Cad Details

[capitaldesigns]

I am drawing a number of details my engineer sent over. On prior projects I would draw them in AutoCAD then bring them into CA.
I want to start using CA cad detail management. I watch one of CA video's on drawing details. It said that details are drawn in real scale.

Then send to the layout page in at the desired scale.

 

I started to add the text to the detail I just drew and the text is to large. Also the arrow is way to large. In the video he added 6" high text and a

leader with an arrow and it looked to be the right size. I way using 4.5" high text and it looked much larger than the 6" high text in the video.  
I must be missing something. How do I get the text and arrow sizes to show correctly using the cad detail management tool ? I will be sending

the details to the layout page at 3/4"=1'-0". 

 

Thank You,

Mike

[Ridge_Runner]

You are using too large of a text size for 3/4" =1'-0" text. 4 1/2" text should be used for 1/4"=1'-0" scale text.
I use:

4.5" for 1/4" scale
2.5" for 1/2" scale details

1.25" for 1" scale details

For 3/4" details you should be using something like 1 7/8" text. I have all of my different default text sizes set up and let the layerset for my detail defaults control the text and arrow size and style. I find that works much better for me and I don't have to worry about the wrong text size.

 

I draw all of my details at full (real) scale and set the size text default I want for the printed scale. I then send to layout at the printed scale like the video describes. That keeps all of my general text the same size when printed.

[capitaldesigns]

In the video I watched they said nothing about setting defaults for detail. It makes since. So I create a layer set for the details. Do I need to create a layer set

for each detail scale that I will be using ?

 

Thanks,

Mike

 

[Kiwideziner]

Mike think of the cad detail as drawing in model space in acad.

I have all my details drawn in seperate plan files, all drawn at 1 to 1 just like a floor plan. Then link each reqd detail to my layout at the reqd scale 1:10, 1:5 etc.

this makes it easy to save as a detail when it is not quite right for a specific instance. Just use a good naming convention.

 

[joey_martin]

Here are my Anno and Layer Sets that go along with them. I have a 3/4" scale anno set in there if it help. It's called DETAIL SET and will change everything over to 3/4" settings.

MDP 2020 Anno Sets.cadefs

MDP 2020 Layer Sets.layers

[Ridge_Runner]

21 minutes ago, capitaldesigns said:

Do I need to create a layer set

for each detail scale that I will be using ?

That's what I do. Create them one time and copy them into your template plan and they will be there for all future plans you start. I do all of my CAD details in a "CAD Detail," not in model space. I also have warehouse plans where I keep most of my most commonly used details - wall sections, eave sections, porch sections, trim details, etc. From there I can either send the detail straight to layout, or copy the detail into the new plan CAD Detail window if I need to make a few changes for a one-off detail specific to that project. Quicker than typing this and very efficient.

[capitaldesigns]

Thank you Joey for the annotation and layer set for the details. I some what new to this. How do I get them into my system ?

I never done this before.

 

Thank You,

Mike

[capitaldesigns]

Hi Ridge_Runner,

What do you mean when you refer to a warehouse plan ? How do you create a warehouse plan ?

 

Thanks,

Mike

[joey_martin]

Just download them and use the import function. 

 

[capitaldesigns]

Thank you Joey. That works and saved me a lot of time. 

[Ridge_Runner]

41 minutes ago, capitaldesigns said:

What do you mean when you refer to a warehouse plan ? How do you create a warehouse plan ?

I start a new plan and name it, say, Wall Sections. I then go to CAD Detail and right click to start a new CAD Detail.

 

I give the new CAD Detail a name - say 3/4" wall sections. I then change my defaults to use my 3/4" anno set (carry over from version X11) from the drop-down I have circled below.

Once I am in my 3/4" defaults set, I draw my cad details. I may have one or more details in this new cad window depending how I want to save them for future retrieval. You will have to set up your own system based on your workflow and preferences. Chief has videos you can watch that will show you may of these things. Just go to the list and choose the ones you are interested in; lots of info in those.

 

If I want a new warehouse plan, say footing sections, I just repeat the process with a new plan named 1/2" footing sections - or 3/4" or 1" - whatever scale I choose to do those in. The key is getting the defaults set up to start with. Joey has generously given you a good jump-start on those. Once you import his you will have much of the initial work done for CAD details.

[robdyck]

Another thing to remember when using a CAD detail (or any drawing for that matter) is that you can and should adjust your page size to match the drawing scale you'll be using. This will be helpful for a few things:

1. seeing how much space the detail will take up on the printed sheet
2. planning the location of the detail on the printed sheet
3. seeing the Print Preview accurately in your detail window
4. the detail will then be sent to layout at the correct scale
5. line weights will not need to be different across layer sets allowing you to Modify All Layer Sets when its necessary or desirable to do so

Example of a detail with the default 1/4" scale page setting

After adjusting the page size

It might not be that obvious from the screen captures, but the 2nd image prints much better and all the text, dimension arrows, line weights end up exactly the same as the 1/4" scale section views...unless you choose different settings of course.