Any plans to support importing models in Inches,etc...

[jonnybischof 60]

"Metric will govern".

Making anything new in imperial units is just wrong.

 

[korneel 176]

this seems to be an interesting discussion.

*grabs popcorn*

 

[Dim3nsioneer 557]

"Metric will govern".

Making anything new in imperial units is just wrong.

 

Please tell this the TV and tire manufacturers...

 

[jonnybischof 60]

I read this on a datasheet for some electronic component. I liked it

 

[aviphysics 9]

Except when you use Cura. See it as a small step in the proper direction ;-)

 

I love it. I too have hopes that the maker movement will plant the seeds of the metric system in the states (even if it was primarily popularized by early 19th century French fascists)

[aviphysics 9]

I'll never understand why a country which fought an Independence War against the British Empire still uses Imperial units.

 

We don't. Our units are different. For example, a U.S. pint is a pound but the British pint is 1 and 1/4 pounds. Seems like those crazy Brits just can't get enough of their beer.

[zumfab 3]

We don't. Our units are different. For example, a U.S. pint is a pound but the British pint is 1 and 1/4 pounds. Seems like those crazy Brits just can't get enough of their beer.

 

That is exactly why a sane business would not want to get involved in that meddle. It can only lead to trouble. I mean, they could not even get some parts of the ISS made on both sides of the pond to match up properly. That does not bode well for the rest of us.

Sorry Burma, sorry Liberia

 

[Dim3nsioneer 557]

We don't. Our units are different. For example, a U.S. pint is a pound but the British pint is 1 and 1/4 pounds. Seems like those crazy Brits just can't get enough of their beer.

 

Pounds? Why not litres or kilograms?

 

[aviphysics 9]

Pounds? Why not litres or kilograms?

 

Because drinking beer by the Liter would be excessive.

I would however like bars to use those glasses with the lines etched on em. Drives me nuts how so many places just fill the glass all the way to the top and don't leave any room for the head.

[drayson 75]

Damn, the nice white head has to be on top of the beer... not inside the glass... In German called "schaumkrone" - everything without is not a beer, even in Austria :-)

[mastory 44]

Why not just always scale to 0.0394 if you have designed in inches..?

 

I think it was some such scale factor that caused the crash of a NASA space probe. One or more design teams were working in Imperial units and others were engineering in Metric. The conversion wasn't exact and there were problems where the designs/programs met. A more accurate scale factor should be used where errors can accumulate (*10/254). Certainly if dealing in anything heavy in physics, the metric system is the way to go.

When I was in grade school in the mid seventies our teachers told us that the US would be converted over to Metric by 1980. As we know, it hasn't happened. Heavy industry here is deeply invested with capital equipment that is scaled in inches. Raw materials and standard industrial hardware are by standard available in inch sizes with metric stock being hard to find. As a machine designer in the US with the readily available inch size commodity items, designing and building equipment here is more convenient in inches. My precision measuring equipment and lathe are scaled in inches. A change is happening slowly, but I think it will take another 50 years.

Thomas Jefferson was on record as an early proponent of the metric system in the US. That was prior to the industrial revolution and had we changed then, this inch thing would be long gone.

If all things were equal, I'd prefer the Metric system, but either is fine really. When the systems are mixed is the real PITA.

Since my calipers are scaled in inches, I would like to be able to enter my filament diameter in inches. It's only one quick calculation to make the conversion though.

A plugin that made it possible to enter a single program input in inches - the filament diameter (only and nothing else) and see the only the calculated outputs of overall X,Y and Z print size and filament usage in inches would be useful to users in the US. None of the other inputs make any sense in inches. I'm not really asking for this, just offering a reasonable compromise the could make sense and keep dual unit calculations out of the core program. I completely understand why its like it is and the reasoning (and the authority) for not changing it.

Matt

 

[aviphysics 9]

Damn, the nice white head has to be on top of the beer... not inside the glass... In German called "schaumkrone" - everything without is not a beer, even in Austria :smile:

 

In the USA, a lot of places fill the glass until it overflows a little and all the foam runs off.

 

[henri 3]

Replying to Visu-AL

Yes it is a concidence

 

[visu-al 2]

I think it was some such scale factor that caused the crash of a NASA space probe. One or more design teams were working in Imperial units and others were engineering in Metric. The conversion wasn't exact and there were problems where the designs/programs met. A more accurate scale factor should be used where errors can accumulate (*10/254). Certainly if dealing in anything heavy in physics, the metric system is the way to go.

When I was in grade school in the mid seventies our teachers told us that the US would be converted over to Metric by 1980. As we know, it hasn't happened. Heavy industry here is deeply invested with capital equipment that is scaled in inches. Raw materials and standard industrial hardware are by standard available in inch sizes with metric stock being hard to find. As a machine designer in the US with the readily available inch size commodity items, designing and building equipment here is more convenient in inches. My precision measuring equipment and lathe are scaled in inches. A change is happening slowly, but I think it will take another 50 years.

Thomas Jefferson was on record as an early proponent of the metric system in the US. That was prior to the industrial revolution and had we changed then, this inch thing would be long gone.

If all things were equal, I'd prefer the Metric system, but either is fine really. When the systems are mixed is the real PITA.

Since my calipers are scaled in inches, I would like to be able to enter my filament diameter in inches. It's only one quick calculation to make the conversion though.

A plugin that made it possible to enter a single program input in inches - the filament diameter (only and nothing else) and see the only the calculated outputs of overall X,Y and Z print size and filament usage in inches would be useful to users in the US. None of the other inputs make any sense in inches. I'm not really asking for this, just offering a reasonable compromise the could make sense and keep dual unit calculations out of the core program. I completely understand why its like it is and the reasoning (and the authority) for not changing it.

Matt

 

Nice answer. But you say it yourself when the system is mixed it brings in problems. i would keep cura all metric to have no problems and you can buy a metric caliper for 5$ ?

 

[mastory 44]

Nice answer. But you say it yourself when the system is mixed it brings in problems. i would keep cura all metric to have no problems and you can buy a metric caliper for 5$ ?

 

Yes, the irony did occur to me as I wrote that

 

[area0404 0]

Actually, I always thought a vast majority of length measurement tools come in both metric and imperial... And I just realized that my caliper doesn't. Ha!

 

[aviphysics 9]

Here you go. $20 for a pair of digitial calipers that read in both Inch and Metric units.

http://www.harborfreight.com/6-in-digital-caliper-with-sae-and-metric-fractional-readings-68304.html

This one is only $10

http://www.harborfreight.com/6-inch-digital-caliper-47257.html

 

[Anders Olsson 136]

This is an interesting topic.

When it comes to ease of use I prefer metric, mainly because we don't use fractions, but decimal numbers.

Form an engineers point of view though, the application of the metric system makes things quite ugly some times.

Just look at metric screws, where pitch and sizes are just even numbers in metric and has nothing to do with optimizing the properties of the screw.

The gap between M6 and M8-screws for example, or the fact that M5 has a pitch comparable to fine thread where most other normal pitch metric screws are in between coarse and fine.

One can be a bit clever when designing things that will reach the world market though.

For critical dimensions for example, use 12,7 mm instead of 13 and 25,4 instead of 25.

That way you end up with a reasonable number both in metric and in imperial units.

The same thing goes for screws. If you can use M5-threaded holes, they will be compatible with UNF #10-32 screws too :smile:

 

[aviphysics 9]

This is an interesting topic.

When it comes to ease of use I prefer metric, mainly because we don't use fractions, but decimal numbers.

Form an engineers point of view though, the application of the metric system makes things quite ugly some times.

Just look at metric screws, where pitch and sizes are just even numbers in metric and has nothing to do with optimizing the properties of the screw.

The gap between M6 and M8-screws for example, or the fact that M5 has a pitch comparable to fine thread where most other normal pitch metric screws are in between coarse and fine.

One can be a bit clever when designing things that will reach the world market though.

For critical dimensions for example, use 12,7 mm instead of 13 and 25,4 instead of 25.

That way you end up with a reasonable number both in metric and in imperial units.

The same thing goes for screws. If you can use M5-threaded holes, they will be compatible with UNF #10-32 screws too :smile:

 

If you want a terrible screw, all you need is to grab a 1/4" 28. Those things are just about the worst and will vibrate lose if you so much look at them wrong. M5 is a far superior choice.

Also, for some reason nearly all SAE screws/bolts I come across seem to be total junk compared to the metric screws. I don't know why, but metric screws just seem to be made to higher tolerances.

 

[amyinnh 0]

But you say it yourself when the system is mixed it brings in problems.

 

Cura has 5 language options under Preferences. It's just strings on the UI, not five versions of Cura. Does it add problems? Yes. Change it to French, restart Cura. Go under "Machine", still in English, "Add New Machine". Bugs happen, but not a reason to not do something.

Same thing, units is merely a mathematical choice of language, in this case, metric. No imperial preference means human is doing the conversions (over and over), much more error prone. I'd put my money on Daid over consistency in user conversions. One bug found, Daid fixes for everyone, once whereas human conversion, error occurs randomly again and again. The entire point of engineering is to resolve complexity and eliminate/reduce errors. If the target market for Cura is only metric using countries, then the conversation regarding imperial is irrelevant.

3D overall is pretty ugly at the moment, in its evolution. Apparently no IETF-like organization, to converge on standards. Some tools solve by providing all of the above and let user select file types, units, etc. and some contrain to one language/file type/unit/etc. I'm finding myself often looping backwards, in process, to resolve output file type, units, etc.

 

[amyinnh 0]

Problem is that it gives tons of extra places where this can go wrong. (Especially in the current codebase)

Yes and no. I simply initially made Cura for myself. As I wanted to print with less effort (going from model to print was quite difficult back then). I always have hobby projects, right now, I'm building an "space ship bridge simulator" for example.

 

Similarly, I'm up to my elbows in solving a problem for myself, and find it very useful to other hobbyists. A viable solution now, thanks to 3D printing.

 

[fast-one 0]

I also want to set the Cura default to inches so the part designed in inches can go to Cura in inches without always having to type in a scale factor.

 

[Dim3nsioneer 557]

What about designing in mm? When you have switched, please convince the rest of your country to do the same...

 

[nallath 1,120]

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/senior_year

 

[yellowshark 153]

LOL you should move to the UK. We buy our petrol in litres and measure our fuel consumption in miles per gallon. We buy our wine in centilitres and our beer in pints. We buy our clothes in inches and our fabrics in metres. I think we buy our wood in inches and our kitchen cabinets in mm. No doubt something to do with our symbiotic relationship with our European partners