects inside Frames are copied to new drawing.

Remarks:

a. Newly created layout may also contains:  

• Title block instance

• Any non-Viewport objects exist in Template layout

b. The following objects are not copied to new drawings:

• Objects outside target Frame

• XREFs (External references of attach type or overlay type)

• Proxy entities

• Custom objects of Architecture, Plant 3D, MEP, Advanced Steel (Exception: Civil 3D objects are copied)

3. FAQ

1. How to calculate Viewport scale?

Viewport scale = Print scale  / Unit conversion factor

Where:

• Viewport scale is the numeric value of Viewport custom scale property;

• Print scale (also referred to as plot scale or drawing scale or paper drawing scale) is the ratio between one paper unit and the corresponding number of real-world unit represented by one paper unit;

• Unit conversion factor is the ratio between paper unit and model unit.  Assuming that Model object is always drawn at scale 1 : 1 to real-world object,  Unit conversion factor is also the ratio between paper unit and real-world unit;

Example 1:   In Model space, I draw a bolt in mm.  I want to print to paper at drawing scale = 10 : 1

Print scale = 10.

Unit conversion factor  = 1mm Paper / 1mm Model = 1

Viewport scale = 10/1 = 10

Example 2:   In Model space, I draw a concrete slab in cm.  I want to print to paper at drawing scale = 1/50

Print scale = 1/50.

Unit conversion factor  = 1mm Paper / 1cm Model = 1/10

Viewport scale = 1/50 : 1/10 = 0.2

Example 3:   In Model space, I draw a section view in m.  I want to print to paper at drawing scale = 1/200

Print scale = 1/200.

Unit conversion factor  = 1mm Paper / 1m Model = 1/1000

Viewport scale = 1/200 : 1/1000 = 5

Example 4:   In Model space, I draw a profile in ft.  I want to print to paper at drawing scale 1" = 40'

Print scale 1" = 40' corresponds to  1 : (40 x 12) = 1/480

Unit conversion factor  = 1 inch Paper / 1ft Model = 1/12

Viewport scale = 1/480 : 1/12 = 1/40

Example 5:   In Model space, I draw a profile in yard.  I want to print to paper at drawing scale 1" = 40'

Print scale 1" = 40' corresponds to  1 : (40 x 12) = 1/480

Unit conversion factor  = 1 inch Paper / 1 yard Model = 1/36

Viewport scale = 1/480 : 1/36 = 3/40

Example 6:   In Model space, I draw a table in inch.  I want to print to paper at drawing scale 4" = 1'

Print scale 4" = 1' corresponds to  4 : (1 x 12) = 1/3

Unit conversion factor  = 1 inch Paper / 1 inch Model = 1

Viewport scale = 1/3 : 1 = 1/3

2. How does the App Layout Maker calculate scale values?

Scale values are calculated based on the formula (see question 1 for detailed explanation):

Viewport scale = Print scale  / Unit conversion factor (1)

Case 1: print area is defined by Paper size and margins: 

• Print scale (aka paper drawing scale) is manually set by users;  

• Unit conversion factor is calculated by the ratio between Paper unit (mm for metric drawing, inch for imperial drawing) and Model unit;

• Viewport scale is calculated from formula (1)

For example:  Print scale is 1/5000, paper unit is mm, Model unit is m

  Unit conversion factor = mm /m = 1/1000

Viewport scale = 1/5000  :  1/1000 = 0.2

Case 2: print area is defined by viewports in Template layout: 

• Each Viewport in template layout has a scale value preset by users;

• Unit conversion factor is calculated by the ratio between Paper unit (mm for metric drawing, inch for imperial drawing) and Model unit;

• Print scale for each viewport is calculated from the formula derived from (1):  

Print scale = Viewport scale x Unit conversion factor (2)

For example:  Viewport scale is 5, paper unit is mm, Model unit is cm

  Unit conversion factor = mm /cm = 1/10

Print scale = 5  x  1/10 = 1/2

3. I draw concrete slab in centimeter (1 model unit = 1 cm real-word), the Frame size in model space looks incorrect

Please check Model unit declaration in Advanced settings tab of the App.  Model unit should reflect real-world unit

4. Can I create a layout with different Viewports of different scale values?

Yes.  You should choose the option "by Template layout" to define multi Frame in model space. The step-by-step process is as follows:

Predefine a template layout with multi Viewports.  Viewports' position, viewports' scale value are set in template layout

• Open App, in section 1. Print area size definition, select "by Template layout" and choose a template layout

• In section 2. Numbering, click Group - viewport paring to numbering each viewport.  For each viewport number, insert a Frame group.  Frames of Group 1 will match with Viewport 1, Frames of Group 2 will match with Viewport 2...

• In section 3. Frame insertion on screen, click a button to insert Frames for the Active group number.  When finished, change the Active group number and insert Frames for new group. Repeat until each Viewport has its own Frame group.

5. Can Title block be automatically inserted?

Yes. There are 2 ways to insert Title block instances to result layouts.

Case 1: print area is defined by Paper size and margins: 

Turn on the "Insert Title block" option in Advanced settings tab, choose a predefined block or XREF.

By this way, the title block instance will be automatically scale to fit target physical paper edge.  Be sure to define the title block with a boundary that fit paper size and do not let any object in Title block exceed that boundary.

Case 2: print area is defined by viewports in Template layout: 

The title block instance and other related entities in template layout is exactly copied to result layouts.

6. Can North arrow block be automatically inserted?

Yes. Turn on the "Insert North Arrow" option in Advanced settings tab, choose a predefined block.  Also choose a Frame Group number in case there are many Frame groups in Model space

7. Is duplicate Frame number allowed?

Typically, No.  Frame number is not allowed to be duplicated in a Group.  Frames from different Groups can have the same number.

8. Can I export each layout to a separated drawing?

Yes, but only one Viewport is supported at the moment.  Drawing objects in Model space inside each Frame (of active frame group) will be trimmed and copied to a new drawing.  A layout and a Viewport are also created.

9. What does the term "Frame" means in this App?

Each "Frame" is a block instance that defines a print area in model space. A Frame corresponds to a Viewport. 

One Frame or some Frames from different Frame groups make a Frame set. Each Frame set corresponds to a Viewport set in template layout.

The parameters of a Frame are:  Frame height, Frame width, Frame rotation, Frame Number and Frame Group Number

Those parameters can be edited manually by AutoCAD commands.

10. What does the term "Frame" means in this App?

Each "Frame" is a block instance that defines a print area in model space. A Frame corresponds to a Viewport. 

One Frame or some Frames from different Frame groups make a Frame set. Each Frame set corresponds to a Viewport set in template layout.

The parameters of a Frame are:  Frame height, Frame width, Frame rotation, Frame Number and Frame Group Number

Those parameters can be edited manually by AutoCAD commands.