how to import dimension styles and viewport scales into autocad

[kizaerf]

We have set dimension styles and viewport scales in the office for standards, but some drawings don't have all of them loaded, same thing with the plot scales. What kind of file is it (dwt, lsp?) and how do I import it so they all are options to pick for all drawings so I don't have to make them manually?

[tzframpton]

You can create a Template to have them pre-loaded, use Design Center to drag/drop them in, or use Blocks to contain items with the Styles applied and drop them in via INSERT command or Tool Palettes.

 

Those are probably the most common ways to quickly add items like this, without writing custom scripts or LISP routines.

[Dadgad]

As Tannar suggested, use an .dwt (template file), in which you have all the dim styles text styles, table styles, layers and just about anything

else you would like to see used in your daily routine.

Create a drawing with all those included, then give it an appropriate name, SAVE and select .dwt from the file type dropdown list in the SAVE dialog box.

Once you have that, you can specify that template to be your default QNEW template (for whenever you use the NEW drawing button).

To do that open OPTIONS, > FILES > Template Settings > QNEW default. Then BROWSE to the file and select and save it as your default.

Thereafter, every time you or anyone else who is on your team and meant to be using your standards, will hit the ground running every time

you use the QNEW button to start a new drawing.

[Dana W]

We have set dimension styles and viewport scales in the office for standards, but some drawings don't have all of them loaded, same thing with the plot scales. What kind of file is it (dwt, lsp?) and how do I import it so they all are options to pick for all drawings so I don't have to make them manually?

The drawings that have missing dim styles and scales were probably purged when they were finished to make the file size smaller. This is actually a very good practice.

 

If you just want to add a couple of these items for modifying an existing drawing, you can copy them into the drawing through the design center by using it to navigate to a drawing where the desired item does exist, and simply copy it. I would think it to be completely unnecessary to add these items back into an existing drawing unless they need to be used.

 

I take it the office standards don't include pre-loaded template (dwt) files? If you do have a template policy in place, you may find the missing items you need in the templates (dwt files).

 

It is a risky and wasteful process to use existing drawings for templates to start another drawing. AutoCad doesn't forget some of the erased items simply because they are not on the screen any more.

 

What you can do to rectify that situation, is to open a new blank drawing using one of AutoCad's default templates, then using the design center, navigate to a drawing(s) where you know the items do exist, then drag and drop or copy the desired items into the blank drawing. These items can include anything that the design center will offer up as copyable contents of the donor drawing. Copy in everything you could possibly need to start off a brand new drawing with, and also build whatever else might be needed, like custom title blocks and such.

 

Then name the blank drawing My Template (or whatever desired) and save it as a dwt file. You can copy line types, text styles, dim styles, blocks, etc. etc. this way.

 

I am not sure that viewport scales are available to copy through the design center, but no matter, the template will start off with the default list anyway. That should be good enough.

 

Save the dwt file in a special READ ONLY folder (except for admin) and make it part of the Mandatory office standards to use the template (saved as New Drawing.dwg for EVERY new drawing under penalty of keel hauling, worse yet under penalty of termination from employment or from the face of the Earth, whichever you deem most fitting.

[Dana W]

Well, looks like we 'bout covered that one, huh.:lol: There was only Tanner's response when I started typing mine... then the phone rang...

[Dadgad]

Well, looks like we 'bout covered that one, huh.:lol: There was only Tanner's response when I started typing mine... then the phone rang...

 

Dana, been there done that, just yesterday in fact in another thread.

The one thing that neither of us mentioned in so many words, which is a given,

unless of course somebody isn't really paying attention?

Please make sure that the template you create has been created on a template, based on the appropriate Units base.

Meaning Metric or Imperial, as this will determine the Hatch, Linetypes & default scale lists in your template.

Metric template names tend to end in ISO, and just about anything else will be Imperial unit based.

If you run the MEASUREMENT command when you have a drawing open, you will either get a commandline response of or .

O is correct for an Imperial based drawing, and 1 is appropriate for Metric.

Likely, if the response is not the one you expect, then your hatch, linetypes and default scale list will also be incorrect.

[Dana W]

Dana, been there done that, just yesterday in fact in another thread.

The one thing that neither of us mentioned in so many words, which is a given,

unless of course somebody isn't really paying attention?

Please make sure that the template you create has been created on a template, based on the appropriate Units base.

Meaning Metric or Imperial, as this will determine the Hatch, Linetypes & default scale lists in your template.

Metric template names tend to end in ISO, and just about anything else will be Imperial unit based.

If you run the MEASUREMENT command when you have a drawing open, you will either get a commandline response of or .

O is correct for an Imperial based drawing, and 1 is appropriate for Metric.

Likely, if the response is not the one you expect, then your hatch, linetypes and default scale list will also be incorrect.

 

Dude, thought of that but I was trying to leave the OP some dignity. I am also trying to eschew my reputation for giving instructuons on how to build a grandfather clock when asked what time it is.

[Dadgad]

Dude, thought of that but I was trying to leave the OP some dignity. I am also trying to eschew my reputation for giving instructuons on how to build a grandfather clock when asked what time it is.

 

Old dogs, new tricks, eh?

Dignity comes with knowing what you should do, doing it, and knowing that you did it.