Drafting Tips

Drafting Tips

When you are drawing lines, arcs, and faces, you can create clean geometry that is easy to manipulate and edit by following these tips:

Don’t sweat accuracy. Trying to be accurate when you’re tracing lines from a fuzzy plan image is difficult at best. Trace the lines as accurately as possible.

Draw on the axes. Try to draft orthogonally and on the axes. Utilize linear inferences and snap to endpoints and midpoints. Most, if not all, image plans, including the provided site plan, have lines that are not orthogonal. If possible, snap nonorthogonal lines to orthogonal lines.

Don’t overlap lines. Overlapping lines will cause problems with faces and the ability to generate volumes and edit geometry. When you’re drawing rectangles, snap edges to edges and ensure that no overlaps exist (Fig. 7-5). avoid double lines. This occurs when two lines compete to be the same edge. When you’re drawing nonorthogonal geometry, check for double lines (Fig. 7-5). align the edges. The built environment in many cases is defined by surfaces and edges that are parallel, perpendicular, and aligned. Line up drafting edges using adjacent line work as guides. This is easily accomplished by using the Tape Measure tool (View > Toolbars > Construction > Tape Measure) to create construction guides. Construction guides are dashed edges that serve as reference edges and do not affect geometry (Fig. 7-6). Use the Tape Measure tool (View > Toolbars > Construction) to add construction lines. Play around with the Tape Measure to learn how it works. It will be very useful for the Chapter Tutorial.

Use rectangles. Trying to subdivide faces with the Line tool does not always work. Instead, use the Rectangle tool to define areas. Then subdivide the edges and faces of the rectangle to fit the desired outline. This will ensure that the face geometry is subdivided.

Fig. 7-5: Avoid overlapping and double lines.

Fig. 7-6: The Tape Measure tool can be used to create construction guides.