I have not found a setting or option for which Unit I am currently modelling. When I open a file made in MoI in Rhino, it comes in as Millimeters. Again, in Rhino, when I am in a drawing with Inch Units, MoI files imported come in as Inch units. I am not sure if the design of MoI is Unit specific or Unit irrelevant. Please advise the approach.

I just started playing with MoI a day ago, but already see extreme potential. I currently run AutoCad, SolidWorks, and Rhino3 with RhinoCam. The CAD trend I have been watching, with great interest, is the simplification of interface to a more cinematic approach and quicker access of commands without keyboard entry. Although I love shortcuts on the keyboard that allow me to scream through drawings in ACAD while codesigners swing their arms back and forth running from one icon to the next, the smooth interface of a well planned GUI is also quite appealing.

The blend between tablet and CAD with an essentially key free control has been beyond my search and/or patience, but now I have hope. I have tried all sorts of software tweaks and physical modifications to my tablet and keyboard configuration to make CAD environments friendly to my tablet, but all have left me miserable. The goal has been exactly what you (MoI) have shot for, sitting back in the chair with pen in hand and brainstorming at the moment. I am going to dig in heavily to MoI and see how far it can be pushed. It looks great and feels good too. If it continues to impress, I think I will be forced to get a tablet PC to take it all the way.

Thanks Mike!!

< sitting back in the chair with pen in hand and brainstorming at the moment
Better in lounge chair or Chesterfield Sofa:)

Not yet Unit in Moi : Only "gobal units"

Hi Michael:


To know in that units you this working in very important in everything
moment and I believe that gives a correct vision of what is sought to make

can I know in that moment that units are in use?

Best regards

Juan Galvan

Hi MadTooler,

> I am not sure if the design of MoI is Unit specific or Unit irrelevant. Please advise the approach.

Right now it is basically just a generic unit. It can be whatever you want if you just treat it in a consistent manner. The .3dm files written by MoI have a unit setting of "No units", which Rhino interprets as being in whatever the current unit system is in Rhino when you read the file in.

I have been planning on adding a proper unit setting for some time, I'll try to get this in for the next beta release.


I'm glad that the keyboard-free "sit back and draw" style suits you! As you use MoI in this manner, please let me know if you run into any areas that don't feel completely comfortable.

- Michael

> can I know in that moment that units are in use?

Hi Juan, right now you just make a decision what the units mean to you, there is no official setting for it yet.

But I do plan on adding a setting in soon, I'll try to get it for the next beta.

- Michael

Units are very useful when
1. someone exchanges files with someone with a different unit system.
2. Modeling something with parts of different size especially when plans are used (a part is drawn and measured in cm, another in mm.)
3. Modeling something with many parts of different size and using many files and then combining those files into one. So when I model a car, the main body is modeled in meters, the wheels in centimeters and the bolts in millimeters. When I want to combine those models into one you will get a veeery big bolt!

Of course there is always the scale command but it works only in certain cases. It doesn't work when the file has multiple objects because the distance between them is changed too.