If you’ve ever sent a drawing to a European manufacturer only to have it returned for “incorrect formatting,” you know the pain of dimensioning standards.
Have you ever had a drawing rejected because of the wrong projection angle? Share your war story in the comments below.
Go to Tools > Options > Document Properties > Drafting Standard . Set the drop-down from ANSI to ISO .
| Feature | ISO Standard | Do NOT use ANSI | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | Comma ( , ) | Period ( . ) | | Unit symbol | Space before mm (e.g., 25 mm ) | No space ( 25mm ) | | Arrow size | 2.5mm long (very small) | Large (3.5mm+) | | Radius symbol | R (in front of number) | R (behind number) | | Projection | First Angle (Symbol: Trapezoid) | Third Angle | Final Verdict Don't force ANSI habits into an ISO workflow. The moment you see a comma instead of a decimal point, you'll know your drawing is ready for global manufacturing.
Here is how to set it up correctly, avoid common pitfalls, and dimension faster. Many users change dimension styles one-by-one using the Properties Manager. Stop that.
While ANSI (Imperial) rules in the US, is the global standard for metric drawings. Switching SOLIDWORKS to ISO isn't just about changing mm from in —it changes arrowheads, text alignment, and even how tolerances display.
If you’ve ever sent a drawing to a European manufacturer only to have it returned for “incorrect formatting,” you know the pain of dimensioning standards.
Have you ever had a drawing rejected because of the wrong projection angle? Share your war story in the comments below.
Go to Tools > Options > Document Properties > Drafting Standard . Set the drop-down from ANSI to ISO .
| Feature | ISO Standard | Do NOT use ANSI | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | Comma ( , ) | Period ( . ) | | Unit symbol | Space before mm (e.g., 25 mm ) | No space ( 25mm ) | | Arrow size | 2.5mm long (very small) | Large (3.5mm+) | | Radius symbol | R (in front of number) | R (behind number) | | Projection | First Angle (Symbol: Trapezoid) | Third Angle | Final Verdict Don't force ANSI habits into an ISO workflow. The moment you see a comma instead of a decimal point, you'll know your drawing is ready for global manufacturing.
Here is how to set it up correctly, avoid common pitfalls, and dimension faster. Many users change dimension styles one-by-one using the Properties Manager. Stop that.
While ANSI (Imperial) rules in the US, is the global standard for metric drawings. Switching SOLIDWORKS to ISO isn't just about changing mm from in —it changes arrowheads, text alignment, and even how tolerances display.
