decimal separator

[john.uhden]

I happened to pick up a DWG, probably of Italian origin, that uses commas instead of decimals in dimstyles.

In DIMSTYLE the separator shows up as a comma, but the dialog box to change it is disabled.  I don't want to postprocess the dimensions al la Robert Bell and Marc'Antionio in 2000.  I want to make the dimstyle english, with a period.

As I am writing, I just thought of maybe inserting the drawing exploded into an english drawing.  Might that work?  I couldn't find any dim setting to control it.  It's not a big deal as I am only using AutoCAD to get all the lengths and angles for an outside crossbuck doorway I am replacing.  My wife advised me that real carpenters don't use AutoCAD to build things.  Too bad for them.  I think it's a tremendous advantage.  I used it for a total addition reconstruction in 2007.  Yes, I fired the contractor and finished it myself.  T'was the best fun I have ever had in my life!

[pbejse · Accepted solution]

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@john.uhden wrote:

In DIMSTYLE the separator shows up as a comma, but the dialog box to change it is disabled.  I don't want to postprocess the dimensions al la Robert Bell and Marc'Antionio in 2000.  I want to make the dimstyle english, with a period.

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DIMDSEP?

[wkmvrij]

Autocad 16: Select all your dimensions. Menu command: Modify->Properties: In the toolpallete: Subject Primary Units. Decimal separator may be edited as required.

Get yourselve a proper Acad version John....

23 September is long gone. there is future again 

BTW setting DIMSEP affects only dims made after the reset...

[wkmvrij]

Your wife is right, real carpenters only use the rear side of a cigaret packet.....

[john.uhden]

BINGO!  Followed by a DIM;Update.  Voila.

How stupid of me not to have found it by SETVAR ? DIM*

But why would they disable the DIMSTYLE dialog box??

[pbejse]

From what I gather, "decimal separator" is disabled if the variable DIMLUNIT is set other than 2.

[wkmvrij]

One might want to get one's terminology right. John speaks about the English fashion of writing measures. In the dimension style dialog box the there are options for Scientific, Decimal, Engineering, Architectural, Fractional and Windows Desktop.

As a European I only know of decimal or imperial number systems, used to indicate sizes. Scientific notation would be a extension to decimal notations. whereas Architects (inclusive of carpenters) everywhere in the world except for the US would use metric numbers to write dimensions. 

Along this reasoning, Fractional notation would only occur in the US as an extension to an Imperial system. I presume that the option Windows Desktop would follow the windows setting that has only the 2 options of "."  and "," for the decimal separator, that allows for the treatment of decimal inches. 

The English fashion of writing measures is in reality using the metric system. They adopted metrics some 40 years ago, (and are  still not  over that decision, as they opted for Brexit recently.)

A long time ago I lived through the transition from imperial to metric systems, as a mechanical engineer in South Africa, and saw some hilarious dimensions of holes of 25.4 mm diameter and 304,8  mm length. appear on drawings

[john.uhden]

I wasn't meaning to speak of Primary Units->Unit Format.  But below that in the same tab is "Decimal Separator," and it is disabled.

It strikes me that if AutoCAD wants to govern things with a global DIMVAR, then why even have a box for it.

To me, it's akin to having a Layer dialog, but the color option is disabled, leaving you to have to use the -Layer command.

Plus, DIMDSEP is apparently treated only as an override.

As I had said, it's really no big deal as I am just dimensioning my custom exterior door.  I can recognize 69,0° and all the linear dimensions are fractional inches because I don't have a decimal tape measure.

[wkmvrij · Accepted solution]

John said:  to speak of Primary Units->Unit Format.

However since we are talking about the way to represent the underlying information (i.e. the size of the dimension in units) it makes sense to  define first the various ways in which to write out this size. Indeed only in the 'decimal' method there is the choice of using either a dot or a comma. All other options are clearly and uniquely defined, hence the disabling of the box if the method is not 'decimal'

Pffft you akward americans... There is a world out there you know, and tape measures in both empirical and metric do exist.! What does it matter if the door fits snugly in the frame?

[john.uhden]

@wkmvrij wrote "... hence the disabling of the box if the method is not 'decimal'"

Well, that actually does make sense.  And it does work that way.  Thanks.

Awkwardly, yours, John