Drawing Elements. In this chapter:

Transcription

1 5 Drawing Elements In addition to creating basic architectural drawing elements, DataCAD includes options that complete your drawing. Drawing text can be entered and edited anywhere in your plan. Adding linetypes is as simple as choosing a linetype and drawing lines. Symbols, like bathroom fixtures, trees and shrubs, and kitchen appliances, can be inserted with just a couple of clicks of the mouse. You can even create your own symbols of drawing objects you use frequently, saving time and a lot of repetitive drawing. DataCAD also has associative hatching and associative dimensions, which automatically update when you change your drawing. For even more flexibility, you have the option to use non-associative hatching and dimensions. In this chapter: Inserting and editing text Opening templates and placing symbols Adding dimensions to your drawing Adding linetypes and hatch patterns

2 Tutorial Tutorial This section of the tutorial covers those functions that transform a drawing into an architectural construction document. If you are not in DataCAD, start DataCAD now. Choose the drawing you worked on in the previous tutorial. Inserting Text The following shows you how to place text of all sizes onto various places in your drawing. As you enter text, the schoolhouse floor plan will start to take shape. Depending on the size, placement, and font being used, your drawing can develop into something that looks very professional. To set text attributes: 1. Press (Tab) until the Notes layer is the active layer in the Status Area. 2. Choose Text from the Edit menu. Adjusts settings that determine what the text will look like. Saves text settings for later recall. Draws arrows. Aligns text in paragraphs. MenuTitle The Text menu 220 / Construction Drawing

3 Tutorial 3. Choose Size to set the size of the text. 4. Choose 1-0 and right-click, or type 1 and press (Enter). 5. Choose Aspect to set the aspect ratio of the text. 6. Type.75 and press (Enter). An aspect below 1.0 creates wider and fatter characters, while an aspect above 1.0 creates thinner characters. 7. Choose FontName to select a new font. You are prompted: Enter font name. 8. Choose ARCWY2HC. This font has a nice hand-drawn style. 9. Choose Center to center the text within an area on the drawing. To insert room names: 1. Move the cursor to the center of the large room. You are prompted: Position text using cursor, then ENTER. 2. Click to set the position of the text. 2 Click the left mouse button to set the text cursor position. Positioning the text cursor This cursor graphically represents the current size of the text. 3. Press (CapsLock), if it isn t already on. 4. Type CLASSROOM. The text appears in the drawing as you type. 5. Right-click to exit this command and return to the Text main menu. Drawing Elements / 221

4 Tutorial 6. Repeat steps 1-5 for the office, but type OFFICE in the room to the lower left instead of typing CLASSROOM. The rooms are named To insert notes: 1. Choose Size to set a new text size. 2. Type.6 and press (Enter). 3. Choose Aspect. 4. Type 1.25 and press (Enter). This sets the aspect ratio to create a thinner text. 5. Choose Right to align the text on the right side of the indicated placement point. 6. Click in the center of the room, between the text CLASSROOM and the countertops. To zoom in closer to the drawing, press (PageDown), the shortcut key to zoom in on your drawing. Use (PageUp) as a shortcut to zoom out. 7. Type the following note, pressing (Enter) after each line: PLASTIC LAMINATE COUNTERTOP 36 ABOVE FINISHED FLOOR WITH ADJUSTABLE SHELVES BELOW 8. Right-click to exit this command and return to the Text menu. 222 / Construction Drawing

5 Tutorial 6 Text cursor location, the text is justified to the right. The note is placed on the drawing Drawing Text Arrows 1. Choose Arrows from the Text menu. 2. Choose Size to change the arrow size. You are prompted: Enter arrow size. 3. Type.6 and press (Enter). You are prompted: Draw arrow. 4. Click near the right side of the paragraph of text you just entered. This defines the tail end of the arrow. 5. Click to define any bends in the tail of the arrow. 6. Click to define the arrowhead location. Drawing Elements / 223

6 Tutorial 4 Click the left mouse button to define the beginning of the tail. 5 Click the left mouse button to define the bend of the tail. 6 Click the left mouse button to define the point of the arrow. Placing an arrow on the drawing 7. Right-click once. The arrow is drawn. 8. Right-click twice to return to the Edit menu. Editing Text To correct existing text: 1. Choose Change from the Edit menu. 2. Choose Text to set the text attribute you want to change. 3. Choose Contents to change or edit the words in existing text. 4. Choose Area to choose the text with a window box. 5. Select a point at the lower left area of the text paragraph using the left mouse button. 6. Diagonally drag the rubberband box to enclose the entire note and click. The first line of text appears in the Message Window. You are prompted: New text. 224 / Construction Drawing

7 Tutorial 6 Click the left mouse button to close the rubberband box. 5 Click the left mouse button to start the rubberband box. Changing text 7. Type over the text to make the following correction, pressing (Enter) when you finish: CERAMIC TILE COUNTERTOP The first line of text is corrected and the second line of text appears in the prompt. 8. Press (Enter) to accept the second line as it is. 9. Press (Enter) to accept the third line as it is. 10. Right-click twice to return to the Edit menu. 11. Choose E to view the extents of the drawing. 12. Press (Ctrl) + (S) on the keyboard to save your drawing. Drawing Elements / 225

8 Tutorial Dimensioning the Schoolhouse Drawing In an architectural office, there are many factors that determine the type of dimension used for a project. In this section of the Tutorial, you will use one of many available options to dimension the schoolhouse floor plan. To set up to dimension: 1. Press (Tab) until the Dim layer is the active layer in the Status Area. 2. Choose Dmension from the Utility menu to enter the Dimension menu. 3. Choose Linear to draw linear dimensions. Dimensioning along a line. See Linear Menuat right. Horizontally between points. Vertically between points. Aligned distance between points. Dimensionat aspecified angle. Value associated between points. Settings that affect the appearance of dimension strings. MenuTitle MenuTitle Dimesion Menu Linear Dimension Menu 4. Choose TextStyl to change the current text style or settings. 5. Choose FontName from the Text Style menu to change the font. 6. Choose ARCWY2HC to match the font style of the notes. 7. Right-click to return to the Linear menu. 226 / Construction Drawing

9 Tutorial Drawing a String of Dimensions 1. Choose Vertical to draw vertical dimensions. You are prompted: Select first point of distance to dimension. 2. Move the cursor to the lower left corner of the exterior wall and click the middle mouse button or press (N) on the keyboard. You are prompted: Select second point of distance to dimension. 3. Move the cursor to the snap point of the window shown in the figure below, and click the middle mouse button. You are prompted: Dimension which side of line?. 3 Click the middle mouse button to define the second point of distance to dimension.. 2 Click the middle mouse button to set the start of the dimension line. Placing the first dimension on the drawing 4. Move the cursor to the outside of the wall and click. 5. Choose StrngLin to continue drawing dimensions in a stringline. You are prompted: Select next point to dimension to. 6. Move to the snap point of the middle window and click the middle mouse button to define the next point to dimension to. You are prompted: Select next point to dimension to. 7. Move to the snap point of the last window and click the middle mouse button to define the next point to dimension to. 8. Click the middle mouse button to select the corner of the wall that is also the end of the stringline. 9. Right-click to exit the Stringline menu and return to the Linear menu. Drawing Elements / 227

10 Tutorial 8 Click the middle mouse button to end the stringline. 7 Click the middle mouse button to define the next point to dimension to. 6 Click the middle mouse button to define the next point to dimension to. 4 Click the left mouse button to define the outside of the wall. The first line is drawn. Defining a stringline of dimensions 10. Choose Overall in the Linear menu to place an overall dimension of the stringline. 11. Right-click twice to return to the Utility menu. 228 / Construction Drawing

11 Tutorial The stringline and overall dimensions are drawn Automatic Dimensioning You can also use automatic dimensioning; follow the steps below to use this second method of adding dimensions to your drawing. 1. Choose Dmension from the Utility menu. 2. Choose Linear. 3. Choose AutoStyl to change the current automatic dimension settings. 4. Choose OnlyPnts to search and dimension to points only. 5. Choose LyrSrch to enable layer searching. All of the layers will be searched for points to dimension. 6. Choose MissDist to set the distance to look for snap points. 7. Choose 1 and right-click, or type.1 and press (Enter). 8. Right-click to exit the Auto Style menu and return to the Linear menu. 9. Choose Horizntl to draw horizontal dimensions. 10. Choose AutoDim. You are prompted: Select first endpoint of line to dimension along. Drawing Elements / 229

12 Tutorial 11. Move the cursor to the bottom left corner of the exterior wall and click the middle mouse button or press (N) on the keyboard. You are prompted: Select second endpoint of line to dimension along. 12. Move the cursor to the bottom right corner of the exterior wall and click the middle mouse button. You are prompted: Dimension which side of line? 11 Click the middle mouse button to define the beginning of the dimension line. 12 Click the middle mouse button to define the end of the dimension line. Selecting the points of your automatic dimension line 13. Move the cursor to below the bottom wall and click. The dimension string is drawn automatically. 14. Right-click to return to the Linear menu. 15. Choose Overall to place an overall dimension. The front wall is dimensioned. See the figure below. 16. Right-click three times to return to the Edit menu. 230 / Construction Drawing

13 Tutorial The front wall is dimensioned Stretching Dimensions 1. Choose Stretch from the Edit menu. You are prompted: Select the first point of distance to stretch. 2. Click anywhere on the drawing window to locate the first point of the distance to stretch. You are prompted: Select the second point of distance to stretch. 3. Press (Spacebar). You are prompted: Enter relative distance. 4. Type 1.6 and press (Enter). You are prompted: Enter relative angle. 5. Type 270 and press (Enter). The distance and angle to stretch appear in the Message Window. 6. Choose Area as the selection process. You are prompted: Select first corner of box to <STRETCH>. 7. Make sure LyrSrch is on. 8. Click outside the upper-left corner of the plan. 9. Diagonally move the mouse until the rubberband box encloses the rear wall and part of the left and right walls. See the figure below. 10. Click to close the rubberband box. The walls are shortened by 1-6 and the dimensions are automatically adjusted. Drawing Elements / 231

14 Tutorial 10 Click the left mouse button to close the rubberband box. 8 Click the left mouse button to start the rubberband box. Stretching the rear wall 11. Choose Invert to stretch the same distance in the opposite direction. The new angle appears in the Message Window. You are prompted: Select first corner of box to <STRETCH>. Invert is an option that you can use for most editing commands. It uses the inverse of the defined angle. 12. Repeat steps 8-10 to return the wall to its previous shape. 232 / Construction Drawing

15 Tutorial The plan is dimensioned 13. Right-click to return to the Edit menu. 14. Press (Ctrl) + (S) to save the drawing. You have dimensioned the schoolhouse plan. Floor plans for construction of a real building would, of course, require more dimension lines as well as lines from many different angles. You can use DataCAD to create them all. Hatching the Schoolhouse Hatching is adding lines to your drawing that are in patterns like square boxes that represent floor tile, for example. As you will soon find out, there are many hatch patterns to choose from. To set up to draw a tile hatch pattern: 1. Press (Tab) until the Hatch layer is the active layer in the Status Area. 2. Choose Hatch from the Utility menu. Drawing Elements / 233

16 Tutorial Select a number of entities to hatch. Define a boundary point by point to infill with hatch. Patternwill beassociatedwithhatchboundary. Settings that affect the type and appearance of the hatch pattern. MenuTitle The Hatch Menu 3. Choose Associat to turn on the Associative Hatching option. This creates the entire hatch as a single entity. 4. Choose Pattern to set the type of hatch pattern. You are prompted: Enter hatch pattern name. A preview window appears. 5. Move the cursor over the buttons in the Menu Window. Notice the different patterns displayed in the preview window. 6. Choose ScrlFwrd three times to scroll to the end of the list. 7. Choose 12x12til for a 12 x12 tile pattern. 8. Choose Scale to set the scale of the pattern. You are prompted: Enter hatch scale (1 to 9999). 9. Type 1 and press (Enter). 10. Choose Angle to set the angle of the pattern. You are prompted: Enter hatch angle. 11. Type 0 and press (Enter). 234 / Construction Drawing

17 Tutorial To draw a tile hatch pattern: 1. Choose W from the Navigation Pad to go to the WindowIn menu. You are prompted: Select first corner of the Zoom window. 2. Select a point at the lower-left corner of the exterior wall and click. You are prompted: Select second corner of the Zoom window. 3. Diagonally move the mouse until the rubberband box encloses the lower half of the plan and click. The plan now appears larger. 4. Right-click to return to the Hatch menu. 5. Choose Origin to allow for the hatch pattern to start from a defined point. You are prompted: Select hatch pattern origin. 6. Move the cursor to the lower-left corner of the hall and click the middle mouse button. 7. Choose Boundary to define a boundary where you want the hatch to appear. You are prompted: Select first point on boundary to hatch to. 8. Move the cursor to the lower-left corner in the hall and click the middle mouse button. You are prompted: Select next point on boundary to hatch to. 9. Move the cursor upwards and select the corner marked A with the middle mouse button. (See the Selecting a hatch boundary figure below.) 10. Move the cursor close to the corner marked B and click the middle mouse button or press (N) to object snap to that point. 11. Move the cursor close to the corner marked C and object snap to that point. 12. Right-click to close the hatch boundary. A B 9-12 Click the middle mouse button to connect to these three points. After C click the right mouse button to close the boundary. C 8 Click the middle mouse button to start the hatch boundary. Selecting a hatch boundary Drawing Elements / 235

18 Tutorial 13. Choose Begin to generate the hatch pattern. The pattern will fill the boundary you defined in the previous steps. 14. Choose R to recalculate the extents of the drawing. 15. Right-click to return to the Utility menu. 16. Press (Ctrl) + (S) to save the drawing. The tile hatch is drawn You have now created a hatch pattern and updated your drawing file on the hard drive of your computer. The next section will give you an idea of what your drawing is beginning to look like in 3D. Adding Symbols to the Schoolhouse Symbols are one of the most powerful features of DataCAD. You can build symbol libraries from the drawings you create and reuse them in other drawings. The symbols can be sections, details, notes, furniture, or any part of a drawing that will be used repetitively. In DataCAD, you store symbols in template files. Each template usually contains symbols that are in some way related to one another. For example, if you have common bathroom configurations, each saved as a symbol, they can all be located in the same template. 236 / Construction Drawing

19 Tutorial Opening a Template Folder 1. Choose W from the Navigation Pad to go to the WindowIn menu. You are prompted: Select first corner of the Zoom window. 2. Click at the lower-left corner of the exterior wall. You are prompted: Select second corner of the Zoom window. 3. Move the mouse diagonally until the rubberband box encloses the lower half of the plan and click. The plan now appears larger. 4. Right-click to return to the Utility menu. 5. Choose Template from the Utility menu. The DataCAD Template Files dialog box opens. Select atemplatefiletoopen. TheTemplate Menu 6. Choose the Plumb folder to list the plumbing fixtures templates. 7. Choose BP2COM1. The template appears in a grid on the right side of the screen. Each box contains a symbol. 8. Move the cursor over the template window; as you move the cursor over a symbol, a description of the symbol appears in the Message Area. Drawing Elements / 237

20 Tutorial Select a new template file to open. Select a symbol to place in drawing Allows youtorotate a symbol before it is placed. Symbol will be entered into the drawing as individual entites, not databased. MenuTitle TheTemplate Menu Selecting and Placing Symbols 1. Press (Tab) until Plumb is the active layer in the Status Area. 2. Choose DynamRot to turn on the Dynamic Rotation option. This allows you to rotate a symbol into position as you place it into the drawing. 3. Move the cursor over the toilet with grab bars (HC Toilet in the left column of the template) and click to select it. 4. Move the cursor into the Drawing Window. The cursor is now a boxed outline of the toilet and grab bars. The insertion point is at the upper-left corner of the symbol, the point the cursor is connected to. Remember to use the arrows on the keyboard to move around the drawing. 5. Position the cursor near the upper-right corner of the room in the lower-right corner of the plan, and click the middle mouse button. This is the insertion point and the center of rotation for the symbol. If you move your cursor slightly up or down, you will see the boxed outline rotate around the insertion point. 238 / Construction Drawing

21 Tutorial 6. Position the cursor near the lower-right corner of the bathroom and click the middle mouse button. The toilet with grab bars is drawn. 3 Click the middle mouse button to define the insertion point. 4 Move the cursor down and to the right away fromthe insertion point, and click the middle mouse button to set the symbol into place. Placing the toilet on your plan 7. If you place the toilet incorrectly, press (,) on the keyboard to delete it. This is the shortcut key to erase the last entity drawn. Place the toilet again as described in steps 2-4. The toilet and grab bars are placed on the drawing 8. Right-click to cancel the toilet symbol. 9. Move the cursor over the WALL-HUNG SINK (top left symbol in the template) and select it using the left mouse button. Drawing Elements / 239

22 Tutorial 10. Move the cursor into the Drawing Window. The cursor is now a boxed outline of the sink. The insertion point for this symbol is in the back center of the sink. 11. Position the cursor in the center of the wall, between the window and hallway wall, as shown in the figure below. Click the middle mouse button. 9 Click the middle mouse button to define the insertion point for the sink. Placing the sink in your drawing 12. Rotate the symbol by dragging the cursor away from the insertion point and clicking when it is in place. The sink is drawn. The sink is drawn 13. If you locate the sink incorrectly, press (,) to delete it and place the bathroom sink again. 240 / Construction Drawing

23 Tutorial 14. Right-click to cancel the sink symbol. 15. Press (Ctrl) + (S) to save the drawing. Selecting Another Template File 1. Choose NewFile from the Template menu to switch to a new template file. 2. Choose the KITCHEN folder to view a list of Kitchen templates. 3. Choose KT2EQIP1 from the dialog box. The grid is updated with the new template. 4. Select the bar sink (upper left in the template) and place it as shown in the figure below. Refer to the previous section if you need help placing this sink. Place the kitchen sink insert point, and rotate into place. The kitchen sink is drawn 5. Choose TemplOff to close the Template window and return to the Utility menu. 6. Right-click to go to the Edit menu. Copying Symbols 1. Choose Copy from the Edit menu. You are prompted: Select first point of the distance to copy. 2. Move the cursor to the upper-right corner of the bathroom you just placed fixtures in and click the middle mouse button to define the first point to copy from. You are prompted: Select second point of distance to copy. 3. Move the cursor to the upper-right corner of the room directly above the bathroom and click the middle mouse button. The distance and angle you just defined appear in the Message Window. Drawing Elements / 241

24 Tutorial 3 Click the middle mouse button to define the second point of distance to copy from. 2 Click the middle mouse button to define the first point of distance to copy from. Defining a distance to copy 4. Choose Area if it s not already active. You are prompted: Select first corner of area to <COPY>. 5. Choose LyrSrch to toggle layer searching off and search only the active layer for items to copy. 6. Click at the lower left of the bathroom sink. You are prompted: Select second corner of area to <COPY>. 7. Diagonally move the mouse to the upper right of the toilet and grab bars, until the rubberband box encloses all bathroom fixtures and their insertion points. 8. Click to close the box. The sink, toilet, and grab bars are copied into the other bathroom. 8 Click the left mouse button to close the rubberband box. 6 Click the left mouse button to start the rubberband box. Selecting the bathroom fixtures to copy 9. Choose R to recalculate the extents of the drawing. 242 / Construction Drawing

25 Tutorial The bathroom fixtures are copied to the other bathroom 10. Right-click to return to the Edit menu. 11. Press (Ctrl) + (S) to save the drawing. Creating a Title Block To complete the schoolhouse plan you will create a simple border that will plot with the floor plan. The paper size will be 8 1/2 x Press (Tab) until Border is the active layer in the Status Area. 2. Press (=) on the keyboard to toggle the Walls option off. This is another shortcut. Note the w in SwOTHLUD in the Status Area is now lowercase. 3. Choose Polygons from the Edit menu. 4. Choose RectAngl to draw a rectangle. 5. Move the cursor to the lower-left corner of the drawing where you want the border to start and click. If necessary, press (PageUp) once to zoom out and give you more space around your drawing. Drawing Elements / 243

26 Tutorial 5 Click the left mouse button to define the first corner of the border. Creating a border 6. Press (Insert) until the Message Window reads: Current input mode = relative Cartesian (x, y). 7. Press (Spacebar). You are prompted: Enter relative X-distance. 8. Type 80 and press (Enter). You are prompted: Enter relative Y-distance. 9. Type 60 and press (Enter). The border is drawn. 10. Right-click to return to the Edit menu. 11. Choose E to view the extents of the drawing. Moving the Border 1. Choose Move from the Edit Menu. 2. Choose Drag. 3. Choose Group. You are prompted: Select group to <MOVE>. 244 / Construction Drawing

27 Tutorial 4. Move the cursor to the center of the rectangle you just created and click the middle mouse button. The rectangle becomes dashed. You are prompted: Select the point to drag from. 5. With the cursor still at the center of the rectangle, click the middle mouse button. You will notice that you can now move the border by moving the mouse. 6. Press (O) on the keyboard to turn off ortho mode. This allows free movement when you place the border. Note the o in SwoTHLUD in the Status Area is now lowercase. 7. Using (PageUp) or (PageDown) for a better view if you need to, move the border over the floor plan so the plan appears centered within it. 8. Click to set the border into place. 9. Right-click twice to return to the Edit menu. 10. Choose R to recalculate the extents of the drawing. PLASTIC LAMINATE COUNTERTOP 36 ABOVE FINISHED FLOOR WITH CALL BAM.NET (BAM RULES!) The border is placed Drawing Elements / 245

28 Tutorial Adding a Title Block 1. Choose Copy from the Edit menu. You are prompted: Select first point of the distance to copy. 2. Move the cursor to the lower right corner of the border and click the middle mouse button. You are prompted: Select second point of the distance to copy. 3. Press (Spacebar). You are prompted: Enter relative X-distance. 4. Type -5 and press (Enter). You are prompted: Enter relative Y-distance. 5. Type 0 and press (Enter). The distance and angle to copy appear in the Message Window. 6. Choose Entity from the Menu Window. You are prompted: Select entity to <COPY>. 7. Select the right vertical line of the border by clicking on it. The line is copied. 8. Right-click to return to the Edit menu. 9. Press (`) to set a new reference point. 10. Move the cursor to the lower right outside corner of the border and click the middle mouse button to set a new reference point. 7 Click the left mouse button to copy this line. PLASTIC LAMINATE COUNTERTOP 36 ABOVE FINISHED FLOOR WITH ADJUSTABLE SHELVES BELOW The line is copied. 10 Click the middle mouse button to set a new reference point. Completing the title block 246 / Construction Drawing

29 Tutorial 11. Press (Spacebar). You are prompted: Enter relative X-distance. 12. Type 0 and press (Enter). You are prompted: Enter relative Y-distance. 13. Type 5 and press (Enter). You connect to a point on the right line of the border. 14. Press (Spacebar). You are prompted: Enter relative X-distance. 15. Type -5 and press (Enter). You are prompted: Enter relative Y-distance. 16. Type 0 and press (Enter). A line is drawn. 17. Right-click to disconnect from the line. You will return to the Edit menu. 18. Choose Move from the Edit menu. 19. Choose Drag. 20. Choose AndCopy. You are prompted: Select entity to <MOVE>. 21. Select the line you just drew by clicking on it. The line becomes dashed. You are prompted: Select the point to drag from. 22. Select an end point of the dashed line with the middle mouse button. 23. Press (O) on the keyboard to toggle ortho mode on. 24. Move the cursor upwards and click to place the line in a few different locations to section off the title block as you see in the following example. 25. Right-click three times to return to the Edit menu. The title block is drawn. Drawing Elements / 247

30 Tutorial PLASTIC LAMINATE COUNTERTOP 36 ABOVE FINISHED FLOOR WITH ADJUSTABLE SHELVES BELOW The drawing with title block This completes the Drawing Elements Tutorial. To continue with the tutorial exercises, turn to the Tutorial section at the beginning of the Printing and Plotting chapter. 248 / Construction Drawing

31 Templates and Symbols Templates and Symbols With the Template option in the Utility menu, you can use, create, revise, or enter symbols. You can associate an unlimited number of attributes with each symbol you create. You can also use Template to generate reports for a variety of specification and cost schedules. You can create template files to support specific office and project standards. When you select a template file, the symbols associated with that file appear in a template window. Each template window is a graphic representation of the template (.TPL) file and consists of a number of divisions, each containing a symbol you can use. Press (T) to open the Template dialog box at any time. To use a template: 1. Choose Template from the Utility menu. A dialog box listing the available templates is displayed. 2. Choose or type a template filename and press (Enter). The template is displayed on the right side of the DataCAD screen and the Template menu is displayed in the Menu Window. Drawing Elements / 249

32 Templates and Symbols Symbol placed in drawing Symbols intemplate Window A template window 3. If you toggle DynamRot on before you insert a symbol into the drawing, you can dynamically rotate the symbol about the insertion point before you place it. When you toggle DynamRot off, DataCAD asks you to specify a fixed angle of rotation, causing all symbols you enter thereafter to rotate to this angle. The current fixed angle of rotation appears in the Message Window. To change the current fixed angle of rotation, click on DynamRot twice. 4. Toggle Z-Offset on to set the vertical distance above the current Z-base where symbols are inserted from the template file. For example, when placing symbols on a 3D site plan, change the Z-offset to enter trees at the correct elevation. To place symbols at the current Z-base elevation, leave Z-Offset toggled off. 5. Toggle Explode on to convert a symbol to individual drawing entities when you place it in your drawing. Symbols will appear the same, but they are no longer defined as a symbol in the drawing database. Toggle Explode off to insert symbols as single associative entities. 250 / Construction Drawing

33 Templates and Symbols 6. To select a symbol from a template either: Position the cursor anywhere in the division containing the symbol, and click or press (Enter). The cursor is attached to the symbol at the insertion point, indicated by a small X on the symbol. This insertion point is visible once you place the symbol in the drawing. Snap to a specific end point on the symbol using (N) or the middle mouse button. Before using this method, toggle FastSym off in the Utility/ObjSnap menu. DataCAD surrounds the cursor with a rectangle defining the extents of the symbol. 7. Enter a symbol into the drawing in either of the following ways: Move the cursor to the specific location and click or press (Enter). To align the symbol to entities in the drawing, object snap to the exact point where you want to insert the symbol by clicking the middle mouse button or pressing (N). Use the double quotation mark keyboard shortcut or choose Symbol from the Insert pull-down menu to enter symbols in a drawing without calling up the template. After you press ( ), a dialog box is displayed listing all folders in DataCAD s SYM\ folder. Select a folder from the list and then select a symbol from that folder. A symbol preview is available in the dialog box, so you can see the symbol before placing it in your drawing; this symbol preview will display in either orthographic (plan) or isometric view, depending on the setting on the Misc tab of the Tools/Program Preferences dialog box. Click Open to close the dialog box and attach the symbol to the cursor at the symbol s insertion point. Then simply click anywhere in your drawing to place the symbol. Drawing Elements / 251

34 Templates and Symbols The symbol insert dialog box with symbol preview To change templates: 1. Choose NewFile from the Template menu. A dialog box with a list of template files are displayed. 2. To use a different template, choose a filename from the list or type a filename and press (Enter). The new template is displayed. To create a new template: 1. Choose Template from the Utility menu. If you re already in the Template menu, choose NewFile. If you have a template window open but are not currently in the Template menu, choose Template from the Utility menu and then choose NewFile. 2. Type a new filename and press (Enter). To place the new file in a different folder, change the folder displayed in the Template File dialog box to specify the correct path before typing the filename. 3. When you type a new filename, DataCAD asks you to verify that you want to create a new file. Choose Yes to create this template file. 4. When creating a new template file, you must define the number and type of attributes to be associated with each symbol in the template file. When you create a template file, DataCAD creates six fields with the following field names and data types: Item Name Manufact. Text Text 252 / Construction Drawing

35 Templates and Symbols Model No. Remark 1 Remark 2 Cost Text Text Text Dollar Because you cannot add, delete, or change attribute field names after you create the template file, you must define each file s database capabilities before you begin. If you want only the six fields that appear, skip to step 8. If you want to add fields, continue with step Type the name of the next field, up to 20 characters, and press (Enter). 6. Choose Text, Dollar, or Number as the data type and press (Enter). 7. Continue to enter field names and data types as needed. 8. Right-click or choose Exit from the menu. The list below includes some hints and tips to help you work with field information: Fields can contain text, dollars, or numbers. Text fields accept letters and numbers that you cannot use in calculations. Dollar fields accept real numbers with two fixed decimal places. Number fields accept integers. All fields can accept up to 80 characters of information, but fewer characters can appear in generated schedules depending on the schedule design. You can define any number of additional fields. To change data stored in any of the fields associated with a symbol: 1. Choose EditFlds from the Template menu. 2. Select the symbol from either the Drawing or template window. If you are accessing this template file directly from the DataCAD CD-ROM, you will get the message Cannot perform operation on a read only symbol/template. Press any key to continue. Files on the DataCAD CD-ROM are read-only, meaning you cannot make changes to the file. To make changes to this template file, install it to your hard drive. 3. Select the field to change. 4. Type the revised information and press (Enter). The following fields appear: Manufact. ItemName Model No. Drawing Elements / 253

36 Templates and Symbols Remark 1 Remark 2 Cost DataCAD also displays any additional fields that you defined when you created the template file. To change the number of divisions in the current template file: 1. Choose Divisons from the Template menu. If you are accessing template files directly from the DataCAD CD-ROM, you will get the message Cannot perform operation on a read only symbol/template. Press any key to continue. Files on the DataCAD CD-ROM are read-only, meaning you cannot make changes to them. To make changes to one of these template files, install it to your hard drive. 2. Select the number of divisions to appear in the X direction. 3. Select the number of divisions to appear in the Y direction. DataCAD redraws the template window with the specified number of blocks. The number of divisions in a template window does not have to equal the number of symbols associated with that template. You can have more divisions than symbols, in which case some of the divisions will appear blank in the template window. You can also have fewer divisions than symbols so that not all symbols associated with that template will appear at once in the template window. Displaying fewer symbols in a template window can increase screen refresh time. To turn off the template window and exit the Template menu, choose TemplOff from the Template menu. Identifying a Symbol To determine a symbol s name: 1. Choose SymName from the Template menu. 2. Position your cursor over the symbol you want to identify. The symbol s name is displayed on the first line of the Message Window. Enlarging a Symbol Use Enlarge to enlarge or reduce instances of symbols by a specified factor in the X, Y, or Z direction as you place them. 254 / Construction Drawing

37 Templates and Symbols To enlarge a symbol: 1. Choose Enlarge from the Template menu. 2. Enter the new enlargement factor before you insert the symbol in the drawing. 3. You can also enter a line spacing enlargement factor to maintain the correct relationship between nonsolid lines in symbols with an enlargement factor other than 1. Replacing a Symbol Use Replace to substitute one symbol for another, throughout a drawing file or in one location in the drawing file. Replace substitutes new symbols for any number of symbols in the drawing and updates the database accordingly. To replace a symbol: 1. Choose Replace from the Template menu. 2. From either the Drawing or template window, select the symbol you want to replace. To replace a number of different symbols with a new symbol, choose AnySymb. 3. Select the symbol you want to substitute. 4. Choose a selection method from the list of options or choose All to replace all symbol instances in the drawing. Saving and Deleting Symbols Use SaveSymb to save part of a drawing as a symbol in a template. DataCAD saves the symbol in a separate file with a.sm3 extension. When you choose SaveSymb from the Template menu, a dialog box is displayed, allowing you to name the file to save the selected entities to. Make sure the AutoPath toggle on in the Template menu; DataCAD will automatically create a folder in your symbol folder, with the same name as the template file you re creating, allowing you to easily keep track of symbol files without any additional time or effort. To save a symbol: 1. Choose Template from the Utility menu. A dialog box appears with a list of available templates. Drawing Elements / 255

38 Templates and Symbols 2. Choose the template file you d like to save the symbol to. If you re placing symbols in a new template, enter the template filename in the Filename input box and press (Enter). 3. Toggle AutoPath on to add a folder for your symbols, to the symbol path specified on the Pathnames tab in the Tools/Program Preferences dialog box. You can save any number of symbols in this folder, which will have the same name as the template file that displays these symbols in DataCAD. When this option isn t checked, DataCAD doesn t add a folder, and the symbols are saved in the SYM\ folder in your DataCAD folder. 4. Define field names and types for the template as DataCAD prompts you for them. If you are accessing template files directly from the DataCAD CD-ROM, you will get the message Cannot perform operation on a read only symbol/template. Press any key to continue. Files on the DataCAD CD-ROM are read-only, meaning you cannot make changes to them. To make changes to one of these template files, install it to your hard drive. 5. Choose SaveSymb from the Template menu. A dialog box is displayed, allowing you to enter a filename to save the symbol to. 6. Type a name for your symbol file (no more than eight characters) and press (Enter). 7. Choose a selection method and then select the geometry you want to save as a symbol. Your selection is highlighted, and you are prompted to Select reference point for symbol. 8. Click or object snap anywhere on the geometry to select the insertion point for the symbol. An insertion point is the point to which the cursor automatically attaches when you select the symbol from the template window. Therefore, choose an insertion point that makes positioning easy, like the corner of a piece of furniture. The geometry is removed from the drawing and placed in the first available division of the open template. You are prompted to enter a symbol name as well as other field data. DataCAD positions new symbols sequentially starting with the first available division in the upper left corner of the template window and proceeding from left to right, top row to bottom row. Therefore, save symbols in the sequence you want DataCAD to position them. 9. Type a name for the symbol and press (Enter). Enter any of the following information for the saved symbol: Item Name Text up to 20 characters 256 / Construction Drawing

39 Templates and Symbols Manufact. Model No. Remark 1 Remark 2 Cost Text up to 20 characters Text up to 20 characters Text up to 20 characters Text up to 20 characters Dollars up to 20 characters 10. You are prompted to enter the name of the symbol file to be saved. Continue following steps 3-6 to enter additional symbols, or choose Exit from the menu or right-click to exit the SaveSymb menu. To remove a symbol from a template file: 1. Choose DelSymb from the Template menu. 2. Select the symbol you want to delete from the template window. If you are accessing this template file directly from the DataCAD CD-ROM, you will get the message Cannot perform operation on a read only symbol/template. Press any key to continue. Files on the DataCAD CD-ROM are read-only, meaning you cannot make changes to the file. To make changes to this template file, install it to your hard drive. 3. DataCAD asks you to confirm that you want to delete the symbol from the template file. Choose Yes to delete the symbol from the template; otherwise choose No. DataCAD refreshes the template window. The symbol still exists on your computer; it is just not displayed in a template. 4. DataCAD asks if you want to delete the associated symbol file, which will delete the symbol itself from your computer. Choose Yes to delete the symbol; choose No to leave the symbol on your computer. Redefining a Symbol To revise a symbol definition: 1. Toggle Explode on in the Template menu. 2. Select the symbol that you want to redefine from the template window, and place it in the drawing. 3. Edit the symbol as desired. 4. Choose Redefine from the Template menu. Drawing Elements / 257

40 Templates and Symbols 5. Select the symbol that you want to redefine from the template window. If you are accessing this template file directly from the DataCAD CD-ROM, you will get the message Cannot perform operation on a read only symbol/template. Press any key to continue. Files on the DataCAD CD-ROM are read-only, meaning you cannot make changes to the file. To make changes to this template file, install it to your hard drive. 6. Choose a selection method and select the revised geometry for the symbol. 7. Choose Continue to add the symbol to the template. 8. Select an insertion point for the new symbol. Reloading a Symbol Use Re-Load to update symbols in the current drawing file that have been redefined since they were entered into the current drawing. To reload symbols: 1. Choose Re-Load from the Template menu. 2. Click on the symbol you want to reload, or choose All to reload all symbols. Purging a Symbol When you copy a symbol from a template file into a drawing, DataCAD associates that symbol with the drawing file, even if you delete all instances of the symbol from the drawing. Therefore, when you erase all instances of a symbol from a drawing, use PurgeSym to delete the association of symbols so there are no references in the drawing. This option gives you additional working space in the drawing. To purge symbols from the drawing database: 1. Choose PurgeSym from the Template menu. The prompt Are you sure you want to purge used symbols? appears. 2. Choose Yes to delete symbol references in the drawing; otherwise choose No. 258 / Construction Drawing

41 Templates and Symbols Reports Use Reports in the Template menu to extract symbol information from the DataCAD drawing database and create reports for specifications or cost estimates. You can count the number of instances of each symbol in the current template file, calculate the total cost, and list a variety of remarks. You can choose from a list of available reports or you can create your own. See Creating Your Own Report below for more information. You can choose from a variety of predefined reports such as DCADCOST, DCADLIST, and DCADQTY. These report files extract information from the first six data fields of any template file. Predefined reports include the following: DCADCOST DCADLIST DCADQTY ELECLS ELECSKD Lists all information in the first six fields Lists information in the first six fields, except quantity and cost Lists information in the first six fields, except cost Lists electrical components Creates an electrical schedule If you want to count different symbols together, group them in the same template file; each report can only extract information from one template file at a time. Reports are user-definable; you can create any spreadsheet-style report with a maximum of 132 columns. Since reports are standard ASCII text files, you can add them to the current drawing, send them to any printer, or save them as a text file. Creating Your Own Report You can create your own report file within DataCAD. A report form file is a text file you can edit using any text editor that contains instructions telling DataCAD what information to extract from the database and how to display it. (See the example at the end of this section.) When you choose Reports, you tell DataCAD to access the drawing file to search for database items. Read this section carefully before creating your own reports. You can place the symbol attributes in any location in the report. You can also use the attribute titles within the report as headers or define new titles external to the database itself. There are five conditions that apply to setting up a report: The template report cannot display more than 24 individual symbols on the screen at one time. Drawing Elements / 259

42 Templates and Symbols Each field definition and title block cannot have more than 80 characters. Field titles are independent of fields themselves. For example, a field title might contain six letters (Symbol), while the field itself may contain only two characters (XX). Make sure you indent sequence lines by one space; the lines cannot begin with an * or -. Before you perform arithmetic operations, you must define all variables. You can insert blank lines within the file for clarity. The sequence section of a report form file determines the overall appearance of the report when it appears on the screen. The sequence section can contain text, location labels, and commands. Text appears on screen exactly as you enter it. Text can include letters, numbers, and punctuation characters but should not include the reserved characters ( # * + - / { } [ ]. You can display text on screen, or you can send it to a drawing, printer, or text file. A location label begins with the special followed by an uppercase or lowercase letter. The letter identifies the label for future reference. Make sure you repeat the letter enough times to make the field wide enough to contain the information that appears there. For sets up a field that is six characters wide as a character space) and is referenced by the letter a. If the same label appears more than once in the layout, the properties of the most recent label override any earlier labels. An asterisk (*) in the first position of a line marks the beginning and ending of a repetitive area in the report. The repetitive section can be only one line long. Within the repetitive area, DataCAD only displays a line of information for each symbol specified in the definitions for the report. A hyphen (-) in the first position of a line marks the separation between the sequence and definition sections of the report. The second section of a report is the definition section which contains definition command lines. A report definition command line consists of up to three parts: All lines must begin with a letter corresponding to a location label followed by an equal (=) sign. The second part consists of optional formatting information to position the output within the specified field. The choices are: 260 / Construction Drawing

43 Templates and Symbols \R Output aligned to the right edge of the field; this is the default for number and dollar fields \L Output aligned to the left edge of the field; this is the default for text fields \C Output centered within the field The last part consists of any one of the following: A text string enclosed in single quotes. Example: Item Name prints Item Name on the report at the referenced location label. A field name enclosed with less-than and greater-than symbols. Example: << Item Name>> writes the Item Name of every symbol in the drawing. <<#>> writes the number of occurrences of any symbol set successively to each and every symbol in the drawing. An arithmetic expression operator: + Addition - Subtraction * Multiplication / Division () Order of evaluation [] Sum of cell in repetitive area You can use the first four operators on fields of any single symbol in the repetitive area or on labeled quantities outside the repetitive area, but not on combinations of the two. You cannot perform operations on cells or entities you have not yet defined in the report file. Example: G * H writes out the total cost of this symbol if G=<#> and H= <cost> are defined as such in previous steps. Example: k = [G] totals all cells defined in step G. The quantity of all symbols entered into the drawing is written if G=<#> is defined as such in a previous step. Example: o = m * 0.04 multiplies the input from step o m times a constant of Drawing Elements / 261

44 Templates and Symbols Each time you store a symbol in a template file, DataCAD prompts you for each of the fields you specify. In the following example, you create a report to extract to define the location and organization of the fields, much like creating a spread sheet of the information you want to use in your database. You can put any symbol field in any location or cell, define titles, perform arithmetic, and determine the order of mathematical evaluation. You can use the results from one cell for operations on subsequent cells. The DCADCOST report is designed to extract the first six fields of data from all template files and is defined as follows (see actual text file provided with DataCAD for exact spacing). 262 / Construction Drawing

45 Templates and @qqqqqqqqqq DEFINITION: T= Title a= \L Item Name b= \L Manufact. c= \L Model No. d= \L Remark 1 e= \L Remark 2 g= \R Qty. h= \R Unit Cost i= \R Total Cost j= \R TOTAL ITEMS l= \R TOTAL COST n= \R Tax (4%): p= \R GRAND TOTAL: A= <item name> B= <manufact.> C= <model no.> D= <remark 1> E= <remark 2> G= <#> H= <costs> I= G * H k= [G] m= [I] o= m * 0.04 q= m + o Drawing Elements / 263

46 Templates and Symbols To create a report: 1. Choose Reports from the Template menu. 2. Choose a report name from the list in the Menu Window or type a name and press (Enter). The report appears on the screen. 3. Choose a destination for the Template Report information. You can send the reported information to the screen (ToDrwng), to a file (ToFile), or to the printer (ToPrntr). 4. Press any key to continue. The drawing reappears. 264 / Construction Drawing

47 Text Text Use Text to enter text on the active layer of the drawing. DataCAD provides twentythree standard text fonts, user-defined text fonts, and variables to control each font s appearance. In this menu, the text cursor replaces the standard cursor and represents the current text size, angle, slant, and aspect ratio. To insert text in a drawing: 1. Choose Text from the Edit menu or choose Text from the Create pull-down menu. 2. The Size option for text sets the actual size entered in the drawing field as long as TxtScale is off. For example, to plot text ¼ high at ¼ scale, enter a text size of 1-0. To set the text size, choose Size from the Text menu, and then choose or type a text size value and press (Enter). Use TxtScale to indicate the size of the text relative to the plot scale. If you toggle TxtScale off, the size of the text appears in real world coordinates, according to the Size setting. To change the size of existing text, choose TextSize from the Edit/Change menu. 3. The Angle option defines the angle at which you draw the text. Choose Angle from the Text menu, and then choose or type an angle value and press (Enter). 4. The Weight option defines the line weight of text. For example, a text weight of 3 produces a triple weight line both on the screen and on the plotted drawing. To change the line weight, choose Weight from the Text menu, and then choose or type a weight value from 1 to 99 and press (Enter). Because the size of the drawing changes as you scale up or down, the text may appear unusually wide at times. Another way to produce heavy text on a drawing is to place the text on a separate layer and define a specific color for that layer. When you plot the drawing, you can assign a specific pen size. For more information, see the Printing and Plotting chapter. 5. Slant defines the angular offset from vertical of each character of text. A 45 slant draws text at a 45 angle as measured from the base of each character to the top of each character. To change the slant of your text, choose Slant from the Text menu, and then choose or type an angular offset value and press (Enter). Drawing Elements / 265

48 Text 6. The aspect ratio of text refers to the relative height and width of each character. An aspect ratio of 1 represents the normal character style, while an aspect ratio of 5 produces very tall, slender text. You can control the aspect ratio of all characters by adjusting the ratio: choose Aspect from the Text menu, and then choose or type an aspect ratio value and press (Enter). 7. Factor sets the line feed or space between lines of text. DataCAD calculates the amount of line feed by multiplying the text height by the factor. To change the factor, choose Factor from the Text menu, and then choose or type a new factor value and press (Enter). 8. To change the text fonts in the drawing, choose FontName from the Text menu. A dialog box is displayed, prompting you to enter a font name. Select or type a new font; the font preview box displays an example of the selected font. Press (Enter) to change the font. You are limited to using 32 fonts in a drawing session. The font name dialog box with font preview 9. Move the cursor to the location where you want to place the text and click or press (Enter). 10. Type the text. It appears on the screen as you type. To start a new line, press (Enter). You can toggle Dynamic on to automatically display text as you enter it. When Dynamic is off, the text appears on the prompt line before it appears on the screen. 11. When you finish entering text, choose Exit. 266 / Construction Drawing

49 Text Text can include many other characters in addition to those found on the keyboard. These extended characters are typed by pressing (Alt) + a character number. See the Appendix for a complete list of extended characters. With the exception of Justify, all text options must be set before you insert text; text properties, such as slant, factor, or aspect ratio, cannot be changed after the text has been entered into the drawing. If you have a large amount of text on a drawing, you can substantially speed the refresh time by toggling ShowTxt off. This toggle, in the Utility/Display menu, replaces all text with rectangles of equal size for display purposes. ShowTxt toggle on ShowTxt toggle off Justifying Text You can justify existing text along a left, center, or right reference line. Use the Left, Center, and Right toggles to control where you want the text to appear on the screen. Make sure the reference line is not parallel to the line of text. Drawing Elements / 267

50 Text To justify text: 1. Choose Justify from the Text menu. 2. Select the first point of the reference line. 3. Select the second point of the reference line. 4. Choose a selection method and the type of justification (Left, Center, or Right), and select the text you want to justify. DataCAD moves the text. To define a new reference line for the text: 1. Choose NewLine from the Justify menu. 2. Select a point to start a justification line. 3. Click to select a second point and set the justification line. To align each line of text at the left: 1. Choose Left from the Text menu. 2. Select each line of text to align. DataCAD moves the text, aligning it with the reference line. To align each line of text at its center: 1. Choose Center from the Text menu. 2. Select each line of text to align. DataCAD moves the text, aligning it with the reference line. To align each line of text at the right: 1. Choose Right from the Text menu. 2. Select each line of text to align. DataCAD moves the text, aligning it with the reference line. Fitting Text into Defined Areas Another way to enter text in DataCAD is to define the area (length and height) where you d like to place a line of text and then enter the text; DataCAD automatically applies the correct aspect ratio and size to the specified text and fits it into the space you defined. The FitText option adjusts one line of text at a time; if you enter several lines of text at once, the size and aspect ratio of subsequent lines remains fixed. 268 / Construction Drawing

51 Text To define the area in which the base line of the text fits: 1. Choose FitText from the Text menu. 2. Select the first point to define the horizontal component of the text area. 3. Select the second point to define the horizontal component of the text area. 4. Select another point to define the height of the text. 5. Type the text and press (Enter). DataCAD adjusts the text to fit into the specified area. Drawing Text Arrows You can draw arrows from text to parts of the drawing, with full control over the size, style, aspect, weight, and color of the arrows. To draw an arrow: 1. Choose Arrows from the Text menu. 2. Set the Size, Style, Aspect, Weight, and Color options as necessary. 3. Select a first point to locate the tail of the arrow. 4. Select additional points to create segments, or bends, in the arrow. 5. Select a final point to locate the head of the arrow at the tip. 6. When you finish entering points, right-click to end the arrow. The new arrow appears. The arrow always points in the direction of the last line segment you enter. The Size option in the Arrows menu adjusts the arrowhead size relative to the current text size. Choose or type an arrowhead size value and press (Enter). A factor of.50 is the most common of arrowhead sizes. There are five arrowhead styles: Open, Closed, Bridge, Dot and Tick. The Open and Closed styles are standard arrows; you can modify them with the Aspect option in the Edit/Arrows menu. Use Bridge for symbol diagrams that show the crossing of two pipes or wires. The Dot and Tick styles are available should you wish to use a different arrowhead style. Drawing Elements / 269

52 Text OPEN 4:1 CLOSED 3:1 BRIDGE 2:1 DOT 1:1 TICK 0.5:1 Arrowhead styles Variableaspect ratios Use the Aspect option to adjust the aspect ratio of the arrowheads. Choose or type an aspect value and press (Enter). An ANSI standard arrowhead has an aspect ratio of 6. You do not have to enter an aspect ratio when you use the Bridge option. Weight adjusts the line weight of arrows. Choose or type an arrow weight value and press (Enter). The Color option changes the color of arrows. Choose a color from the menu, use Custom to choose a color from the 256-color palette, or choose Adjust to open the Windows Color dialog box and manually adjust RGB values. See the Color Menu section in The Drawing Board chapter for more information. Importing and Exporting Text The FileI/O option in the Text menu allows you to select text in a drawing file and save, or export, it to a text file; you can also load, or import, text from a text file into a DataCAD drawing. To import or export text: 1. Choose FileI/O from the Text menu. 2. Choose whether you want to import (FromFile) or export (ToFile) a file. Use ToFile to export lines of text to create an ASCII text file, which you can edit using a word processor or editing program. Use FromFile to import an ASCII text file into your drawing where it appears as lines of DataCAD text. For example, you might import a word processing file containing general notes for your project and place the contents of that text file on your drawing. 270 / Construction Drawing

53 Text 3. Type the name of the text file you want to load from or save to and press (Enter). DataCAD assumes the text file extension is.txt. 4. Click on the location for imported text, or select the lines of text to export. When you import text, you can adjust the size, angle, width, slant, and aspect ration of the text. Text Styles You can save your Text menu settings as a text style, which you can later load back into DataCAD to quickly apply text settings. Also available are options to delete unused text styles or to view text style attributes (ShowVals). The text style remains until you load a different style. To save the current Text menu settings as a text style: 1. Choose SaveCurr from the TxtStyle menu. A list of existing text styles appears. 2. Type a text style name for the current text attributes and press (Enter). The text style is saved and added to the list. If you type or choose a text style name that already exists, the message Text style xxx already exists. Do you wish to overwrite with the current values? appears. 3. Choose Yes to overwrite the existing file. If you choose No, enter a new name. If you choose Yes, the file is overwritten with the current settings. DataCAD adds this name to the list of available text styles. To change Text menu settings to those saved in a text style: 1. Choose Load from the TxtStyle menu. A list of existing text styles appears. 2. Choose a text style from the list. The selected text style settings are changed and any text you enter will have those attributes. To display the current values for a text style: 1. Choose ShowVals from the TxtStyle menu. A list of existing text styles appears. 2. Choose the name of the text style to view from the list. The values of the selected text style appear in the Message Window. 3. Choose Exit to return to your drawing and the TxtStyle menu. To remove a text style from the list of available text styles: 1. Choose Delete from the TxtStyle menu. A list of existing text styles appears. 2. Choose the text style name to delete from the list. That text style is deleted. Drawing Elements / 271

54 Text 3. Choose Exit to stop deleting text styles and return to the TxtStyle menu. Use ShowVals to indicate the attributes of the text style you choose from the list. The attributes appear in the Menu Window and include size, angle, weight, slant, aspect, factor, font name and text scale. DataCAD s default text style, called Default, has the following attributes: Factor 1.0 Font Roman Size 3 Angle 0-0 Weight 1 Slant 0-0 Aspect / Construction Drawing

55 Dimensioning Your Drawing Dimensioning Your Drawing You can create linear, angular, diameter, and radial dimensions using the Dmension menu in the Utility menu. Setting Dimension Text and Line Styles The TextStyl option in the Dmension menu lets you set attributes for your dimension text. You can set the size, color, weight, slant, and aspect of the text as well as select a font to use. See Text earlier in this chapter for more information about changing text attributes and using text styles. The decimal separator for all displayed dimensions and numbers is determined by the value of the Windows Decimal Separator. To set this value, choose Control Panel from the Start/Settings menu on your Windows desktop. Choose Regional Settings. On the Number tab, set the Decimal symbol value. Text placement can also be controlled. Text normally rotates to align with the dimension line, but you can override this by toggling InHorz or OutHorz on so that the text appears horizontally inside and outside the dimension line, respectively. Toggle the Above option on to place the text above the dimension line; toggle Above off to place the text within the dimension line. Offset specifies the distance of text from the dimension line. The Auto toggle automatically places text at the offset distance or selects the position to place the dimension text. When Auto is off, you are prompted for the new text location each time you dimension an entity. A box appears at the cursor representing the dimension text. To place this box anywhere on the drawing choose the Rotate option to rotate the text box or choose DrwLeadr to place the text box with a leader. Similarly to TextStyl, the DimStyl option in the Dmension menu lets you customize the dimension lines of the drawing. All four dimension types Linear, Angular, Diameter, and Radius include options to set extension line offset and overlap, limits and tolerances, and dimension rounding. The extension line offset is the space between the dimensioned object and the origin of the extension line. Setting Offset to 0 causes the extension line to touch the object. Extension line overlap is the overlap of each extension line past the dimension line. Use Overlap to change the overlap distance. Choose RoundIt from the Rounding menu to choose from RoundUp, Bankers and RoundDn. Or choose Precsion to set your own fractional rounding value. Drawing Elements / 273

56 Dimensioning Your Drawing Toggle Limits on to set an upper limit and a lower limit for the size of the object you dimension. You can also set positive and negative geometric tolerances by choosing Tolrance from the Dmension menu. The following figure shows two dimensions: the exact dimension plus the specified upper limit and the exact dimension minus the specified lower limit. Setting dimension limits and tolerances The Linear menu contains several additional options. Toggling Line1 or Line2 off in the Linear DimStyl menu causes the first or second extension line to not be drawn, respectively. Since a plotter draws double-weight extension lines, you may want to suppress (not draw) this line with stringline dimensions to avoid duplication of extension lines during plotting. Incrment is the standard incremental distance the baseline dimension line is offset each time a new one is drawn (with FixdDist on). Incrment has no effect on stringline dimensions unless the increment is set to zero, in which case the first tickmark is dropped and you get a running dimension. Use Overrun to overrun the dimension line with the extension lines. A value of zero results in the dimension line touching the extension lines. Use FixdDist with baseline dimensions to increment the dimension string by a fixed amount. When you use FixdDist with stringline dimensions, the program prompts you to enter a point where you want the dimension string to appear. 274 / Construction Drawing

57 Dimensioning Your Drawing B E C D A Dimension settings: A = Offset B = Overrun C = Overlap D = Increment (with FixdDist toggled on) E = Text Offset Toggle DINStd on to set your dimensioning to the DIN Standard, set by the Deutsches Institut für Normung, or German Institute for Standardization. DIN Standard dimensioning CntrMark adds center marks for radius and diameter dimensions. When CntrMark is set to zero, center marks or lines are not drawn. Any setting greater than zero specifies the size of the center mark. Creating Dimensions The Linear menu has several options that the Angular, Diameter, and Radius menus do not. The Horizntl, Vertical, and Aligned options are mutually exclusive of each other; only one can be toggled on at any given time. Horizntl determines the horizontal distance between two points and creates a horizontal dimension line, Vertical determines the vertical distance between two points and creates a vertical dimension line, and Aligned determines the actual distance between two points and creates a dimension line that parallels the dimensioned object. To create dimension lines at a specified angle, choose Rotated from the Linear menu, and then choose or type an angle and press (Enter). Drawing Elements / 275

58 Dimensioning Your Drawing Linear dimension orientations Use Entity to dimension individual entities without entering the beginning and ending points. Select the line, circle, or arc you want to dimension and then enter a point corresponding to the dimension line offset (the distance from the entity being dimensioned to the end of the extension line of the dimension). DataCAD then creates the dimension. Use Assoc to create dimension strings which are associated with the size of the dimensioned object. For example, when you modify an object with Stretch, DataCAD automatically updates the dimensions associated with this object. Associative dimensioning gives you automatic conversion between various architectural and engineering scale conventions, when you change the scale type. Linear dimensioning is the most common dimensioning type. To create dimensions between points on a line: 1. Choose Linear from the Dimension menu. You can also choose Dimension from the Create pull-down menu and then choose Linear Dimension from the submenu. 2. Select the first point of the distance to dimension, or choose Entity and select the line, circle, or arc to dimension. 3. Select the second point of the distance to dimension if you didn t use Entity. 4. Choose the side to place the dimension on. The dimension is displayed on screen. 276 / Construction Drawing

59 Dimensioning Your Drawing If dimension text doesn t fit between the witness lines, you re prompted to position the text where you d like a leader drawn. You can also right-click and DataCAD will automatically rotate the value 90 and place it above the dimension line. To determine the angular offset between any two lines and display the information in standard degree format: 1. Choose Angular from the Dimension menu. You can also choose Dimension from the Create pull-down menu and then choose Angular Dimension from the submenu. 2. Select the first line to determine the angular offset. 3. Select the second line. 4. Select the dimension line arc location. 5. Select the placement for the dimensioning text. To calculate the diameter of any arc or circle: 1. Choose Diameter from the Dmension menu. You can also choose Dimension from the Create pull-down menu and then choose Diameter Dimension from the submenu. 2. Select the arc or circle you want to dimension. The actual diameter is displayed in the Message Window. 3. Type a new diameter and press (Enter) or press (Enter) to accept the given value. The dimension text appears. If the dimension text does not fit, DataCAD prompts you to locate a leader line outside of the arc or circle. DataCAD displays the diameter distance in standard phi form. For instance, a diameter of 40 inches would be displayed as 40 Φ. To calculate the radius of any curved segment: 1. Choose Radius from the Dmension menu. You can also choose Dimension from the Create pull-down menu and then choose Radius Dimension from the submenu. 2. Select the arc or circle to dimension; the actual radius is displayed in the Message Window. 3. Press (Enter) to use this dimension, or type a new dimension and press (Enter). If the dimension text does not fit, DataCAD prompts you to locate a leader line outside the arc or circle. The radius information appears in standard form with a preceding R symbol. Drawing Elements / 277

60 Dimensioning Your Drawing To change a dimension you ve created: 1. Choose Change from the Linear menu. 2. Choose the type of attribute you want to change: TextStyl DimStyl ArroStyl TxtPostn Changes a dimension s text style; for more information on text styles, see Setting Text and Dimension Styles above Changes a dimension style Changes the arrow style of a dimension Changes the position of selected text 3. Click on Exit to return to the Change menu. 4. Select the dimensions in the drawing you want to change. You can now select other dimension characteristics to change by selecting another option or you can select dimensions in the drawing to change. TextStyl, DimStyl, and ArroStyl contain two options for some of the attributes that show up as toggles in the standard Dimension menus. For example, if you choose Change/TextStyl, Above (place text above dimension line) and Inline (place text in dimension line) are mutually exclusive toggles. You can also explode dimension strings into separate entities and then edit each dimension string. Automatic Dimensioning Use AutoDim to create a series of dimensions in only a few steps. DataCAD prompts you to first locate the beginning and ending points of the dimension, and then to enter a point defining the location of the dimension line. Both the baseline and stringline styles are available with this option. When you try to place dimensions without using AutoDim, the following options appear: Rotate DrwLeadr TextStyl Rotates the dimension text to a specific location on the screen Draws specific leader lines for the dimension Sets text style attributes such as text size, slant, and aspect ratio If you re using AutoDim but the dimension is too large to fit within the witness lines, Rotate, DrwLeadr and TextStyl always appear. Use these options to help customize the dimension to fit within the witness lines. 278 / Construction Drawing

61 Dimensioning Your Drawing AutoStyl lets you control the style of the dimension string you create using AutoDim. You can choose from the following dimension string styles: Baseline StrngLin Overall OnlyPnts NoPnts MinDist MissDist LyrSrch DirDim Creates a series of dimensions that have one reference point, the baseline point, in common. After you enter the first dimension, Baseline appears in the menu. Choose Baseline and select the subsequent points to dimension to. You do not need to choose Baseline again when you dimension on the same line. Continues dimensioning from the last point selected to subsequent points without selecting a point twice. After you enter the first dimension, StrngLin appears in the menu. Choose StrngLin and then select the next point to dimension to. You do not need to choose StringLin again when you dimension on the same line. Sets the overall dimension; appears only after you create a stringline dimension Dimensions center marks only; useful for dimensioning window and door openings; mutually exclusive with NoPnts Dimensions every line endpoint which is greater than or equal to the minimum distance to dimension; mutually exclusive with OnlyPnts Sets the minimum distance to dimension; a setting of zero results in dimensioning of all distances Sets the search distance perpendicular to the dimension line for line end points to dimension Dimensions entities on all displayed layers Provides a shortcut from the Dimenson option in the Utility menu directly to the AutoDim menu when toggled on; begin using autodimensioning immediately after choosing Dimenson from the menu Drawing Elements / 279

62 Dimensioning Your Drawing Stringline dimensions Stringline dimensions with overall Baseline dimensions 280 / Construction Drawing

63 Dimensioning Your Drawing Dimension Arrows Use ArroStyl to choose the arrow style for a dimension. You can adjust the size, color, and aspect ratio of the arrow styles. Choose ArroStyl from the Dmension menu and the ArroStyl menu is displayed: Size Aspect Color Sets the size of the arrow, which is always relative to the current text size; if you change the arrow size value to 2, the arrows appear twice the size of the text When the active selection is Arrows, you can adjust the aspect ratio of the arrowhead drawn. The aspect ratio is expressed as the length divided by the height; an aspect ratio of 1 produces arrowheads with a 90 angle. Change the color of the arrow; see Color Menu in The Drawing Board chapter for more information In the Linear menu, you can also draw three types of arrow styles -- arrows, tickmarks and dots as well as adjust the weight of tickmarks: Arrows TickMrks Dots Weight Draw arrows at the ends of the dimension line and specify their size, aspect, and color Draw tick marks at the ends of the dimension line and specify their size, line weight, and color Draw small circles (dots) at the ends of the dimension line and specify their size and color Change the line weight of tick marks Drawing Elements / 281

64 Drawing with Linetypes Drawing with Linetypes There are four standard linetypes and twenty user-defined linetypes. You cannot redefine the four standard linetypes -- solid, dashed, dotted and dot-dash -- although you can set some of their attributes. You can, however, add up to 175 userdefined linetypes such as special symbolic lines for site plan utilities, center lines, and highlighted lines for review. See User-Defined Linetypes in the Appendix for a list of available user-definable linetypes and their settings. When you choose LineType from the Edit menu, a list of available linetypes is displayed in the Menu Window, along with options to modify a chosen linetype s weight, color, size, factor, or overshoot. To see a preview of a linetype before you use it, move the mouse cursor over the linetype option in the Menu Window. The Factor toggle lets you quickly switch between using the default spacing factor and the spacing factor set by the Spacing option of the LineType menu. Use Spacing to modify the size of the linetype pattern. Keep in mind that DataCAD defines units in absolute world coordinates. For example, to set dashed lines to repeat every 1 on a 1/4 =1-0 scale drawing, set the spacing to 4-0. Set line spacing by choosing or typing a spacing value and pressing (Enter). All user-definable linetypes enter building materials at actual size, and they appear at the display scale you specify. Use LineWgt to set the thickness of a linetype. The most common line thickness is 1. Choose or type a line weight value and press (Enter). Choose Color to change the linetype color. Any new lines that you enter into the drawing appear in the new color. See Color Menu in The Drawing Board chapter for more information. The OverSht option gives drawings an architectural look, causing extensions, or punch, to appear at line intersections. DataCAD always dimensions to the actual length of a line, ignoring any displayed overshoot. To set the overshoot, choose OverSht, and then choose or type an overshoot distance and press (Enter). You can change the overshoot distance for existing lines with the Edit/Change option in the Edit menu. 282 / Construction Drawing

65 Hatch Hatch You can fill portions of a drawing with a repetitive pattern to distinguish between building materials or to highlight drawing elements. These hatch patterns are lines that are separate entities linked as a group in the drawing file. You can move and edit the hatching as a group using various edit options. You can also edit hatch patterns as individual lines using the entity selection option. Hatching, however, may increase file size and refresh time dramatically. To control file size as well as save time while editing a drawing, use associative hatching. Associative hatching treats hatch patterns as a single entity instead of a group of entities as regular hatching does. See the Appendix for a list of DataCAD predefined hatch patterns. To hatch an area of your drawing: 1. Choose Hatch from the Utility menu or choose Hatch from the Create pulldown menu. 2. Choose the hatch type, pattern, scale, angle and origin you want. See the instructions below for changing these settings. 3. Choose a selection method and select the polylines you want to hatch. The number of entities you select appears in the Message Window. If no polylines are present, see Hatching Boundaries in this section. Choose Clear to clear your last hatch selection. 4. Choose Begin to start the hatching process. When you hatch a large area with a complex pattern, it may take several minutes for DataCAD to complete the hatching. To cancel the hatching process, press (End). To increase the screen refresh time after you use Hatch, toggle ShowHtch off in the Utility/Display menu. Toggle ShowHtch on when you want to display the hatched areas. Choose HtchType from the Hatch menu to set the hatching style. Choose one of the following options: Normal OutMost Ignore Alternates hatching in boundaries and draws lines in a series of shells around the defined area (hatches the first boundary, skips the second, hatches again in the third, etc.) Hatches in only the first boundary, skipping all subsequent areas Hatches within the outermost boundary defined, filling in the area without stopping at other boundaries Drawing Elements / 283

66 Hatch Normal hatching type Outer-most hatching type Ignore hatching type 284 / Construction Drawing

67 Hatch To select a hatch pattern: 1. Choose Pattern from the Hatch menu. As you move the cursor down the list, a sample of each pattern appears in the preview window. Use ScrlFwrd and ScrlBack to scroll forwards and backwards through the menu list. 2. To keep the same pattern, choose No Change. 3. Choose or type a pattern name and press (Enter). The hatch pattern scale you use depends on the type of the hatch pattern and scale of the current drawing. You may need to experiment to find the correct scale for your particular application. For tile patterns such as 12 x 12, use a scale of 1. To set the scale at which to draw the hatch patterns: 1. Choose Scale from the Hatch menu. A list of scales appears. 2. Choose or type a scale value and press (Enter). Some patterns, such as Line, are based on 1/32 increments. For example, for 4 spacing, set the scale of Line to 128, since 128 * 1/32 = 4 To adjust the angle of the hatch pattern: 1. Choose Angle from the Hatch menu. 2. Choose or type an angle value and press (Enter). The standard hatch angle setting is 0. Some patterns, such as steel, are designed with angled lines so you may not need to adjust the angle of the pattern. To specify the point where you want to begin the hatch pattern: 1. Choose Origin from the Hatch menu. 2. Select a point of origin. Drawing Elements / 285

68 Hatch Hatching Boundaries If no polylines exist in the hatching area, you must define a polyline that acts as a hatching boundary. To specify a boundary: 1. Choose Boundary from the Hatch menu. 2. Select the first point on the boundary to hatch. 3. Continue to select boundary points until you reach the point you selected in step Choose Exit or right-click when you finish selecting boundary points. 5. Choose Begin from the Hatch menu. DataCAD hatches the area enclosed by the boundary. Associative Hatching Use Associat to hatch 3D polygons and 2D polylines only. When you use associative hatching: You can stretch your entity s borders and still keep your hatch pattern intact. You can rotate your entity without changing the angle of your hatch pattern. Your drawing size is usually smaller because the hatch pattern is an attribute of an entity and contains no new entities itself. You cannot edit individual lines in the hatch pattern. DataCAD draws the hatch in the same color as your entity. If you toggle Associat off, your hatch appears in the current layer color. If you want voids in your associative hatching, make sure you use 3D polygon entities. You have different hatch type options. You can choose either an associative or non-associative hatch type. With Associat toggled off, the hatch types (HtchType) define the boundary conditions of the hatching process to either consider or ignore successive line boundaries within the drawing. DataCAD looks for boundaries defined by lines, circles, and arcs. 286 / Construction Drawing

69 Hatch To draw associative hatching: 1. Toggle on Associat from the Hatch menu. 2. Choose HtchType from the Hatch menu. When you use associative hatching, a different HtchType menu is displayed. 3. Choose Outline to display an outline around the hatching; choose NoOutline to display hatching without an outline. 4. Continue the hatching process. To remove associative hatching: Choose DelAssoc from the Hatch menu. All associative hatching is erased, leaving the boundaries intact. Drawing Elements / 287

70 Display Options Display Options Use Display to toggle all the text, dimensions, hatching, or visible attributes in your drawing on or off. Because text, dimensions, and hatching involve many entities, you may want to toggle one or all of these options off to speed up the refresh time while you draw. Toggle these options on again before you plot the drawing. You can choose Display from the Utility menu in the Menu Window, or choose Options from the Tools pull-down menu and then choose Display from the submenu. The Display menu is displayed in the Menu Window: ShowTxt ShowDim ShowHtch ShowWgt UserLine OverSht ShowIns ShowAttr CurveCtr DimPoint MltiView SmallTxt BoxColor SmallSym ArcFactr Displays text as text; toggle off to display text as boxes and increase drawing refresh time when you have large amounts of text Displays associative dimensions Displays hatch patterns you ve used in your drawing; toggle ShowHtch off to increase screen refresh time, as it may take some time for DataCAD to refresh these patterns when you edit your drawing Displays line weights; when ShowWgt is toggled off, lines of any weight greater than 1 appear as single solid lines Displays user-defined linetypes; when UserLine is toggled off, userdefined lines, such as insulation, hedge, shingles, etc., appear as single solid lines on the screen Displays line overshoots Displays symbol insertion points Displays visible attributes added with a DCAL macro Displays the center points of 2D curves Displays the control points of associative dimensions Graphic extension of go-to-views that displays four thumbnail views of your drawing file Assigns the smallest text size displayable on the screen; text boxes appear in place of any text that is smaller than the SmallTxt setting; a setting of 0 pixels displays all text, regardless of size; see illustration below for more information Sets the text box color, used when the text is too small to display or ShowTxt is toggled off; choose a global text box color or choose NoChange to display the text boxes in the same color as the text (see Color Menus in The Drawing Board chapter for details) Sets the smallest displayable symbol size; a setting of 0 pixels displays all symbols; symbols smaller than three pixels display as boxes Changes the precision factor for drawing and plotting circles and arcs 288 / Construction Drawing

71 Display Options LyrOrder Palettes DispList Assigns the order in which to refresh the active layer Saves and loads customized RGB color palettes as well as loads different screen color palettes for DataCAD s user interface Displays a Status option, which you can click to display the number of entities, the number of line segments, and the amount of memory in use in the Message Window Drawing with small text value set to 8. Text is replaced with a bounding box when screen scale brings the text to a size of 8 or less pixels. Multi-View Windows Multi-views are a graphic extension of go-to-views displayed in four small windows in a column along the right side of your screen. Essentially each of these miniature windows displays a snapshot of a particular view of your drawing, and the view name for each is added to your GoToViews list. To display these multi-view windows, choose Multi-View from the View pull-down menu or choose MltiView from the Display menu. Drawing Elements / 289

72 Display Options DataCAD screen with multi-view windows displayed DataCAD automatically assigns the names Window1, Window2, Window3, and Window4 in the 3DViews/GotoView menu (with the top window being Window1) to the appropriate multi-view window as you read in a view. You can rename these views, but they will no longer work within the multi-view windows, as DataCAD only recognizes the four reserved names described above. View names are associated with the order of the multi-view windows themselves, not with the order that you use the view windows. For instance, you could read your first view into the second multi-view window, and DataCAD would still name that view Window2. However, these view names will appear in your GoToViews list in the order in which they were added, not necessarily in numerical order. 290 / Construction Drawing