Switch Units
deFlex stores all values internally in a fixed unit system (mm, N, MPa, kg/m3, degrees) and converts them for display based on your chosen unit preset. Switching presets changes how values are shown throughout the interface without altering the underlying data.
How to switch units
- Look at the status bar along the bottom edge of the viewport. Near the right side, you will see the name of the active unit preset (e.g., "Metric (mm)") with a small downward arrow.
- Click the preset name to open the Unit System dropdown.
- Select one of the available presets. The change takes effect immediately across the entire interface.
The unit preset is saved per scene. Different scenes can use different unit systems.
Available presets
| Preset | Length | Force | Pressure | Density | Angle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metric (mm) | mm | N | MPa | kg/m3 | deg |
| Metric (m) | m | kN | GPa | kg/m3 | deg |
| Imperial | in | lbf | psi | g/cm3 | deg |
The default preset for new scenes is Metric (mm).
Where units appear in the interface
Unit-aware values are displayed in several places:
- Status bar cursor coordinates -- the X and Y position readout uses the active length unit and adjusts decimal precision accordingly (1 decimal for mm, 3 for inches, 4 for meters).
- Properties panel -- dimension fields (width, height, depth), position coordinates, and material properties all reflect the active units.
- Transform gizmo labels -- the editable position, rotation, and dimension labels on the Move, Rotate, and Scale gizmos display values in the active length unit.
- Viewport grid -- grid line spacing adapts to "nice" round intervals for the active length unit (e.g., 10 mm, 1 inch, 0.01 m).
- Solver parameters -- force and pressure inputs in the solver configuration reflect the active force and pressure units.
Decimal precision by unit
Each unit has a default number of decimal places:
| Category | Unit | Decimals |
|---|---|---|
| Length | mm | 1 |
| Length | cm | 2 |
| Length | m | 4 |
| Length | in | 3 |
| Length | ft | 4 |
| Force | N | 1 |
| Force | kN | 3 |
| Force | lbf | 2 |
| Pressure | Pa | 0 |
| Pressure | MPa | 1 |
| Pressure | GPa | 3 |
| Pressure | psi | 1 |
| Density | kg/m3 | 0 |
| Density | g/cm3 | 2 |
| Angle | deg | 1 |
| Angle | rad | 4 |
Internal unit system
For reference, the internal (storage) units are:
| Category | Internal unit |
|---|---|
| Length | millimeters (mm) |
| Force | newtons (N) |
| Pressure | megapascals (MPa) |
| Density | kg/m3 |
| Angle | degrees (deg) |
All conversions are lossless -- switching back and forth between presets does not introduce rounding errors in the stored data.
Related pages
- Status Bar -- where the unit switcher is located
- Viewport Tools -- gizmo labels that reflect the active units
- Keyboard Shortcuts -- general shortcut reference