I'll do this in several bite-size installments in order to be more readable. Please let me know if this is boring, or otherwise hogging listserv bandwidth. If anyone is starting their practice and wants all of this, I'll give it to you. Here are the conditions: This system works on PowerCADD, which only runs on a Macintosh. But it produces drawings that are clear and beautiful, and beside which the process of drawing in AutoCAD drawings looks impossibly excruciating. So if you want to set up this way, just let me know and I'll send you all of my stationery, details, libraries, etc. My motivation is simple: the more people that know how to draw this way, the bigger of a resource we all are to each other.
Lineweights
We use a proportional series of lineweights where each lineweight is larger than the previous by the square root of 2. This is the same series used by one of the old technical pen companies back in the 1970's (can't remember which it is.) In any case, here's the series:
.045 mm
.065 mm
.09 mm
.13 mm
.18 mm
.25 mm
.35 mm
.5 mm
.7 mm
1 mm
Actually, we don't use all of them. Once, we had our own plotter, and it couldn't distinguish between some of the lighter lineweights, so we eliminated .065, .09, and .18 from the series. Here are what we use the remaining lineweights for:
.045 mm This is our hairline. Generally, hairlines are used for the things that should disappear first when you squint. Dimension lines fall into this category, as do arrows, since they should be less weighty than the drawing itself. We also use them for what we call "surface lines," which are places that a surface breaks, but where there is no offset from one plane to another.
.13 mm This is our standard drawing line. We have a Profile Lines Layer onto which we may copy standard drawing lines and increase their lineweight, but the line also exists on the basic drawing layer so that the drawing isn't hit-and-miss when we turn the profile lines off. We do this often on our certain drawing sheets like electrical plans, where the walls should be light and your eye should be drawn to the electrical items, not the walls.
.25 mm We use this weight for doors and for window glass. It is also our lightest profile line. We profile wall section cavities where the air is less than 24" wide with this lineweight. We also profile elevation breaks less than 8' with this lineweight.
.35 mm We profile wall section surfaces that meet interior air greater than 24" wide with this lineweight. We also profile elevation breaks between 8' and 24' with this lineweight.
.5 mm We profile wall section surfaces that meet exterior air with this lineweight. We also profile elevation breaks greater than 24' with this lineweight.
.7 mm This lineweight is reserved for ground breaks at the bottom of elevations.
1 mm This lineweight is reserved for special conditions.
Layers
The following layer schemes are for our stock plans, for which our layer scheme is simplest. We have modified layer schemes for Build-Outs, Builders' Plans, Commercial, Planning, and Custom Residential. They're based on the same genetic material, but with additional layers as required for the job types. Within the Stock Plans, we have the following drawings:
0.1 Title Sheet (These are the basic layers that exist on all of our drawings.)
Comments (This is where all checkset comments go, and any other comments that we want to attach for our reference, but which will not appear on final drawings.)
Title Block (This is where our title block resides, including the job name, and the date and time stamp... which I HIGHLY recommend for all drawings.)
Text Layer (This is where the content of the drawing resides... Key to Symbols, Abbreviations, Conditions for Purchase, and Index)
Layout Lines (The layout lines establish the basic zones for the drawing. See Layouts later.)
Working Layer (This is where we paste all temporary items to which we may refer during the drawing process. For Title Sheets, it's used very infrequently.)
0.2 Schedules (Same layers as Title Sheet. We use this very infrequently on Stock Plans; it's only necessary on the largest plans.
2.1 First Level (This is where all drawings pertaining to the first level (or below) reside.)
Floor Plan Comments
Roof Plan Comments
Foundation Comments
Electrical Comments
Title Block
Dimension Layer (This layer contains dimensions and also basic floor plan info like the drawing title and floor plan notes. All specifications occur in the form of notes, not as a separate Project Manual or spec book. We have a very robust set of drawing notes, which I'd be happy to share if anyone's interested. Floor Plan notes occur on the Dimension Layer. Notes for other plans (electrical, roof, foundation, etc.) occur on those layers. Also, general floor plan details occur on the Dimension Layer, while details specific to the other plan types occur on those layers. In many ways, the Dimension Layer is the parent layer of floor plans.)
Text Layer (This is where all the basic CD text is located.)
Section Cuts (This includes all Building Section and Wall Section cut marks.)
Presentation Plan (This includes all DD notes. For example, at the DD phase, we show room names and room sizes, whereas at the CD phase, we show room names and room numbers.)
Profile Lines (See notes under Lineweights above.)
Wall Blockouts (These are polygons or bezier curves that encompass anything heavier than a door or window glass cut through on a floor plan. The shapes are .35 mm, filled with black as per the DPZ drawing standard. Previously, we filled with white and hatched them with hairlines. DPZ is right; their system reads better)
Masonry Veneer (Self explanatory. We draw them as polygons, then fill them with hatches appropriate to the material.)
Wall Layer (We draw walls as .13 mm lines for exterior faces of walls, which will be profiled, or .35 mm lines for interior wall faces.)
Building Layout (This is where the drawing begins. We draw the exterior footprint here, plus the centerlines of interior walls.)
Area Calculation (This is where the polygons representing the interior conditioned space, interior unconditioned space, and porch space reside.)
Door Layer (Self-explanatory. For stock plans, we show the door size on the floor plans (Text Layer) rather than generating door schedules.)
Window Layer (Self-explanatory. Like doors, window sizes are shown on floor plans (Text Layer) rather than generating window schedules.)
Stairs & Handrails (Self-explanatory.)
Miscellaneous Plan Items (Columns with their bases, overhangs, headers, fireboxes, etc.)
Plumbing Fixtures (Self-explanatory. Includes shower lines such as floor breaks.)
Appliances & Equipment (Self-Explanatory.)
Cabinets (Self-Explanatory.)
Furniture & Rugs (Self-Explanatory. Only shows up in Presentation Plans.)
Roof Plan (Self-Explanatory. We show all the normal stuff, plus we indicate zones in which roof penetrations may occur... you don't always see that.)
Floor Framing Plan (First level floor framing plan. Our notes are very explicit in that a structural engineer must be consulted for local conditions.)
Foundation Plan (Drawn on a separate layer, but shows up on a single sheet with the floor framing plan. Foundation & framing notes and details go here.)
Electrical Plan Text (Electrical notes and keys.)
Power Plan (Self-Explanatory.)
Lighting Plan (Self-Explanatory.)
Auxiliary Plan (Should be self-explanatory: phone, computers, doorbells, smoke alarms, etc.)
Texture Layer (Masonry hatches, etc.)
Room Name Spots (Diagonal lines to corners of each room to facilitate placement of room names in the centers of rooms.)
Layout Lines
Working Layer
Sheets: 2.1 First Level produces the following drawing sheets:
Electrical Plan (All of the electrical layers, plus Title Block.)
Floor Plan Area (Wall Layer, Masonry Veneer layer, Building Layout layer, Area Calculation layer, and Miscellaneous Plan Items layer... facilitates measurement of plan areas.)
Floor Plan Dimension (Layers needed for dimensioning the plan.)
Floor Plan Draw (Layers needed in early drawing phase of the plans.)
Floor Plan Final (Final CD layers.)
Floor Plan Layout (Beginning set of layers.)
Floor Plan Presentation (Final DD layers.)
Foundation Plan (Foundation Plan & First Floor Framing Plan plus Title Block.)
Roof Plan (Roof Plan plus Title Block. The roof plan occurs on the first floor sheet because not all plans have upper levels, and the roof must cover all levels.)
2.2 Second Level (This is where all drawings pertaining to the second level (or above) reside.)
Floor Plan Comments
Floor Framing Comments
Electrical Comments
Title Block
Dimension Layer
Text Layer
Section Cuts
Presentation Plan
Profile Lines
Wall Blockouts
Masonry Veneer
Wall Layer
Building Layout
Area Calculation
Door Layer
Window Layer
Stairs & Handrails
Miscellaneous Plan Items
Plumbing Fixtures
Appliances & Equipment
Cabinets
Furniture & Rugs
Floor Framing Plan
Floor Framing Support (This layer shows all lower level plans as .13 mm lines, plus it shows all wood headers as double .5 mm lines.)
Electrical Plan Text
Power Plan
Lighting Plan
Auxiliary Plan
Texture Layer
Room Name Spots
Layout Lines
Working Layer
Sheets: 2.2 Second Level produces the following drawing sheets:
Electrical Plan
Floor Framing Plan (Floor Framing Plan, Floor Framing Support, and Title Block.)
Floor Plan Area
Floor Plan Dimension
Floor Plan Draw
Floor Plan Final
Floor Plan Layout
Floor Plan Presentation
3.1 Elevations (This is where all exterior elevations are drawn.)
Comments
Title Block
Dimension Layer
Text Layer
Presentation Plan (DD text occurs on this layer.)
Nonprofiled Foreground (Some items need to occur here in order to appear properly profiled. Handrails are a classic example. If anyone has read this far and is interested, ask me... it's slightly complicated, but a very good reason.)
Profile Lines
Drawing Layer (Primary drawing layer.)
Surface Lines (See lineweights discussion above.)
Text Blockouts (Text is much more readable if items on the Texture Layer are obscured below the text blocks.)
Texture Layer
Layout Lines
Working Layer
Sheets: 3.1 Elevations produces the following drawing sheets:
Dimension (Layers required for dimensioning.)
Draw (Layers required for drawing.)
Note (Layers required for notes.)
Print (CD layers.)
Print Presentation (DD layers.)
3.2 Sections (This is where all building sections are drawn. Layers and sheets are identical to 3.1 Elevations.)
5.1 Interior Elevations (This is where all exterior elevations are drawn.)
Comments
Title Block
Dimension Layer
Text Layer
Profile Lines
Drawing Layer
Surface Lines
Texture Layer
Layout Lines
Working Layer
Sheets: 5.1 Elevations produces the following drawing sheets:
Dimension
Draw
Note
Print
Stretch (Layers needed to stretch templates into lengths of walls being elevated.)
9.1 Wall Sections (This template is also usable for details (if they can't all be shown on the other sheets) and also for a Dormer Sheet, which shows dormer elevations (front and side) and dormer sections (transverse and longitudinal) plus details.)
Comments
Title Block
Dimension Layer
Text Layer
Profile Lines
Drawing Layer
Surface Lines
Texture Layer
Layout Lines
Working Layer
Layouts
Our layout divides the D-size drawing sheet (24" x 36") into 24 modules (6 wide by 4 high,) each 5" x 5". Horizontally, the modules are separated by 1/4"; vertically, they're separated by 3/4". Horizontally, that's 1/8" each side from the centerlines. Vertically, it's the same dimensions plus space for drawing titles. This very rigorous system allows for details and major drawings to cohabitate peacefully on the same sheet. Major drawings get alphabetical designations (A-whatever.) Details get numerical designations beginning with 1 in the upper lefthand corner, then left to right until you get 24 in the lower righthand corner. Drawings ALWAYS are numbered by where their title occurs, so that you always know precisely where to look for drawing 17 on every sheet. Text occupies a band beginning 2-1/4" wide beginning 1/8" from the left size of each zone. Dimensions are 1/8", 3/8", and 5/8" from the right side of each zone. This is because it's graphically clearer to extend an arrow from the end of a note (to the right) while it's cleaner to put most notes to the right of a detail for reasons I can explain if anyone's interested. Let me know if you'd like an image of this layout scheme.