Lesson 16 | Changing an Object's Size
This lesson describes how to increase or decrease the size of objects in the drawing using the Scale command.
When you create drawings, it is often quicker to modify existing geometry then to create new geometry from scratch. With the Scale command, you can resize geometry to meet the current design requirements.
Objectives
After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
- Use the Scale command or grips to scale objects in the drawing.
Scaling Objects
You use the Scale command when you need to change the size of existing geometry in the drawing. The Scale command can scale an entire drawing or just the objects that you select. After you select the geometry to be scaled, you have the option of scaling a copy of the selected geometry. If you choose this option, the original geometry remains unchanged while a copy of the geometry is scaled by the factor you specify. You can also control a scaling operation using grips.
Command Access
Command Options
With the Scale command, you can scale geometry using the following options.
| Options | Description |
| Base Point | Use this option to define the point from which the selected geometry is scaled. If the base point is not coincident with the selected geometry, the distance between the base point and the geometry is scaled. |
| Copy | Use this option to scale a copy of the selected geometry. The original geometry is not scaled. |
| Reference | Use this option to specify a reference length, either by entering a value, or selecting two points. After you specify the reference length, enter a new length for the reference length. The scale factor is calculated as Reference Length = New Length. |
Procedure: Scaling Objects
The following steps give an overview of scaling objects using the Scale command.
- On the ribbon, click Home tab > Modify panel > Scale.
- Select the objects to be scaled. Press ENTER to end the object selection.
- Select a base point.
- Enter a scale factor. Press ENTER.
Procedure: Scaling Objects Using Grips
The following steps give an overview of using grips to scale objects.
- Select an object to activate its grips.
- Click a grip to activate grip edit mode. By default, this point will also be used as the base point for the scale.
- Right-click anywhere in the drawing. Click Scale.
- Specify a scale factor.
Guidelines for Scaling Objects
- A value less than 1 decreases the size of the geometry. A value greater than 1 increases the size of the geometry. For example, entering a scale factor of .5 halves the size of the selected objects.
- The most recent scale factor used persists for the current editing session.
- To scale using the Reference option, use object snap to click two points on the object to define the reference scale. This is often quicker and more accurate than finding the distance and calculating a scale factor.
- When you use the Reference option, the two points that define the reference distance are independent from the scale base point.