I have posted a tutorial series for AutoCAD. It’s not really a basic tutorial, but it’s about defining a system. We learn how create a custom workflow for our specific use. And become more productive. Your industry may not use the same objects. And you may need different techniques, but basically it’s the same.
Let’s summarize it.
After we define our workflow, we can draw a floor plan easily. Only take a few minutes to finish this floor plan.
There are some things to be done before. There are good news and bad news in creating this workflow.
The bad news is it can be a lot of work before you can actually take advantage from creating a system. The good news is, it might not be your job. It’s your CAD manager’s job. I can’t imagine if every one in a company have their own standard, their own library, etc. It doesn’t work that way!
Here is basically what you need to prepare.
1. Creating Reusable Content
When we draw, there are a lot of similar objects we use over and over again. We can use blocks, or dynamic blocks for this purpose. Basically blocks are library. Create your library and place them in safe place. You may want to place it on server, so it can be accessed by your colleagues.
We have prepared some reusable content from most typical objects in architecture industry. There are three objects we’ve created. We created wall, read the full tutorial here. Then we created a column that can be resized on both direction. Full tutorial here. And the last one, we created a single door. Tutorial for this door can be read here, and continue to here.
2. Managing your Reusable Content
There are many ways to use your reusable contents. You can use insert, design center, or modify your toolbar, using AutoLISP, etc. But let’s do it the easy way: using tool palettes. We’re not just placing our blocks here. But you can also place your lines, dimension, and any other tools. Full tutorial here.
3. Defining Styles in a Template
Preparing your template can provide you some predefined setup. So you don’t have to create a new styles, new layout, or other settings before you actually start to work. Using template will also make your drawing more consistent. Imagine if you create a layer ‘wall’ now. But in the next drawing, you name it ‘A-wall’ ? By using template, you already have layers! Tutorial on preparing templates can be read here.
4. Defining CAD Standard
Having a drawing standard will be easier for everyone. To make sure your team comply your company drawing standard, you can reference it to a file that you consider as ‘standard’. You can also fix the violation using cad standard wizard. Explained here.
More tutorials next!
Well, it’s not finished yet. But I guess I’ll just show you where’s this tutorial going to. I hope you like this whole series.
5. Data Extraction
Next, we will learn how to create door, column, and wall schedule from our drawing.
6. Layer States
We are going to create two drawing details: high details and low details using layer states.
