Metric System wrongly used

[Anonymous]

As a Latina architect, I have used the metric system for years before I moved to the United States. The wrong use of the metric system have caused million dollar mistakes to this country in the past, for example the loss of a spacecraft. I do not think NASA uses the millimeter as a base unit for measurement!

Why do you recommend the use of the millimeter in the metric system as the base unit for engineering and architectural drawings? I am astonished when I see how bad the system is used and when I listened seminars, watch tutorials, and read your books using mistakenly the millimeter.

The millimeter is used in exceptions such drawing 1:1 scale for example to draw a nut or a bolt. I am sure that this situation is causing confusion but probably it is not too late to change the metric system using the meter as the base unit. A door, for example, is not 800 millimeters but it is 80 centimeters or .80 meters. After one meter, the centimeters is not the base unit anymore and the meter becomes the base unit, for example, 1.50 meters or 325. 80 meters.

I used in South America the comma for decimals and period for thousand and million. Besides we work clockwise as positive input and counterclockwise as the negative input, but if we have to use wrongly the metric system, the situation becomes very confusing. An urban plan supposed to be in millimeters also? Even a building will have millions of millimeters? In these cases the results will be astronomic. Every time that I notice the mistake, I feel discourage because your important company is the forerunner in drafting software and you are leading this ugly mistake recommending it to people involved in the use of your  multiple software.

I have used for years AutoCAD, Architectural Desktop, 3D Studio Max, Revit, and other software using the imperial system but when I see the use of these software in the metric system, the use is WRONG! I hope my comment would be useful. Thank you for your time.

[sasha.crotty]

Autodesk does not recommend any specific units for projects, every country and project is different, but I will add that many countries do use mm for documentation. That said, the display of the units is entirely up to you and can easily be controlled through the project unit settings dialog. (Manage Tab -> Project Units _> Length -> Units: Meters). You can also customize your dimension types to have your dimensions display different units if desired. Does this match what you're looking for?

Regarding switching comma and period, that sounds like a great suggestion. It is not currently possible. I recommend filing it as a separate idea.

[Simon_Weel]

As a European, the metric mm as a unit for dimensions is used throughout the building industry. Stating the use of mm is wrong is a bit too steep? Just make sure every party uses the same units....

[Anonymous]

I appreciate your answer. In my opinion, many countries are using the
millimeter as the project unit for their drawings because many texts are
recommending it but it is totally wrong. I am not suggesting to use comma
instead of periods and backwards but this is a convention used in two
different countries where I studied grammar, high school, and even in the
engineering school at the university. I have to deal with issue but the
millimeter is totally confusing specially for people who commonly used the
imperial system. Thank you for your answer. Also, I would like to go to my
website to see my profile: #pleasejoinfpc
Esther

[Anonymous]

Hmm....I live in the US and have no issues working in metric and millimeters...  

Have done lots of projects in mm...and products are ordered in mm...to me it is a lot easier to work in mm than imperial as decimals and fractions are pratically non-existent.

So is there an idea in this post or is it just a rant about methodology?  You can use whatever units you want to use.  Nobody is going to say anything unless the approvers require a different unit.  

[sasha.crotty]

I am archiving this issue as it it possible to set the unit in a Revit project to anything that is desired. If there are specific suggestions for different templates, etc please feel free to file those as separate ideas.

[Anonymous]

I appreciate your input. In my opinion, the system is called "Metric"
system because is bases in meters. Why do we have to use 8000 millimeters
instead of 8.00 meters? What about the dimensions in the blueprint, suppose
to go in millimeters also? In a number with so many zeros you have to move
the comma to verify the correct dimension in meters. In the field we never
used millimeters, only meters.
I worked almost twenty years in two different countries in big projects and
we never used millimeters. Only millimeters is used to draw something in
real scale such as a nut or a bolt. That was not my case because the scales
used in blueprints ready for permit were 1:100 or 1:50. In my opinion, the
system is being misinterpreted. Thank you for your answer.