When I was modeling for architectural visualization I decided that 1 unit will be 1 cm. It might be 1 inch as well if you only wished to. Now the problem begins when you import your model to different application.
If you were to export the model to external 'physical correct' renderer, then most likely your model should be in 1 unit to 1 meter scale (some file formats have the scale multiplier/divider some don't). If you're to import your object modeled in Anim8or to another application it's quite likely it has a setup in which you tell what's the physical size of 1 unit or you state the scale how 1 unit in imported file scales to 1 unit of your working document.
If the application scale can't be changed then you might try to create a series of boxes of known dimensions: i.e. 0.1x0.1x0.1, 1x1x1, 10x10x10, etc. in each of the applications and import this in the other to see how the boxes' dimensions changed. Then this file will serve you as a 'universal unit/meter measure' for the future projects.
i will like to know to create a 1x1x1 meter cube what are the correct values to give in animator?
? THANX
The best thing you can do to know is to create 1 m cube in Sketchup and export as *.obj file and import in Anim8or. If it has 1 u in Anim8or it means that 1 Sketchup meter translates to 1 Anim8or unit. Then make 1 u cube in Anim8or, export as *.obj and import in Sketchup. If it has 1 m that means 1 Anim8or unit translates to 1 Sketchup meter. If the scale is different then make appropriate calculations. If you find working in given scale not comfortable then you may want to scale your model by a known number (likely a multiply of 10) and scale it before export by this factor, and after import scale it by 1/this factor.
Now there's one thing you might take into consideration. Files and applications have a finite number of digits after a coma. It can sometimes happen that after import or export your object will be ridiculously big or small (i.e. size of 0.0;0.0;0.0) and when you scale it up by the factor you'll see mangled vertices or all placed in the single point. In this situation you possibly want to come back to your original file, then scale it differently by known factor then re-export and re-import back.
I hope this explanation helps.
