Inserting Imperial and Metric units at the same template

[kubaszymanski]

Hi everyone!

Is there any way to draw using imperial and metric dimensions at the same time? Calculating them every time could be time consuming. I know that there is a solution in AutoCad but not LT. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1u3m_Jx2H6M)

Have anyone any ideas? 

[cadffm]

Same time, side by side? Yes.

Start your DIMSTYLE command, press [F1]

Read and check out the help and the dialog tab (one of them is the alternate units tab)

[cadffm]

Oh,

I read it a second time and you mean drawing general, not creating dimension with imperial&metric measures!?

That's another thing.

Draw in imperial what you want, then scale it, in metric and scale it, whatever the main unit is for you.

[kubaszymanski]

Sorry, but this is not what I'm asking for.  I know how to display Alternate Units. 

Please see carefully this video and how he draw lines.. One time he input feets and inches and at the second he put milimetes. That is solution in Full Autocad, and I'm looking for somthing similiar or helpful in LT.

[kubaszymanski]

Exactly scalig is a bit time consuming and sometimes I have material thicknesses in inches but lenght in mm.. 

As for know I've created a tool pallet with rectangles - thicknesses in inches and than I use strech but I'm looking for something quicker if there is something 🙂

[cadffm]

Sorry again.

But draw & scale is the only way

I don't know you situation exactly, but also 2 DWG with xref can be a good workaround,

but it is dependent of many things.

DWG1 for imperial (with DWG2 as XREF-overlay), DWG for metric (with DWG1 as XREF-overlay),

at the end, combine them.

_

Unit convert

Command: _QUICKCALC - also with "send to commandline" feature,

but i guess it is faster with the right tool by side.

[pendean]

>>>...draw using imperial and metric dimensions at the same time...<<<
Nope.

>>>... I know that there is a solution in AutoCad...<<<
That's not a solution, it is a 3rd party LISP, not a program ability, and it relies on the same scaling/conversion/inaccuracy you can do manually without it in both programs.

You do know that accurate materials sizing is just a tad different in both scale types, right? A reason there are different metric and imperial sizes for everything. Rounding errors in drafting will always be present.

If what you produce critically needs to be 100% accurate, you are two drafting tasks is the only true way to go about it.

HTH

[steven-g]

Create a new 'metric' dim style and the trick is to use a scale factor. Give it a 'mm' suffix and you should be good to go.

EDIT

Sorry I misread the question this is for drawing in inches and dimensioning in millimeters

[steven-g · Accepted solution]

You can use the inbuilt 'CAL' command transparently, which means you can use it any time AutoCAD is waiting for a dimension, so start the line command and using the example shown in that video, when you are prompted for a distance type 

'cal<enter>

The apostrophe is important you will then be prompted for an expression, so type

762/25.4<enter>

and a line of 2'-6" will be drawn. No need to do the calculation somewhere else first and then copy the result into the prompt, 'cal will let you do the calculation and apply it right where you need it, for any object.

[kubaszymanski]

That's do the job as for now! 

I've never used inbuild calc that way. Thanks a lot!

[kubaszymanski]

I add some steroids for this method. I created new Command with auto calculation from inches to milimeters: 

'cal;25.4*

Than I've added Shortcut key for this Command

and now while using any function such as Polyline, Rectangle I can quick press shortcut and write dimension in inches.

However I found problem using 'cal method.. while using it Polar Tracking dissapears.

As for now I switched to ortho but if anyone have idea please let me know