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Reference

UNITS in AutoCAD

How AutoCAD's UNITS (UN) works: the Drawing Units dialog, a precision of 0 to 8 places, the insertion scale in millimetres, centimetres or metres. Try it free.

UNITS opens the Drawing Units dialog, which sets how the drawing writes lengths and what one drawing unit stands for. As in AutoCAD the dialog is modal: the command lasts until OK or Cancel closes it, OK's change is one step that U takes back, and Cancel or Escape changes nothing. Typed with an apostrophe, 'UNITS, it opens inside a running command, which goes on once the dialog closes. The status bar's units and the application menu's Drawing Units open it too.

Length's Type is Decimal, and its Precision, from 0 to 8 decimal places, is what every length is written with: coordinates, distances, areas, the defaults offered in the prompts. A new drawing starts at two places here, where AutoCAD's metric template starts at four. Insertion Scale says what a drawing unit is, millimetres, centimetres or metres; the status bar and the dynamic input show it. Sample Output shows a point at the precision chosen.

At the command line

The engine draws it and writes its history as you would type it: the prompts in AutoCAD 2027's order, with the same option letters.

UNITS opened over a 100 by 60 plate, then ID on its far corner: the coordinates at the drawing's precision, two places.
  1. Command: UNITS
  2. Command: ID
  3. Specify point: 100,60
  4. X = 100.00 Y = 60.00 Z = 0.00
UNITS opened over a 100 by 60 plate, then ID on its far corner: the coordinates at the drawing's precision, two places.

What it does not do yet

The other length types, Architectural, Engineering, Fractional and Scientific, and scientific notation for a huge length. The Angle group: angles are decimal degrees, counterclockwise from the east, at the precision AUPREC sets, typed. The other insertion units, inches and feet among them; Lighting; Direction; and -UNITS, the command-line form.

What it does and still lacks, in detail (in English)

Questions

What is the shortcut for UNITS in AutoCAD?

UN, then Enter or Space; DDUNITS too. The full name works as well, and _UNITS in any language of AutoCAD.

How do I set the drawing units to millimetres or metres?

Open UNITS and choose Millimeters, Centimeters or Meters under Insertion Scale. A drawing unit is still one unit: draw a 5 m wall as 5 in metres or 5000 in millimetres. The choice says which, and the status bar and the dynamic input show it.

How do I change the number of decimal places?

Choose the Precision in UNITS, from 0 to 0.00000000. It changes how lengths are written, never the geometry: a line drawn 10.125 long stays 10.125 long at any precision.

Why don't my dimensions follow the precision set in UNITS?

A dimension writes its value with its dimension style's own precision, not the drawing's. Change it in DIMSTYLE, under Primary Units.

Can I draw in feet and inches?

Not yet: lengths are decimal, and the insertion scale offers millimetres, centimetres and metres. Architectural and engineering units are missing.

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