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How to verify my layout is truly in metrics


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Posted

Hello: I needed to find out how to change the units for a layout to metric, so I searched the posts here and found out that if you open

the template you will be using and enter the command "units",you can set the units. Save and close the template and you're good to go.

 

now, I need to verify that this is working. I open the template and in model space, I create a polygon. I dimension it. I see a number but it doesn't display units.

 

In addition, I decide to copy the poly - open a different template...one that's saved in inches. I dimension it...it shows the same number as the metrics one?

 

am I missing something? yes, apparently i am....confused.

 

any input is truly appreciated.

 

Thanks,

Proctor

Posted

change units to metric and save the drawing as a template

 

open new drawing using that template and you good to go

 

simple as that :wink:, so ti works

Posted

thanks for your reply. I did what you said, but now need to prove to them that it's truly working. if i now use that template and draw a poly - get the dimension, it only gives me a number(no units displayed w/ it). how do i know for sure that these dimensions are in metrics?

 

thanks again for your help....

 

Proctor

Posted

change units to metric and save the drawing as a template

 

open new drawing using that template and you good to go

 

simple as that :wink:, so ti works

 

Format-units, you will see is it metric or something else

Posted

i looked in format units and it does in fact say millimeters...so it must be correct.

 

but...can you please explain this to me. if i copy the poly i drew in this new template - then, open another template (one that's set in inches) and i paste this poly. after, I dimension it...and it displays the exact same number as that that was in the metric drawing.

 

wouldn't the dimension be different?

 

thanks,

proctor

Posted

I have to leave for a meeting but will read this when i return.

thank you for sending this.....i appreciate your help.

 

Proctor

Posted

The springing point here, if I'm reading this correctly, is one thing that you have to understand about AutoCAD, and it's not easy to explain.

 

AutoCAD could care less what unit you assign to your drawing, as far as the program is concern, you type in a line that is 56 units long, the program draws in 56 units long - no matter what the unit is.

 

The units you set comes into play when for instance you use our drawing as an xref, as a block and/or when you dimension it. When you're drawing, 56 millimeters is pretty much the same as 56 inches.

 

As to why an polyline would have the same dimension in a metric drawing as in a inches drawing - it could be many things. The one that first springs to mind is that AutoCAD automatically scales stuff if it knows it's different units. But I haven't tried to do that myself so I don't know what it might be.

Posted

Search in the help file for MEASUREMENT and MEASUREINIT. Those two sysvars cold be the answer for you

Posted

thank you all for your inputs. It helped me have a greater understanding about units in drawings.

 

proctor

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