Distorted "A" value

[Anonymous]

I'm working on an object (which unfortunately is too long and involved to post) and I have come up with a really weird problem. I am trying to use the "A" value to set the width of the object, but after getting some weird results I decided to check A's value via a TEXT tag. Turns out that while the "A" value is set to 50', the TEXT tags gives it as 15.24 and this is apparently also affecting some of the other calculations.

I've tried commenting out all the other code (2D minus print code, 3D, Parameter script, Master) and the value keeps coming out the same. I tried copying and pasting into a new object and the same thing. Am I missing something here? Shouldn't "A" ALWAYS be the value of A? And if it's changed somewhere in the block (which I can't find), shouldn't it show as the changed value in the Parameters?

Anybody got any ideas of what's going on or what I should check?

[Anonymous]

Sergio,
15.24 is in meters and is exactly equal to 50'-0" in imperial units.
When ever I use the "Print" command for verifying a length value
I have to remember to write print A*3.28084 to get A in feet because
AC works internally in meters.
If I want the value in inches I have to write print A*3.28084*12.
3.28084 is the conversion factor for meters to feet.
Peter Devlin

[Anonymous]

Peter wrote:
15.24 is in meters and is exactly equal to 50'-0" in imperial units.

Thank you so much for your help. I know I've read this multiple times before, but never paid it much attention since I didn't have to deal with it until now. Now then, on to button up this object...

[Anonymous]

Sergio,
I rounded off this conversion factor.
The more pricise number is:
3.2808398950131
Peter Devlin

[Anonymous]

Peter wrote:
The more pricise number is: 3.2808398950131

Got it. Thanks. Hard-coded it in there so I should be set from now on. Thank you again. Gotta love this forum and it's wonderful contributors...

[Frank Beister]

Why don't you use the STR- or STR{2}-command. It converts the metric value in any fractional or decimal inch or feet value. e.g. PRINT STR("%ffi",15.24)

[Anonymous]

F. wrote:
e.g. PRINT STR("%ffi",15.24)

K, this is weird. I found it a little weird about the transformation, but was trying to get the object wrapped up to give it much more thought then. But the confusion persisted.

So to see if I understand this correctly, it then appears that you give the object parameter an Imperial value (say 15'). AC works with it as an imperial value throughout the operations, but when you want to print it (to verify the vaule) the parameter gets changed into SI by default, and so you need to run it through the above "filters" to get the Imperial result.

Am I anywhere close with this (provided you understand my explanation)? Basically, I'm trying to find out where the change from Imperial to SI occurs in the object.

[Frank Beister]

AFAIK AC works internal in decimal meters. All values entered ore assigned are translated immediatly into this form. Each comparation (e.g. IF a>49' THEN...) is transformed before the comparation is done. So you have to reformat the value to the unit you like, before you do the text2 or text command. You would have to, if you would like to print out mm in stead of m. This you can do with STR as you can do with a hard multiplication. I would prefer STR.

P.S. Alle numeric parameter are handled in the same way. You can change the working units as you like. The values keeps the same, just the unit display changes.