In this quick tutorial we will see how to change units in SolidWorks 2021, same method will work for other versions.
But first let’s discover the default unit systems used in SolidWorks :
Measurement Units Used in SolidWorks
SolidWorks uses the following measurement units:
- MKS (metre, kilogram, second) : The MKS system of units also known as The metric system, is a physical system of measurement that uses the metre, kilogram, and second (MKS) as base units. The modern International System of Units (SI) was originally created as a formalization of the MKS system, used in the scientific and engineering communities worldwide. It’s widely used in physics, engineering, and other scientific disciplines.
- CGS (centimetre, gram, second): The CGS system is a variant of the metric system primarily used in theoretical physics, describing microscopic systems, relativistic electrodynamics, and astrophysics.
- IPS (Inch, Pound, Second): Inch (in): The unit of length in the imperial and U.S. customary systems, equal to 2.54 centimetre, Pound (lb): The unit of mass in the imperial and U.S. customary systems, equal to approximately 0.4536 kilograms.
- Common Usage: IPS units are primarily used in the United States and some other countries that follow the imperial or U.S. customary systems. They are commonly encountered in everyday measurements in the United States, such as in construction, aviation, and some engineering applications.
- MMGS (Millimeter, Gram, Second): Similar to CGS, MMGS units are as commonly used today but may be encountered in certain scientific and engineering applications, especially in historical literature or specific subfields.
How to Choose the Right Units to Use
It depend on a lot of factors such as what are you comfortable with, the dimensions of your project or where you and your client are located.
The use of units by country
Most world countries are stick to use the metric system, the United State alongside with Liberia and Myanmar uses the imperial system, The United Kingdom use both systems. In Canada and Philippines, the metric units are officially in use, but some organization uses other measurement systems.
The use of units Depending on your application
The Metric system was developed specifically for science and engineering, and pretty much every measurement system other than FPS is a metric system. You might work in CGS or MKS or SI, but they’re all metric systems that just changed a few units of measure just for convenience.
How to change measurement units in SolidWorks
In the right bottom corner you can access the units menu:
For more advance option you can go to options then select document properties and search for units.
There you can control the number of digits after decimal point.
You can also set the measurement unit when defining the dimension in the sketch.
