Drawing Floor Plans
Drawing Floor Plans
Drawing Floor Plans
C H A P T E R
20
Figure 20-1.
Floor plans are developed by cutting off the top portion of a building and looking straight
down at the floor. (3D-DZYN)
View
Drawing Floor
Plans
Learning Objectives
After completing this chapter, you will be able to:
Completely describe a floor plan.
Draw walls using polylines and lines.
Describe and draw additional floor plan symbols.
Place floor plan dimensions and notes.
Use tag symbols.
Create named views that can be recalled instantly.
Create multiple viewports in the drawing window.
A floor plan consists of wall placement, door and window location, cabinets, plumbing
fixtures, detail symbols, and dimensions. To create the floor plan, the building is cut at a
horizontal cutting plane located at approximately eye level. See Figure 20-1. Consider the
cutting plane as a saw cutting horizontally through the building. The top portion of the
building is removed, leaving the bottom portion that represents the floor plan. This allows
the viewer to see where doors, windows, and cabinets are placed within the building.
In a multistory building, each floor is cut horizontally to show the layout of each
floor. The elevation of the cutting plane can vary, especially if there is a design feature
to show in the floor plan. For example, if a single room is two stories high, the cutting
plane can be adjusted to show this feature.
2D Floor
Plan
the builder knows where the columns are placed. See Figure 20-2B. In concrete or
masonry construction, the distance between the lines is the thickness of the concrete
block or slab. If the construction material is concrete, a fill or hatch pattern representing
concrete can be applied to the walls. See Figure 20-2C.
If brick veneer is used in construction, two additional lines are drawn on the outside of the wall. These lines represent the brick and airspace between the exterior wall
and the brick. Brick can also be drawn with a hatch pattern to represent the material. See
Figure 20-2D.
Using AutoCAD, you can draw the space between wall lines equal to the exact
wall construction materials, if desired. For example, a conventionally framed wood
wall with 2 6 exterior studs, 1/2 interior gypsum, 1/2 exterior sheathing, and 1/2
exterior siding measures:
5-1/2 (actual dimension of a 2 6 wood stud is 1-1/2 5-1/2)
1/2 gypsum
1/2 sheathing
+
1/2 siding
7
floor plan: A 2D
representation of a
building layout, as
viewed from above.
cutting plane: An
imaginary plane
through an object,
such as a building,
that cuts away the
area to be exposed.
Drawing Walls
Walls are generally drawn as parallel lines, depending on the type of wall construction. In wood frame construction, walls are typically represented as two parallel
lines, with the distance between the lines determined by the thickness of the framing
members. Common framing members are 4 thick for a 2 4 or 6 thick for a 2 6. In
other words, the parallel lines for a 2 4 wall are drawn 4 apart. See Figure 20-2A.
Studs are not shown in a wall to reduce clutter in the drawing.
In steel construction, wall thickness is drawn similar to that for wood construction. However, structural columns, or studs, are often shown inside of the walls so
526
Figure 20-2.
Professional
Tip
After laying out the outside exterior wall lines, double-check distances using the
MEASUREGEOM or LIST tool. Once all distances are verified, the parallel lines representing the inside of the exterior walls are created using the OFFSET tool. The OFFSET
tool is fully explained in Chapter 17. Once you access the OFFSET tool, enter the wall
Wood Wall
2X6 Studs
Steel Wall
2X6 Studs
Concrete Wall
8" Wide Conc. Block
thickness as the offset distance. In the case of residential wood construction, use a
width of 6 for the exterior wall offset. If the building is constructed of masonry, determine the width of the masonry and use it for the offset. Typically, masonry construction
uses 8 wide walls for smaller buildings and 12 wide walls for larger construction.
Next, pick the polyline or line to offset, and then pick inside of the building perimeter to offset the wall thickness in toward the building. If the perimeter was drawn
using a polyline, the exterior walls are now laid out and you can exit the OFFSET tool.
If the perimeter was drawn with lines, arcs, or separate polylines, continue offsetting each segment and exit the OFFSET tool when finished. You will then have to use
the TRIM tool, or the FILLET tool with the radius set to 0, to clean up the corners of
the walls. See Figure 20-4. Figure 20-5 shows the preliminary floor plan design from
Chapter 16 used to lay out 6 exterior walls.
the overall area of the building exterior that can be arranged within the model space
limits. Leave room around the building perimeter for notes and dimensions. Lines and
arcs can be used when laying out the building perimeter. However, as explained later
in this section, the process of forming the inside, or parallel, wall lines is easier when
a single polyline object, including polyline arcs, is used. Use tools such as FILLET and
CHAMFER as needed to add rounded or angled corners to the building perimeter.
If you initially created a design sketch, the drawing can be opened and traced using
polylines or lines. See Figure 20-3B. When tracing, use the appropriate wall layer, such
as Wall or A-WALL-FULL, and make sure a separate sketching layer is assigned to the
design sketch. This keeps the original sketch and the final drawings in one file for
easier drawing management.
Professional
Tip
Exercise 20-1
Figure 20-3.
AA layout of
exterior wall lines.
BTracing a design
sketch for the
exterior wall lines.
Figure 20-4.
AOffsetting a
polyline produces
a clean corner.
BOffsetting lines
produces corners
that need to be
cleaned up with the
TRIM or FILLET tool.
Polylines
Lines
A
527
528
B
Architectural Drafting Using AutoCAD
Figure 20-5.
Figure 20-6.
42'
AOffsetting the inside exterior wall lines to define the room extents. BOffset the wall
thickness. CUse editing tools to clean up the wall intersections.
Master
18' x 12'
241 SF
Great Room
16' x 18'
288 SF
Specified
room depth
Walk in Closet
40 SF
MBath
141 SF
Dining
16' x 10'
170 SF
Closet
16 SF
62'
Bed2
12' x 14'
152 SF
Bed3
12' x 10'
120 SF
Bath
60 SF
Foyer
88 SF
Kit/nook
20' x 14'
244 SF
A
Wall thickness
offset away from
the room interior
Inside exterior
wall line offset
the room depth
Util
6' x 6'
36 SF
Closet
12 SF
Garage
20' x 20'
400 SF
Figure 20-7.
Professional
Tip
42'
Master
17/0x 10/10
184 SF
Great Room
15/8 x 17/6
274 SF
Walk in Clo
7/4 x 5/0
37 SF
MBath
11/8 x 12/0
104 SF
W.C.
3/0 x 6/8
20 SF
Closet
6/4 x 2/0
62'
Bed2
10/8 x 13/6
128 SF
Dining
15/8 x 10/2
159 SF
Bath
6/0 x 9/0
54 SF
Foyer
4/2 x 13/4
56 SF
Kitchen
12/10 x 13/0
167 SF
Util
6/0 x 6/0
36 SF
Closet
2/0 x 3/8
Bed3
10/8 x 9/8
103 SF
Nook
6/4 x 6/8
42 SF
Closet
2/0 x 5/8
Garage
19/0 x 19/6
371 SF
Exercise 20-2
Once the walls are drawn, the next step to develop a floor plan is to add doors,
windows, and other wall openings. See Figure 20-8. Wall symbols, as previously
described, are typically drawn with lines, polylines, and other basic shapes, such as
arcs. Most other symbols drawn on a floor plan, such as doors and windows, should
Chapter 20 Drawing Floor Plans
529
530
Figure 20-8.
Figure 20-9.
Doors and windows in a 3D view with the typical cutting plane and in a plan view.
li
or
Flo
ne
li
or
Flo
ne
li
or
Flo
3D Door
ne
t li
Cu
ne
t li
Cu
ne
t li
Cu
ne
t li
Cu
ne
li
or
Flo
4'-0"
5'-0"
6'-0"
Single Swing Doors
ne
3'-0"
8'-0"
4'-0"
5'-0"
5'-0"
6'-0"
6'-0"
8'-0"
3'-6"
3D Window
3'-0"
4'-0"
4'-4"
4'-8"
5'-0"
5'-4"
5'-8"
6'-0"
7'-0"
Pocket Doors
2'-0"
Wall (header)
above
Plan view
Wall (header)
cut away
Wall (header)
above
2'-2"
2'-4"
2'-6"
2'-8"
2'-10"
Plan view
3'-6"
4'-0"
5'-0"
6'-0"
3'-6"
4'-0"
5'-0"
6'-0"
8'-0"
6 Wide Windows
be created as blocks, and then inserted when needed. Figure 20-9 provides examples
of door and window blocks.
When using unit blocks, there are fewer blocks to manage. However, the display of the
doors or windows varies as the scale changes. For example, window glass should always
be the same thickness. However, when windows are drawn as unit blocks, the glass thickness varies when the blocks are scaled. Figure 20-10 shows the difference in glass thickness when a window drawn as a unit block is inserted into a 4 and an 8 wall.
When real blocks are used for doors and windows, the scale of the display does
not change with wall thickness. However, any change made to the door or window
must be made to all door and window blocks.
The advantage of using dynamic blocks for doors and windows is that a single block
can be used for multiple sizes, orientations, and configurations. Depending on which
parameters are assigned to the block, it can be resized, stretched, arrayed, and flipped
to match the needed application. The disadvantage of dynamic blocks is that they take
longer to create. The geometry of the block must be created, as with the other types
of blocks. In addition, the parameters and actions must be added to the block. A lot of
thought and preparation goes into a dynamic block before it can be used in a drawing.
The block insertion point for a door or window can be at the midpoint or endpoint
of the block. To a large degree, this depends on personal preference. However, for
some blocks, one of the two points may make it easier to place the block into a wall.
3'-0"
8'-0"
Figure 20-10.
If a window is drawn as a unit block, when the block is scaled, the glass is incorrectly scaled
as well.
Unit Block
(Not to Scale)
Figure 20-11.
Jambs and frames
can be included in
door and window
blocks.
X = 36
Y=4
Door
leaf
X = 36
Y=8
Window glass has
different thicknesses
Door
swing
Window glass
3'-0"
4 Wide Windows
Wall (header)
cut away
Doorjamb
531
532
Window sill
Window frame
Block geometry should be drawn on the 0 layer using the ByLayer setting for the
color, linetype, and lineweight. In this way, the block takes on the properties of the
layer on which it is inserted. As an option, try using a ByBlock color and linetype for
the doorjambs and window frame. Use the ByLayer color setting for the rest of the
block geometry. Then, before the block is inserted, set the current color to the same
color as the wall layer. When the block is inserted on the door or window layer, the
door or window geometry takes on the layer color, but the jambs or frame lines take
on the current color, which matches the wall layer. See Figure 20-12.
After drawing the geometry, create the block. When selecting the insertion point,
pick a location that is logical, such as the hinge of the door or the frame end of a window.
After the block definition is saved, open the Block Editor if creating a dynamic block.
Assign parameters and actions as needed. After saving the dynamic block, test it to
ensure the parameters and actions work correctly.
Professional
Tip
Figure 20-13.
AHeaders over the
door and window.
BSelect the jamb
or frame lines
within the block as
the cutting edges.
CThe wall lines
are trimmed.
Header
over door
Header
over window
Select the
cutting edges
Select the
cutting edges
Pick lines
to trim
Use a fence
line to trim
B
window to insert the blocks. Be sure to set the correct layer current before inserting
the blocks.
After the door and window blocks are in place, the headers above the openings
are trimmed. See Figure 20-13. Use the TRIM tool and select the doorjamb or window
frame lines as the cutting edges. Next, trim the wall lines between the doorjambs and
window frames. A floor plan through the door and window placement phase is shown
in Figure 20-14.
Figure 20-12.
One method for
drawing door and
window blocks is to
use the ByLayer color
for the door and
window, and the
ByBlock color for the
jambs and frame.
Figure 20-14.
Doors and windows
are inserted into the
floor plan and the
headers trimmed.
ByLayer color
ByLayer color
ByBlock color
Chapter 20 Drawing Floor Plans
ByBlock color
533
534
Professional
Tip
Figure 20-16.
Stairs in 3D,
cutaway, and floor
plan views. An up
or down note is
added to the plan
view to indicate
the direction of the
stairs.
Exercise 20-3
Three-dimensional stair
Three-dimensional stair
Cutaway stair
Cutaway stair
Plan view
Plan view
Figure 20-15.
The components
making up stairs.
3-0. To determine the total number of risers for the stair layout, first consult local
building codes to determine the maximum allowed rise for each riser. This example
assumes a maximum rise of 7-1/2.
Next, determine the total height for the stairs, known as the total rise. Refer to
Figure 20-15. This example assumes a 9-1 1/8 measurement between floors, which is
equal to 109.125. Divide the total rise by maximum riser height to determine the total
number of risers required:
109.125" 7.5" = 14.55
If there is any value after the decimal point, the number is rounded up. In this example,
14.55 becomes 15, which is the number of risers needed. There is always one less tread
than the total number of risers. Thus, there are 14 treads.
Now, assume a minimum tread depth of 10. To draw the stairs on the floor plan,
use the LINE tool to place the first riser. Then, use the OFFSET tool to offset the depth
of the tread. Generally, only enough treads are drawn as needed to clearly represent
the stairs. Add an arrow for the direction of movement on the stairs and an up or
down note, as shown in Figure 20-16.
Professional
Tip
535
536
Exercise 20-4
casework: The
components of
cabinets and similar
structures.
Drawing Fireplaces
A fireplace is used for heating, cooking, and warmth, and for decorative purposes.
The space where the fire is contained is called a firebox. A chimney or flue allows gas
and exhaust to escape the building. Fireplaces are typically constructed in building
interiors. Outdoor fireplaces can also be designed, and can include a grill.
Fireplaces are commonly built using masonry construction. Figure 20-17 shows a
3D view of a masonry fireplace and the corresponding floor plan view. Manufactured
fireplaces can also be constructed with a combination of a steel firebox with masonry
or wood. Refer to the manufacturer specifications for the proper floor plan representation of the selected fireplace.
Use standard drawing and editing tools such as LINE, PLINE, CHAMFER, and
OFFSET when drawing fireplaces. Add all objects on an appropriate layer named
Fireplace or A-FLOR-FPLC. Often notes, added later in the development of a floor plan,
are needed to describe fireplace features. Additional drawings, including a section,
may also be necessary.
fireplace: An
architectural feature
designed to contain
a fire.
Professional
Tip
base cabinets:
Lower cabinets
along a wall.
island: Cabinets
located in the
middle of the room.
upper cabinets
(wall-hung
cabinets): Cabinets
hung on the wall
above base cabinets.
Flue
An example of a
single masonry
fireplace in 3D and
floor plan views.
Drawing Casework
Exercise 20-5
Figure 20-17.
The wall, door, window, and stair locations are very important in the layout of a floor
plan. These features show how the building is assembled. Once these critical components
are laid out, other symbols, including casework, plumbing fixtures, and appliances, are
added to finish the layout. Like walls, casework, plumbing fixtures, and appliances are
shown in relation to the cutting plane. In some cases, the symbols are shown complete
instead of cut. For example, toilets and bathtubs are not cut. See Figure 20-18.
Casework is shown on a floor plan to represent the location of cabinets, countertops, built-in shelving, and kitchen cooking islands. In general, casework varies in
size from 12 to 4-0 wide. Base cabinets are usually no more than 2-0 wide. The
reason for this is that the average person can comfortably reach across a horizontal
distance of 2-0. Cabinets deeper than 2-0 are usually placed as an island. In this
way, a person does not have to reach more than 2-0 horizontally from one direction.
Upper cabinets, also known as wall-hung cabinets, are typically half of the width of
the base cabinets.
There are a few ways to represent base cabinets and wall-hung cabinets. One
method uses a series of lines parallel to the length of the casework to represent the
upper cabinet. Another method uses a hidden line around the perimeter of the upper
cabinet to represent it. Figure 20-19 shows different ways of representing casework in
a building.
Figure 20-18.
Examples of plumbing fixtures, appliances, and casework in 3D, cutaway 3D, and plan views.
Notice how some of the symbols are not cut in the plan view.
Chimney structure
Wall
3D Blocks
Fireplace
structure
Firebrick
Cutaway 3D Blocks
Hearth
3D Fireplace
Chapter 20 Drawing Floor Plans
Plan View
Plan Blocks
537
538
Figure 20-20.
Figure 20-19.
Sink
Kitchen Sinks
Bathroom Sinks
Dishwasher
Base cabinet
Base cabinet
Island
BOOKCASE
plumbing fixtures:
Items such as
toilets, bathtubs,
showers, sinks, and
drinking fountains.
plumbing plan: A
plan that indicates
the locations of
plumbing fixtures as
well as piping runs
and valves.
Adding Appliances
36 X 36
Shower
36 X 42
Shower
36 X 48
Shower
36 X 36
Shower
42 X 42
Shower
48 X 48
Shower
60 X 30
Tub
60 X 32
Tub
60 X 36
Tub
60 X 42
Spa
72 X 36
Spa
72 X 48
Spa
54 X 54
Spa
66 X 66
Spa
69 X 69
Spa
60 X 42
Spa
60 X 48
Spa
72 X 48
Spa
Cooktop
Cooktop
Figure 20-21.
Common appliance symbols.
Symbols that represent appliances are also commonly found on floor plans. In
addition to common appliances, certain other items, such as elevators, are also considered appliances when drawing a floor plan. Like other symbols, appliances are drawn
at full scale and placed on an appropriate layer.
Appliance blocks shown as hidden lines indicate items not included in the
construction of the building, but for which a space is reserved. Refrigerators, washers,
and clothes dryers typically are shown as hidden lines. These items are not generally
part of the building contract. Appliances that are installed during construction, and
are part of the contract, are drawn with solid lines. Dishwashers shown as hidden
lines indicate that the installation is inside of the cabinet. Figure 20-21 displays some
common appliance symbols.
Professional
Tip
Hose
Bib
Upper
cabinet
Upper
cabinet
DESK & SHELVES
LINEN
Water
Heater
Cooktop/
oven
appliances:
Manufactured
products and fixtures
including ranges,
refrigerators, and
dishwashers.
Cooktop
Cooktop
Elevator
Range
Range
Oven
Oven
Furnace
Dry
539
540
Wash
W&D
DW
Refrig
Refrig
Elevator
Figure 20-24.
Exercise 20-6
Minor Jogs
Figure 20-25.
Adding Dimensions
There are normally four to five levels of dimensions, or dimension strings, around the
floor plan. The first level, or string, away from the building provides dimensions for exterior
wall openings and distances between interior wall centers. See Figure 20-22. The second level
of dimensions is to the interior walls. See Figure 20-23. The third level of dimensions is to
minor jogs or corners in a wall. Minor jogs include bays within a wall or pilaster locations
along a wall. See Figure 20-24. The fourth level of dimensions is used for major jogs or corners
in the building. See Figure 20-25. If there are no minor jogs in the building, major jogs are
dimension
strings: Groups
of dimensions
identifying the size
and/or location of
features.
Figure 20-22.
The first level of dimensions.
placed at the third level. The fifth level of dimensions is used for the overall dimensions of the
building. See Figure 20-26. This is the fourth level if there are no minor jogs in the building.
Interior dimensions are also drawn as straight strings of dimensions. However,
unlike exterior dimensions, interior dimensions do not have an established common
format. Only interior wall or special feature dimensions are required for interior
dimensioning. Place these dimensions in a convenient location next to the feature being
dimensioned. Careful placement is often required to provide the needed dimensions
while keeping the drawing uncluttered and easy to read. Clean dimension placement
is often difficult and requires planning. See Figure 20-27.
Figure 20-23.
The second level of dimensions.
Interior Walls
Exercise 20-7
Placing Tags
Tags are used on drawings to identify common symbols such as doors and
windows. There are four common methods of using tags. When used with doors and
Chapter 20 Drawing Floor Plans
541
542
The tag W123 is used for window number 123. The letter P can be used for plumbing
fixtures, the letter E for electrical fixtures, and the letter A for appliances.
Any of the above methods is valid. Remember, it is important to be consistent
throughout an entire set of drawings. Once you start with a method, use it for all drawings in the set. Most offices have standards established for identifying symbols with tags.
Adhering to these standards helps establish consistency on the drawings and ensures
that drafters have no question about conveying or understanding the information.
The most effective way to add tags, and similar information, is to create the tag
as a block with attributes. Then when you insert the block, you are prompted to enter
the value for the attribute, such as the door or window size. An important guideline
to follow when using symbols with tags is to create a different symbol shape for each
type of object to help convey the appropriate information. For example, doors should
be represented by one symbol and windows by another. This helps clarify the specific
type of information that the symbol represents. Whichever symbol is used, make sure
all objects are uniform in size. Also, make sure that there is enough room inside of the
symbol geometry to accommodate the tag number and/or letter.
Figure 20-26.
The fifth level of dimensions.
Overall
Adding Notes
Figure 20-27.
13/0 X 13/0
2'-4"
8'-4"
3'-2"
REFRIG.
S&R
Notes are added to the drawing after dimensions have been placed. Notes are one
of the last elements to place in the drawing since they can be placed around blocks,
walls, and dimensions. General notes refer to common applications, such as the framing
lumber and nailing patterns. Specific notes or local notes point out a special feature or
installation. Figure 20-28 shows some general and specific notes.
The plotted text height for general and specific notes ranges from 3/32 to 5/32
high, with 1/8 high text most commonly used. The scale factor of the drawing must
be taken into consideration when drawing text. For example, 3/32 text multiplied by
a scale factor of 48 is equal to 4-1/2 high text for notes drawn in model space. Room
RANGE
4'-0"
KITCHEN
6'-8"
Planning is required
to draw interior
dimension strings
that are clean and
not cluttered. (Alan
Mascord Design
Associates, Inc.)
PANTRY
APP.
GARAGE
Figure 20-28.
6'-0"
General notes are normally placed to the side of the floor plan. Specific notes are placed near
the object to which they refer. (Alan Mascord Design Associates, Inc.)
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
SWING RM.
H.B.
(TEMP)
TWO STORY
GREAT RM.
17/0 X 13/0
windows, for example, the first method identifies doors and windows with consecutive numbers or letters until all doors and windows are tagged. The second method
uses the floor number followed by the consecutive number. For example, the third
door on the second floor would be identified with 203, where the 2 indicates the floor
number and the 03 indicates the specific door.
The third method numbers the doors and windows with a room number plus
a letter. In the case of doors, a door that starts in room 203 and swings into another
adjacent room is assigned the number of 203A. Additional doors that start in the same
room are then lettered consecutively. Windows are also identified with the number of
the room where they are located plus a letter. The distinguishing difference between
the doors and windows, in this case, is the symbol shape.
The fourth method identifies the type of item being tagged with a letter in front
of or above the tag number or letter. For example, D105 is used for door number 105.
Chapter 20 Drawing Floor Plans
Specific
notes
General Notes
543
544
Current node displays the properties of the current view. The Model Views node
contains a list of saved model views. The Layout Views node contains a list of saved
layout views. The Preset Views node lists all preset orthogonal and isometric views.
tag notes and sheet names range in height from 3/16 to 1/4. If notes are drawn on
the floor plan in model space, multiply the height by the scale factor to determine the
correct model space text height.
Residential drawings may display a note for construction members on the floor plan
or on a separate framing plan, or a combination of methods can be used. Construction
members are items such as ceiling joists, headers, and beams. As you look at floor plans and
other architectural drawings, these differences will become apparent. This text describes
the placement of construction members on framing plans, covered in Chapter 26. However,
the method you use depends on which standard or practice your school or company
follows. Become familiar with these standards and practices and follow them.
Pick one of the view nodes to display information about the view type.
The right side of the View Manager contains buttons to control or modify the
selected view or view type. These actions are also available in a shortcut menu when
you right-click on the view or view type. Pick one of the view names to display information related to the current view in the middle area of the dialog box.
2
0"
2 2 "x 3T I C
AT S S
E
AC C
Professional
Tip
C LO
NO T E
.
ME D .
C AB
7
TH
M BA
L IN .
HB
New Views
To save the current display as a view, pick the New button or right-click on a
view node and select New to access the New View/Shot Properties dialog box. See
Figure 20-30. Type the view name in the View name: text box. If the named view is associated with a category in the Sheet Set Manager, you can select the category from the View
category drop-down list. The Sheet Set Manager is described later in this textbook.
Exercise 20-8
Figure 20-30.
In the New View/Shot Properties dialog box, you can save the current display as a view or
define a window to create a view.
Using typical view tools such as ZOOM and PAN can be time-consuming on a large
drawing with a number of separate details. Being able to specify a certain part of the drawing
quickly is much easier. The View Manager, accessed with the VIEW tool, allows you to create
and name specific views of the drawing. A view can be a portion of the drawing, such as a
zoomed-in area on a floor plan, or it can represent an enlarged area. When further drawing
or editing operations are required, you can quickly and easily recall named views.
The left side of the View Manager contains a list of view types, or nodes. See
Figure 20-29. You can expand each node, except Current, to reveal saved views. The
VIEW
Used primarily
for defining 3D
animations
Named Views
Type
VIEW
V
Figure 20-29.
The view nodes of the View Manager dialog box help organize saved and preset drawing views.
View nodes
Enter a name
for the new view
Check to save
the current
layer settings
with the view
545
546
The New View/Shot Properties dialog box provides many options that are applicable to 3D modeling animations. To create a basic 2D view, select Still from the View
type drop-down list, and use the options in the View Properties tab. The Current display
radio button is the default. Pick OK to add the view name to the list. AutoCAD creates
a view from the current display.
To use a window to define the view, pick the Define window radio button in the
New View/Shot Properties dialog box, and then pick the Define view window button.
Pick two points to define a window. After you select the second corner, the New View/
Shot Properties dialog box reappears. When you pick the OK button, the View Manager
updates to reflect the new view.
Select the Save layer snapshot with view check box to save the current layer
settings when you save a new view. Saved layer settings are recalled each time the
view is set current.
VIEWPORTS
Ribbon
View
>Viewports
New Viewports
Type
VIEWPORTS
VPORTS
Activating Views
To display one of the listed views from inside the View Manager, pick the view name
from the list in the Views area and pick the Set Current button. The name of the current
view appears in the Current View: label above the Views area. Pick the OK button to
display the selected view. To display a view without accessing the View Manager, select
the name of the view from the list in the Views panel of the View ribbon tab.
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The additional options in the Viewports dialog box are useful when two or more
viewports already exist. The Apply to: drop-down list allows you to specify whether the
viewport configuration applies to the entire drawing window or to the active viewport
only. Select Display to apply the configuration to the entire drawing area. Select Current
Viewport to apply the new configuration in the active viewport only. See Figure 20-33.
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Professional
Tip
You can activate the same preset viewport configurations available from the New Viewports tab of the Viewport
dialog box using the Viewport Configurations drop-down
list in the Viewports panel on the View ribbon tab. The
arrangement you choose applies to the active viewport only.
Figure 20-31.
An example of three tiled viewports in model space. All of the viewports contain the same
objects, but the display in each viewport can be unique.
Active
Viewport
Exercise 20-9
Tiled Viewports
Views can be very helpful by saving time when you want to quickly restore a display
without zooming. Another way to increase productivity is to use viewports. There are
two types of viewportstiled and floating. In model space, the drawing window can
be divided into tiled viewports. In paper space, when working with layouts, floating
viewports are created. Floating viewports and layouts are described later in this textbook. When working in model space, tiled viewports are sometimes useful for displaying
different views of drawings, especially large drawings with significant detail.
Chapter 20 Drawing Floor Plans
viewports:
Windows displaying
views of a drawing.
Inactive
Viewports
tiled viewports:
Viewports created in
model space.
floating viewports:
Viewports created in
paper space.
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The default setting in the Setup: drop-down list is 2D. When you select the 2D
option, all viewports show the top view of the drawing. If you choose the 3D option,
the different viewports display various 3D views of the drawing. At least one viewport
is set up with an isometric view. The other viewports have different views, such as a
top view or side view. The viewport configuration displays in the Preview image. To
change a view in a viewport, pick the viewport in the Preview image and then select
the new viewpoint from the Change view to: drop-down list.
If none of the preset configurations is appropriate, you can create and save a
unique viewport configuration. After you create the custom viewport configuration,
enter a descriptive name in the New name: text box. When you pick the OK button, the
new named viewport configuration records and displays in the Named Viewports tab
the next time you access the Viewports dialog box. See Figure 20-34. Select a different
named viewport configuration and pick OK to apply it to the drawing area.
Figure 20-32.
Specify the number and arrangement of tiled viewports in the New Viewports tab of the
Viewports dialog box.
Preview
of viewport
configuration
Select
a viewport
configuration
Views in the
drawing are
assigned to
the different
viewports
Select to
apply the new
configuration
to the display
or the active
viewport
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Select a
user-defined
view name
to assign to
the highlighted
viewport
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Figure 20-33.
You can subdivide a viewport by selecting Current Viewport in the Apply to: drop-down list.
Here, the top-left viewport was further subdivided using the Two: Vertical preset configuration.
Configuration
applied to
active viewport
Figure 20-34.
The Named Viewports tab displays custom viewports.
List of named
viewport
configurations
Preview of
selected
configuration
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Drawing Problems
The problems in this chapter continue the process of developing a set of working drawings for the
four projects, started in Chapter 16. In this chapter, you will create floor plans for the projects. Create
or import blocks as necessary to add floor plan symbols. Place all objects on appropriate layers.
Complete each problem according to the specific instructions provided. When object dimensions are
not provided, draw features proportional to the size and location of features shown, and approximate
the size of features using your own practical experience and measurements, if available.
Ribbon
View
> Viewports
Join Viewports
1. Prepare a floor plan for the single-level residence shown. Use the following
procedure.
A. Open 16-ResA and save as 20-ResA.
B. Draw the floor plan using the design sketch as a guide.
C. Use the door and window tags and schedules to help identify door and window
sizes. Do not draw the schedules.
D. The floor plan is drawn using a 1/4 = 1-0 scale. Use annotative objects and
an annotation scale of 1/4 = 1-0.
E. Dimension the floor plan as shown.
F. Use DesignCenter to drag and drop the Door Tag and Window Tag blocks from
the 14-ResA drawing file. Use these symbols to add door and window tags.
Be sure to enter values for all attributes as specified in the schedules.
G. Add notes.
H. Resave the drawing.
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The two viewports you join cannot create an Lshaped viewport. The adjoining edges of the viewports
must be the same size in order to join them.
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Exercise 20-10
Chapter Test
Answer the following questions. Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper or
go to the student Web site at www.g-wlearning.com/CAD to complete the electronic
chapter test.
Drawing Problems
Chapter 20
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Chapter 20
2. Prepare main and upper floor plans for the residence shown. Use the following
procedure.
A. Open 16-ResB-Main and save as 20-ResB-Main.
B. Draw the main floor plan using the design sketch as a guide.
C. Use the door tags and schedule to help identify door sizes. Do not draw the
schedule.
D. Use the window notes to help identify window specifications.
E. The floor plan is drawn using a 1/4 = 1-0 scale. Use annotative objects and
an annotation scale of 1/4 = 1-0.
F. Dimension the floor plan as shown.
G. Use DesignCenter to drag and drop the Door Tag block from the 14-ResB
drawing file. Use this symbol to add door tags. Be sure to enter values for all
attributes as specified in the schedule.
H. Add notes including the window specification notes as shown.
I. Resave the drawing.
J. Open 16-ResB-Upper and save as 20-ResB-Upper.
K. Draw the upper floor plan using the design sketch as a guide.
L. The floor plan is drawn using a 1/4 = 1-0 scale. Use annotative objects and
an annotation scale of 1/4 = 1-0.
M. Dimension the floor plan as shown.
N. Use DesignCenter to drag and drop the Door Tag block from the 14-ResB
drawing file. Use this symbol to add door tags. Be sure to enter values for all
attributes as specified in the schedule.
O. Add notes including the window specification notes as shown.
P. Resave the drawing.
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Chapter 20
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3. Prepare a floor plan for the multifamily residence shown. Use the following
procedure.
A. Open 16-Multifamily and save as 20-Multifamily.
B. Draw the floor plan using the design sketch as a guide.
C. The door tags in this problem identify the door width.
D. Use the equipment tags and schedule to help identify appliance specifications.
Do not draw the schedule.
E. The floor plan is drawn using a 1/4 = 1-0 scale. Use annotative objects and
an annotation scale of 1/4 = 1-0.
F. Dimension the floor plan as shown.
G. Use DesignCenter to drag and drop the EquipTag block from the 14-Multifamily
drawing file. Use this symbol to add equipment tags. Be sure to enter values
for all attributes as specified in the schedule.
H. Add notes.
I. Resave the drawing.
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4. Prepare main and upper floor plans for the small commercial structure shown.
Use the following procedure.
A. Open 16-Commerical-Main and save as 20-Commercial-Main.
B. Draw the main floor plan using the design sketch as a guide.
C. Use the door tags and schedule to help identify door sizes. Do not draw the
schedule.
D. The floor plan is drawn using a 1/8 = 1-0 scale. Use annotative objects and
an annotation scale of 1/8 = 1-0.
E. Dimension the floor plan as shown.
F. Use DesignCenter to drag and drop the Door Tag block from the 14-ResA
drawing file. Use this symbol to add door tags. Be sure to enter values for all
attributes as specified in the schedule.
G. Add notes.
H. Resave the drawing.
I. Open 16-Commercial-Upper and save as 20-Commercial-Upper.
J. Draw the upper floor plan using the design sketch as a guide.
K. Use the door tags and schedule to help identify door sizes. Do not draw the
schedule.
L. The floor plan is drawn using a 1/8 = 1-0 scale. Use annotative objects and
an annotation scale of 1/8 = 1-0.
M. Dimension the floor plan as shown.
N. Use DesignCenter to drag and drop the Door Tag block from the 14-ResA
drawing file. Use this symbol to add door tags. Be sure to enter values for all
attributes as specified in the schedule.
O. Add notes.
P. Resave the drawing.
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The Autodesk User Group International (AUGI) Web site (www.augi.com) is a useful resource
for AutoCAD users. It offers valuable information about using Autodesk products and peer
support from other AutoCAD users.
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