Library installations ALWAYS down load with imperial units... how do you change to metric??

[Luke Busby]

Hi there,

 

I'm a landscape designer in training.

 

One the most frustrating things I have come across whilst using Vectorworks (2022 sp3) over this past week is the issue with plant data units in the library files.

 

I have changed all the units in preferences to Metric and yet all the library files I'm downloading are in Imperial.  You would think that upon opening/ importing said files, that the program would automatically convert these units.... It does not!

 

This seems to be an issue dating back over a decade!

 

So, like so many others before me, why is this still happening and - how do you change these library units into metric please?

 

Many thanks,

Luke.

 

 

[Jeff Prince]

Are you using the Plant Database or Plant Catalog?

 

If the former, from the help menu…

“Switch between metric and imperial units for the Height and Spread fields with the Edit > Options > Use Imperial Value Lists or Use Metric Value Lists database commands”

[Luke Busby]

Thanks for responding.

 

No I'm using the plant catalog...

 

How do you  change the units in that plaese?

[Luke Busby]

Question: How do I change the plant catalog units from Imperial to Metric?

 

10 - 20 years later....

 

Answer: You Cant.

 

Question: Why...?  

 

Answer: eeeeerrr.... (no real reason at all that makes any sense.)

 

And so the beat goes on. 

I work in VFX for Film and TV and there are far more complicated pieces of software out there where the very notion of a simple unit change for such a fundamental part of a work process not being a simple flick of a switch would be laughed at.

 

Not good enough Vectorworks!

Edited January 9, 2023 by Luke Busby