Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
If you open the Type drop-down list in the Angle area, you'll see a choice, among
others, between Decimal Degrees and Deg/Min/Sec. Like so many settings in
AutoCAD, the correct setting here is often dictated by the type of drawings you're
preparing. Decimal angular units are the most popular choice for individuals work-
ing in architecture (or its related disciplines). On the other hand, Deg/Min/Sec and
Surveyor's units are each popular in civil engineering disciplines.
Because our project is a cabin (architectural), we'll use the default Decimal
Degrees throughout this topic; however, the default precision setting is to the
nearest degree. This may not be accurate enough, so you should change it to the
nearest hundredth of a degree:
1.
Click the arrow in the Precision drop-down list in the Angle area.
NOTE
When using Metric units, 1 unit = 1 millimeter.
2.
Select 0.00 as the precision value for angles. The Drawing Units
dialog box will now indicate that, in your drawing, you plan to use
Architectural length units with a precision of
1
⁄
16
″
(Decimal with a
precision of 0 if using metric) and Decimal angular units with a pre-
cision of 0.00º (see Figure 3.4). This doesn't restrict the precision at
which you draw, just the values that AutoCAD reports.
3.
Change the Insertion Scale to Inches (Millimeters for metric). This
often overlooked setting allows AutoCAD to automatically scale draw-
ings to the proper size when inserted or referenced into other drawings.
This behavior is common as the architect has to collaborate with
the civil engineer on a project. Architectural drawings are generally
set up such that 1 unit is equal to 1 inch, whereas civil engineering
drawings are set up such that 1 unit is equal to 1 foot. As these two
collaborate, their drawings must be scaled up by 12
×
or down by
1
⁄
12
,
depending on whose drawing is being inserted. AutoCAD can auto-
matically do this conversion for you, provided the Insertion Scale for
your architectural drawings is set to Inches, and the civil engineer-
ing drawings to Feet.
Clicking the Direction button at the bottom of the Drawing Units
dialog box opens the Direction Control dialog box, which has settings
to control the direction of 0°. By default, 0° is to the right (east), and
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