How Do You Find Drawing Units in AutoCAD?

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When working with AutoCAD, it is essential to understand the concept of drawing units. Drawing units determine the scale at which objects are created and displayed in your AutoCAD drawings. By setting the appropriate drawing units, you can ensure accurate measurements and precise designs.

Understanding Drawing Units

In AutoCAD, you have the flexibility to work with different types of units, such as inches, millimeters, feet, meters, and more. The choice of drawing units depends on the type of project you are working on and the specific requirements.

To find the drawing units in AutoCAD:

  1. Open AutoCAD: Launch the AutoCAD application on your computer by double-clicking its icon.
  2. Create a New Drawing: Click on “New” or go to “File” > “New” to create a new drawing file.
  3. Access Drawing Units: Once you have a new drawing open, go to the “Format” menu at the top or type “UNITS” in the command line and press Enter.

Finding Drawing Units Using Format Menu

To find drawing units using the Format menu:

  1. Select Format: Click on “Format” in the menu bar at the top of your screen.
  2. Select Units: From the drop-down menu that appears, click on “Units. “
  3. Unit Types:

    The Units dialogue box will open where you can see various options for unit types such as:

    • Inches
    • Feet
    • Miles
    • Millimeters
    • Meters
    • Kilometers
    • And more..
  4. Length Precision:

    Below the unit types, you will find the “Length Precision” section.

    Here, you can specify the number of decimal places to which lengths will be displayed and entered.

  5. Angle Type:

    In addition to length units, AutoCAD also allows you to set angle units. You can choose between degrees, radians, gradians, or surveyor’s units.


    Once you have selected the desired drawing units and made any necessary precision adjustments, click “OK” to apply the changes.

Finding Drawing Units Using Command Line

If you prefer using the command line to find drawing units:

  1. Type UNITS: In the command line at the bottom of your AutoCAD window, type “UNITS” (without quotes) and press Enter.
  2. Select Unit Type: AutoCAD will prompt you to select a unit type from the list of available options.