Typical Section Details - Best Practice

[CUJojo]

I am curious as to what folks are doing with their typical detail drawings.

 

Do you save them within the project's plans?

Do you same them within the project's layout?

Are they on their own file?

 

What are the advantages and disadvantages of each method....

[Gawdzira]

I used to save all my details to the library. Currently, I save forward a plan file that is a large set of details that I keep adding to and modifying. The details are grouped as pages of a layout with grid division lines that I turn off before printing. 

[dshall]

23 hours ago, Gawdzira said:

I used to save all my details to the library. Currently, I save forward a plan file that is a large set of details that I keep adding to and modifying. The details are grouped as pages of a layout with grid division lines that I turn off before printing. 

 

I use a similar method.  I found this much more user friendly vs looking for details in a library.

[jscussel]

Scott,

 

Time to update your signature. X-10?

[DRAWZILLA]

I still have all my details in the lib. and the most common details are actually in my template layout.  Don't have any searching this way and it's easier to delete and move around than searching for a new one.  Both have plus's and minus's ..

[jorgearaya]

All details done in AutoCAD LT saved to their directory

x-ref’d as needed per project

Cad details sheets are independent of Chief and printed separately.

[Michael_Gia]

1 hour ago, jorgearaya said:

 

All details done in AutoCAD LT saved to their directory

 

Jorge, your plans actually look like they were wholly created in AutoCAD.  They don’t have that Chiefy look to them. 

Nice work!  I wonder why you don’t simply import your Cad sheets created in AutoCAD and place them in a cad detail? Or even as a detail in a plan file and referenced to in your Layout?

Is it because you’re more comfortable in AutoCAD when modifications are required?

[jorgearaya]

Michael, on the contrary, I am most comfortable with Chief and ArchiCAD for overall drafting, having the typical details in CAD gives me more control and interoperability with consultants for collaboration. CAD is not efficient in Chief, I wished they’d spend more on that side of the program instead of forks and spoon symbols... if you know what I mean.

As far as the look, I try to keep the plans output consistent whether is ArchiCAD, Softplan or Chief, so that it’s more of a “presentation” format thing, that way no matter who is working with the plans, they are looking at the same format, structure, look and feel. 

AutoCAD is just that necessary evil (like Windows) we use for all tasks CAD only.

I strongly believe AutoCAD is the most inefficient platform for residential and commercial production drafting. I know this stirs the pot with the CAD fan base, but it’s an irrefutable fact.

This you didn’t directly asked, but, I started drafting using Chief, then ArchiCAD, Softplan, and the last has been AutoCAD which I have both the full and Lite versions.

 

[Michael_Gia]

4 hours ago, jorgearaya said:

I started drafting using Chief, then ArchiCAD, Softplan, and the last has been AutoCAD which I have both the full and Lite versions.

Wow, you said quite a lot there, Jorge. 

With your experience and actual practice in all those softwares you’re probably one of the few in this forum that can give an accurate evaluation of Chief.  I’m surprised to see Softplan in that list. I came from Softplan. Other than Softlist which blows the pants off of Chief's material list and perhaps their neat and tidy, plan and layout which both reside in the same file, I see Softplan as a step back from Chief. 

 

[jorgearaya]

Michael, I have been giving my thoughts about all of them here, on and off yes. Softplan made a big jump with 2020 playing catchup to Chief, not there yet though.

There's always room to improve, especially working with different tools (To be efficient, you must stop trying to do in one tool what the other tool does better) Does that make sense?