layers. For example, doors should go on different layers from walls in an architectural floor plan.
As you make your layer decisions, you’ll develop a layer chart that resembles Table 15-2. If you use named plot styles instead of color-dependent plot styles, add a Plot style column to the chart.
Table 15-2 Sample Layer Chart
| Layer Name | Color | Linetype | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wall | 5 | Continuous | Walls |
| Wall-Belo | 3 | Dashed | Walls below (shown dashed) |
| Cols | 6 | Continuous | Columns |
| Door | 4 | Continuous | Doors |
| Text | 3 | Continuous | Regular note text |
| Text-Bold | 7 | Continuous | Large/bold text |
| Dims | 2 | Continuous | Dimensions |
| Patt | 1 | Continuous | Hatch patterns |
| Cntr | 1 | Center | Centerlines |
| Symb | 2 | Continuous | Annotational symbols |
| Nplt | 8 | Continuous | Non-plotting information |
The layer chart in Table 15-2 is simpler than the layer systems used by experienced drafters in most companies. The layer names in the table are based on names in the
The following settings and procedures deserve some consistency, too:
? Text styles: Decide on text fonts and heights and use them consistently. (See Chapter 9 for more information.)
Manual CAD drafting standards often specify a minimum text height of ? inch or 3 mm, because hand-lettered text smaller than that becomes difficult to read, especially on half-size prints. Plotted 3?32 inch or 2.5 mm CAD text is quite legible, but half-size plots with these smaller text heights can result in text that’s on the margin of legibility. Text legibility on half-size — or smaller — plots depends on the plotter resolution, the lineweight assigned to the text, and the condition of your eyes. Test before you commit to using smaller text heights, or use ? inch or 3 mm as a minimum.
? Dimension styles: Create a dimension style that reflects your preferred look and feel. (See Chapter 10.)
? Hatch patterns: Choose the hatch patterns that you need and decide on an appropriate scale and angle for each. (See Chapter 11.)
? Drawing setup and organization: Set up all the drawings on a project in the same
