Changing the Scale
Sometimes, it's all a matter of scale...
The Scale Controls
The Scale controls allow you to change the scale without altering the currently selected measurement units.
The Scale slider changes the drawing's scale and zooms at the same time. When you change the scale, the objects in your drawing shrink or expand, relative to the center of your drawing. The Scale slider is precise in the sense that, when your document is printed, you can rely on the scale being exactly as reported. For example, if the scale says 6" = 1" printed, then an object which says it is 6" wide will measure precisely 1" wide when you lay a ruler next to it.
Unless you uncheck Exact.
The Exact checkbox, when checked (the default) ensures that the drawing scale is exact. Unchecking Exact allows you to zoom in and out arbitrarily; however, the scale isn't guaranteed to produce exact results.
The guideline: If the number of available choices for exact scale settings isn't large enough, uncheck Exact. When you need precision, leave Exact checked.
The current scale of your drawing displays in the bottom of your drawing view, if the Print Margin is visible.
Scaling and Zooming are linked. I don't like it.
That's a good point. It is possible to add a separate Zoom function that would enlarge and shrink the print margin as you zoom in and out, respectively. The problem is this: User interfaces become complex and intimidating when you have many ways to do one particular thing and then have many other ways to do another particular thing, and so on. After a while, you need a degree in Logic and a huge user manual and years of training in order to achieve comfort and proficiency. Sounds familiar? Sounds attractive?
Try this:
- Draw an object.
- Turn on the coarse and precision grid (if they aren't already displayed).
- Slide the scale slider back and forth; then set it to 1' = 1".
- Draw an object and adjust it so it is 2' wide.
- Print your drawing
- Measure the width of your object in the printout. It should measure exactly 2" wide.
Other things to know
- As the scale increases, grid lines get closer together.
- Design Intuitionwill draw fewer grid lines when they get too close, without warning you.
