Is an automatic scale bar possible on layouts?

[Anonymous]

Hello,

I have been searching past threads for any topics relating to a scale bar that updates according to the scale of the drawing that has been placed on the layout. I have had no luck in finding a working solution.

Does anybody know whether this is indeed possible using the AC_OriginalDrawingScale Variable?

I am able to create an object that displays the scale as a string. Is it possible to convert this into something that can be used in if statements to then create the appropriate scale bar?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,

Jarrod Phillips

[Karl Ottenstein]

David wrote:
What I see for NCS Drawing Title 23: Drawing Settings > Drawing Title > Title Content - Back Referencing and Additional Data > Show Additional Data > select Graphic Scale, which enables pen and font controls.

Thanks for testing, David. I (finally) see what you're saying and how they buried this previously easy-to-see option. Attached screenshot for others. Sadly, they deleted the code that allowed you to set an offset for the scale bar - and the default setting has the numbers above the bar overlapping the title bar line. Not quite sure what the improvement over the old object is the necessitated breaking part of the functionality.

So, I guess we're left with the question (pending at tech support) as to whether we can share this object with our Australian colleague and others looking for a scale bar.

Thanks again, David.

Karl

[David Maudlin]

Karl wrote:
So, I guess we're left with the question (pending at tech support) as to whether we can share this object with our Australian colleague and others looking for a scale bar.

I think Barry has posted a solution where a user downloads a different country's AC version to get that library.

David

[Karl Ottenstein]

Well, I think downloading an entire installation just to extract one object from a library is a little overkill. Certainly an option until permission is granted to share (which seems silly to ask for given that you can download the entire version for another country).

Anyway... back to this NCS title object. Basically, they broke it in 23. I just tested the NCS Drawing Title 22 object from the AC 22 USA library, and it works fine and has all of the parameters. Someone recoded the object for 23 giving it pretty graphical parameter panels and in the process left off some of the parameters.

So, I recommend using the AC 22 version at least for now ... and that anyone looking at this functionality download the AC 22 USA library rather than the 23 one.

[Lingwisyer]

Isn't the sharing restriction for GS objects only for modifications? So GS objects should be shareable as is?

[Laszlo Nagy]

Lingwisyer wrote:
Isn't the sharing restriction for GS objects only for modifications? So GS objects should be shareable as is?

This post collects all the answers and clarifications I received from GRAPHISOFT when this topic came up a few years ago:

https://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=47320&start=20#p286146

[Karl Ottenstein]

Thanks for that reminder, Laszlo. Hard for us old timers to remember changes that feel so new (only 6 years ago! LOL). Attached was the object "NCS Drawing Title 22" which has the option of displaying an automatic scale bar, so our friends down under can see how it was done. (I deleted it as it was missing a required macro...see next post with the LCF file that has the title object AND the macro.) This object was developed for Graphisoft North America and has the following Creative Commons license linked from the Info tab:

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0/

(My concern about sharing - before I read your posts and saw the license info inside the object - was that development of this object was paid for GS North America rather than GS HQ. Given the license, that doesn't seem to matter.)

[Karl Ottenstein]

Apologies: the GSM alone won't work without the associated macro to display the scale bar. At GSNA tech's suggestion, I've uploaded this to BIMComponents... awaiting acceptance at the moment. But, here is an LCF that includes the title object AND the scale bar macro. It will display the scale for Metric as well as Imperial.

Karl

[Anonymous]

Lingwisyer wrote:
If you go for a scale bar that scales with a view, you just convert glob_scale into the relevant factors.

In regards to using a drawing title, you should probably use ac_drawingScale over ac_originalDrawingScale as this will prevent miss labelling if someone decides to magnify a view for whatever reason.

Ling.

This works, but the fill type is not showing a solid black. How do I change this or what is the files password?

[Marc H]

For my part, I use drawing titles with the stated scale. It’s mostly for show as most everyone now uses digital copy (e.g., scaled PDFs, BIMx, IFC & RVT files, etc), so the days of putting bamboo (oh, now plastic) to paper are, alas, a diminishing practice. (Remember making sure to flip to the correct side/edge?)

As a nod to hard copy scale integrity, however, with the drawing title scale, I’ve adopted Eric Bobrow’s AMT use of a simple 1” bar and a statement indicating a printed copy has been enlarged or reduced if it does not equal this measure. This is placed within my master layouts.

Even with that, the Contractors are going digital in the field and there are apps to recognize the scale of hard copy, so even this seems the extra mile.

[Anonymous]

@Marc H, good point! Most councils will know how to use Adobe measure tool or have a ruler with the common scales on it.

What do you mean 'Eric Bobrow’s AMT use of a simple 1”' is this just disclaimer text you add to your title block?