Metric and Imperial Scale Conversions: Cheat Lists

Issue

You're looking to convert a site plan from Imperial to metric and wondering what standard metric scale you should use in the new viewport (or vice versa). Maybe you're trying to save in a detail into your Imperial detail library that was originally metric.

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Solution

Here's a comprehensive guide to everything Imperial to metric, and metric to Imperial, that you might use in AutoCAD for site, landscape, and irrigation plans.

Plot scale conversions

Plot scale conversions: Imperial to metric
Plot scale conversions: Metric to Imperial

Simple length conversions

Simple length conversions: Imperial to metric
Simple length conversions: Metric to Imperial

Plot scale conversions

Plot scale conversions: Imperial to metric

Standard Imperial Engineering Scale

1"=10'

1"=20'

1"=30'

1"=40'

1"=50'

1"=60'

1"=70'

1"=80'

1"=90'

1"=100'

1"=150'

1"=200'

1"=300'

1"=400'

1"=500'

Actual Equivalent: Metric

1:120

1:240

1:360

1:480

1:600

1:720

1:840

1:960

1:1080

1:1200

1:1800

1:2400

1:3600

1:4800

1:6000

Closest Standard Metric Scale

1:125

1:250

1:400

1:500

1:600

1:750

1:1000

1:1250

1:2000

1:2500

1:4000

1:5000

Standard Imperial Architectural Scale

1' = 1'-0"

6" = 1'-0"

3" = 1'-0"

1 1/2" = 1'-0"

1" = 1'-0"

3/4" = 1'-0"

1/2" = 1'-0"

3/8" = 1'-0"

1/4" = 1'-0"

3/16" = 1'-0"

1/8" = 1'-0"

3/32" = 1'-0"

1/16" = 1'-0"

1/32" = 1'-0"

1/64" = 1'-0"

1/128" = 1'-0"

Actual Equivalent: Metric

1:1

1:2

1:4

1:8

1:12

1:16

1:24

1:32

1:48

1:64

1:96

1:128

1:192

1:384

1:768

1:1536

Closest Standard Metric Scale

1:1

1:2

1:5

1:10

1:15

1:25

1:30

1:50

1:75

1:100

1:125

1:200

1:400

1:750

1:1500

Plot scale conversions: Metric to Imperial

Standard Metric Scale

1:1

1:2

1:5

1:7.5

1:10

1:12.5

1:15

1:20

1:25

1:30

1:40

1:50

1:75

1:100

1:125

1:150

1:200

1:250

1:300

1:400

1:500

1:600

1:750

1:1000

1:1250

1:1500

1:2000

1:2500

1:3000

1:4000

1:5000

1:10000

Actual Equivalent: Arch Imperial

1' = 1'-0"

6" = 1'-0"

2 2/5" = 1'-0"

1 3/5" = 1'-0"

1 1/5" = 1'-0"

24/25" = 1'-0"

4/5" = 1'-0"

3/5" = 1'-0"

12/25" = 1'-0"

2/5" = 1'-0"

3/10" = 1'-0"

6/25" = 1'-0"

4/25" = 1'-0"

3/25" = 1'-0"

12/125" = 1'-0"

2/25" = 1'-0"

3/50" = 1'-0"

6/125" = 1'-0"

1/25" = 1'-0"

3/100" = 1'-0"

3/125" = 1'-0"

1/50" = 1'-0"

2/125" = 1'-0"

3/250" = 1'-0"

6/625" = 1'-0"

1/125" = 1'-0"

3/500" = 1'-0"

3/625" = 1'-0"

1/250" = 1'-0"

3/1000" = 1'-0"

3/1250" = 1'-0"

3/2500" = 1'-0"

Closest Std. Arch Imperial

1' = 1'-0"

6" = 1'-0"

3" = 1'-0"

1 1/2" = 1'-0"

1" = 1'-0"

3/4" = 1'-0"

1/2" = 1'-0"

3/8" = 1'-0"

1/4" = 1'-0"

3/16" = 1'-0"

1/8" = 1'-0"

3/32" = 1'-0"

1/16" = 1'-0"

1/32" = 1'-0"

1/64" = 1'-0"

1/128" = 1'-0"

-

Actual Equivalent: Eng. Imperial

1' = 1'

1" = 0.17'

1" = 0.42'

1" = 0.625'

1" = 0.833'

1" = 1.04'

1" = 1.25'

1" = 1.667'

1" = 2.083'

1" = 2.5'

1" = 3.333'

1" = 4.17'

1" = 6.25'

1" = 8.33'

1" = 10.417'

1" = 2.5'

1" = 16.66'

1" = 20.833'

1" = 25'

1" = 33.333'

1" = 41.66'

1" = 50'

1" = 62.5'

1" = 83.34'

1" = 104.167'

1" = 125'

1" = 166.667'

1" = 208.333'

1" = 250'

1" = 333.333'

1" = 416.66'

1" = 833.333'

Closest Std. Eng Imperial

1' = 1'

-

1" = 4'

-

1" = 8'

1" = 10'

1" = 15'

1" = 20'

1" = 30'

1" = 40'

1" = 50'

1" = 60'

1" = 80'

1" = 100'

1" = 150'

1" = 200'

1" = 300'

1" = 400'

1" = 1000'

Simple length conversions

You can simply google "m to ft" or "ft to m" to find a calculator. The list below includes conversions for a few common mearurements.

Simple length conversions: Imperial to metric

1" = 25.4mm

1" = 0.8333m

1' = 304.8mm

1' = 0.3048m

Simple length conversions: Metric to Imperial

1mm = 0.03937"

1mm = 0.00328'

1m = 39.3701"

1m = 3.28'

Contact

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3940 Broad St. STE 7
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
+1 805-541-1003

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