Direct Units Calculations

Using the units calculation features of CalcWorks, you can easily perform calculations on numbers entered directly in angle, time, or US length units, specifically degrees/minutes/seconds (or hours/minutes/seconds), minutes/seconds/frames (with selectable frames per second - none, 24, 25, 30, or 75), and feet/inches/divisions (with selectable divisions per inch - none, 16ths, 32nds, or 64ths). The time units are especially useful for SMPTE film or video timing calculations using the appropriate frame rate, or simply to add a list of times together for recording purposes.

To perform a series of calculations in direct units, select the desired units from the Units menu, and enable the Lock Units option. This locks the display in the selected units mode. All numbers entered when Lock Units is enabled are interpreted as being in the selected units, and are internally converted to their decimal equivalent before a calculation is performed, and the result of the calculation is converted back and displayed in the current units. The number is always stored internally as a decimal number, and subsequent display in the RPN stack or memory popup, or the tape window, is in decimal units.

To enter a number in the currently selected units, enter the major units (the first unit) before the decimal point, followed by two digits for each of the remaining units. Enter zeros where necessary to place the digits in the proper positions. Digits entered after the last units position are interpreted as decimal fractions of the last unit. For example, to enter an angle measurement of 5° 25' 9.25" (or 5 degrees, 25 minutes, 9.25 seconds) you would type “5.250925”. More examples follow.

UNITS MODE      TO ENTER     TYPE      READ

Deg/min/sec     5° 25'       5.25      5 degrees, 25 minutes
Deg/min/sec     5° 25"       5.0025    5 degrees, 0 minutes, 25 seconds
Deg/min/sec     5° 30'       5.3       5 degrees, 30 minutes
Deg/min/sec     5° 30.5"     5.00305   5 degrees, 0 minutes, 30.5 seconds
Min/sec         5:49         5.49      5 minutes, 49 seconds
Min/sec         5:03.5       5.035     5 minutes, 3.5 seconds
Min/sec/frames  5:03:21      5.0321    5 minutes, 3 seconds, 21 frames
Min/sec/frames  5:03:21.5    5.03215   5 minutes, 3 seconds, 21.5 frames
Ft/in           3' 6"        3.06      3 feet, 6 inches
Ft/in           3' 11.25"    3.1125    3 feet, 11.25 inches
Ft/in/16        3' 11 3/16"  3.1103    3 feet, 11 3/16 inches

You can also convert the displayed number to the selected units, whether Lock Units is enabled or not, using the [>DMS], [>MSF], or [>ftin] button, the function of which changes depending on the selected units. The [>DEC] button is used to perform the opposite operation, ie. the displayed number is assumed to be in the current units and is converted to decimal.