Defining scaling patterns for dimension text

You can define scaling patterns for dimension text:

• While editing the properties of the drawing. This takes place in the Drawing Properties dialog box.

To access this dialog box, in a 1up or layout drawing, right-click a drawing's tab, and then click Properties.

• When you are exporting drawings (in the PDF, DXF, DWG, EPS, AI and EMF file formats). This takes place in the Export dialog box.

To access this dialog box, on the File menu, click Export, click To File, and then, in Files of type, select a dimension-scalable file format: DXF, EPS, PDF or AI.

See below how to define scaling patterns. NOTE: The procedure described uses the Drawing Properties dialog box; the procedure that uses the Export dialog box is identical.

To define a scaling factor

1. In Scale dimension to, click and then click Edit scaling options.

The Edit Scaling Options dialog box appears.

2. Consider the type of scaling that you want to apply — scaling ratio or target size. The two approaches are covered separately in the two sections below.

Creating a target ratio scaling pattern

3. In the Scales area click Add.

A row appears in the list.

4. In the Original size and Exported size columns, adjust the respective values for the scaling rule.
5. (Optional) In the Name column, type a name for the scaling rule. TIP: You can type any name that has meaning for you. If no specific name is given for the scaling rule, a name is auto-generated from the values typed in Original Size and Exported Size.
6. (Optional) To create more scaling patterns, repeat Steps 3–5.

Creating a target size scaling pattern

3. In the Target Sizes area click Add.

A row appears in the list.

4. In the Width and Height columns, type width and height values of the printing media — for example the A4 sizes (297 mm x 210 mm).
5. (Optional) In the Name column, type a name for the rule. TIP: You can type any name that has meaning for you. If no specific name is given for the rule, a name is auto-generated from the values typed in Original Size and Exported Size.
6. (Optional) To create more scaling patterns, repeat Steps 3–5.

After you have defined scaling patterns, the Edit Scaling Options dialog box should look like this:

The scaling patterns are independent of one another — once defined here, they will appear in the drop-down lists in Scale dimensions to in the Drawing Properties dialog box and in Scale to in the Export dialog box.

7. To start using the scaling patterns you have created, click OK.
8. See examples of how you can use scaling patterns for dimension text in drawings and exported files.