[mrbaseball]

I have this autocad 2000 file that I converted over from illustrator. I cannot figure out how to change the dimensions of the file so that I can print out this cnc gantry side to trace and cut on the MDF. I've attached the dxf file and the jpeg of what the dimensions are suppose to be. I tried changing the dimension, but it makes the drawing really small.

Any help would be appreciated

[ger21]

You use the scale command. Unfortunately, your drawing is not to scale. When I scale it to be 16" high, the bottom is bigger than 10". This is what I'm attaching.

One way to make it the sizes you need is to make it a block. When you reinsert the block, you can scale each axis independantly.

After rereading your post again, I'm guessing you don't have AutoCAD, right? What are you using to print it? Can you scale it in that?

[mrbaseball]

I do have autocad 2006 trial, but I don't know enough yet to be worthwhile I have been poking around with it a bit here and there. I have been following some tutorials but none have been helpful yet for what I would like to accomplish.

I wasn't able to draw waht I wanted in Autocad so I did it in Illustrator since I know how to use that

[Unabiker]

You may want to play around in Acad a bit more.
Use the "Help" feature and study up on lines, arcs, and circles. Then look up the move, rotate, and scale commands. Also, look at the trim, extend and fillet commands.
It will also be very helpful to investigate "snap points" and the ortho features.
AutoCad is a very "left brain" program, driven by numbers and logic, while Illustrator is a very "right brain" program, driven more by what looks good. What is logical in one program won't necessarily follow the same logic in the other.

[Rance]

MrBaseball,

Sometimes the best tool for the job is not what is used. FWIW, since you plan to trace it out (by hand I assume), I believe you might be better off just drawing it with a pencil on 1/16" cardboard and going from there. You've gotten it far enough to know your dimensions. You're tracing it so you're only going to be as accurate as your eyeball anyway. The cardboard can get you pretty consistent mirror images to both sides. If you want something stiffer than cardboard, then maybe use Luan (sp?) for your pattern. You can get fairly large pieces of this for free at construction sites. I get mine free at a local carpet store. (Gerry knows my favorite word is Free. )

If you 1) planned on cutting this out using your other CNC machine or 2) wanted to post it on the forum for discussion (like you did), or 3) wanted to build it in cad to make sure alignments were correct, then I'd say pursue your approach of building it in cad. Just a thought.

Rance

[research]

I just opened it in AutoCAD. It is obvioulsy drawn by hand and not to true arcs and so forth. The easiest way for you would be to draw it on posterboard/cardboard as Rance said, since you are cutting it by hand. If you were machining tha part, then an accurate AutoCAD drawing would be the answer.

It would be more accurate in AutoCAD to just start fresh with all the correct measurments than to try to scale and stretch things to fit. It can be done, but with that simple of a drawing I wouldn't go through all the work.

Just my .02 guys.

EDIT: I do not have enough info in the jpg to draw it accurately in CAD. Perhaps somone else sees what I don't.

[soundman]

If you only need to print it out - why not print it from illustrator?....you can also tile the print from illustrator as well if you need to.