What order do you use to draw plans?

[quickdraw]

I am just wondering, I know there is a sort of generalized order to doing plans in chief but I am wondering if everyone has their own way of doing things or if there is a a natural order that is so logical that everyone does it like that?

I am working (very slowly - ugh) on my first set of plans in CA. I started with the floor plans, then the roof, the elevations, the foundation and then the electrical.

I think I am ready to do framing next but am not sure. What would you suggest and would you have done things in a different order?

[MikePreble1]

1. Wall definitions, because you need to draw walls first to define a space and all measurements made on walls drawn are affected if you change wall specifications later, so, make your decisions/commitments up front. Create new wall types as needed.
2. Platform (floor joist) structure/thickness.
3. Window specifications.
4. Door specifications.

Once these are defined (you could also go through things like cabinets, moldings, floor coverings, ceiling and wall coverings/colors, but this can be done later as decorating, once the sturcture is finished, you then:

5. Draw exterior walls. Easiest when the main floor is all one level (as compared to a split entry, split level, side breezeway into a lowered garage, etc.)
6. Set platform heights on level one (if more than one, which is at "zero".)
7. Add foundation and set floor heights adn stem wall heights, etc., to make it right for the structure. Usually any changes here will cause changes on 1st floor, so there is a bit of back and forth to do.
8. Add 2nd floor (if there is one).

Now you have a structure that should be correct for floor heights, ceiling heights, wall specifications, platform thicknesses.

9. Add interior walls.
9.5 Stairways.
10. Add doors.
11. Add windows.

So, now you should be ready to put a roof on it. adding a roof and then changing wall locations and ceiling heights causes for a lot of redoing, so only add the roof when you are certain of the structure.

12. Add roof.

13. Cabinets (kitchen)
14. Bathrooms
15. Fixtures (such as fire place)
15. Furnishings (furniture, closet shelving, etc.)
16. Floor, wall and ceilng coverings/colors.

This should get you quite a ways down the road. I haven't even addressed terrain.

Hope this helps.
Mike

[quickdraw]

Thanks for your very in-depth post Mike. I've done most of that - I don't anticipate putting furniture in or painting the walls as the bldg dept doesn't give a fig about how a sofa looks in the space.

I suspect that the next thing I need to learn how to do in CA is a site plan.

[ronto]

That was a good question ...

and a very informative, procedural answer. This is of great help from my limited experience with Chief.

Thanks for sharing the insight and experience

ronto

[mattcantwell]

fantastic reply Mike But.....
I find the transition from 3d model to 2d plans the taxing part of the process. (If the job was to create models I'd be happy as a clam. I love that bit.)

The gist of things I read here seems to indicate creating a 2d set of elevations and sections delinked from the model.

Maybe I should ask what are favourite ways to go from model to paper plan.

I use the model "live" and mask the ground and fnds with a 2d polyline with solid fill for sections and foundations. I create terrain of the hillside sites our houses are on.
Its all a bit cumbersome after doing it 2d in cad. (the price I have to pay for fab 3d)

Any clever tricks to short cut the process

I have base version so don't have view to cad.

cheers
Matt

[quickdraw]

Matt,
Elevations will come up semi-automatically once you have the floor plan and roof in. You just use the section/elevation camera button.


Hey! I got to answer a question for a change!

[seanbates]

Thats a really good question. I suspect most people have their own approaches. The sequence suggested makes sense to me. Generally the overall principles are (to me at least).

1 - Set as many defaults as you can, do this in profile.plan if you can (and if it applies to more than one plan). Pay particular attention to getting good layer sets defined. Chief 10 is so much better in this regard.

2 - Create the model as finished as possible.

3 - Create the layout file - Again from templates.

4 - If you get it right 1 model should provide all of views to your layouts (aside perhaps from specials like imports, photos, CAD details etc).

Thoughts welcome!

[Niuoka]

Mike has a great list,
'but you say your just learning, me too.
here is one thing I would do
before I do a roof, I save another copy of the file under a different name. Say your oringinal is smiths, Ill call the second smithroof. then Ill paly around with roofs on that set of plans. If it works I can then quickly transfer the ideas to the original
why
because it alsways seems no matter what I do , I always end up with some kind of bug or ghost. a gutter in mid air going no place, a gable or gable wall that pops up
or as Mike says, only add the roof after all the walls are done. this way if the roof goes "bad" you have a clean no roof set to go back to.
why, part 2
I am still learning and have so much to go on this program. However I have not learned all the tricks to fixing my errors, its easier for me to delete "smithsroofs" then to go through and find out why something is not working the way I want

just a thought

[Peggy S Wright]

Along these same lines, layers. How do you approach layers in your drawing process? Because I am new and trying to figure out the ins and outs, this has not been a priority, but I could see where it would be so useful.

For example, dimensions. They are currently all on one layer. I would like to have a layer for plumbing dims (center of fixtures) electrical dims (center of fixtures) that are separate from the framing dims. But, I don't want to look at them all the time. So for you seasoned pros, have you gone through and pre-created your layers in a template drawing that you use over and over? I am also not sure, if I am drawing dims on my elec plan, do I have to draw them then enter them into the layer, or am I able to to turn a layer on before entering dims, and that is where they will go?

[seanbates]

Peggy, the best way is to work from a single set of layers that you are familiar with. Create all the layers you need in Profile.plan so that each new plan has these layers. To draw onto a layer simply select the layer and "set as current" or use the new layer painter tool to move items onto a layer. If you do the latter, turn the layer off before you move items to it. That way you know items have moved as the dissapear from view.

Ideally, 1 plan file should provide most of your layout views. Each time you send a plan to a layout with specific layers on and off, a new layer set specific to that view is created. This way, you create specific layout drawings showing electrical, plumbing or whatever based on the same source plan file but showing the specific layers you want. The way you open this to edit is from the layout itself by double clicking. This will open the source plan file with only the layers you have chosen switched on. If you then edit this and change displayed layers, the changes are reflected in the layout drawing. Sounds complicated. You should just experiment with it. This is the only way of staying in control. If you have multiple plan files for each view you want you will get into a massive mess any time you want to edit the design.

[Peggy S Wright]

thanks for your imput. I greatly appreciate the ideas shared here.