AutoCAD 2025 - Existing drawings open in imperial

[horizon2879]

I've recently updated to AutoCAD 2025. However, I have an annoying problem where all existing drawings open in imperial despite the fact they have been drawn in metric. I've set my default units as metric. DWGunits is metric. Measureinit is Metric. etc and all new drawings open as metric. It's only existing drawings. I can manually change the units back to metric once open and if I save the file and open it again it remains Metric but this messes with the scaling and it's a lengthy process to change all of my 100s of existing drawings back to metric. 

Is there a way to open all existing drawings as metric globally?  Perhaps there is something wrong with my DWG Launcher where it is opening all my drawings in the US version rather than the UK version? I notice that my Start menu has about 6 versions of AutoCAD English including Danish, Finnish and Norwegian but I have no idea how to edit which one the launcher uses and my system only has one version of AutoCAD so I can't uninstall the versions I don't need. 

[jayhar]

Hello,

The issue is that imperial drawings are opening in AutoCAD set to metric. To convert them:

1. Use DWGUNITS to set units to metric.
2. Use SCALE 
3. Adjust dimensions with DIMSTYLE.
4. Save the drawing.

[horizon2879]

Hi there, 

This is not a solution I am after. These existing drawings were never imperial, they were always metric. They were drawn in metric in previous versions of autoCAD using metric templates but now I've updated to autoCAD 2025 they are incorrectly opening in imperial. 

I can manually adjust them using the methods you say but this happens for EVERY existing drawing. I have 100s of these drawings and it will take days or weeks to do this for all of them. So I was hoping to find a global solution so the files open correctly in the first place rather than me having to adjust every drawing manually. 

[jayhar]

create a script or LISP routine that can automatically update multiple drawings to set their units to metric

[horizon2879]

That's probably a bit beyond me I'm afraid. I wouldn't know where to start with creating a script. 

I think there should be a different solution really. As I say, these drawings were never imperial so no idea why they are opening as imperial now. 

[RSomppi]

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@horizon2879 wrote:

I've recently updated to AutoCAD 2025. However, I have an annoying problem where all existing drawings open in imperial despite the fact they have been drawn in metric. I've set my default units as metric. DWGunits is metric. Measureinit is Metric. etc and all new drawings open as metric. It's only existing drawings.

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Units are stored in the file. Setting defaults does nothing for this in existing drawings. I don't think the upgrade has anything to do with it but something has changed them. Is there anything that you can think of that would have bulk processed all these files?

[horizon2879]

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@RSomppi wrote:

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Units are stored in the file. Setting defaults does nothing for this in existing drawings. I don't think the upgrade has anything to do with it but something has changed them. Is there anything that you can think of that would have bulk processed all these files?

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Honestly? Not really. I'm the only one who should be using these files and the only think that's changed is I've changed laptops which runs AutoCAD 2025 rather than 2024 previously. They are saved centrally on our server though so theoretically anyone can open it but I doubt anyone will have done so. 

As far as I'm aware I haven't done anything to change these files and there are 100s so it will have taken ages to change these manually. If the units are saved in the individual files then I don't understand why autoCAD 2025 thinks they are all imperial. These were all drawn using a custom DWT but this itself is based on an ISO DWT format. I've never used imperial. I always use metric and they were all saved as metric before I switched laptops/ autoCAD version.

[RSomppi]

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@horizon2879 wrote:
If the units are saved in the individual files

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There is no "if". They are stored in the files. I would do some more digging to find out what has processed these files for fear it might happen again and it might enable you to change them back. Have you checked the back-up files to see if they are correct?

[cadffm]

Hi,

>>"Honestly?"

Yes

>>"Not really."

yes (except in extremely old file formats)

>>"I'm the only one who should be using these files and the only think that's changed is I've changed laptops which runs AutoCAD 2025 rather than 2024 previously."

From my knowledge: Impossible.

>>" it will have taken ages to change these manually."

And the change-date are not all "close to each other" and there are no *.bak files with the metric version? - okay.

>>"If the units are saved in the individual files then I don't understand why autoCAD 2025 thinks they are all imperial."

That's what we have to find out.

1. Why do you think they saved "metric"

2. Why do you think they are set up in "imperial" now.

Q: What setting/value you are talking about exactly?

     MEASUREMENT only, or -DWGUNITS too?

     pls explain

- - -

I read all your informations and "all together" doesn't make sense, except someone or somewhat changed the files.

Change dates okay? What are the unit settings in the *.bak file?

What product are you using, really plain AutoCAD, or AutoCAD+Addin/Plugin/otherExtensions or an Autodesk Toolset?

[horizon2879]

@cadffm wrote:

1. Why do you think they saved "metric"

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Because I've always used metric, I've never used imperial. Before this problem started (i.e. before I had to change laptops and switched to autoCAD 2025), all of my files were using metric units. I highly doubt these were saved as imperial before the switch accidentally and was using imperial without my knowledge as I am constantly measuring and using metric scales as part of my day to day work. I don't measure in inches and I don't understand them. Inches show very differently using the measuring tool and show as fractions whereas mm show as a decimal. This means if the file had been set to inches, I would have noticed very quickly that the files were not in metric when I tried to measure something. All of these files were showing metric measurements and metric scale before I had to change laptops and switch to 2025. 

I even have to use a centrally controlled file which is saved (incorrectly) as inches occasionally and if I XREFed that into my files without adjusting the units it always scaled to the incorrect size. So I know that my files were saved to metric (mm) at least at some point and I have not manually changed these to imperial.

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@cadffm wrote:

2. Why do you think they are set up in "imperial" now.

I open the files and the units are imperial (inches). Measuring tool shows as inches not in mm (which is what they should have been saved as prior to my autoCAD version switch). Opening the UNITS command it also shows as inches rather than mm. DWGUNITS show as (1) which I also believe is inches.

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@cadffm wrote:

Q: What setting/value you are talking about exactly?

     MEASUREMENT only, or -DWGUNITS too?

Both I believe.

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In a nutshell. I have always used metric measurements and units. I'll admit that prior to this problem I never checked the MEASUREMENT and -DWGUNITS. But I never needed to. I controlled this using the UNITS command which was always set as metric (mm) as a rule and scales and the measurement tool always previously showed distances as mm. The possibility that I had been using imperial (inches) accidentally is very slim if not impossible. I would have noticed very quickly if I had been using imperial (inches) by accident.

Once I changed laptops which had autoCAD 2025 installed. All existing files now show as Inches. UNITS, MEASUREMENT and -DWGUNITS seem to show as imperial (inches) on opening. Opening new files show as metric  (mm), but I have no idea why all existing files now open as imperial (inches). As far as I'm aware, I have always used metric  (mm) and all of these files where saved as metric  (mm) prior to the switch.

Something has happened to make 2025 think all my files are imperial (inches) and I don't think this is human error. As I say, it will have taken weeks for me to manually change the units to imperial and impossible to do by accident. The possibility I have been using imperial units prior to the switch is incredibly slim if not impossible as I would have noticed. I noticed these files were opening as inches after the switch almost instantly, afterall.

[RSomppi]

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@horizon2879 wrote:

As far as I'm aware, 

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That doesn't sound like you are 100% sure. Since the likelihood of all those files being modified is VERY slim. That statement makes it seem more likely that you didn't know that you were set-up incorrectly.

Share one of those files that "changed" for investigation. Maybe there is something in the drawings that would indicate how this happened.

[pendean]

@horizon2879 Explain how you are making these new discoveries all of a sudden please? What prompted you to look in the first place? What are you doing differently in 2205 that you did not do in 2024?

AND... share with us an old file or three you've have opened in 2025 and found it to have changed, but did not save yet to "upgrade it", and let's see for ourselves. Unlike you (not sure why you removed it or are not able to reinstall it), we all have AutoCAD 2025-24-23-22 and some users even older versions, and we can confirm or burst your theory in under a couple of minutes max.

[horizon2879]

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@RSomppi wrote:

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@horizon2879 wrote:

As far as I'm aware, 

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That doesn't sound like you are 100% sure. Since the likelihood of all those files being modified is VERY slim. That statement makes it seem more likely that you didn't know that you were set-up incorrectly.

Share one of those files that "changed" for investigation. Maybe there is something in the drawings that would indicate how this happened.

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Hi, I can't be 100% sure. I can't be 100% sure until I know what caused this problem and that's why I'm here. But from where I'm standing this can't be simply human error and I had accidentally been using the wrong units before the switch. As I've explained in other replies, I don't use imperial units. I use the Measuring tool multiple times every day and imperial units use fractions not decimals. I also XREF drawings from external sources that use imperial units (incorrectly) and I have to manually modify them prior to XREFing them into my own drawings otherwise they would scale incorrectly. I would notice if the units were incorrect very quickly and that's exactly how I found this problem in the first place.

I mean this with the greatest respect as I know you're kindly dedicating your time to help people on this forum but your responses make me very uncomfortable. The casual gaslighting and disbelief there is a problem here despite me explaining in multiple replies why I don't believe that this could be wholescale human error is quite worrying. If there is no fix then fine, but the immediate dismissal of the possibility that there could be some error that is causing the units to be misread between the two programs especially after explaining why human error is unlikely isn't very helpful.

[richard_387]

Perhaps your drawing units are not set to Decimal. The measurement tool only shows drawing units, but will show imperial units when set to Architectural, Engineering or Fractional.

[RSomppi]

Put your personal feelings aside. I am only going by the facts as you stated them and I stand by my deductions. You are the one that admitted that you aren't sure that you were doing it correctly. Yes, it is much more likely that it is long term user error than all of those files being changed. The program does not do that even when upgrading. That would be a MAJOR flaw that would bring a lot of companies to a grinding halt on production.

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@horizon2879 wrote:imperial units use fractions not decimals.

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That's not true. It is concerning as that may be the root of your problem.

Instead of focusing on your feelings, just upload a file (or a few) as requested so that they can be examined to end all chance of misinterpretation and hopefully get resolution.

[dsummersPEG]

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I mean this with the greatest respect as I know you're kindly dedicating your time to help people on this forum but your responses make me very uncomfortable. The casual gaslighting and disbelief there is a problem here despite me explaining in multiple replies why I don't believe that this could be wholescale human error is quite worrying. If there is no fix then fine, but the immediate dismissal of the possibility that there could be some error that is causing the units to be misread between the two programs especially after explaining why human error is unlikely isn't very helpful.

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Agreed. Some of those responses would make you question your own sanity; as though you were making up problems that did not exist. Technical support is not much better, but at least they have occasionally admitted to the bugs I've found; they do exist!

As one of the replies subtly suggested, many users keep multiple versions of Autocad installed. BUT IF YOU DO! Be sure to follow the recommendation of installing them in order of release. Unfortunately, that means uninstalling 2025, and reinstalling 2023 or whichever version you previously had. If I were in your shoes, I would go back to the version you had previously and just stick with it. 2024 and 2025 are still buggy!

https://help.autodesk.com/view/NAV/2024/ENU/?caas=caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Installation-sequen...