Visio 2010 doesn't scale properly

[zyrion_2012]

Hello, I have a very frustrating issue about Visio 2010.  I recently convinced our team to upgrade visio 2003 to 2010.  Unfortunately, two weeks later people started to have problem with the drawing scale function.  I spent hours trying to find the solution but came up empty handed.  Let me just explain how we scale our floor plans.  This might not be the easiest way but it always worked.

1. Start up with a black page
2. Insert the floor plan (jpg or pdf) into the page
3. Center the floor plan and print a copy
4. Measure the length of the drawing with a ruler.  (for example, the convention hall length is 130ft long and the ruler measurement is 7.85 in.)
5. Then I insert a new foreground page and use the previous page as my background
6. Pull up "Page Setup" and enter drawing scale "7.85 in. = 130 ft."

Usually after that the foreground page would be scaled and if I measure the foreground floor plan length, it should say "130ft."  However in Visio 2010, after I finish step 6 and tried to measure the hall length, it came up really far from the desired measurement.  I don't know why it doesn't want to scale the floor plan as I indicated in the drawing scale.

Does anybody know how to fix this?  Thank you in advance for your help!

[wapperdude]

Hmmm.  Works for me on both V2007 and V2010.

Perhaps the error is in your printed page not being true to scale.  Try the following.  On your background page draw a line exactly 7.85 inches long.  Then switch to your scaled, foreground page.  Draw a new line that directly, and exactly overlays your background line.  The new line ought to say 130 ft.

Well, I guess you could have just compared the 7.85" line your floorplan and see if the dimensions of your floor plan are really 7.85 inches.

HTH
Wapperdude

[zyrion_2012]

It's very strange.  We went back to visio 2003 and the floor plan scaled properly.  I'm pretty sure there's something wrong with the visio 2010 template we are using, but I just can't quite figure it out.  Do you think it's something to do with the "background" drawing scale?  The first page I created, I didn't have to scale it, so I pre-set the drawing scale to be "Architectural".  Do you think I should set the drawing scale to be "No Scale"?

[wapperdude]

Still missing a bit of info... did you try the test that I suggested?

So, what I did in both versions of Visio.  Did a default launch of Visio, created a background page, drew a 9" line, created a foregnd page that referenced the background page.  Opened page setup for the foregnd page, went to page scaling, selected custom scale, set it for 9 in = 270 ft.  Closed the page setup.  Turned on the size and position window.  Drew a new line on the foregnd page that traced over the backgnd line.  Size and position window said the new line is 270 feet long. 

That tells me the scaling process is working correctly in both versions of Visio, each on a different computer.  The suggested test is a "control" and should confirm that you're not having a scaling problem.  Then it comes down to issues such involving printers, printer drivers, etc.

Sounds like you have both versions running.  A second control would be to check the printing process  from both versions: just open a normal foregnd page, default conditions.  Draw a 7" square in both versions, and print.  The hard copies should be identical...assuming that you use the same printer for each.

If not, then, check the page setup setting in both versions and see that they agree.  Verify that both versions are using the same print driver.  The V2010 may be using a newer version.

Wapperdude

[wapperdude]

Sorry, since I'm not a regular V2010 user, I forgot about this "feature".  I believe it is under the Design tab on the ribbon.  V2010 has a option, that typically defaults "on", to allow automatic page sizing.  So, if you're drawing along and dropping shapes on to the page that exceed the existing page size, V10 will automatically increase the page size!  I believe this is true for inserting drawings.  This feature may be disabled by clicking it once on the ribbon.  This may account for a significant sizing error.

Something to check.
Wapperdude