\documentclass{article} \usepackage{tikz} \usepackage[graphics, active, tightpage]{preview} \PreviewEnvironment{tikzpicture} \usepackage{ngerman} %!tikz preamble begin \newcommand\colA{-7.5} \newcommand\colB{-5} \newcommand\colC{-2.5} \newcommand\colD{0} \newcommand\colE{2.5} \newcommand\colF{5} \newcommand\Height{2.5}% cm per band \newcommand\Band{*\Height/-10} \newcommand\Bum{\Band}% µm 0..1000 \newcommand\Bmm{\Band-1*\Height}% mm 1..10 \newcommand\Bcm{\Band-2*\Height}% cm 1..10 \newcommand\Bdm{\Band-3*\Height}% dm 1..10 \newcommand\Bm{\Band-4*\Height}% m 1..10 \newcommand\Bdam{\Band-5*\Height}% Dm 1..10 \newcommand\Bhm{\Band-6*\Height}% Hm 1..10 \newcommand\Bkm{\Band-7*\Height}% Km 1..10 \newcommand\inch{*2.54} \newcommand\yard{*0.9144} %!tikz preamble end \begin{document} %!tikz source begin \begin{tikzpicture} \tikzset{unit/.style={rectangle,draw=black!50,fill=white!20},every node/.style={fill=white!20}}; \draw[gray] (\colA-1,0\Bum) rectangle (\colF,10\Bum); \node[unit] at (\colF,5\Bum) {$\mu$m}; \draw[gray] (\colA-1,0\Bmm) rectangle (\colF,10\Bmm); \node[unit] at (\colF,5\Bmm) {mm}; \draw[gray] (\colA-1,0\Bcm) rectangle (\colF,10\Bcm); \node[unit] at (\colF,5\Bcm) {cm}; \draw[gray] (\colA-1,0\Bdm) rectangle (\colF,10\Bdm); \node[unit] at (\colF,5\Bdm) {dm}; \draw[gray] (\colA-1,0\Bm) rectangle (\colF,10\Bm); \node[unit] at (\colF,5\Bm) {m}; \draw[gray] (\colA-1,0\Bdam) rectangle (\colF,10\Bdam); \node[unit] at (\colF,5\Bdam) {dam}; \draw[gray] (\colA-1,0\Bhm) rectangle (\colF,10\Bhm); \node[unit] at (\colF,5\Bhm) {hm}; \draw[gray] (\colA-1,0\Bkm) rectangle (\colF,10\Bkm); \node[unit] at (\colF,5\Bkm) {km}; \node[unit] (twip) at (\colC,5/72\inch\Bum) {twip}; \node[unit] (point) at (\colB,100/72\inch\Bum) {point}; \node[unit] (pica) at (\colB,25.4/6\Bmm) {pica}; \node[unit] (line) at (\colC,25.4/12\Bmm) {line}; \node[unit] (poppyseed) at (\colE,25.4/12\Bmm) {poppyseed}; \node[unit] (barleycorn) at (\colE,25.4/3\Bmm) {barleycorn}; \node[unit] (inch) at (\colD,2.54\Bcm) {inch}; \node[unit] (foot) at (\colD,3.048\Bdm) {foot}; \node[unit] (yard) at (\colD,9.144\Bdm) {yard}; \node[unit] (stick) at (\colE,2\inch\Bcm) {stick}; \node[unit] (nail) at (\colA,100\yard/16\Bcm) {nail}; \node[unit] (finger) at (\colC,7/8\inch\Bcm) {finger}; \node[unit] (digit) at (\colB,3/4\inch\Bcm) {digit}; \node[unit] (palm) at (\colB,3\inch\Bcm) {palm}; \node[unit] (hand) at (\colE,0.4\inch\Bdm) {hand}; \node[unit] (shaftment) at (\colC,0.6\inch\Bdm) {shaftment}; \node[unit] (span) at (\colA,0.9\inch\Bdm) {span}; \node[unit] (cubit) at (\colB,1.8\inch\Bdm) {cubit}; \node[unit] (ell) at (\colA,0.45\inch\Bm) {ell}; \node[unit] (skein) at (\colA,1.2\yard\Bhm) {skein}; \node[unit] (spindle) at (\colA,12\yard\Bkm) {spindle}; \node[unit] (pace) at (\colC,3\inch\Bdm) {pace}; \node[unit] (grade) at (\colB,.6\inch\Bm) {grade, step}; \node[unit] (mileRoman) at (\colB,.6\inch\Bkm) {Roman mile}; \node[unit] (rope) at (\colB,2.4\inch\Bm) {rope}; \node[unit] (fathom) at (\colE,2\yard\Bm) {fathom}; \node[unit] (shackle) at (\colE,3\yard\Bdam) {shackle}; \node[unit] (cable) at (\colE,2\yard\Bhm) {cable}; \node[unit] (milenautic) at (\colE,.608*1.2\inch\Bkm) {nautical mile}; \node[unit] (league) at (\colC,.608*3.6\inch\Bkm) {league}; \node[unit] (link) at (\colB,198/250\inch\Bdm) {link}; \node[unit] (rod) at (\colC,1.98\inch\Bm) {\parbox{1.8cm}{rod, pole, perch}}; \node[unit] (chainGunter) at (\colC,.792\inch\Bdam) {\parbox{1.8cm}{Gunter's chain}}; \node[unit] (chainRamsden) at (\colB,1.2\inch\Bdam) {\parbox{2cm}{Ramsden's chain}}; \node[unit] (furlong) at (\colC,2.2\yard\Bhm) {furlong}; \node[unit] (milestatute) at (\colD,1.76\yard\Bkm) {mile};%statute mile %typography \draw [->] (twip) -- node{20} (point); \draw [->] (point) -- node{12} (pica); \draw [->] (pica) -- node{6} (inch); \draw [->] (point) -- node{6} (line); \draw (line) -- node{1} (poppyseed);% = \draw [->] (line) -- node{12} (inch); \draw [->] (poppyseed) -- node{4} (barleycorn); \draw [->] (barleycorn) -- node{3} (inch); \draw [->] (inch) -- node{$\frac78$} (finger); \draw [->] (point) -- node{63} (finger);% 7/8in = 21/2line = 63pt \draw [->] (grade) -- node{4} (rope); \draw [->] (rope) -- node{5} (chainRamsden); % Textile \draw [->] (ell) -- node{96} (skein); \draw [->] (skein) -- node{120} (spindle); \draw [->] (inch) -- node{2} (stick); \draw [->] (stick) -- node{2} (hand); \draw [->] (digit) -- node{4} (palm); \draw [->] (inch) -- node{3} (palm); \draw [->] (digit) -- node{3} (nail); \draw [->] (nail) -- node{4} (span); \draw [->] (palm) -- node{2} (shaftment); \draw [->] (palm) -- node{3} (span); \draw [->,thick] (inch) -- node{12} (foot); \draw [->] (hand) -- node{3} (foot); \draw [->] (shaftment) -- node{2} (foot); \draw [->] (shaftment) -- node{3} (cubit); \draw [->] (span) -- node{2} (cubit); \draw [->] (span) -- node{5} (ell); \draw [->,thick] (foot) -- node{3} (yard); %\draw [->] (cubit) -- node{2} (yard); \draw [->] (cubit) .. controls (.5\colC+.5\colD,6\Bdm) .. node{2} (yard); % Military, Roman %\draw [->] (foot) -- node{5} (grade); \draw [->] (shaftment) -- node{5} (pace); %\draw [->] (foot) -- node{$2\frac12$} (pace); \draw [->] (pace) .. controls (\colB,8\Bdm) .. node{2} (grade); %\draw [->] (grade) -- node{1000} (mileRoman); %\draw [->] (foot) -- node{6} (fathom); \draw [->] (yard) -- node{2} (fathom); \draw [->,thick] (yard) -- node{1760} (milestatute); \draw [->] (cubit) -- node{11} (rod); \draw [->] (fathom) -- node{11} (chainGunter); \draw [->] (rod) -- node{4} (chainGunter); \draw [->] (link) .. controls (\colC,1.5\Bm) .. node{25} (rod); \draw [->] (chainGunter) -- node{10} (furlong); \draw [->] (furlong) -- node{8} (milestatute); \draw [->] (chainRamsden) -- node{50} (mileRoman); \draw [->] (milenautic) -- node{3} (league); %nautic \draw [->] (fathom) -- node{15} (shackle); \draw [->] (fathom) .. controls (.25*\colE,3\Bdam) .. node{100} (cable); \draw [->] (cable) -- node{10} (milenautic); \draw [->] (foot) .. controls (\colF,3\Bm) .. node{6080} (milenautic); \end{tikzpicture} %!tikz source end \end{document}