albroswift Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 Hello, searched these keywords but seems like most answers involve scaling the drawing, so, specifically, I have a drawing that is in Architectural feet and inches. Most of the dimensions I am entering are in inches / feet/ inches, but some components I get the measurements in MM that I want to draw. I have the alt units on and set to 25.4 so drawing shows both types of dims, which is cool, but I would also like to be able to enter offsets, stretches, etc in MM as needed instead of having to convert MM to inches every time. Thanks in advance AL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steven-g Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 I'm sure someone will have or suggest a LISP to make this easy, but here is my input, a simple macro that lets you draw a line and it automatically scales it from mm to inch, not ideal but it saves getting the calculator out, and you can use the line as a basis for offset and scale references etc. ^C^C^Cl;\\;sc;l;;$M=$(getvar,lastpoint);.03937; Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JD Mather Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 'cal cvunit check the nomenclature requirements for this command (convert units within transparent calculator) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albroswift Posted October 14, 2014 Author Share Posted October 14, 2014 Thanks, JD 'cal cvunit(254,mm,in) 10 works as expected and solves my problem but time consuming, could you or someone show me how to automate as a lisp or macro? Thanks-- AL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nestly Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 Lisp code can be found here http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/acadblog/switch-between-imperial-and-metric-measurements/ However, I think it would be more efficient to create the objects in the native units and then rescale... or draw the metric components in different metric drawing and then bring them into the main drawing (possibly as blocks or xrefs) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albroswift Posted October 14, 2014 Author Share Posted October 14, 2014 Unexpected behavior CVunit I have a square dynamic block 1'X1' with stretch parameters When I activate a stretch grip and enter for example 10, the block stretches (shrinks) to 10" in as expected. But When I activate a stretch grip and enter for example 'cal cvunits(254,mm,in) the block stretches to 1' 10", not 10" as expected. Using the 'cal expression appears to add to existing length, while simply entering the length results in the block stretching (shrinking) to that length. Something simple I am missing? Trying to upload file but the little spinner keeps a spinnin' and a spinnin' and it's only a 64K file Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albroswift Posted October 14, 2014 Author Share Posted October 14, 2014 Lisp code can be found here http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/acadblog/switch-between-imperial-and-metric-measurements/ However, I think it would be more efficient to create the objects in the native units and then rescale... or draw the metric components in different metric drawing and then bring them into the main drawing (possibly as blocks or xrefs) I gave Ellen's lisps a try but I don't think I can enter them in a stretch command, and my lisp skills are not to the point I could modify them. By the time I start working in different drawings with different units to accomplish what specifically I am trying to do I might as well just use a calculator and pencil. Easiest way I've found so far is insert block, stretch using native units and then scale> 'cal 10/254 . The 'cal works directly in stretch grips but behaves differently then entering unit directly in stretch. I have looked at a bunch of other threads on this and other forums seems like there is just not an "easy button"... Thanks for all the tips, stretched the brain out a little and sure to be used elsewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JD Mather Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 .... seems like there is just not an "easy button"... In the CAD programs I use (not AutoCAD) I simply enter the units I need at any time and the software takes care of conversion for me. So maybe the Easy Button is to change software. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobDraw Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 Easy answer but usually not easy to implement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albroswift Posted October 15, 2014 Author Share Posted October 15, 2014 you guys are killing me.... Used Nestly's suggestion stretch using native and then scale block best option so far. Thanks-- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albroswift Posted October 15, 2014 Author Share Posted October 15, 2014 Uploaded the block I was talking about in earlier post. Activate a grip, type "10", block RESIZES TO 10". Activate a grip, type 'cal cvunits (254,mm,in) or 'cal 254/25.4 block INCREASES BY 10" Is there a setting I am missing for the 'cal command that affects this behavior? If you have time please check it out for me, really curious. Thanks-- Al CV_Drawing2 - Copy.zip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaphod Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 be careful when converting mm to inches, .03937 is ok for most things, but when it comes to tight tolerances it is not, use 25.4 or 0.0393700787401575 a person I know at a large engineering company found this out the hard way they were designing parts here in the USA to be fabricated in England, so they converted the drawings to metric, the parts always came back slightly out of spec. after several phone calls, calibrations, confirmation of said calibrations, manufacturing and shipping environment studies, the answer turned out to be simple. The shop in England was using “inches” type measuring tools, in hopes of holding the best possible part for the USA customer’s and converting the prints back to inches using .03937 .0000000787401575 seems small, but can cost you in the end. I think you would be better off changing the units to mm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albroswift Posted October 15, 2014 Author Share Posted October 15, 2014 (edited) I always use the 1/25.4 or 10/254 rather then the .03937, although what I am doing either one works fine. Wasn't there a time when 1" did not exactly equal 25.4 MM? Seems to me in ancient history the powers that be said "close enough" dropping some decimal accuracy. Edit: checked, before 1959 an inch was 25.4000508 mm! Edited October 15, 2014 by albroswift Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdbdesign Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 Try this two, transparent routines: 'inch.lsp 'mm.lsp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albroswift Posted October 15, 2014 Author Share Posted October 15, 2014 (edited) Sweet! The easy button I was looking for. Thanks, MDB! Al Edit: in a grip dialogue box it adds to the current length, same as 'cal. when directly inputting a number in grip dialogue box it replaces the current length, which is what I am aiming for. When I am referring to grips, I am talking about the stretch parameter of a dynamic block. Regular grips on an entity always seem add whether 'cal, ,mm, or directly inputting distance Edited October 15, 2014 by albroswift Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaphod Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 (edited) for those who can't run lisp here is a macro for drawing lines in mm while in inch units. ^C^C^C_line;\(cvunit;\;"inches""millimeter") use at own risk, not tested in LT Edited October 15, 2014 by zaphod Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manila Wolf Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 Try this two, transparent routines: Just dropped by to thank mdbdesign for these two lisps. So pleased I found them. Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manila Wolf Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 Try this two, transparent routines: Just noticed. When I first open an AutoCAD drawing, the two lisps work fine. If I then open another drawing I get the following error message: - error: Visual LISP command document mismatch: inch or error: Visual LISP command document mismatch: mm I am using AutoCAD 2009 and I always use SDI mode set at 1. Maybe it's because of my SDI setting? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdbdesign Posted October 20, 2014 Share Posted October 20, 2014 Sorry, I forgot to mention about when I post codes. Hope somebody will fix it so it work on all open drawings. I don't know who is author of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manila Wolf Posted October 21, 2014 Share Posted October 21, 2014 Sorry, I forgot to mention about when I post codes. Hope somebody will fix it so it work on all open drawings. I don't know who is author of it. mdbdesign, thanks for replying. I did a bit of google searching and found a pair of alternative lisp files that do the same thing and it appears they can work if more than one drawing is open. Again they are invoked like a transparent command. I stated the source and credited the authors at the top of the lisp files. Inch2mm-imm.lsp Type 'imm to invoke or make a toolbutton with macro _'imm mm2inch-mmi.lsp Type 'mmi to invoke or make a toolbutton with macro _'mmi Hope others can find these useful. Inch2mm-imm.lsp mm2inch-mmi.lsp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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