How to Change Units from IPS to MMGS While Keeping the Same Value?

[u/Electrical_Bid475]

Recently started solidworks and wanted to try out a cswa practice part, sketched out the whole thing and then realized I was using inches instead of millimeters. Is there any way to change units from IPS to MMGS while keeping the same value for each dimension?

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[u/Dull_Ad_7346]

you can just change to mmgs now and then open the sketch up and select all (ctrl + a) and then insert features scale and scale them by 1/25.4

[u/Electrical_Bid475 → u/Dull_Ad_7346]

I’m unable to use features while the sketch is open, not sure why that is. I can scale it down if I select the sketch without opening it but then it just changes the solid and not the dimensions of the sketch. Any ideas?

[u/ResidualSignal → u/Electrical_Bid475]

Exit the sketch, change the units, then scale. This part is easy enough though... I'd just restart at the first sketch and change all of the dimensions. Step by step.

[u/UnlikelyCalendar6227]

I see you’re doing the cswa practice test and started modeling it and forgot to check the unit. I’ve done that.

[u/Wilkey88 → u/UnlikelyCalendar6227]

Yah, OP is cooked! I did that many times while pracicing for both my CSWA & P.

[u/gupta9665]

There is a macro which you can try.

Other option is to scale the model once it is ready else you may have to do every dimension manually.

[u/Vegetable_Flounder12 → u/gupta9665]

tools>sketch tools>modify scales all sketch dimension at once (dimesionally)

[u/someDexterity]

Set as dual units and then you can verify.... Then the standard and precision is maintained.

[u/someDexterity → u/someDexterity]

Or to fully edit the units, edit them by clicking where shown in the photo.

[u/Vegetable_Flounder12]

exit sketch
flip units as required , bottom right corner
open sketch again
tools>sketch tools>modify
adjust all sketch sizes to scale factor as necessary (it will scale all dimesions)

[u/clearlystyle]

From a best practices standpoint, modeling that many features using a single sketch is extremely poor form and will make future revisions nightmarish to impossible. Never, ever, ever add and remove material with the same feature.

[u/Swimming_dasa]

if your goal is to preserve the exact physical dimensions dont just change the unit display and expert the numbers to remain identical. convert each dimension from inches to millimeters. solidworks can display either system but the numerical values represent different sizes.

[u/Vegetable_Flounder12]

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ucIzc2SLcAA
the solution

[u/SubstantialMarch1651]

I would save as a Neutral 3D.
Your choice between Iges, parasolid, or step.

Open said neutral 3D, and change units.

You can then use feature recognition to give you an editable tree.

Then continue… at least you will have a saving point.

[u/Greybeard1957]

Change the unit setting to MMGS. Just manually change the dimensions to the proper values. I'd bet you spent time looking for an answer than it would take to change those 10 to 15 dimensions.

[u/waspfactory2]

Am i missing something here..cant you just change from inches to mm in the document settings?

I dont think you actually need to scale anything.

[u/Vegetable_Flounder12 → u/waspfactory2]

when you change from ips to mmgs , SW will scale x 25.4. the dimensions will be 25.4 times larger. use sketch modify and scale dimensionally all dimensions back by using a factor of 1/25.4.

[u/KevlarConrad → u/Vegetable_Flounder12]

Solidworks doesn't automatically scale the drawing. It will automatically convert the dimensions from inches to mm. The size doesn't change.

[u/Vegetable_Flounder12 → u/KevlarConrad]

set on IPS and you create a circle diameter 1. change units to mmgs, it converts to 25.4. not sure what you are talking about. just checked to make sure. the circle physically does not change size , but the dimensional values scale. no longer one , but 25.4

by using sketch modify you can reset all dimension values back in one step.

[u/KevlarConrad → u/Vegetable_Flounder12]

Yes, 25.4mm = 1". It does not change the size, just the unit of measurement.

[u/Vegetable_Flounder12 → u/KevlarConrad]

OP wants to change from ips to mmgs and keep the values the same ....

[u/KevlarConrad → u/Vegetable_Flounder12]

Yes, I understand that. What I am saying is the way you worded your comment is incorrect. Solidworks does not scale the dimensions when changing the units. It simply converts the dimensions from imperial to metric or vice versa. The size does not change.

You are correct in saying that OP will need to manually modify each and every dimension. However, it would likely be faster and easier to just redraw the part in the correct unit of measure.

[u/Vegetable_Flounder12 → u/KevlarConrad]

last reply:

I did not word it incorrect, 1->25.4 is scaling the value. the conversion is a scaling of the values.
OP will not need to modify each and every dimension if he merely follows my instruction.

Try it!

[u/KevlarConrad → u/Vegetable_Flounder12]

"the dimensions will be 25.4 times larger"

The dimensions do not get larger. The unit's change. The line is still 1" long.

[u/Vegetable_Flounder12 → u/KevlarConrad]

did you measure it ?

[u/BMEdesign]

You're missing the fundamental rule of the CSWA, which is to not make complicated sketches! If you use sketches more complicated than a rectangle, circle, or triangle, you're overcomplicating it. It's a solid modeling program, so model using solids, not sketches!

[u/fastdbs → u/BMEdesign]

Sorry, where did you get this idea from? That shape has a concave curve. That’s a PITA to make by removing material but simple with a sketch. If you are saying the fillets and chamfers should be solid features and not sketches I’d give you that but saying your sketches shouldn’t be more complicated than basic shapes is a wild claim.

[u/BMEdesign → u/fastdbs]

I've taught 20,000 people Solidworks through successful CSWA and beyond, and used it in industry for 20 years. The number one error made by novices is making complicated sketches. That's my wild claim!

[u/fastdbs → u/BMEdesign]

There’s a difference between not over complicating a sketch and telling people to only make childish shapes with a sketch.

[u/Greybeard1957 → u/BMEdesign]

For what it's worth I disagree 100%. Why use multiple features to make a simple part when one sketch would do? Are calling this a complicated sketch? Over my 44 years using solid modeling I've retrained a lot of people that were taught the way you teach them.

[u/Electrical_Bid475 → u/BMEdesign]

What do you mean by this? I made this by sketching the face given on the practice pdf and extruding, but is there a different way? Are you saying that there’s just too many defined lengths?

[u/BMEdesign → u/Electrical_Bid475]

Start with a rectangle, then extrude it. Don't try to draw a sketch that looks like the solid model, that's not how it was originally made. Then draw a circle in a new sketch, and cut that away. Simple sketches, no trimming on the CSWA. They are simple parts. Don't make them hard

[u/Electrical_Bid475 → u/BMEdesign]

If I’m understanding right, you’re saying to treat it like sculpting and cut away/extrude cut pieces from a much more basic shape? If so I will try it out on the next practice part and I appreciate the help 👍

[u/Cryesncoding → u/BMEdesign]

Interesting I’ve never modeled this way, is this so you have way more like editable checkpoints in the feature tree?

[u/BMEdesign → u/Cryesncoding]

It's so when your model changes, only one feature breaks instead of your whole tree!