Paper space units won't change

[Demtor]

Good day everyone!

 

I have a little problem that I can't figure out and haven't found any similar topic or answer to my problem on the net.

 

The problem is I have set a paper to ISO A3 (420x297 mm), my drawing units are mm too. Now when I try to draw in paper space (need to add my name and date in the corner below) all the object lengths are in inches. IE I need to draw a frame around my text 130x50 mm. When I start drawing it displays my current length in inches.

 

I tried all commands I know: -UNITS, -DWGUNITS etc. Nothing seems to help.

 

Software: AutoCAD 2015.

 

I hope someone can help me out with it.

 

Aleks

[Dadgad]

It sounds like you are using an Imperial based template.

Save a copy of your .dwg, and then try using the -dwgunits command.

Be prepared to change the Units from to mms, and follow the commandline prompts slowly and carefully.

You will be prompted to rescale modelspace, and later paperspace to the appropriate units.

 

Don't do this on your REAL .dwg, until you have gone through the process on your copy, and given it a good looking over, to ensure that it is as you want it to be.

[Dana W]

Did you try this item on the page setup manager?

[Demtor]

Yeah, I set everything like I needed it to. My other drawings are fine. I just updated my CAD version (previously I was on 2012) so maybe some settings are imperial or whatever. Gonna try Dadgad's advice.

 

Thank you for your time.

[Demtor]

Okay,

 

I tried everything with -DWGUNITS as suggested by Dadgad but still nothing. I am now 100% sure I have set millimeters everywhere possible. It is very strange that my other .dwg files have no problems.

[Demtor]

Okay,

 

I found a solution.

 

I created new drawing using acadISO template. Copied everything from model space into a new drawing, in paper space set paper as A3 ISO.

 

I really can't tell why I couldn't get it right in old drawing.

 

Thanks everyone for their time.

[Dadgad]

You should set your Default QNEW template to which ever one you want to use, on a daily basis, presumably one for which the Units of Measurement are appropriate right out of the gate. Imperial based templates default to Units INCHES, and Metric based templates default to MMS. Those are the defaults for Vanilla Autocad, and I believe that in some of the Autocad Vertical products, they may be different.

 

You can do that in OPTIONS > TEMPLATES, as shown in the screenshot, just click on the Default QNEW Template, then use BROWSE to specify which template you want to use as your default.

 

Here is another interesting bit of the puzzle for you to consider.

 

When using the -DWGUNITS command, I recommend expanding the size of your commandline history, so you can see multiple lines at one time.

It sounds like you may have failed to confirm the rescaling of modelspace and paperspace, or else I think you should have been fine.

 

For me, the real beauty of the -DWGUNITS command is that it brings a number of different commands or variables all under the same roof, so that they are working in concert. Typically when receiving a new drawing I will run it, to ensure that all is as it should be, beforing starting to work with it. There are lots of folks who assume that they are drawing "whatever they think it is", despite the software having a different opinion.

Edited June 13, 2016 by Dadgad

[Dana W]

Yeah, I set everything like I needed it to. My other drawings are fine. I just updated my CAD version (previously I was on 2012) so maybe some settings are imperial or whatever. Gonna try Dadgad's advice.

 

Thank you for your time.

Well, the plot scale units that I showed don't change the drawing units. The plot units only apply to the paper (space) in that one layout, so changing that to mm's only means the paper is measured in mm's, not modelspace. That can really throw the intended scale out the window.

 

It appears that changing to the acadiso.dwt (metric) from the (apparent) acad.dwt (imperial) has set you straight.

 

Installing a new version of AutoCad did in fact default you to the imperial dwt file rather than the metric dwt file. AutoCad always comes that way. There are instructions in the "Getting Started" stuff that comes with the program on how to pick the proper default template file. But us old hands never look at that stuff.