University of Illinois at Chicago / School of Architecture / Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies Program

Arch 220 Computers in Architecture

Introduction to AutoCAD 2000

2D DRAWING: ELEVATIONS AND SECTIONS,

PLUS PLOTTING CONFIGURATION, paper space

CHAPTER 14: Working with Drawings and External References Productively

CHAPTER 19: Paper Space Layouts

CHAPTER 20: Productive Plotting

General Topics and Objectives:

1. The difference in layer organization/conventions between Plan files and Elev/Section files.

2. Learning what the heck paper space is and how it can actually be something useful (once all the confusion settles...)

3. Plotting configuration, and how not to get lost in the whole thing.

SECTIONS, ELEVATIONS, and XREFS

A building is a three-dimensional object, and it will have to be described in many other ways apart from drawing flat representations of it. We learn very early in architecture school to organize spaces in plan, and a majority of people begin studies of buildings and such with spatial organization in plan. However, sections and elevations are just as important as spatial organization tools, and this usually occurs at instances following the satisfactory resolution of a plan. One must be aware that sections and elevations do influence the plan, and these three methods of representing the building all exist together, and they create a 'feedback loop' of information.

-Plans are never a complete description of a project, which is why elevations and sections are so important. Visually, perspectives and models help even more to convey the intent.

-Sections are sometimes more useful than elevations in explaining how a building works vertically and horizontally. Elevations are more descriptive of the look...

-Lineweights and hatches must be used with care in order to make something very 2D into something more readable and recognizable as 3D.

LAYERING CONVENTIONS for Elevations and Sections

-Layer names and setups tend to be simpler for sections and elevations, because you can treat each layer like individual pens. The method of organizing by walls, doors, etc. in a plan file falls apart when dealing with elevations.

Here is a sample layer structure:

You can add to this list as the need hits.

Quicktips:

You can also use the HIDDEN linetype to show major elements that exist beyond a wall, or are hidden. (DUH!)

When generating floor levels, the offset tool is really handy.

Make use of blocks for things like doors and windows in elevation. Trees and people are usually good as blocks as well.

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XREFS for elevating...

In ACAD-land, in order to deal with the evolving plans, sections and elevations, one must be able to organize his or her files so that they do not become too unwieldy. The use of xrefs for making elevations and sections is a great way of layering information without expanding file size to a ridiculous degree. Instead of drawing an elevation straight in the same file as a plan, create a new file and XREF the plan file into it; then draw the elevation in the new file. This saves file size and allows you to organize a drawing with less layers in it. Same goes for sections.

PAPER SPACE and PLOTTING

The mastery of paper space and plotting is a goal that every ACAD user must strive for. The creation of HARD COPY plots is the whole purpose of ACAD, from a production standpoint. Without knowledge of how to create output through your printer or plotter, you might as well just stay in manual drafting.

Paper space is an environment separate from Model space (where everything is drawn), and it is represented with a different UCS icon, and is called LAYOUT in ACAD 2000. It allows you to create "actual size" paper formats, which help you present the information stored in model space, be it through several view windows or a single one.

There are several things to remember when in paper space:

1. Your LAYOUT is a what-you-see-is-what-you-get (wysiwyg) kind of thing. Text drawn in paper space is scaled at real dimension.

2. Viewports are your windows into model space. Treat them like telescopes that you can look through and focus on whatever it is you wish to show. The important thing is that you can scale your drawing to various output scales and lay these out within a single sheet of paper.

3. Be very careful where you draw elements, as you can toggle between model space and paper space.

TIPS and TRICKS (ACAD R14):

1. Create all viewports on either the DEFPOINTS layer, or create a separate layer for just the viewports. You'll want the option to freeze these before plotting, so that they don't show up.

2. When making a viewport and attempting to scale the information inside it, remember that you can set a plotting scale relative to the paper layout. Use the zoom command, and type 1/_xp for a desired scale.

Here is an example:

Supposing I want a 1/4"=1'-0" scale in a drawing, the procedure is this:

a. In paper space, create a new viewport (View/Viewports/new viewports, etc.); make sure this is on the DEFPOINTS layer.

b. Double click inside the viewport, or type "MS"; this takes you to model space.

c. Type Z to call up the zoom command, and then enter the ff: 1/48xp.

d. Pan the drawing around until it is where you want it to be.

The value 1/48xp is what controls the scale of the drawing. The formula for getting the scale you want is this:

(the scale you want)(1/12)xp.

So if you want a 1/8" drawing, it becomes (1/8)(1/12)xp=1/96xp.

 

For your reference, complete the conversion factors for paper space:

NOTE: When plotting from a layout (Paperspace), all you have to do is scale 1=1, since you've already scaled the drawing relative to the paper.

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THE INFAMOUS ACAD 2000 PLOT CONFIGURATION PROCEDURE

Plot styles and LAYOUTS.

It is very unlikely that you will only be plotting a drawing once, nor is it unlikely that you will be plotting a drawing at one scale forever. The creation of different layouts within a file allow you to set up several plot scenarios within a job, and while this requires a bit of work up front, the time-saving aspects of this procedure become pretty clear afterwards.

In setting up different plot layouts, you can also specify what KIND of output it is going to be, whether it is:

-a straight out plot to a large-format plotter, or desktop printer

-or creating a plot file (HP/GL2 files, e.g. *.plt, *.000, etc.) to be sent to a plotting bureau.

These are the plot styles, which deal with the kind of drawing you would like to create, whether grayscale or full color or the typical black-line drawings.

You can set plot styles for individual plotters/printers, and even set different plot styles with the same plotters/printers, depending on the kind of output you need. Within the plot styles, you can control the relationship of the color to the pen thickness, even specify the lineweight which will override the pen thickness, and decide the amount of screening you'd like to assign to the color. You can customize everything depend on the desired output. Sounds freaky, but once you get the hang of it, you'll be able to control exactly how you want your pens to work.

A LAYOUT is a representation of your plotted page. With layout you can:

- format your paper size

-slap on a title block

-control the scale of the drawings through the viewports

-stick on more labels, and other good things.

This is actually the paper space environment, and you can have as many layouts per file as you need.

For example:

You need to plot a series of drawings in 1/8 scale on 24x36 format, but also need 1/32 scale on an 8.5x11 format as well. Instead of putting two different kinds of title blocks on the drawing in either model space or paper space, create 2 layouts, one called 24x36-1-8 and the other called 8x11-1-32. In each layout you can create the specific title block and assign the appropriate PLOT STYLE to make sure your plots come out looking like you want them to. Be aware that for the 24x36 format, you want to go to MSpace and make sure the drawing is zoomed to 1/96xp, and that for the 8x11 format you want 1/384xp!!!

The beauty of the layout option is that you can prepare the kind of plot you need beforehand, and that you can control the pen settings depending on the scale of the drawings.

Plotting...are you ready?

When you think you are ready to plot, be sure to preview your work, and to go through the properties of your target plotter/printer. Things like orientation (portrait or landscape), paper size, etc. all have to be checked so that you don't waste time and paper.

Also double check all the other variables in the dialog box; after a while you'll know if something looks wrong or not.

In the end, despite all the precautions, you'll have something really weird happen just at the last minute, like the plotter runs out of ink or paper, or the apocalypse happens, or your cat gives birth, or something... GOOD LUCK!

 

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