Imperial to Metric

[ALCADZAZ]

If I do a drawing in imperial measurements and save it, would I be able to change it to metric measurements?

I bought a book via the internet that came in imperial measurements. I'm use to metric.

Thank you

[architech]

You must scale the ENITRE drawing by the apropriate scale factor.
Then change your units. 8)
By the way, changing the "units" only affects what's displayed ... like how many ZEROs are displayed after the decimal ... but that's it ... :shock:

"UNITS" does not scale a drawing appropriately. :?

Hope that helps.
R. :mrgreen:

[Exxit]

Hi,

here are mor infos:

Measuring Units Conversion Tables (http://convert.french-property.co.uk/)

http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/AutoCAD_tips_switch_imperial_metric.html

Maybe somebodey can tinker a tool...? :wink:
Lothar

[csiarch]

Hi Gang: I guess I'm confused about this thread.

Tell me why, if I draw something full size, that I can't simply set up a dimensioning style with a metric scaling factor and have things come out right?

For instance, if I draw an object 4 INCHES wide, won't a properly defined and applied dim style indicate that it is a little over 10cm wide????

Signed: Duhhhhh?

[architech]

Applying a scale factor to a "dimstyle" is fine but drawing in inches and dimension in metric is only half the issue. How does one draw metric lines in inches?

I mean, if a take a "distance" of any line drawn I'm going to get inches not the "scale factor" in the dimstyle. That's where you hit a wall.

I think I answered your question. :mrgreen:

[hendie]

Autocad doesn't draw in "inches" or millimetres" or whatever. Autocad draws in units ! that's all it understands.
when you plot, the plot is scaled from those units to match the measurement unit you've specified.
If you have drawn something and wish it to be used in both scales(Imp & Metric) ~ you can choose to show alternate units.
or you can scale the dwg by the appropriate scale factor

[architech]

I understand that .... 8)

... and that unit is set initially by the CAD designer when he/ she begins to draw. :lol:

To change what that one unit means or equals .... requires a scale factor which is what I said @ the beginning of this thread. .... just in case that point was missed. :mrgreen:

Although .. yes you can play with certain aspects of AutoCAD to give the appearance that a drawing is in a different scale .... like playing with the dimscale or plotting ...etc...

But at the end of the day, you must scale the drawing to really convert the drawing into the desired scale unit.
:wink:

[hendie]

I understand that .... 8)

... and that unit is set initially by the CAD designer when he/ she begins to draw. :lol:

not correct I'm afraid.
the "units" set by the drafter are only a tool to help visualise input. Autocad does not understand inches, feet metres or clamshells.~ to autocad, they're all the same thing.
try this.. start a new drawing in metric. Draw a line from any point at exactly one unit long (@1,0)
now change your units to architectural and query the line.
What do you get ?
Length = 0'-1", Angle in XY Plane = 0
Delta X = 0'-1", Delta Y = 0'-0", Delta Z = 0'-0"
a line of one unit long, in this case one inch...but the line you drew was only one millimetre ? autocad doesn't care ~it's one unit long.
from the help file
AutoCAD® does not use a predefined system of unit measure such as meters or inches. For example, a distance of one unit may represent one centimeter, one foot, or one mile in real-world units.

[VERYCIVILDRAFTER]

ALCADZAZ

If you know very little about imperial measure, this might help if you’re reading and/or dimensioning in architectural units.

1' (foot) = 0.3048 meter
12"(inches) = 1' (one foot)
1" = 0.0254 meter
inch are divided in fractions
1/2" = one half inch
1/4"
1/8"
1/16"
1/32"

Usually 1/16" is more than accurate enough for most architectural drawings.

The annotation is usually something like 12' 1-3/4" = twelve feet, one and three quarter inches.
NOT like this = 12' 1-12/16" and NOT like this 12' 7/4"

If it's easier for you, it is fine to divide a FOOT by 10ths (e.g. 12.14583' = 12' 1-3/4"), but DO NOT divide inches by 10ths.

I hope I don't sound condescending, I just know that even Americans have trouble with this.

[VERYCIVILDRAFTER]

This is something I PM'd to AM1 a while back



When "drawing units" are set to Architectural, the drawing is 12 times bigger than what it would be in Decimal units.

AutoCAD considers One Arch. Inch equal to one drawing unit, problem is One Decimal Foot is equal to one drawing unit. This is how AutoCAD allows for 12 inches in a foot.

Example:
Units set to Architectural: 1'6" = 18 acad unit = 18 Decimal Unit

Units set to Decimal: 1.5' = 1.5 acad unit = 1-1/2" Arch. Unit

One drastic solution is to scale your entire drawing down 1/12, but you don’t have to do that.

A simpler solution is to set your Decimal dimension "Measurement Scale Factor" to 1/12. That setting can be found under the "Primary Units" tab in your "Dim Style".

[csiarch]

Architech: I was going along with your thesis until I went on down to hendie's post.

I believe "units" is the operative word here. Going back to the example I posted, if I draw a line 4 units long at 1:1, and dimension it in architectural units, I get a display of /------ 4" -------/. Invoking alternate units, would not the display look like: /--- 4" [101.6] ---/ ????? Point being that the line is what it is; only the method of identifying it's length is different.

:?