Scaling a Project

The scale and units used for a L3DD project are set or reset using the Scale Dialog Box, which is displayed via the Scale Command in the Settings Menu. The critical information is the number of 3D units from the origin to the ends of the axes. The default value this is 150. You should also enter a description of the units used; ‘inches’, ‘millimeters’, etc.

Choose units that will allow you to enter a maximum value somewhere between 1.5 and 15,000. Values outside this range may work, but with no guarantees. Of course, if you enter a value of 15,000, any object in the ‘.LIG’ files supplied with the program will appear as a minute dots at the origin. You can then left-click on the origin and use the Resize Command to make your object a reasonable size again. The field for the unit description is not critical, but is used show the scale in printed plans

From Version 3.44 on there is now an AutoScale Command that automatically rescales a project to suit the current object. For most purposes the values set by this command are appropriate. If necessary, you can fine-tune these values with the Scale Command.

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You should choose a scale that allows you to fit your project comfortably within the displayed axes. Most items of furniture, for example, will fit within axes set to 1500 millimetres. Nothing is set in concrete, though, as both the scale of the project and its size can be changed at any stage during the design process. If an object extends beyond the ends of the axes, you will probably get away with it. ‘Clipping’ of the scene by the boundaries of the viewing volume (pedantically known the ‘frustum’) will eventually occur if the object gets too big. This is not fatal. You can sometimes see clipping occurring at extreme viewing distances --- both near and far. However, if the object is much bigger than the axes you will not be able to see the whole object at one time in orthographic projection mode.