Line Drawing Rendering of Plan Views

[JenniferK]

I’m curious if there’s anyway to render plan views in line drawing format? From a sales and marketing perspective we provide 2d plans and line drawing perspectives for “conceptual “ plan fees. And once clients commit to construction drawings and moving ahead with a project , we send more detailed views and plans with dimensions etc.

 

Many architects will give hand drawn plan views before any hard lined CAD plans and in thinking of following that format , would love  to give “conceptual plans “ a more conceptual “look”. Since all the work is done up front on CA .. in getting all the details of framing  etc done before we start drawing , it would be nice to be able to turn down the detailed plans to look more conceptual ( with pencil smudges etc )  and then turn layers on for the work when charging a 2nd phase fee for construction plans.

 

This is merely a marketing issue much like we do when presenting as built plans gray scaled out and dull and proposed plans with lots of color and energy ( we change text colors , dimension colors , notes etc. all to present a pallet that significantly reflects the change from their as built home to their potential new home. 
 

I haven’t found a way to do that in CA. And just wondered if anyone else is Looking  for the same kind of controls of their plan views. 
 

Thanks for any help or advice. 
 

Jen K 

 

www.jenkdesigns.com 

[Chopsaw]

Something like this perhaps ?

 

 

Top View of Orthographic Floor Overview rendered as Line Drawing and constrained using Cross Section Slider.

[GeneDavis]

So what is the technique, Eric?  I believe that is precisely what Jen needs.

 

That, plus a good hand-drawn font for some skimpy notations.  We want to be able to .pdf it.

 

I am hoping it is something quick and easy.

[DzinEye]

1 minute ago, GeneDavis said:

So what is the technique, Eric?  I believe that is precisely what Jen needs.

 

I am hoping it is something quick and easy.

Quite sure it's the same as Chop's suggestion... use of Orthographic Floor Overview, in Top View mode.

[GeneDavis]

A successful guy in my locale always does this, using hand-drawns for all conceptual work.

 

I know he doesn't do CAD.  He has always employed a "draftsman," and I am pretty sure the work gets done using ACAD.  My guess is that this one, shown below, got done by doing the asbuilt measure, likely by the draftsman with maybe his boss the archy taking photos and writing notes, then the draftsman produces an ACAD layout, and the boss traces it by hand on a light table.

[GeneDavis]

Yep, that's it DzE.  Thanks!  And Eric, thanks for the nice example.

[Designers_Ink]

I sometimes do something like this in Chief for a client to better visualize the space in layout form.  It is just a top view ortho with the camera changed to watercolor with lines.

[DzinEye]

1 hour ago, GeneDavis said:

I am pretty sure the work gets done using ACAD

Yeah, back when I used ACAD I exported to a program called Squiggle to create the hand sketch look.
Now for conceptual I often do just like Jeff (above) showed, using watercolor with the squiggly lines

 

11 minutes ago, Designers_Ink said:

I sometimes do something like this in Chief for a client to better visualize the space in layout form.  It is just a top view ortho with the camera changed to watercolor with lines.

Hey Jeff, how'd you get the consistent dark wall fill?  I've tried changing my wall framing and plywood/osb to a dark color to get that effect, but it's never consistent.

[Designers_Ink]

I just turned on my Framing layers (wall and sill plate) and painted them black.  

[JenniferK]

On 5/23/2020 at 12:04 AM, solver said:

Something like this?

 

Yes exactly!  We are struggling with clients taking plans drawn to scale to “other” builders for quotes. There’s just too much info in CA that defeats our purpose. I would like to be able to present concept plans that makes it impossible for another builder to quote from. From a sales and marketing approach , give them less tech info and focus on the conceptual. So they’re forced to use us to get to the next level of the plan ... and another invoice before they take to market with other builders. S

[GeneDavis]

"We are struggling with clients taking plans drawn to scale to “other” builders for quotes. There’s just too much info in CA that defeats our purpose. I would like to be able to present concept plans that makes it impossible for another builder to quote from. From a sales and marketing approach , give them less tech info and focus on the conceptual."

 

First of all, you need to be getting paid, and up front, to produce this work.  You will never ever find a way to stop such clients from taking your work product to the type of builder who says, "hey, all's ah need is a pitcher, and we can build what you want."

 

Me, I wouldn't give them plans, but instead would give them 3D walkthroughs, and without any good overviews of the house a builder could use.

 

Many people don't get into the weeds of a house design, but instead fixate on one or two things they saw somewhere that they want in their own house.  Show them only those one or two things and showcase them well.   Take a look at this one from Chief, and ff to 12:17 mark to see the show.

 

 

 

If you don't want to have to get up to speed on walkthrough techniques, consider screencap pics of perspective floor overviews, maybe one perspective full overview as if shot from a drone out at the street looking at the house from 40 feet up, and just a few raytraced interior shots of the spaces most meaningful to the client.

 

In other words, tempt them using 3D, give them nothing in 2D, no plans, no elevations, nothing a resourceful builder could use to rip off your design and cut you out.

 

Also, make it clear with watermarks or annotation on whatever you present that your design is copyrighted.  If you find someone end-running you, look at the for-permit plans on file at the building department they used to build.  If your plan was copied, threaten to sue, and copy the building department and the builder.  I've seen building departments so notified refuse to issue a C.O. unless shown evidence of settlement.

[DRAWZILLA]

17 hours ago, JenniferK said:

Yes exactly!  We are struggling with clients taking plans drawn to scale to “other” builders for quotes. There’s just too much info in CA that defeats our purpose. I would like to be able to present concept plans that makes it impossible for another builder to quote from. From a sales and marketing approach , give them less tech info and focus on the conceptual. So they’re forced to use us to get to the next level of the plan ... and another invoice before they take to market with other builders. S

Just don't leave the plan with them, and come back to show them whenever they want to see it or pay you for your time.

[GeneDavis]

+100 for Perry's circa 1988 solution.  Meet with them in person, show them plans, discuss whatever next steps are needed, roll them up, end of meeting.

 

Client gets no copies of the plan.