Unit System
Gardenly3D supports both metric (meters) and imperial (feet and inches). You can switch at any time.
All measurements are stored internally in meters regardless of which unit system you choose. Switching the unit system only changes how distances and areas are displayed and entered — it does not alter your drawing.
Change the unit system
Open Project Settings from the top bar (the gear icon or Settings menu). Under the Units section, choose Metric or Imperial. All dimension labels, inspectors, and input fields update immediately.
Entering measurements
When a length input is active, type a value in the current unit system. You can also type a unit suffix to override — for example type "5ft" when in metric mode to enter five feet.
Adjust length precision
Below the unit system selector you can fine-tune precision. In Metric mode, choose how many decimal places to show for lengths (for example 0.01 m or 0.001 m). In Imperial mode, choose the inch fraction denominator — for example 1/8" or 1/16" — to control how finely dimensions are displayed.
Adjust area and volume precision independently
Separate precision controls are available for Area and Volume measurements. This lets you, for example, display lengths to the nearest centimeter while showing areas rounded to one decimal place — useful for planting plans and cost estimates.
Enter measurements with inline unit overrides
In any length input field you can type a unit suffix to override the current system for that one entry. For example, type 5ft or 5'6" while the project is in metric mode to enter five feet or five feet six inches. The value is immediately converted to meters and stored. Common suffixes include m, cm, mm, ft, in, and ' or " for feet and inches shorthand.
Imperial mode formats lengths as feet and inches — for example 5'3" — while metric mode shows meters with decimal precision, for example 1.60 m. Switching units at any point never rounds or changes the underlying geometry; only the display format changes.
Set the unit system before you start drawing. The New Project dialog lets you pick metric or imperial up front, and it auto-detects a sensible default from your browser locale. Changing units mid-project is safe but means any notes or printed PDFs created before the change will show different values than new ones.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will switching units change the size of my objects?
No. All geometry is stored in meters internally. Switching units only re-labels the same measurements in a different format. A fence that is 5 m long will read as 16'5" in imperial, but the object itself is unchanged.
Can I mix metric and imperial values in the same field?
Yes. You can type a unit suffix — such as "3ft" or "1.5m" — in any length input regardless of the active unit system. Gardenly3D converts the value to meters automatically and stores it. This is useful when working from a client brief that mixes units.
Do cost rates change when I switch units?
Cost rates are stored per meter or per square meter internally. When you switch to imperial, rate display and entry automatically convert to per-foot or per-square-foot. The total cost for an object remains the same — only the rate display format changes.
Where do I set the unit system for a brand-new project?
The New Project dialog includes a Unit System field. Select Metric or Imperial before creating the project. The app detects your browser locale and pre-selects the most likely system, but you can always change it.
Will switching units affect PDF exports and dimension labels?
Yes. All dimension annotations, area labels, and scale bars in PDF exports reflect the unit system that is active when you export. If you need to send both a metric and an imperial PDF, change the unit system, then export each version separately.