Method to scale an image to a TurboCAD drawing.

1. Save the image of the house plan in a known folder. The image can be either in JPEG or PNG format.
2. Open TurboCAD using a template that you created or the Normal Metric template supplied by TurboCAD.
3. In the opened drawing add another layer called ‘Image’ with its particular distinctive colour (Dark grey in this case). Make sure that this layer is the active layer.

To insert the image into the TurboCAD Model space and to scale the image the following steps must be followed.

Steps:

1. In TurboCAD – Select, Insert > Picture > From File.

2. Change to the folder where the image was stored.

3. If you cannot see the image change the ‘Files of Type to ‘All’.

4. Select the image in the folder and click on Open to insert the drawing in TurboCAD.

5. Select the image and ensure that the whole drawing and dimensions are selected

6. Zoom in on the section you want to dimension. Change the dimension text size to 20. Select the orthogonal dimension option and insert one known dimension. Be as accurate as possible when doing this.

7. Take the original dimension 6700 (6,7m) and divide this by 181.77.
The answer should be 36.8597678. Round this figure down to 8597.

8. Select the image and right click to access the local menu of the image.
It is important to select the ‘Keep aspect Ratio’.

9. Enter the number 36.8597 in Scale X box (the same number will appear in the Scale Y box in the inspector bar) and press Enter. Your original dimension will now disappear.

10. Select Zoom Extends

11. Change the dimension text size to 120 and re-dimensioning the same side again, it should be very close to the original 6700. If not change the dimension to 6700 in the Size X box.

12. To check the accuracy of the dimensions, dimension another given dimension and compare with the distance on the image.

13. The Image has now been scaled to indicate scale 1:1 when dimensioning the house plan.

14. The lines drawn in this manner can be converted to polylines and converted to walls or the wall tool could also be used to accomplish the task of drawing the walls.

15. Doors, windows and other utilities can now also be placed in the drawing.

If you​​ find that certain keyboard keys stopped working, you can set your Workspace to Default by following these steps:

(Please note: This will set any assigned keys as well as toolbars to default.)

1. Click on drop down menu “View” > “Toolbars”.

2. Click on “Options” in the Customise window that opens, then click on “Default”.

Model Space to Paper Space

Model space is the space you use to create your drawing on. Paper space is the space​​ where you scale your drawing​​ for printing. Always draw full scale​​ (1:1)​​ on the model space then scale the drawing in paper space.

After a drawing has been created in the model space you first have to create a viewport of the drawing​​ to insert into​​ paper space.

Use the following steps to create a view of a drawing created in model space:

1. Click on drop-down menu “View” and then click on “Named​​ Views”​​ and select “Create View” from the fly-out.

2. Now cover the entire view required in the selection rectangle by clicking once with​​ the mouse button​​ to start the rectangle, and then clicking again to finish the rectangle.

3. The create named view window will pop up, insert a name for the view in the “View Name” field and press O.K.

You can create as many views as you want from the model space to add on to the paper space.

4. Go to the paper space by clicking on the paper space tag at the bottom left of your screen.​​

The blank paper that is shown is the area you will print from (Paper space).​​ 

5. To insert a viewport on to your paper space click​​ on drop-down menu “View” and click on​​ “Viewport”​​ and select “Viewport’ on the fly-out.

6. Now drag, with your mouse cursor while holding down the mouse button, from top left to bottom right the approximate size you want the viewport to ocupy. The named view window will pop up. Click on the desired viewport then on “Go to” and then on “Close”. Your selected view will apear in the space selected for the viewport.

7. To scale your viewport, select the viewport by using the select tool and clicking on the border of the viewport. Now right click and select “Properties”. The properties window will pop up. Select the viewport option on the left, and then in the viewport properties window tick the “Fixed” box and set the preferred scale ratio for example 1:2. Make sure you set the fixed scale ratio to a size that will fit on your paper.​​

8. The viewport can also be resized by draging the selector rectangle.

9. To hide the border around the viewport for printing, click on the border using your select tool. Then right click and select “Properties” and click on to the viewport option on the left hand side. In the viewport properties window uncheck the box next to “Visible Box”.

10. To print the viewport click on drop-down menu “File” and then on “Print preview”. Click on the “Page setup” option at the top of the window. In the page setup window check that the paper space printing scale

is set to 1:1 Full scale, press O.K and then press Print.

In the newer versions of TurboCAD Professional you have the function to switch to a 2D AutoCAD work alike mode.

We often find that our experienced TurboCAD users have trouble​​ when this is switched on​​ when upgrading. Not to worry, switching to and from this mode is a simple setting. The below instructions will explain​​ how to switch the AutoCAD work alike​​ mode off.

1. Open any drawing or template in TurboCAD.

2. Click on drop down menu “View” > “Toolbars”.

3. Click on the “Options” at the top left of the “Customise” window that opens.

4. Change the “Default style” by clicking on the drop down arrow next to “LTE workspace” under “Workspace”.

5. Click on “Default workspace” to change the style to the normal TurboCAD mode.

To switch on the AutoCAD work alike mode, select LTE workspace in step 4.

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