When you scale your view in the plotted drawing or paper space, you can use the standard scale list from AutoCAD in the property manager of the viewport instead of using the old method XP factor…. But if you cannot find the scale, do not worry. You can always add or modify the list of scales in the dialogue box. It is really simple: From your AutoCAD command type SCALELISTEDIT. Select the scale from the list to modify. If you need to add more select the “ADD” button. When the add scale dialogue pops up, name your new scale and change the “Drawing units” according to your scale. Hit “OK ” and you are done. Pretty simple!

You can import AutoCAD files into Autodesk Revit and then manipulate it from there as a Revit file or you can xref the file. See this tutorial on how to xref CAD files.

NB: Importing a CAD file will not automatically convert the drawing to 3D.

To import as a link file:

1. Go to the insert tab.
2. Select “link CAD“.
3. Browse for the CAD file that you wish to link.
4. On the positioning tab leave the default position ”Center to Center”. You can also change that to “Origin to Origin”.
5. On the “Place at” tab select the level you want to import the file. For example, level 1or level 2 if you have many levels or floors in your project.
6. Pick your color preference on the “Colors” tab. You can set the link file to show black and white, invert color or the original color.
7. On the Layers tab leave “All” selected, if you want to import all the layers from the file.
8. Leave the “Import units” as Auto-Detect.
9. Select “Open”.

Now that the file is showing in the drawing as a cross reference file. You can also turn on and off layers from Revit as you wish, the same as in AutoCAD.

To import as part of Revit:

1. Go to the insert tab.
2. Select “Import CAD”.
3. Browse for the cad file that you wish to import.
4. On the positioning tab leave the default position ”Center to Center”.
5. On the “Place at” tab select the level you want to import.
6. Pick your color preference on the “Colors” tab.
7. On the Layers tab leave “All” selected, if you want to import all the layers from the file. Otherwise, you can select which layer to import individually. By doing so it will not import any object on unselected layers.
8. Leave the “Import units” as Auto-Detect.
9. Select “Open”.

Once the file is imported you can edit the CAD drawing as a Revit file.

NB: We used Revit MEP 2010 for this tutorial. I believe the steps are similar in Revit MEP 2009. You start from File, Import/Link, CAD formats.

You can use VPMAX  (same as double-click within a viewport layout) or VPMIN (same as double-click outside a viewport layout) to switch within model space and paper space tab of a layout.
VPMAX expands the current viewport for editing and VPMIN restores the current layout viewport.
The advantage of using these two commands is that you can pan and zoom while you are in model space, and when you go back to paper space the position and scale of the objects in the layout viewport remain unchanged.
It is useful when you zoom in a viewport on paper space while your viewport borders are not visible and accidentally double click inside the viewport and you cannot double click out.