Export to dwg in metric (mm)
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I need to be able to export directly from sketchup pro 2013 to CAD (dwg) in metric (mm) to allow others consultants in the team to work using autocad.
I can currently export to dwg, however every time autocad reads the new file it is in inches (imperial).
Is it possible to export in metric?
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Under model info, are your units set to metric?
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The 2d CAD exports are always in inches; it also exports as lines - exploding arcs, circles etc...
So 1" is aways represented as 1.0 in the CAD file.
BUT 3d CAD exports do offer the choice of units and keeps geometry much as in the SKP.
So 1" is represented as 25.4 in the CAD file, if the units were set as 'mm'...
But... be aware that although the exported values are in the specified units, the 'flag' that is also in CAD is set inappropriately [aka 'wrong'] - this was reported long ago and is still awaiting a proper resolution...
However, if the user knows the 3d file is exported in 'mm', then importing it and taking 25.4 as mm works just fine... -
The units are set to Decimal mm.
I have exported as 3D Model into dwg. I then open the dwg with a CAD program and it opens it in inches.
Checking the export options I selected:
AutoCAD 2000
Faces
Edges
Construction Geometry
Dimensions
TextIs there a plugin on the market that sovles this issue?
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I just did the exact same steps.
A SKP line 1000mm long measures 1000.0 'units' when the exported file is opened in a CAD program.
So it is not in inches - if it were it'd be 39.370079.
I said previously that the exporter fails to specify the file's units properly, so when importing the new CAD file into another CAD file you can get issues. In r12 the INSUNITS is not an available parameter, so a newer CAD program assumes it to be 0 [unitless], in newer exported CAD versions INSUNITS is always set to 1 [inches] although the SKP can be in one of several other units, which are used in the numeric parts! This is frankly a mess!!***
If your CAD program thinks it's inches, you can easily tell it it is in mm by resetting INSUNITS at the command-line to 4, save it... and then later on when you are importing that CAD file into another CAD file it should work with the units then 'assumed' as expected ?...
Choose from 0, 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 [other values are superfluous!]
The default 'drawing units' for AutoCAD blocks are:
0 = Unitless
1 = Inches
2 = Feet
3 = Miles
4 = Millimeters
5 = Centimeters
6 = Meters
7 = Kilometers
8 = Microinches
9 = Mils
10 = Yards
11 = Angstroms
12 = Nanometers
13 = Microns
14 = Decimeters
15 = Decameters
16 = Hectometers
17 = Gigameters
18 = Astronomical units;
19 = Light years
20 = Parsecs***This issue has been raised ages ago... and hopefully it'll get fixed in an update one day.
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Thanks TIG, I understand now.
Appreciate the help
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