Imperial / Metric Annotative Dimensions

[Anonymous]

Hi All,

Because I work in crazy Canada I have a project wear all of the base drawings are in Imperial, but all of the plot files need to be in metric. I need to set up metric scales for my imperial annotative objects. So for example I have a dimension style with an annotative scale of 1/8" = 1'-0" (.125 paper inches = 12 drawing inches) and I need to add a scale of 1:100, 1:200, etc. What would be the (paper inches = drawing inches) for those scales? Does anyone have a chart for this?

[David_W_Koch · Accepted solution]

1:100 is a unitless ratio.  So 1 paper inch = 100 drawing inches.  No chart needed.

(1/8" = 1'-0" is 1:96)

[gotphish001 · Accepted solution]

Just in case it's not clear how David got those numbers since you probably aren't used to using imperial. Here's how he got the 96. There are "eight" 1/8 inches in one foot. There are 12 inches in a foot, so 12 times 8 equals 96. So there are Ninety-six 1/8 inches pieces in each foot.  That seemed strange and silly  to explain but imperial is confusing when you only use metric.

[Victoria.Studley]

Hi @Anonymous,

Welcome to the Autodesk Community, and thank you for posting your question here in the AutoCAD Architecture forum!

It looks like @David_W_Koch and @gotphish001 have provided some good recommendations / explanations that should help with your annotation issue. Have you had a chance to try them, and did they help?

If so, please click Accept as Solution on the posts that helped you so others in the community can find them easily.

[Anonymous]

Thx David. 1:100 is a metric scale, which of course is a unit. not sure what you mean when you say this is unitless.

the imperial scales as indicated 1/8"-1'-0" = 1:96 is understood

The problem that I currently have is that all of my annotative scales are metric, (attached) with the exception of the 1/4" which I have added.  This drawing file perhaps had initially been a metric drawing file? When I list off the text it originally gave me a text height of 100.

I guess now my Mspace text height is 3" with a Pspace of whatever the scale is of the Vport.  Would this be correct?

[David_W_Koch]

1:100 is a scale commonly used in drawings based on metric units, but 1:100 itself is a unitless ratio.  It can just as easily be 1" = 100" (8'-4") as it is 1 mm = 100 mm.

That said, if your 1/4" scale is set up to be 1/4" = 1'-0" (1:48), a 3" model space text height would plot 1/16" high.  My office's standard plotted text height is 3/32", so for 1/4" = 1'-0" the model space text height would be 4 1/2".

What plotted text height are you trying to achieve?

[Anonymous]

Thx David for your comments.  Basically as I am just starting out a new office (business) - I don;t have any CAD standards. They are coming from what I remember from days gone by.

Using Imperial measurements I remember the days when I hated having to using metric, when if came about.  Now life without Metric drawings is a realll pain in the you know where.

If there is anything that you can do to assist, I'd appreciate this.  You mention your office uses certain height text in MS, this so happens to be what I have chosen to use @ 3/32. My understanding of the more recent versions of ACAD is that the s/w now calculates the text / dims heights based on the vport scale.

Also, I haven't used ACAD for almost 6 years, along their way they chose to release a few various re-iterations of this used to be, much easier to use s/w (back in ACAD 2000 days)

[David_W_Koch]

For annotative text styles, you specify the desired plotted text height and add the scale or scales at which you want the text to appear, and AutoCAD will scale the text accordingly (and display the text if the current annotation scale has been added to the text).

You can still make non-annotative text styles, and do the math yourself, to specify the right model space height to get the desired plotted height, as well as control the visibility manually, too.

[Anonymous]

Is it possible to create a small space between a whole number and its fraction?

i.e. 1'-31/4"  to read 1'-3 1/4"

I am using city blueprint text as it is the closest TT font to Architectural text.