Drawing to Scale

How Scale Works

Scale is the ratio between dimensions on paper and real-world dimensions. For example, a 1:50 scale means 1 cm on paper represents 50 cm in reality -- so the full width of A4 paper (27.7 cm) represents 13.85 m in the real world.

on paper1 : 50real object
draw to scale

Setting the Scale

  1. Right-click on the drawing.
  2. Select Page Settings.
  3. Choose Page Scale.
  4. Pick one of the predefined scale values.
  5. The program will show you the paper size in actual units.
Drawing to scale

Choose a scale that fits your entire drawing on the page. ⚠️ Avoid changing the scale after you've started drawing.

Once you've set a scale, you can:

  1. Enter real-world units in the Properties panel.
  2. Display the drawing scale in the title block.
  3. See actual units on the ruler.

Entering Real-World Dimensions

In the Properties panel, enter dimensions as number unit. Supported units: mm, cm, m, and km. For example: 6 mm, 12.5 cm, 5.11 m.

Drawing scale in the title block

Showing Scale in the Title Block

To display the scale in your title block, use the system variable {_sc}. The built-in title block standard8.ptb already includes it.

Assigning a Title Block

  1. Press F12.
  2. Go to Document - Title Block.
  3. Click Change and select a title block.

Ruler with Real Units

The ruler with a scale

The ruler displays the current scale and shows dimensions in real-world units.

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