Back in AutoCAD version 2.18, Autodesk placed a sample drawing with AutoCAD named the Solar.DWG to demonstrate the precision of AutoCAD back in the early eighties. AutoCAD was based used 64bit floating point precision and the most accurate back then. With this Solar DWG you can see our solar system in 1:1 scale in kilometer units.
This would not be a good DWG to plot/print 1:1 full scale.
You can zoom all the way in on the Apollo Lunar Lander on the surface of the moon and read a plaque placed on it. You will notice the planets are from the eighties back before poor little Pluto removed as an official plane and now just another member of the Kuiper belt. A NASA team is working to get Pluto once again classified as a planet. Go Pluto, I'm rooting for you being a planet again.
Below are the steps to zooming in on the Lunar Lander and giving your fingers and mouse a workout. You could also take the easy route and use the saved views in the DWG.
When you open the DWG file in AutoCAD, you will see the Solar System. I have marked the area you should zoom to if you want to find the Lunar Lander which is on the Moon’s surface orbiting the Earth.
Once you zoom into the area shown in the prior image you will see both the Earth’s Moon and Earth. You will want to zoom in on the Moon.
Once you have the Moon located, zoom in further and you will see a crater and to the upper right the Lunar Lander we are searching for.
The plaque is located on the lower leg of the Lunar Lander.
And the text on the plaque on the leg of the lunar lander reads
I created a Sheet Layout with four views showing the main points of interest.
The DWG file for AutoCAD SOLAR from ACAD2-18-updated
Past articles on AutoCAD precision as well as a nice modern 3D Earth model in DWG format.
- More from the AutoCAD Accuracy Universe and the Floating Point Posted on 07 January 2004
If you took the long route to the Lunar Lander by zooming, give your fingers and mouse wheel a rest.
Cheers,
Shaan
