How to Show Metric Units In Door & Window Schedule?

[tchomes]

I completed a plan for a church being built in Africa by a mission group.  They have now asked me to put all the dimensions in Metric instead of Imperial.  I figured out how to change my dimensions and room labels to show centimeters, but how to do I change the window and door schedule to show centimeters instead of inches?

 

Thank you in advance.  This will probably be the only plan I ever create with "metric" units.

 

[tchomes]

Also, I noticed in the Room Label, the interior dimensions show up as Centimeters, but the area calculation still shows up as sqft.  Not a big deal as I can turn off the area layer, but kind of odd irregularity.

[Michael_Gia]

Hey there. 

First use this macro to convert your window dimensions in the “Label” tab. 

Then show “Label” in window schedule. 

 

[Michael_Gia]

...I really wish that “number style” selection box at the bottom left of every dialogue box would have this kind of functionality. 

At the moment it’s pretty useless. 

[Michael_Gia]

Here’s a schedule....

(Oops, looks like I forgot one window label macro)

 

[lgriao]

You can use macros

[lgriao]

[Kbird1]

On 5/24/2018 at 4:22 AM, tchomes said:

I completed a plan for a church being built in Africa by a mission group.  They have now asked me to put all the dimensions in Metric instead of Imperial.  I figured out how to change my dimensions and room labels to show centimeters, but how to do I change the window and door schedule to show centimeters instead of inches?

 

Thank you in advance.  This will probably be the only plan I ever create with "metric" units.

 

 

Metric Work is usually done in mm (millimeters) not cm (centimeters) just so you know.

 

M.

[Michael_Gia]

This is true. I wish we worked in metric. So much cleaner and easier. Oh well...

 

They only ever use metres or millimeters on a plan, and you always know which is which at a glance. 

For example, you know by looking at a dimension if It’s metres because there is a comma separating the decimal portion and usually 2 or 3 decimal places, as in 10,34 for metres. 

 

When it’s in millimeters there is never a comma or decimal place and only a space for thousand separaters. Example 2 354 for millimeters. 

Such and elegant and precise way to operate that is universally understood and you get the level of precision of a millimeter (approx 1/32”) without messy decimals or fractions!

[glennw]

Michael,

 

Unfortunately, you won't change the opinions of the dinosaurs in relation to the use of metric.

One small point - we do not use a comma separator for meters - we use a full stop.

[Michael_Gia]

Thank you Glen. 

 

I blame the American and Canadian lumber industry for not switching to metric as the real culprit for keeping North America in the Middle Ages with regards to this subject. 

 

maybe one day...

 

[DRAWZILLA]

13 hours ago, glennw said:

Michael,

 

Unfortunately, you won't change the opinions of the dinosaurs in relation to the use of metric.

One small point - we do not use a comma separator for meters - we use a full stop.

Really, I never want to change to metric at this point, over my cold dead body. would you rather change to feet and inches and it will never happen as long as they teach Imperial here in every school.

[robdyck]

Ahh, metric (sigh). Not many canucks jumped into this one but my experience with metric isn't fun. Some province require metric plans which means showing both units, which takes more space (often you run out), and require different offsets to accommodate two line of text. Then there's the site (plot) plans which are for the municipalities and these are all and only metric. Again, requires a custom anno set to dimension. No big deal, except for all the area conversions which need to be done manually. Then there's the window area calculations on the home plans which is specific building code info so more manual area conversion of glass to wall ratio. Then there's the energy efficiency calculations, again, referencing specific building codes which requires showing R values and their metric equivalent RSI, more manual calculations. All not a huge deal, until the client starts making changes towards the end of the project, and then a 5 minute changes turns into 2-3 hours of weeding through every affected manual calculation / conversion, while you sit and watch your wage plummet...How much more could be accomplished if it was only one?

 

The numbers of metric seem simple on the surface, but it falls apart on site. The segments of feet and inches make for simpler math because the metric units are usually imperial conversions. Most guys on site can find the center of 24'-6 1/2" easier than 11 594. Now if that was designed in metric and the measurement was 12 000, no problem. Just like the window schedule above, a metric built window isn't 5' wide, it's 1 500 (like it is here in Canada). Simple right? Try using all metric windows in an imperial plan and you'll have mess soon. But if you don't, you're framing model is not exact (if it matters). 

 

Using both costs me at least one full day for each set of plans. It'd be worse if I had to produce framing diagrams with the correct window sizes. But you do what's required, and you try to do your best at it.

[Alaskan_Son]

4 hours ago, robdyck said:

Using both costs me at least one full day for each set of plans.

 

You could probably save yourself a ton of time and money by using Ruby to do most of this for you.  If you don't know how, I think it would still be worth it to consider hiring me or someone else to help set something up for you.  A few hours of my time and you may never have to run most of the manual calculations again.  Just a thought.