Grade Tool Unit Control

[EricK]

I would like to request Unit and Labelling for the grade tool similar to the Stake Tool. Units for grading are often not the same as the drawing units. our drawings are usually millimetres and vertical grading units are often metres to conform to the survey units. 

 

Also the ability to label a grade is important such as bottom of stair, bottom of curb, etc.

 

Stake has all of these features. We have to double the amount of work in our grading drawings by using the Grade Tool to calculate and show slopes and the use the Stake Tool as a 2D graphic for labelling. Very time consuming.

[Kevin]

Agreed. The challenge that I have is mixing decimal feet with fractional. In some cases dual dimensioning works, but I see no way to get the grade tool to display decimal feet unless I set Document Preference Units to decimal as the primary. That then causes havoc with all of my architectural work, that is using feet and inches.

 

What do other people do?

[EricK]

On 2018-01-19 at 3:26 PM, Kevin said:

Agreed. The challenge that I have is mixing decimal feet with fractional. In some cases dual dimensioning works, but I see no way to get the grade tool to display decimal feet unless I set Document Preference Units to decimal as the primary. That then causes havoc with all of my architectural work, that is using feet and inches.

 

What do other people do?

I keep the slope arrows generated by the grading tool and used a stake as a graphical object only typing in the value from the grade tool. A right pain in the a$$.

[Kevin]

Thanks EricK. I have done the same thing, but it seems like a crime to not take advantage of what is a useful tool. 

[Steven Valenziano]

3 years later, is there a solution to this?  Still a pain 😞

[Jess_J]

Would love to have it show decimal feet.  There's no way I'm coordinating with a civil engineer in feet-inches. 

 

Also, anyone know how to change the font size?

[ericjhberg]

Ugh...this request has been made over and over again for not only the grade tool, but the site model and site modifiers as well. Unfortunately, no fix in sight.

 

@Jess_J, the font size is changable by the general font size control under the Text dropdown.

Edited June 30, 2021 by ericjhberg

[Scott Schwartz, AIA]

Same here. We use feet and inches but want benchmarks notated  in decimals of feet, to match what the surveyors work from. They laugh at us if we show  a 235' - 7 3/16" benchmark. 

 

Does VW talk to US Architects at all on this kind of detail? Call me.

[EricK]

Bumping this. I don’t understand how this isn’t being addressed. It’s a serious workflow issue.