Loads/Units shown on drawings 2

[EngDM]

How particular are you guys with the proper capitalization of units on drawings? Personally I prefer that everything is shown with the correct letter case, especially when it comes to the units that are named after someone I.E. Newtons or Pascals, but often time I am reviewing drawings and everything is uppercase. So you get stuff in the general notes for a distance such as MM for millimeters, or KN/M.

I know it is unlikely that any errors are actually made from this, since the units are so standardized, but in a case where MPa is shown as mPa, it technically makes a massive difference.

 

[jayrod12]

I am a stickler for it being shown properly. To me not following proper convention is just lazy drafting. They all like to live with their Caps Lock on, but they can turn it off or press shift to make the lower case work.

 

[GeorgeTheCivilEngineer]

I long ago switched to using lowercase on my drawings. It is easier to read and less prone to misinterpretation.

But before that, yes I would always use the correct case for units.

 

[dik]

I stipulate in my project notes the units in the event they are not shown with the dimension line.

 

[jerseyshore]

I am a stickler for it being shown properly. To me not following proper convention is just lazy drafting. They all like to live with their Caps Lock on, but they can turn it off or press shift to make the lower case work.

Same here. Case is less important in US units, but still, I always felt those deserve to be correctly written. I also use lowercase for o/c and w/ just because it looks nicer to me.

 

[EngDM]

Same here. Case is less important in US units, but still, I always felt those deserve to be correctly written. I also use lowercase for o/c and w/ just because it looks nicer to me.

I do the same with the "/" abbreviations.

O/C looks so aggressive like lower your voice fella.

 

[lucky-guesser]

ALL CAPS ALL THE TIME. MAKES IT SIMPLE.

But in all seriousness. Every company I've ever worked for has used this style and I've never had a problem with it.

 

[Greenalleycat]

99% of our drafting is ALL CAPS but I am a stickler for things being accurate for the 1% that matter: MPa is MPa not MPA or mpa, mm is mm not MM
It is precise and prevents stupid fuckups and it's also more natural to the reader: other industry docs they read will use mm not MM so I want it to be easy for them

I also like to use 'g' for gauge e.g. 14g screws (not 14G gauge), lower case 'x' for 400x400x300mm pad, etc - the point of plans is to be readable and convey the key messages, holding shift for 0.25s to accomplish that is worth it

 

[phamENG]

Yeah, I use all caps (except the / abbreviations). Units are all caps. But I'm in the US, so IN or FT isn't a big deal. I'm usually using X'-Y" anyway.

If I were using metric, I'd use proper letter case. mm is millimeter, but Mm is megameter.

 

[Greenalleycat]

Yeah, I use all caps (except the / abbreviations). Units are all caps. But I'm in the US, so IN or FT isn't a big deal. I'm usually using X'-Y" anyway.

If I were using metric, I'd use proper letter case. mm is millimeter, but Mm is megameter.

This is how I can get on the level with my friends at big firms designing hospitals etc...all my houses shall now be dimensioned in MEGAMETRES
Take that you elitist pricks

 

[bugbus]

To chime in, newtowns and pascals (when written out as units) are always spelt in lower case

Our notes are always in upper case, but when it comes to units I will insist on the correct case being used, e.g., MPa, kN, mm, etc.

Another thing that bugs me is not having a space between the number and the unit. This seems to divide people about 50/50, but I believe the proper way is with a space. Also, when the unit wraps over to the next line is even worse.

 

[Greenalleycat]

To chime in, newtowns and pascals (when written out as units) are always spelt in lower case

Our notes are always in upper case, but when it comes to units I will insist on the correct case being used, e.g., MPa, kN, mm, etc.

Another thing that bugs me is not having a space between the number and the unit. This seems to divide people about 50/50, but I believe the proper way is with a space. Also, when the unit wraps over to the next line is even worse.

I am definitely your enemy on the units thing. They tried to drill that into us at uni and I refused to adopt that convention, I like the unit being attached directly to the measurement. I will die on this hill.

But we can at least unite in our hatred of anyone that wraps their units to the next line.....though now that I think about it, that's never an issue for the superior engineers who don't put a space between number and unit

 

[Ingenuity]

...and for those in the US who use 'pagan units' , do you specify lb, lbf or lbm for pound?

 

[Greenalleycat]

...and for those in the US who use 'pagan units' , do you specify lb, lbf or lbm for pound?

I mean, do we care what they think or do?

 

[jerseyshore]

I do the same with the "/" abbreviations.

O/C looks so aggressive like lower your voice fella.

For sure. I also always write 2x4 instead of 2X4. Always small x for nominal wood sizes or steel shapes. They are meant to be lowercase x.

I draft from the school of make it look good. I haven't labeled a scale on a drawing in 5 years. Sometimes I might be not technically correct with things, but if it's readable and looks nice that's my goal. My products are my drawings.

 

[human909]

Another thing that bugs me is not having a space between the number and the unit. This seems to divide people about 50/50, but I believe the proper way is with a space. Also, when the unit wraps over to the next line is even worse.

That is the first time I've heard of the notion of putting a space between the number and the units....

I'll bet you $ 10.00 that more the 50 % or people find putting a space between prefixes and suffixes of units quite odd.

 

[RontheRedneck]

I'm usually happy if things are just spelled correctly:

 

[Ingenuity]

That is the first time I've heard of the notion of putting a space between the number and the units....

I'll bet you $ 10.00 that more the 50 % or people find putting a space between prefixes and suffixes of units quite odd.

Then the 'style police' will hunt you all down and get you.

From: stylemanual.gov.au

Put a non-breaking space between numbers and units​

People will read the number and its unit as a measurement only if the 2 components sit together. To do this, use a non-breaking space between numbers and their units of measurement.​

​

Without a non-breaking space, a unit could reflow to the next line. This would separate it from the quantity, making it difficult for users to understand the information being presented.​

​

Although this is important for all content, it’s more likely to happen on smaller screens, such as those on mobile devices.​

​

Like this​

The post should be at least 1.5 m tall.​

[The sentence has a   inserted between ‘1.5’ and ‘m’.]​

Not this​

The post should be at least 1.5
m tall.​

[A bad line break between the measurement and its unit]​

By convention, some industries don’t have a space between the quantity and the unit. Many 750 mL bottles of wine, for example, have the volume 750mL printed on the label.​

​

Check the preferred style if you are writing for a specialist application.​

 

[Euler07]

I long ago switched to using lowercase on my drawings. It is easier to read and less prone to misinterpretation.

We've done the same. Once you switch to lower case then you wonder why everyone else still does all caps, especially seeing a page full of notes in all caps. I think it's just fear of change?

 

[SWComposites]

and for those in the US who use 'pagan units' , do you specify lb, lbf or lbm for pound?

those are and shall be "Imperial" units. Not some silly French construct.
when its clear we are referring to a "force" its just "lb".
when it could be a mass or a force then use "lbm" or "lbf".
or just "slugs" and "stones".