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Display units
Jodu maintains your entire building model in exact metric coordinates internally, but displays all lengths, areas, volumes, and material quantities in whichever unit system you prefer.
The unit setting belongs to the project, ensuring that the Plan canvas, dimension annotations, schedules, quantities (BOQ), drawing sheets, and 3D views always read consistently.
What length units can I choose?
You can choose from three primary length formats in Project settings:
| Setting | Display format | Typical usage | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feet and inches | ft' in" (e.g. 12' 6") | Residential practice in India | 9.0 m reads as 29' 6" |
| Metres | m (e.g. 9.00 m) | Architectural planning & drawings | 9.00 m |
| Millimetres | mm (e.g. 9000 mm) | Structural detailing & shop drawings | 9000 mm |
How precise are the display numbers?
You can configure length rounding display:
- Metric projects: Choose 1 mm (exact) or 5 mm (construction rounding).
- Feet-and-inch projects: Choose 1/8 inch, 1/4 inch, 1/2 inch (default), or 1 inch.
Note: Precision changes only how numbers are formatted on your screen. The underlying building model always retains exact floating-point metric coordinates, so switching units or display precision never shifts walls or moves geometry.
Area and volume units
Area and volume displays automatically adapt to your chosen unit preference:
| Measurement | Imperial unit | Metric unit | Contractor unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Room / Floor Area | Square feet (sq ft / sqft) | Square metres (m² / sqm) | — |
| Plot / Site Area | Square feet / Square yards (Gaj) | Square metres (m²) | Guntha / Cent |
| Concrete & Masonry Volume | Cubic feet (cu ft / cft) | Cubic metres (m³) | Brass (100 cu ft = 2.83 m³) |
| Sand & Coarse Aggregate | Brass (100 cu ft) | Cubic metres (m³) | Brass |
| Cement | Bags (50 kg / 1.25 cu ft) | Bags / Metric tonnes | 50 kg Bag |
| Reinforcement Steel | Kilograms (kg) / Tonnes (MT) | Kilograms (kg) / Tonnes | Metric Tonne (1000 kg) |
Typed input with units
When typing values into tool input fields (such as drawing a Wall or offsetting geometry), you can type numbers in any unit by including the unit suffix:
9.0 mor9m— 9 metres230 mmor0.23 m— 230 millimetres (standard 9-inch brick wall)115 mmor0.115 m— 115 millimetres (standard 4.5-inch partition wall)1500 mmor1.5 m— 1.5 metres (standard window width)2100 mmor2.1 m— 2.1 metres (standard door height)
Jodu automatically converts the typed value into the exact metric coordinate without requiring you to switch display preferences.
Indian residential construction conversion cheat-sheet
| Metric | Imperial / Regional | Practical rule of thumb |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0 m | 3.2808 ft (3' 3⅜") | 1 metre is roughly 3 feet 3 inches |
| 0.23 m (230 mm) | 9 inches (0.75 ft) | Standard exterior brick wall thickness |
| 0.115 m (115 mm) | 4.5 inches (0.375 ft) | Standard interior partition wall thickness |
| 1.0 m² | 10.764 sq ft | Multiply sqm by 10.76 to get sq ft |
| 100.0 sq ft | 9.29 m² | Standard small bathroom / balcony area |
| 1.0 m³ | 35.315 cu ft (0.353 Brass) | Volume of concrete or brickwork |
| 1 Brass | 100 cu ft = 2.8317 m³ | Standard truckload measurement for sand/aggregate |
| 1 Bag Cement | 50 kg = 1.25 cu ft = 0.0347 m³ | ~28.8 bags per cubic metre of pure cement |
| 1 Metric Tonne (MT) | 1000 kg = 10 Quintals | Steel reinforcement rebar procurement unit |
Related
- Precision input — typed entry, snapping, and modifiers
- Quantities and BoQ — material statement and unit conversions
- Glossary — common construction terms and definitions