topic Re: Scale bar showing as metric on imperial drawing in Documentation

Scale bar showing as metric on imperial drawing

Mik001 — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 02:44:51 GMT

Hi,

I am doing a small project in imperial units. All the project settings have been changed to imperial yet when I insert the default scale bar from the Object Tool I always get a metric scale bar.

The view has been saved out with all the imperial settings yet I still get a metric scale. Really quite annoying.

Anyone know what I'm doing wrong here? Sample screenshot included..

Operating system used: Windows 11

Re: Scale bar showing as metric on imperial drawing

Lingwisyer — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 03:09:03 GMT

That is an object, you will most likely have to manually tell it that you are using imperial units. Also, given this question is about an object, you should probably provide the name of said object as well as the library localisation / libpack you are using.

Ling.

ps. If that is the standard 28 Scale object, it does not seem to include anything for imperial conversion...

pss. You could possibly use my scale bar with a 2.54 Scale Unit

https://community.graphisoft.com/t5/Libraries-objects/Is-an-automatic-scale-bar-possible-on-layouts/m-p/287705/highlight/true#M1713

Re: Scale bar showing as metric on imperial drawing

Mik001 — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 03:43:14 GMT

Have you ever used the default scale bar included in AC before? I have, and this is the first time it has come in as a metric scale and not an imperial scale on an imperial drawing. There is no such setting to 'manually tell it you are using imperial units'. It normally comes in automatically based on the units the drawing is set up for. Hence my question.

For reference, see attached screenshot for the 'location'.

Re: Scale bar showing as metric on imperial drawing

Lingwisyer — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 03:20:10 GMT

Nope, I have not used it as it's representation never did not suit my needs so I made my own. I looked at it after I posted, and it does not look to be dynamic, nor is there a setting to adjust it.

~~Have tried loading the Annotation USA libpack, if you are not already using it?~~ Actually, that does not contain anything relevant...

this is the first time it has come in as a metric scale and not an imperial scale on an imperial drawing

In AC28? Wonder how it does that since the code does not seem to contain anything to do with scaling or detecting the dimension style...

Ling.

Re: Scale bar showing as metric on imperial drawing

Mik001 — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 03:32:39 GMT

I understand the frustration. Normally it works just fine and adjusts automatically based on the files' units that have been set up. Now, for some frustrating reason it just defaults to metric every single time. Very annoying.

Re: Scale bar showing as metric on imperial drawing

NO_AD — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 00:06:51 GMT

I am having the same issue with this object in A28. @Lingwisyer were you able to resolve somehow?

Re: Scale bar showing as metric on imperial drawing

Lingwisyer — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 01:02:22 GMT

As I said before, I do not use it, so I have not looked into it further. Maybe @Mik001 has found a resolution?

Re: Scale bar showing as metric on imperial drawing

AllanP — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 01:48:17 GMT

It is possible to code to detect the units being used for dimensions set in Project Preferences

n = REQUEST("LINEAR_DIMENSION", "", format_string)

if you the add this to a simple object, then add;

text 0,0, format_string

then a basic object can detect the format of dimensions i.e.

or for metric

using this principle you can get the object to select the correct style of Scale Bar

if STRSTR(format_string,”f”) > 0 then

!!! draw “Imperial Scale Bar”

endif

if STRSTR(format_string,”m”) > 0 then

!!!draw “Metric Scale Bar”

Endif

The Key problem is with the new libraries in Archicad 28/29 you will find Metric elements like the "Scale Bar" creeping in and replacing Imperial versions from the US library.

Graphisoft needs an option for a universal Scale Bar object to combine these with a setting like,

Unit;

Automatic

meter

decimeter

centimeter

millimeter

feet & fractional inches

feet & decimal inches

fractional inches

decimal inches

to match the dropdowns in the dimension settings;

From the GDL Manual;

format_string: "%[0 or more flags][field_width][.precision] conv_spec"

flags: (for m, mm, cm, dm, e, df, di, sqm, sqcm, sqf, sqi, dd, gr, rad, **beep**, l, cucm, cumm, cuf, cui, cuy, gal):

(none): right justify (default),

-: left justify,

+: explicit plus sign,

(space): in place of a + sign,

'*0': extra accuracy Off (default),

'*1': extra accuracy .5,

'*2': extra accuracy .25,

'*3': extra accuracy .1,

'*4': extra accuracy .01,

'*5': rounding to .5 within displayed decimal range, no returned extra accuracy string, (used for area calculations),

'*6': rounding to .25 within displayed decimal range, no returned extra accuracy string, (used for area calculations),

'*7': fills the fractional part of numeric_expression into the extra_accuracy_string in case of fi or ffi, while the returned expression of

the function does not contain the fractional parts,

'#': don’t display 0s (for m, mm, cm, dm, ffi, fdi, fi, df, di, sqm, sqcm, sqf, sqi, dd, fr, rad, **beep**, l, cucm, cumm, cuf, cui, cuy, gal),

'0': display 0 inches (for ffi, fdi, fi),

'~': hide 0 decimals (effective only if the '#' flag is not specified) (for m, mm, cm, dm, fdi, df, di, sqm, sqcm, sqf, sqi, dd, fr, rad, **beep**,

l, cucm, cumm, cuf, cui, cuy, gal),

'^': do not change decimal separator and digit grouping characters (if not specified, these characters will be replaced as set in the current

system).

'[1*j1+2*j2+4*j3]': display 0 inches before fractions, effective if the '0' flag is not specified (for ffi, fdi, fi)

j1: display 0 inches before fractions (0 3/4"), effective when value is smaller than 1 foot and not displaying 0 foot (the '#' flag is specified)

j2: display 0 whole inches after feet (1'-0"), effective when value is at least 1 foot

j3: display 0 inches before fractions (1'-0 3/4"), effective when value is at least 1 foot

Re: Scale bar showing as metric on imperial drawing

max_min — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 01:51:02 GMT

@Mik001 If I remember correctly you need to download and load the USA Archicad Legacy Objects library (second item on the list of the left menu):

https://www.graphisoft.com/en-us/downloads/?section=monolith-template-and-library&localization=USA

Re: Scale bar showing as metric on imperial drawing

Mik001 — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 02:31:57 GMT

I eventually got fed up and exploded the metric scale bar and manually made an imperial one from there. I'd love to turn it into a parametric object so I can just reload it into future projects, but I'm not smart enough for that!

Re: Scale bar showing as metric on imperial drawing

max_min — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 11:33:02 GMT

Actually I just checked, and in Archicad 28, the legacy object library was included within the installer. So all you have to do is open Library Manager and load the linked library directly from Application folder: /Graphisoft/Archicad 28/Archicad Legacy Objects

Once you do, you will find the object with the name "Graphic Scale_NCS"

Re: Scale bar showing as metric on imperial drawing

Lingwisyer — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 06:49:01 GMT

Here's a copy of my scale bar object. It is metric by default, but there is a scaling option so you can scale it by 2.54 to get inches.