What is the timeframe for offering metric units on the GlowForge? I’m going nuts trying to calculate using sub-sub-inches as measurement units. The idea of having to convert all my materials, designs and thinking to using weird fractional values is just really unappetizing. I’m surprised there’s not support for the world standard of measurement.
8 Likes
You don’t have to convert them…I design everything in mm. The only thing hat has to be entered in inches is the height of the material for unknown materials, and for that you just set your digital calipers to measure in inches.
3 Likes
I have some metric designs that I want to cut on the GF. Using Illustrator, I’ve setup an artboard for the usable space with imperial units, and then layer the metric designs within that space. It obviously won’t work for items that you want to manually place or move in the GFUI, but it allows you to avoid the conversion of measurements. I assume Inkscape would allow the same. Since I use mostly metric units on my CNCs, it would be nice if the GF supported metric as well.
1 Like
My Illustrator and F360 files are all set to metric units. Just save the SVG file and bring it into the GFUI…it doesn’t have to be converted first.
Default document size for AI is 304.8 mm x 508 mm.
3 Likes
it’s not like I’m going to start designing in inches here… I get the workarounds, I just want to know when they’re going to fix this. it feels like having to translate things into furlongs. (thousandths of an inch? it’s mental.)
1 Like
The UI might default to display in inches but it respects the absolute sizing and positioning of your design elements regardless of the unit of measurement you use.
Is the trouble that you’re resizing elements in the UI and having to use fractions for that? If so, I get it. But if you’re just designing in MM and not resizing elements, the original unit of measurement is irrelevant.
Alll the design I do is in SI. The only conversion I’ve had to use with GF is setting the focus height (in) and tweaking my slots so that proofgrade fits snugly, which is going to be mm or decimal (in) anyway. Where are you running into extensive conversions?
The focus height is the only thing I can think of that might need a mm setting.
thousandths of an inch? it’s mental.
Even as a proponent of SI, 0.001" its no more mental than .01mm (10µm). At least it’s a decimal and not 3/2048"
1 Like
That is a bit concerning…
Is that hard-coded in or do they have an option for Metric?
It is not easy to find digital calipers here with Imperial options and i cannot see why the Glowforge UI cannot do a simple one-line conversion in-code.
2 Likes
Yep. That’s the way it’'s currently set up.
At the moment it’s just inches. seems fairly trivial to add the option, its also fairly trivial to measure with your calipers in mm and divide by 25.4 to get inches until they add it.
2 Likes
I’m no calipers connoisseur or something. But is that true?! I’m quite surprised since the super-cheap ones I bought on Amazon have a one-touch button to switch back and forth on-the-fly.
2 Likes
We don’t use Amazon as much out this way, though that might be changing soon since they are apparently opening up a fulfillment centre in Melbourne.
Whilst Canada is obviously geographically and culturally close to the US, that is not the case so much here. Most of our stuff comes through Asia and ebay.
The only thing i get from Amazon is out-of-print Games and books for my Kindle. Hard copy books I get through the UK.
The last time i looked at the figures (and that was not too recently mind you) Asia producers/distributors were greatly preferred over European producers/distributors and then lastly US/The Americas.
In part that is because of the whole Imperial issue.
I (personally) don’t feel like paying for a set of US calipers: then for the $A -> $US conversion fee, then for postage cost for something i can get 25% cheaper through Asia - or not need at all because of a single toggle button and line of code in the UI.
2 Likes
I understand all of your points. But I think you might have missed mine. 
Nothing to do with where you purchase. I was simply saying mine were very cheap (in price and quality) and they had it, so I’m just surprised you’ve actually encountered difficulty getting your hands on some (if you wanted to).
1 Like
Picofurlongs?
1 Like
Ha ha! 
I think we are cross-purpose here.
You are in Canada which is right next to the US.
I am in Australia, which is 9437km away from the US.
You have access to (and literacy with) Metric/Imperial because not only do you share a border with the only major nation that uses this system, but you also share trade routes. It is only natural that duel systems be sent to that Region because of the single significant user (the USA).
In our case we do not share any such geographic or trade connection.
What is the point of sending Imperial capable units to a nation/region that has no use for them?
This is ESPECIALLY true for the cheapies… if Glowforge (a premium brand i think we all agree) is unwilling to add a simple converter for the 95% of the World that DOESN’T use Imperial… why would ‘Super Global Callipers’ of Guangzhou put Imperial options on units that 95% of the World doesn’t need and that are not being shipped to the one Region that does?
A further thought, since all the Production machines are US-only right now.
Is it possible that Glowforge might be adding this simple fix to the International Units scheduled for 2018?
1 Like
This Australian seller goes so far as to list their product with Imperial measurements: https://core-electronics.com.au/6-digital-calipers.html so I do believe you can obtain them locally. But to your point, yes it is very annoying that this limitation exists in the UI.
1 Like
I’m in the US.
Again, I do see all of your points. And I don’t disagree with any of them. Doesn’t make me any less surprised.
2 Likes
Must be talking about the old dial type calipers. Looked at probably 100 digital calipers sold through .au web addresses. Every one had both mm/inches. Didn’t matter whether they cost $hundreds or $10s.
Understand the desire to work in mm and I’m sure it will eventually be offered. But ordering a consumer product from a US company shouldn’t shock anyone that decimal inches will be the priority. It would be like me ordering a boot from an Australian company and expecting it to come in U.S. sizes. BTW: U.S., U.K., AU and EU all use different non metric freaky measurements. I demand it be changed to match mine.
2 Likes
LOL, was waiting to for someone to post an obscure retailer with one available!
And yup, that is about all i would pay… but notice they are also out of stock with no restock planned (i wanted to check the postage cost since Bunnings are around that price but with no postage add-on obviously).
Yeah, kind’a bizarre isn’t it… but the more i think about it the more one would expect this is added in closer to International Release.
As others have pointed out, even Americans seem to be designing in metric… what triggered all this was the post from Jules who designs in mm apparently. So the internal metric Converter would be of use for all.
As the Mars Climate Orbiter knows having to switch from 2 measurement systems to achieve a single goal leads too easily to user error
If shoe sizes could be changed with a single line of code i can assure you my wife would be very very happy indeed.
3 Likes