CAD Details - Text Scale: Lake Point Plan

[SNestor]

I was reviewing the "Lake Point" plan set that Chief has posted on their "samples" page.  The layout refers to two sets of plans...the house plan and a plan for the detail drawings. The details are drawn in Cad Detail windows.  I noticed when I opened a detail that Chief did not use a specific "Annotation Set" for the details.  The text for the details in on the "text" layer...which I find kind of weird. I would think you'd want the text on a layers such as "text, details"...or something like that.  Yes?

 

Also, the text is 1" tall...and the detail was sent to layout at 1" = 1'-0".  So...the text is about 1/4" tall (is this right?)....1/4" seems to be about the height you'd want the text but wouldn't it be easier/smarter to just use an anno set that puts the text on the layer you want and sets the correct height/scale?  Or...does the way Chief has done this have some benefits?

 

Thanks all! 

[Joe_Carrick]

Steve,

I've been using the "Detail Plan" system for a long time.  I in fact have Annosets and Layer Sets (including Text Styles) as you suggest.  It's just easier when sending to Layout so that everything is consistent.  Most of my Text in the details is 1/10" rather than 1/4" but that's just my preference.  I do use some custom text where appropriate but mostly it's controlled by the Layer Set.

[Alaskan_Son]

19 minutes ago, SNestor said:

I noticed when I opened a detail that Chief did not use a specific "Annotation Set" for the details.  The text for the details in on the "text" layer...which I find kind of weird. I would think you'd want the text on a layers such as "text, details"...or something like that.  Yes?

 

I don't think so.  If you're in a CAD Detail, there's really no point in cluttering up your layers since the CAD only exists in that view.  All that's really necessary in my opinion for CAD Details is to use the proper scale for your text.  Using an Active Default with the proper scaling would have likely been the quickest way to draw it, but it's not a big deal to just set the height either.  I personally find myself changing my mind on scale sometimes depending on how much room I have on my page(s) and so I too simply just manually change the size of text and arrows sometimes. 

[SNestor]

2 hours ago, Alaskan_Son said:

 

I don't think so.  If you're in a CAD Detail, there's really no point in cluttering up your layers since the CAD only exists in that view.  All that's really necessary in my opinion for CAD Details is to use the proper scale for your text.  Using an Active Default with the proper scaling would have likely been the quickest way to draw it, but it's not a big deal to just set the height either.  I personally find myself changing my mind on scale sometimes depending on how much room I have on my page(s) and so I too simply just manually change the size of text and arrows sometimes. 

 

Thanks Michael.  One more question.  

 

If I am creating a plan to house standard details...do I just make a note of the scale the text is setup for...and what if I want to send a detail to layout at a different scale; do i have to open all the text and change the size? 

 

I guess what im asking is what is the general practice of those using a “std” details plan.  

[Chrisb222]

3 hours ago, SNestor said:

I was reviewing the "Lake Point" plan set that Chief has posted on their "samples" page.  The layout refers to two sets of plans...the house plan and a plan for the detail drawings.

 

I noticed the Lake Point project linked a second plan file, too. I was surprised Chief designers did that, not sure what the advantage of it is.

 

11 minutes ago, SNestor said:

I guess what im asking is what is the general practice of those using a “std” details plan.  

 

I'm curious about this too. Actually, I have always used external detail plan files, from early bad habits, and figured I was just doing it wrong. That was what surprised me about seeing Chief do it. I had actually been thinking I should keep everything in the main plan file.

 

Do people use external plan files for support content in layouts? If so, what do you typically keep in the main plan file, and what is in external files, and why?

 

I can see an advantage in my case, as it was easier to reuse a generic detail from another location than to create or add it to a new plan. But it causes a lot of extra links in the layout file that wouldn't be necessary if everything was in one plan file.

 

Do people add common generic details to their template plan? Keep them in their User catalog? I'm curious how others use Chief as I'm spending a lot of time this winter upgrading how I use Chief....