Architects in the U.S. typically dimension their drawings using feet, inches, and fractions. Unfortunately, when shop drawings come back from manufacturers for review, the dimensions are often shown as inches and fractions only.
This can make comparisons between the architectural drawings and shop drawings more time-consuming than they need to be—especially on projects with numerous window types and heavily dimensioned details.
To help streamline the review process, I created a short video demonstrating:
• How to create an Inch-Only or Inch-and-Fraction dimension style in AutoCAD
• How to quickly convert a large number of dimensions from Architectural (feet-inch-fraction) format to Inch-Only or Inch-and-Fraction format in just a couple of clicks
By matching the dimension format used in the shop drawings, it becomes much easier to compare dimensions and spot discrepancies.
Although the example focuses on windows, the same technique can be useful when reviewing shop drawings for doors, cabinetry, appliances, millwork, and many other construction-related items.
If you encounter shop drawings containing overly complex fractions such as 23/128″, you may also find this related post helpful:
Simplifying Overly-Complex Fractions in AutoCAD and Revit
Here is the video on converting AutoCAD dimension styles to “Inch-Only” or “Inch-Fraction”:
I hope you find this tip useful. Keep on CADDing!
Mark