They hired me at entry level (no experience) to help teach everyone how to use CAD.. The problem is, I'm not very good at it, and my boss bought Auto CAD LT, and I was taught on full CAD.

 

I have a few questions, if you answer any of them I will be most greatful.

 

-I just converted their company title block over to CAD, and I don't know how to import the logo into the block. How do I do that?

 

-All the spacing looks good on the title block, but when I added the text (single line to each seperate cell) none of it lines up properly. I tried to justify it (MC, Center, Middle etc.), but it still doesn't line up. I even went as far as adding a layer called 'Help Lines' so I could prompt my text to go to the intersection that I added in each cell, and then erased it later, but that takes AGES, and not very logical.

 

-I need to make a universal border for all drawings that is 11"x17" (ledger), and scaled 1:1. I want to be able to work on my drawing at 1:1 and have it go straight from the computer to the printer. Basically, I'm trying to help out my co-workers who all use visio, because they don't understand that CAD has different scaling options, and everytime I try to print an 11"x17" border scaled 1:1 from CAD with extents selected.. Part of the border keeps getting cut off.. Any pointers?

 

I feel so helpless.

 

So just clarifying, you have drawn your company logo in AutoCAD and are wanting the logo on the title block of a layout, right?

 

One of the best things you can do is create a template that you can use over and over again with the title block, plot styles, etc. all set up for you as soon as you open your file.  What I would do is select the logo in your model space and physically cut it out of your drawing (ctrl-x).  You will then want to past it (ctrl-v) in your paper space (the layout that you've created your title block on).  Now depending on what your model space format units were set to and your paper size, you might have to scale your logo to fit.

 

In regards to your texts, there might be a better way to do this; but what I've done is create guidelines like you have, though I have made them white (255, 255, 255) so they're not visible.  I then can align the text appropriately with the snap function.

 

As for your paper border, you'll want to set up your plot style and settings and save it for the paper size you need.  Then create your border in your layout accordingly (you will see the extents of the paper in your layout for the paper you have selected in your plot menu).  Now if you want the scale to be 1:1 you'll have to set your viewport to be zoomed in to that scale.

 

Once you have all this set up, you should have a blank model space, and a completely set up layout with all the standards you'll use over and over again.  Go to your save-as command and save it as a .dwt template file.  Then everytime you want to use it, just open that file, and your AutoCAD will be set up how you want it to be.

 

Hope this helps... any other questions, I'll be looking on here more often (hopefully, ha).

 

Eric