Field Object Area in square meters

[Christopher.Munoz8VCDQ]

Hi

I have several polylines that I would like to have the square meter data as a text.

Field command is an OK option but I cant be typing in the conversion from sq. ft. to sq meter every time I need to create the information. Why isn't there a default m2 option on the format option? Its the weirdest thing ever, like isn't metric measurement the most common thing ?  Or why cant I create a custom format for field? 

Either way any suggestion on how to permanently change the field area to square meters? 

Or a good LISP that creates a text for the area info of the polylines that is selected ?

[paullimapa]

You should have followed my reply earlier here and then you would not have to deal with all these confusing selections inside so many  Field window options

[Christopher.Munoz8VCDQ]

true that, though since its not a LISP it requires a little more time to understand for a simple man. But it does look great and will look more into it when the time is there.

Thanks

[ChicagoLooper]

@Christopher.Munoz8VCDQ 

You are misunderstanding drawing units. Yes, you CAN draw in architectural drawing units which are inches, but if you do, then your AREA will be in inches units too, more specifically, area will be 'square inches.' 

Just because you put a scale factor in a FIELD doesn't mean you're changing the drawing units, it just means you're changing, or scaling, a NUMBER in a Field.

The title of your post should be: How do I change the Drawing Units from architectural inches to meters AND what effect will changing it have on length, width and area calculations?

Drawing units are meters (images 1 and 2).

Image-1

Image-2

Of course AutoCAD can change a number from 1,000,000 to another number such as 1,.........BUT your suffix is not scalable, it's NOT a number, it's a piece of TEXT that's formatted as part of a Field.

Regarding your uploaded image in Post #18, the SQ. FT. text you've circle in the Preview Section isn't Text that has been scaled (or customized), it's a reflection of the Drawing Units in your drawing (image-3).

Image-3

If you like, you can even use millimeters (images 4 and 5). If you want the Area calculation to be in square millimeters, then you must use drawing units of millimeters, not inches, not feet, not meters. This means you must use a draw everything in millimeters, e.g. length, width, radius, etc., etc. and use a metric template so your Field settings reflect metric units in the Field Preview.

Image-4Image-5

[Kent1Cooper]

---

@Christopher.Munoz8VCDQ wrote:

.... Now I just need to figure out this  "Change number following pr [precision] for different # of decimal places" so I can remove the decimals....

---

...%pr0%... there works for me.  It rounds to the nearest whole number value of square meters.  So a 700mm square shows as 0 m² [it's 0.49 m² actual, so it rounds down], but an 800mm square shows as 1 m².

[cadffm]

ChicagoLooper,

"Architecture" is a preset of settings:

suffix=SQ. FT. and conversation /144

suffix=SQ. IN. no conversation

suffix=CU. FT. and conversation /1728

suffix=CU. IN. no conversation

and it will never show a sq.m. or sq.mm.  - If I am wrong, please advise me, step by step,  incl. the name of the program you are talking.

What I have to do that the Architectural preset  gives sq.in. prefix and conversation1

- I see that can work, but I don't know how to invoke ore controle it.

What I have to do that the Architectural preset  gives sq.m. prefix and conversation1 or /1000000

- What I think is not possible (not in plain Acad)

?

And TO asked: Where is it for Meters (the preset for suffix and conversation: m² or sq.m. and /1000000

which is a good question, but it isn't available via GUI

[paullimapa]

This may be a good read on Area and Fields which I wrote awhile back

https://issuu.com/augi/docs/aw202106hr/28?ff

[Christopher.Munoz8VCDQ]

Kent Coopes LIPS works like a charm!

Only requires some LISP and coding knowledge to be able to make it work as wanted. Not everyone can do that hence why AutoCAD should have this as a basic feature. Perhaps as a Format type. Call it something like *Architectural Metric* where the conversion factor is set to 0.00001 and suffix to m2.

This way over half of the world that uses metric can select that if they would like to display square meters easily.

This will be my last reply. Thanks for the involvement, I got what I needed. Just wish I didn't have to use a LISP but instead AutoCAD had this as a simple option. Do pay loads yearly for the program.

Dont forget conversion factor 0.000001 for metrics to display the square meter when drawing in millimeters. But that's given, just not that given that AutoCAD doesn't have this as a basic option 😁😝

[Christopher.Munoz8VCDQ]

wow nice read. Spot on. "an area that still needs improvement" 😄

[paullimapa]

Lol…thanks…cheers!!!

[C2V-SM]

We ALL work here with millimiters as a main lenght units and meters as main an area units.

Displaying area in millimeters make no sense at all.

This should be allowed in Autocad to have a default conversion when using fields.