Setting drawing units

With IntelliCAD, you typically draw at full-size (1:1 scale), and then set a scale factor when you print or plot your drawing. Before you begin drawing, however, you need to determine the relationship between drawing units and real-world units.

For example, you can decide whether one linear drawing unit represents an inch, a foot, a meter, or a mile. In addition, you can specify the way the program measures angles. For both linear and angular units, you can also set the degree of display precision, such as the number of decimal places or smallest denominator used when displaying fractions. The precision settings only affect the display of distances, angles, and coordinates. IntelliCAD always stores distances, angles, and coordinates using floating-point accuracy.

To set the linear drawing units

1. Do one of the following:
• Choose Settings > Drawing Settings.
• On the Settings toolbar, click the Drawing Settings tool ().
• Type settings and then press Enter.
2. Click the Drawing Units tab.
3. Under Change Settings For, choose Linear Units.
4. Under Unit Types, select a unit type.
5. Under Display Precision, type the display precision according to the number of decimal places you want, or click the arrows to select it.

The field above this setting shows an example of the linear unit type at the current precision.

6. Click OK.

To set the angular drawing units

1. Do one of the following:
• Choose Settings > Drawing Settings.
• On the Settings toolbar, click the Drawing Settings tool ().
• Type settings and then press Enter.
2. Click the Drawing Units tab.
3. Under Change Settings For, choose Angular Units.
4. Under Unit Types, select a unit type.
5. Under Display Precision, type the display precision according to the number of decimal places you want, or click the arrows to select it.

The field above this setting shows an example of the angular unit type at the current precision.

6. Under Angle Direction, select the direction in which angles increase when you specify a positive angle value.
7. Under Angle Base, specify the compass location for the zero angle.

For example, by default, angle 0 is at the "3 o'clock" or "east" position.

The adjacent icon shows the current location of the angle base.

8. Click OK.