Improve resolution of length measurement

[stanton]

Use cases

Some use cases (particularly underground mapping, where distance from a known point is the only reference) require precise length measurements. Currently, resolution of the distance shown in the status bar is 1 m for distances less than 1 km; after that the resolution changes to 0.1 km. The latter is insufficient for many mapping purposes, and since in longer tunnels the nearest reference point is often more than 1000 m away, the current behavior limits mapping here. Getting meter resolution at distances beyond 1000 m currently requires a cumbersome workaround.

Desired behavior

A simple but workable approach would be to keep resolution at 4 significant digits, but no more granular than 1 m. For example:

• 3 m
• 42 m
• 541 m
• 1.304 km
• 10.39 km
• 500.8 km

That would still limit resolution to 10 m in longer tunnels (beyond 10 km), but that is still 10 times the resolution we have now.

Benefits of the solution

Improved mapping where GPS cannot be used.

Possible drawbacks

None known.

[Klumbumbus]

Replying to stanton:

Currently, resolution of the distance shown in the status bar is 1 m for distances less than 1 km; after that the resolution changes to 0.1 km.

Not for me. I always see two decimal places independet from the number of digits before the decimal separator and idependent from the unit. -> e.g. 0.05 m .... 15629.16 km

Please add your status report and a screenshot.

[Klumbumbus]

Ah, this is configurable: wiki:/Help/StatusBar#AdvancedPreferences. Try statusbar.decimal-format=0.00

[Klumbumbus]

(see #12275 and #12563)

[stanton]

Indeed, this worked for me (though it’s odd that the default of 0.0 yields a variable number of decimals). Thanks!

However, it is a well-hidden option with a less-than-perfect default. I would therefore suggest changing the default, or making this option available in standard preferences (i.e. with a proper description)—or both.

[Klumbumbus]

I don't know if we want to change the default bahavior.
(BTW, there is the measurement plugin too which uses 3 decimal places.)

[Klumbumbus]

Closed as duplicate of #17823.
0.00 is now default