FT2M-bgol (Feet-Inch Text to Metre Converter)

Command Type: AutoLISP routine (works in AutoCAD, BricsCAD, ZWCAD and most AutoLISP-compatible CAD platforms)
Developed by: BGol Community, bgol.in

Inspired by the general concept of feet-inch-to-metre text converters used in survey/civil drafting. This is an original, independently written routine, new file name, new command name, new source code, created so the CAD community has a free, editable, open-source alternative.

Overview

FM2 scans selected TEXT or MTEXT entities written in feet-and-inches notation (90' 20") and creates a new text entity next to each one showing the equivalent value in metres. The original text is left untouched, so you can visually compare before and after.

How to Use

1. Load FT2M-bgol.lsp into your CAD session (drag-and-drop the file onto the drawing window, or use the APPLOAD command).
2. Type FM2 at the command line and press Enter.
3. Select one or more TEXT/MTEXT entities formatted exactly as ' ", for example 1523' 6".
4. Press Enter to finish selection.
5. A new text entity is created at the same insertion point showing the converted value, e.g. 1523' 6" → 464.363 m.
6. Converted text is placed on a dedicated layer, BGOL-M2FT (colour magenta), so it's easy to tell apart from the original values.

Why Use It

• Converts many feet-inch labels to metric in one command run instead of manual arithmetic and retyping.
• Strict ft' in" input pattern avoids ambiguous parsing.
• Keeps the original text in place, so the converted labels sit right next to their source for easy checking.
• Dedicated colour/layer makes converted values easy to spot at a glance.

Where to Use It

• Projects mixing Imperial (feet/inches) and metric drawing standards.
• Coordinating between US/UK-influenced survey data and metric-standard drawings on shared infrastructure projects.
• Cleaning up legacy drawings before standardizing on metric units.

Notes

• Only text strictly formatted as feet' inches" is converted; anything else is skipped and reported in the command-line log.
• Source code is fully open, feel free to study, modify, and redistribute it under the same open, free-for-all spirit.

Credits

Developed and shared for the CAD community by BGol Community. Website: https://bgol.in/ Free and open-source, use it, modify it, share it, for personal or commercial work alike.