Layout Tips Needed

[HarrisReno]

I am trying to create a layout, and I'd like to incorporate some nice-looking features from the austin.pdf offered by Chief Architect. I'm attaching two different pages from this layout. I've watched videos, but I've never seen how these particular items are created. Yes, this topic has more than one question, but it's all related to one PDF, so I'm hoping that gives me a pass...

 

1. On page 18 of the austin.pdf, there is the door and window schedule. Along the bottom, there is an enlarged image of a window and some of the doors. How do I "grab" these images of the windows and doors and send them to the layout? Or, where do I get these images? I don't know where the stand-alone image of these objects exist. 

 

2. On page 21 of the austin.pdf, there are several material samples shown below the bathroom rendering. They are shown as "blocks" (but very cool-looking, diagonal, with-dimension, kind of blocks). How in the world do I make these? Maybe this question will answer itself, but would I be able to do this with materials that I import? That would make my day.

 

3. Also on page 21, you see the vanity as a stand alone image. What is the best way to send an image like this to the layout? Should I create a new CAD Detail for only the item I want to capture? Or is there a more efficient way?

 

Thanks for any feedback you can give!

austin-p18.pdf austin-p21.pdf

[GeneDavis]

For next time, don't make us download your attachments.  Just directly post the .pdfs.

 

I just looked at the plan online and for the windows and door images, I'd just take a CAD detail from view, edit away all but the unit plus its frame, add in those little doodles they did to represent glass, and save each with a name.  Bring them into layout at maybe 1/2-inch scale for your presentation.

 

Edit:  Eric has the easier method, and the doodles can be added in layout.  Draw once, cut and paste away on the units where you want.

[TeaTime]

43 minutes ago, solver said:

 

Draw a Room Divider wall. Uncheck Invisible. Place windows/doors.

This will inherently add them to your schedule though and you'll have to take extra steps to remove them.

 

If you're already putting your Door and Window schedules on a CAD Detail page (I hope you are!) just zoom into the elevation pic on the Schedule and send Current Screen to layout, crop as needed, open the Layout Box and set it's Label. Voila.

 

1 hour ago, HarrisReno said:

there are several material samples shown below the bathroom rendering

Placing "3D Solids" in plan by simply clicking, instead of clicking and dragging, creates a simple 48x48x1 pad of concrete. You could resize them smaller if needed of course. Simply lay out a few and paint them accordingly, set a camera to a good angle... The text above is totally separate, probably also from a CAD Detail page.

 

1 hour ago, HarrisReno said:

the vanity as a stand alone image

I'd probably just copy/paste to a blank plan -- technically you could get super crafty with layers and layer sets but it'd be a waste of time.

[DBCooper]

Another thing you can do is download the actual plan and layout (not the pdf) and take a look at how stuff was built.  This won't necessarily help you with the things that are just images on the layout but for anything that is an actual view you can then open it up.

 

There is also a blog post with a whole bunch of how to info here:

https://www.chiefarchitect.com/blog/austin-webinar-series

 

[HarrisReno]

@solver Oh, gosh, Eric... you kinda put the pressure on. But, I gave it a good think (this isn't all I've done for the last two hours, for the record, so I don't think I'm guilty of overthinking... maybe under-thinking). My homework/answers are attached (see my reply to Gene about my shameful lack of "posting" skills)

 

I made slabs for the material samples, and I painted them with various materials (ignore the moulding schedule and rendering at the top of the page... I didn't want to delete them from my layout, and it just happened to be the random page I sent these images to). The slabs are in my plan view, but "outside" the house. (I didn't bother attaching my plan... I hope that's okay)

I copied the vanity from my house and pasted it "outside," as well. I made sure to uncheck "include in schedule" for everything in the vanity.

Outside, again in no-man's land, is where I drew my invisible wall for the doors and window. It's obvious that my doors and window don't look like the Austin layout. Mine is a vector view. I tinkered a little, but I didn't see how to make them look like crisp, black and white lines, like the Austin layout. 

 

@GeneDavis I am no good in threads, and I don't even know how to "post" a pdf, as opposed to attaching it! How embarrassing! I'm sorry!

 

@TeaTime Thank you for all the ideas!

 

@DBCooper Thank you so much for the link! I will definitely watch!

TestPage.pdf

[robdyck]

I'll repeat what @DBCooper said, because it's the best way to learn how this plan set was created. Download the plan and layout files and you'll be able to investigate the techniques used to create each layout box. From the layout file, simply double click any layout box and it will take you to the original view.

[scottharris]

15 hours ago, HarrisReno said:

On page 21 of the austin.pdf, there are several material samples shown below the bathroom rendering.

Hi Wendy,

To create the materials for the bath, I typically have an external ‘materials’ plan (attached).  Here are the steps:

1) I use solids, take a 3D view, and then paint them the respective materials

2) save the camera (for future projects)

3) export the image from the camera

4) place the image on the layout

5) add text on the layout for the material names

Hope this helps!

 

bath-materials.zip

[scottharris]

15 hours ago, HarrisReno said:

1. On page 18 of the austin.pdf, there is the door and window schedule. Along the bottom, there is an enlarged image of a window and some of the doors.

Wendy,

The thumbnails for the large doors & windows on the bottom of this layout page are created using the tool ‘CAD Detail from View’.  Here are the steps:

1) take an elevation view – say of the front of the house

2) use the tool ‘CAD Detail from View’

3) in the CAD Detail that is created, delete all of the lines not related to the front door (using the front door as my example)

4) once the front door is isolated, I block all of its lines (this makes it easy to transfer and manage)

5) I then create a new detail and copy this ‘front door’ CAD block into this detail and place descriptive text below.  I then delete the temporary detail above created with the ‘CAD Detail from View’ because its no longer needed, and I don’t want the clutter. (BTW, I have this detail in my template plan; it’s called ‘Door-Window Elevations’)  you can see this in the Austin Sample plan

6) repeat steps 1-5 as needed for all the doors/windows

7) send the detail ‘Door-Window Elevations’ to your layout page

Hope this helps!

[scottharris]

15 hours ago, HarrisReno said:

Also on page 21, you see the vanity as a stand alone image. What is the best way to send an image like this to the layout? Should I create a new CAD Detail for only the item I want to capture? Or is there a more efficient way?

In placing the standalone vanity on the layout page, it’s a very similar process to the steps above for the bath materials (vanity plan is attached - no materials due to the size limits of chief talk).  Here are the steps:

1) copy the vanity from your main plan into a new blank plan

2) take a 3D view

3) export the image from the camera

4) place the image on the layout

5) add text on the layout  

Hope this helps!

Bath Vanity.plan

[GeneDavis]

I just did what Scott described for an entry door, and the two enhancements I gave it in the CAD detail from view are:

 

1.  Added the little diagonal groups on the glass top R and lower L, for a visual flourish, as he did.

 

2.  Changed the line weights for the outer perimeter and the door perimeter from 2 to 18, to punch it up a little.  My CAD detail from view brought all lines in at 2.

 

[HarrisReno]

Thank you so much, Scott! Your detailed answers are great!! 

 

I really appreciate that you took the time from your busy day to answer my questions!

[HarrisReno]

Oh, thanks, Gene!! Those are great tips!!