nora_park•1mo agoProlific Poster

I used to think drawing everything from scratch was the only real way to draft

For years, I would open a new file and start every single drawing with a blank screen. I thought using pre-made blocks or templates was cheating, like it made me less of a drafter. That changed about six months ago when I got a huge rush job for a set of 12 apartment unit plans. My boss, Mark, saw me struggling and flat out said, 'Use the library from the last project, modify it. No one is paying you to redraw standard doors.' I did, and I cut my time in half. Now I have a solid folder of standard details I've built up, like ADA bathroom layouts and common wall sections. I just drop them in and tweak them for the new job. It saves so much time and cuts down on dumb mistakes. Anyone else have a good system for organizing their detail library?

3 comments

3 Comments

ivanross29d ago

Oh man, I was the same way! I finally made a base file that's just the walls and fixtures, no grab bars. That way I'm not fighting to delete stuff, I'm just adding what I need. It's the lazy person's path to getting it right.

miles_fisher1mo ago

That ADA bathroom layout you mentioned... how detailed do you make your base block before you save it? Like, do you draw the grab bars in their exact spots, or just leave the clear floor space and note where they go later? I'm trying to figure out the sweet spot between a block that's too vague to be useful and one that's too specific for every job.

the_amy1mo ago

My base block has the grab bars drawn in, but they're on a separate layer I can turn off. That way I don't have to redraw them every time, but I'm not stuck with them in the wrong spot for a weird layout. It's the only way to keep from going insane.