Establishes the unit display method.
If you enter fractions in numeric fields, they are converted to the correct value for the current units. For example, if units are set to Feet with Decimal Inches, and Default Units is set to Feet, type 37/45 and press ENTER for the result 0’9.867”, or 37/45’.
Note: To enter a fraction and a units specifier, place the specifier after the divisor. For example, enter 17/5’, but not 17’/5.
You can also add fractions. For example, to find the sum of 6 7/8” + 1’2 1/4”, type 6 7/8 1'2 1/4 and press ENTER.
You can convert between unit types by entering any valid unit specifier along with the number, and then pressing ENTER. The number is converted to the current unit display type. For example, if units are set to Meters, type 1/2 to get the result 0.5M. However, if you type 1/2’ or 6” the result is 0.152M.
Click one of the option buttons (Metric, US Standard, Custom, or Generic) to activate its settings.
Metric: Click the list and choose one of these metric units:
US Standard: Click the list and choose one of the following units. If you choose a fractional unit, the adjoining list activates to let you select the fractional component. The decimal units require no additional specification.
For the last two items, you can specify which unit is assumed when you enter a value in a numeric field and press ENTER without including a units specifier, such as ‘ for feet or “ for inches.
For example, if Feet is the default, typing 5 followed by ENTER results in 5 feet. Typing 5” followed by ENTER results in 0’5”. If Inches is the default, typing 5 followed by ENTER results in 0’5”. Typing 5’ followed by ENTER results in 5 feet.
Custom: Fill in the fields to define a custom unit of measurement.
Generic: This is the default option and is equal to the system unit used by 3D Studio MAX, which is one inch. You should reset the system unit only if you are working on a scene that is so huge or so tiny that 3D Studio MAX can no longer measure distances accurately using the default unit scale. If you change this value, you make the scale of the objects you create incompatible with objects in scenes created with the default unit scale.