If I want to scale up 3% I type in scale 1.03…what do I type in to scale down 3%…thanks
You have added to expand, now subtract
just subtract 1- 0.03
3% = 3/100 =0.03
I would say 97% or 0.97?
I believe Helvetosaur approach is the easiest. It’s just 0.97.
Thank you,
Andy
And what operation have you done to obtain the .97? 
When you are given the line option:
Scale factor or first reference point <1> ( Copy=No Rigid=No )
just type in .97
and the object will scale down by 3%
1-0.03=0.97
This can be a bit more complicated. If a object has previously been scaled by 1.03 or 103/100, and the need is to return the object to its original size, the scale factor to use is 100/103 = 0.970874…, not 0.97. Rhino allows scale factors to be entered directly as fractions, for example as 100/103 or 7/12.
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Yep. It all depends if you are trying to reverse a previous scale operation to bring the object back to its original size, or if you are simply trying to make it x percent smaller or larger than its current size.
I leave everything together so that you understand where the fractions come from.
3% = 3/100 = .03 percentage representation
1+ 0.03 = scale factor <=>
1 + 3/100 scale of enlargement <=> 103/100
inverse factor
100/103 returns the object to its original size
1 - 0.03 = scale factor <=>
1- 3/100 = reduction scale factor
97/100 scale of reduction
Inverse factor
100/97 returns the object to its original size
thanks that was the correct answer …it’s the only one that worked!
Just to let you all know David Cockey’s answer of .970874 was the only one that worked!
(I tried all the other ones before I made my initial post)
Thanks everyone