Hey All Hope everyone is doin fine....I need a image (preferably a vector file) of a yardstick or if someone has done this before i can follow there steps and create my own. have to make vinyl decals for a customer for machinery or something. Gettin the scale right with the lines and all is what is kinda throwin me..on a 16/th scale is what he wants.....thank ya kindly for any help!!! Curtis
Posted by Bob Burns (Member # 268) on :
Let's assume yer serious! Why dont you scan one end of a yardstick and vectorize it!?
Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :
Just draw a yardstick in full scale then scale it down by 6.25%
Posted by tsquirter (Member # 579) on :
Thank you Mike very much.
Posted by Don Hulsey (Member # 128) on :
I think you should verify what the customer wants before doing this. Does he want 1/16th scale(6.25%), or does he want full scale with 1/16th graduations? These are two totally different animals, but a lot of people refer to graduations as scale. If he wants these to put on machines, I would think he actually wants 1/16th graduations. This would be fairly simple. Draw the first 15/16, then duplicate it every inch, 35 times, and add the final mark, plus numbers.
BTW... I would suggest printing these on clear as the graduation marks need to be less than 1/64th thick. This would be very tough to weed, and kinda tough to install without problems.
[ February 08, 2003, 07:19 AM: Message edited by: Don Hulsey ]
Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :
They could be measuring paper drawings that are 1/16" = 1" scale. Or they could be using machines like a panagraph that multiply the spindle movement by a certain factor of what the pen stylus moves and a 1/16" scale could be a useful reference.
Either way, you'll get the measurements you need by scaling 6.25%
Draw a full scale yardstick and scale it, you get a scale.
Draw a full scale "yardstick" marked only at each full inch, then scale it 6.25% and you get your ruler with 1/16" spacing.
Posted by Doug Allan (Member # 2247) on :
Mikes got the plan for the yardstick at 16th scale, but if its the yardstick with 16th inch increments you need, I'd go more along the lines of Don's suggestion of starting with 15/16, but I'd go with all 16. I'd set the first & last to have a number included, then repeat these "inch" segments overlapping the first of the copy, with the last of the original for registration. After several copies, you could eliminate one of the overlapped lines every inch, & correct the "number" you've included marking each inch. Maybe get 6 in a row done that way, then group & repeat in groups of 6, or any other timesaving combinations.
quote: Draw a full scale "yardstick" marked only at each full inch, then scale it 6.25% and you get your ruler with 1/16" spacing.
I do like Mikes idea here because setting up your increments at a larger scale should make accuracy easier. You could even work at the top of the drawing area in a program with rulers showing & easily get your increments started, I'd just stop this step at 16 instead of 36.
Funny how many things we all do that are 10 times faster to do, then to explain.
Posted by Bill Cosharek (Member # 1274) on :
When I read this last night, I thought it was a joke. And after reading the conversation between Mike & Curtis, I was sure it had to be a joke.
But after reading todays' responses, it made a little more sense.
If I understand this correctly (maybe I don't), you need to provide your customer with a yardstick made of vinyl instead of wood or metal, so he can attach it to some kind of machinery. I can see where this might be useful. And it must be precise down to the 1/16ths. If that's the case, be very careful not to stretch it during application.
What I don't understand is how reducing 36" by 6.25% still = 36"; if, in fact, he needs the full 36"?
Posted by Chris Elliott (Member # 1262) on :
Another solution would be to use one of the adhesive-backed bench tapes available.
At the price, it may be a fast, easy answer.
Posted by VICTORGEORGIOU (Member # 474) on :
Curtis, I got a hunch Chris is on target with store bought tapes, but if you still want to make your own, you can set your grid size to .0625 and do snap to grid to get the spacing right for the first inch, then you just copy and paste from there as described by others, then go back and add text. Vic G
Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :
quote:Originally posted by Bill Cosharek: What I don't understand is how reducing 36" by 6.25% still = 36"; if, in fact, he needs the full 36"?
That's a good point... a yardstick drawn at 1/16th scale is only 2.25" long, how useful is that?
Hmm I'm bettin they just wanted 1/16" increments, in which case I like Chris's idea cause then there's no worry about stretching vinyl if they need an accurate scale.
Posted by Don Hulsey (Member # 128) on :
Still check to be sure what the customer wants. If he in fact wants a full scale yardstick in 1/16th increments, and the metal is not a problem, buy the 48" model Chris listed, and cut a foot off of it, and sell it to him. Be sure the metal is not a problem. He may know about these, but wants vinyl for a reason.
Mike,
My only problem with drawing 1" marks and reducing to make 1/16 is all graduation marks would be the same length. These are made in varying lengths on rulers, or yardsticks to make them easier to read at a glance.
Posted by Wayne Webb (Member # 1124) on :
Does your CAS software have a "step repeat" function? Set up your first inch by drawing a narrow rectangle to represent the first increment mark. If you are wanting 16ths, I would enter .0625 in the x coordinate of the "step" and set it for "distance from origin" then set it for 15 "repeats". You now have your first inch minus the last 16th. Now size the height of your 8ths. 4ths halfs. Now that you have built the first inch, repeat that first inch to as many inches as you want by setting the step to "distance from bounding box" and .0625'' minus whatever the with of your original rectangle is. Now add your numbers. Let the computer do it for you. Step/repeat is the key.
You would do a meterstick the same way and it would be even easier.
After you have built the thing, them shrink or expand it to whatever size you want. I wouldn't try cutting it on a plotter though.
[ February 09, 2003, 05:30 PM: Message edited by: Wayne Webb ]
Posted by Stephen Bolin (Member # 2234) on :
Inspire software has the exact thing you need to make any kind of ruler with different size tic marks, any size graduations, etc. It is not an easy thing to set up if you don't use it everyday (and who would?).
But cutting this out and weeding it? You've got to be kidding. Print it on a Gerber Edge. Better yet, buy the premade tapes, like has been mentioned.
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