Top expert shares 10+ years of CAD experience

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I’ve gone through many CAD textbooks, and I feel that by learning CAD using those textbooks, one can indeed master the software to a certain extent; in a design institute or firm, one can at least start drawing diagrams. However, I think this is far from enough; there is still a long way to go from books to actual practice. I graduated from Tongji University many years ago; I am now a registered architect of the first level, and I am in charge of a large group of employees at my company. Although these children are able to complete drawing and simple design tasks, I feel there is still a long way to go before they can truly master and use CAD. As for the other specialties in the company, they can even be described as appalling. Therefore, I will write a series of articles sharing my experiences with CAD, which will be published in our company’s newsletter; I am also posting them here for everyone’s benefit. Part 1 of a series on experiences using AUTOCAD: The three basic aspects of its use. At present, the design documents of our company, especially the drawings, are all created using the AUTOCAD software. However, there are still many people who are not very familiar with CAD, or who are not adept at using it, which results in low efficiency. In our company, for drawing the same diagram, those who work faster and those who work slower can differ in time consumption by several times. At the same time, the drawings created by each person do not all look the same; some are clear, easy to understand, and beautifully presented, while others are not only unclear but can even be described as appalling. 　　Starting with this engineering design project, I will share, in a series of articles, the various insights gained from over a decade of experience in drawing. I hope this will be useful to everyone, enabling them to learn from it and develop good drawing habits as well as improve their drawing speed. At the same time, I also hope that this will serve as a starting point to encourage further discussion; by taking advantage of this opportunity and platform, we can all exchange ideas regarding the use of CAD and improve our skills together. Additionally, as I am from the architecture field and not very familiar with other specialties, the examples given in the future will mainly be related to architecture. I hope everyone can draw parallels from these examples. I wonder what everyone thinks is the most important thing when using CAD for drawing? Everyone may have a different understanding of this issue, but in my opinion, the most important thing is to always keep in mind what the purpose of using CAD for drawing is. When we carry out engineering design, regardless of the specialty or stage involved, what we are actually doing is to express or reflect certain design concepts or elements in the design documents. And drawings are an intuitive, accurate, eye-catching, and easy-to-understand form of expression. Therefore, whatever we produce (whether it is the final design documents or the process documents submitted to other disciplines as part of the requirements) must be able to effectively help us convey our design concepts and details. With this premise in mind, we should understand that good computer-generated drawings should possess the following two characteristics: clarity and accuracy. Clarity: What we want to convey must be clear; a good drawing is easy to understand at a glance. At a glance, it’s possible to tell which is a wall, which is a window, which is a hole, which are pipelines, and which are devices ； Dimension markings, textual descriptions, etc., are all clear and do not overlap with each other... In addition to the drawings being clear when printed, they must also be clear when displayed on a monitor. Clear visuals not only enable a clear presentation of design concepts and content but also serve as the foundation for improving drawing speed. Accurate: A 200-width wall cannot be drawn as 240 ； The dimension marked for the hole is 1000X2000, but the actual measurement is 1250X2100 ； A more common mistake is when a line that is clearly 3000 units wide actually measures 2999.87. Accurate drawing is not only for aesthetic reasons; more importantly, it enables the visualization of various issues in the drawings. It also has a significant impact on improving drawing speed, especially when making modifications to the drawings. When using CAD for drawing, we should keep these two points in mind at all times. Only by achieving these two points can one say that the drawing aspect is basically satisfactory. The drawings need to be “clear” and “accurate”; another important aspect during the drawing process is “efficiency”. The benefits of being able to draw efficiently are self-evident; if everyone could improve their drawing efficiency by 20%, it’s likely that every project manager and department head would be overjoyed. Clarity, accuracy, and efficiency are the three basic requirements for using CAD software. In CAD software, aside from some of the most basic drawing commands, all the various editing commands and setting definitions are designed with clarity, accuracy, and efficiency as their core principles. When learning the various commands and settings in *CAD, we need to consider what role they can play in these three aspects ； What should be paid attention to when using it ； Under what circumstances and conditions are these commands most suitable to use? 　　This is the first time I’m discussing these matters with everyone, and the key is for each of us to recognize the importance of \"clarity\" and \"accuracy\". As for \"efficiency\", everyone is aware of its importance and is striving to improve it; however, based on my observations, many of us still haven’t realized the significance of \"clarity\" and \"accuracy\", or haven’t given them enough attention. If anyone has different opinions or additional insights, I hope we can share them together. In the future, I will share with you from different perspectives and aspects how to achieve clarity, accuracy, and efficiency in the process of drawing. Last time, we discussed the three most fundamental principles for using AUTOCAD software: “clarity,” “accuracy,” and “efficiency.” It might seem a bit abstract to everyone, but starting from this time, we will begin actual practice. I’ve received a task and am about to start drawing; I’m not sure what everyone would do as the first step. There are probably many people who start drawing right away, but that’s not correct. Various settings should be made, including layers, line styles, fonts, labels, and so on. It is essential to make various settings; only when these settings are appropriate can a solid foundation be laid for our subsequent drawing work, making it possible to achieve clarity, accuracy, and efficiency in what follows. Let’s talk about layers first. It can be said that the definition of layers is the most crucial setting in the entire AUTOCAD software, and I’ve found that not many of our company’s employees have their layer settings organized in a clear and systematic manner. Sometimes, when I open the DWG files of certain colleagues, I see dozens of layers; upon closer inspection, I find that most of the elements are on layer 0, which is really amusing. As for whether things should be on different layers or on one layer, there are countless similar issues where something is supposed to be on one layer but isn’t. What are the principles for setting layers? First, as long as it is sufficient, less is better. Regardless of the specialty or the stage of the drawings, all the elements in them can be organized according to certain rules. For example, in the drawings related to architecture, in the case of floor plans, elements can be categorized into columns, walls, axes, dimension markings, general annotations, lines indicating doors and windows, and furniture, among others. In other words, for the floor plans in architecture, layers are defined based on elements such as columns, walls, axes, dimension labels, general text, door and window lines, and furniture. When drawing, each element is placed on the corresponding layer according to its category. As long as all the elements in the drawing can be properly categorized, the foundation for layer settings is established. But, is the more detailed the element classification, the better? No. For example, on a building floor plan, there are doors and windows, as well as lines representing steps and staircases; should these be categorized into separate layers for doors, windows, steps, and stairs? No. Too many layers can actually cause inconvenience in our subsequent drawing process. Just like doors, windows, steps, and stairs – although they are not of the same type, they all relate to lines, so they can be managed using the same layer. Therefore, the first principle of layer settings is to keep it as simple as possible while still being sufficient. Two meanings: 1. Sufficient ； 2. Streamline. The situation varies for each major, so everyone can think for themselves about what would be relatively the most reasonable approach. Second, the use of layer 0. Many colleagues like to draw on layer 0, as it is the default layer and white is the default color for that layer; therefore, sometimes the display screen appears completely white. Doing this is absolutely not advisable. Layer 0 cannot be used for drawing; then what is Layer 0 used for? It is used to define blocks. When defining a block, set all elements to layer 0 first (except in special cases), and then define the block; this way, when the block is inserted, it will be on the same layer as that at which it was inserted. Third, the definition of layer colors. Layer settings have many attributes; in addition to the layer name, there are also color, line style, line width, and so on. When setting up layers, we need to define the corresponding color, line style, and line width. These days, many colleagues choose the colors for layers based on their personal preferences, using whatever color they like; this approach is not reasonable. When defining the colors of layers, two things need to be kept in mind: first, different layers should generally use different colors. By doing this, we can make a clear distinction in color when drawing. If two layers are the same color, it is difficult to determine which layer the element being manipulated is on when displaying it. The second point in defining layer colors is that the choice of color should be based on the thickness of the line width during printing. When printing, the wider the line width setting, the brighter color should be chosen for that layer ； Conversely, if the width of that line is only 0.09 mm during printing, then the color for that layer should be color number 8 or a similar color. Why do we have to do this? This allows the thickness of the line to be visually reflected on the screen. For example, take a look at the attached diagram. The column layers (ZU) and wall layers (WA) are the thickest when printed; one of them is colored yellow and the other cyan – these two colors are quite bright in AUTOCAD. The line width for the filler layer (h) and the furniture layer (fur) during printing is set at 0.13 mm; therefore, darker colors such as No. 8 and No. 83 are also used when selecting colors. The benefits of doing this will become apparent to everyone as they use it over time. Additionally, white belongs to layer 0 and the DEFPOINTS layer; we should not allow other layers to use white. Fourth, the settings for linearity and line width. Before discussing the linear settings for layers, let’s first talk about the LTSCALE command. Generally, the value of LTSCALE should be set to 1, so as to avoid confusion when exchanging drawings. There are three common line types: the first is the continuous line, the second is the ACAD_IS002W100 dotted line, and the third is the ACAD_IS004W100 dashed line. Options such as hidden and dot, which were used in the previous 14 versions of CAD, are not recommended. There are also particular considerations regarding the setting of line width. One of the key factors in determining whether a drawing is attractive and clear is whether it has a well-defined hierarchy. In one diagram, there are thin lines with a thickness of 0.13, lines of medium width at 0.25, and thick lines at 0.35, which adds variety. At a glance at the printed drawings, it is possible to distinguish between different types of elements based on the thickness of the lines: identifying where walls are, where doors and windows are, and where annotations are located. Therefore, when setting the line width, we must specify the thickness clearly. If a drawing with only one type of line width can still be described as passable, then it’s incorrect when the lines for doors and windows are thicker than those for walls. There is one more thing we need to pay attention to. Currently, we have two options for printing diagrams: one is to print them at a specific scale, in which case we can use line widths of 0.13\0.25\0.4 and similar thicknesses. If we print in A3 format without following the proportional scale, the line width should be set 0.09\0.15\0.3 smaller than that used when following the proportions, so that the smaller images appear clear and distinct. When setting layers, there are mainly the above aspects to pay attention to. Additionally, when drawing, there is one more thing to keep in mind: all the various attributes of the elements should preferably be tied to the layers. Don’t use this wire; it belongs to the WA layer, its color is yellow, and its shape has changed to a dotted line. Try to keep the properties of elements consistent with those of the layers; in other words, make the element properties Bylayer as much as possible. This helps to improve the clarity, accuracy, and efficiency of our graphics. The above are Part 1 and Part 2 of the series; that’s all written so far (4,000 words). I’ll wait to see everyone’s reactions, and if there are many replies, I will post the remaining content gradually. (I estimate there will still be 10,000 words left once it’s finished.) If everyone’s reaction is not good, we won’t continue in the future. I hope everyone will give me a lot of support and encouragement. I went to Suzhou for an event a couple of days ago; upon returning, I saw that the post had been marked as the top one and there were many replies, which made me very happy. In the replies, two people said what I wrote was too superficial, and indeed it is. The purpose of writing this article is to show how someone who knows how to use CAD software can apply it more effectively in their work. The text that is encoded is also based on this perspective. Because among the people I work with, many are very proficient in CAD software, but upon closer inspection, many fail to grasp the basic principles, or fail to apply them in the most effective way. Therefore, I think my piece is not the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms, but rather the most fundamental form of breath control. Once one has a thorough grasp of internal skills, mastering more advanced martial arts will come naturally. Part 3 of the series on experiences using AUTOCAD – Font and dimension settings, as well as CAD template files. Last time, we discussed several principles regarding layer settings in AUTOCAD; next, we will look at a few other settings that I believe are important to master. Font settings (Style). In AUTOCAD software, there are two types of font libraries that can be used. One type is stored in the Fonts folder within the AUTOCAD directory, with the font files having a .shx extension. These are proprietary fonts for CAD; English letters and Chinese characters are stored in separate font files. The second category consists of font files stored in the Fonts directory located in WINNT or WINXP, depending on the operating system in use; the suffix for these font files is ttf. These are universal fonts for Windows systems, and software other than CAD, such as Word and Excel, also uses these fonts. Among them, the Chinese character fonts already include English letters. When defining fonts in CAD, we can use either type of font library, but each has its own characteristics, and we need to use them appropriately depending on the situation. The first category consists of font files with the suffix shx; the biggest advantage of this type of font files is that they require fewer system resources. Therefore, under normal circumstances, I recommend using this type of font family. Our company provides three font libraries: sceic.shx, sceie.shx, and sceist01.shx. Among them, sceic.shx is a Chinese character font library, sceie.shx is an English character font library, and sceist01.shx is an English character font library containing professional symbols with common formats. I strongly recommend that, unless there are special circumstances, all drawings in my company use the three font files: sceic.shx, sceie.shx, and sceist01.shx. This will ensure that the drawings are unified and properly formatted. When should that font with a .ttf extension be used? There are two cases. First, since your drawing files need to be shared with other companies, using font families such as SimSun and Heiti ensures that no problems will arise when those companies open your files. The second scenario is when working on plans, covers, and similar things. Because there are a great many font files of this type, with various styles available – all very diverse and aesthetically pleasing. Therefore, when it is necessary to teach characters with aesthetic effects, this type of font library can be used. There are a few things we need to keep in mind when defining fonts. Firstly, again under the condition of sufficiency, the less, the better principle applies. This should apply to all settings in CAD. Regardless of the type of settings, the more there are, the larger the CAD file will become, and this may also affect the processing speed when the software is run. More importantly, the more settings there are, the easier it is to make mistakes in categorizing the elements. When using CAD, apart from the default Standard font, I usually have only two other font definitions. One is the conventional definition, with a font width of 0.75. Generally, all Chinese characters and English letters use this font. The second font definition uses the same font library as the first, but with a font width of 0.5. This font is the one I use specifically for dimensioning. Because, in most construction drawings, many small dimensions are packed together. At this point, using a narrower font reduces the amount of overlap between the labels significantly. Annotation settings (Dimstyle). There are a few more options in the annotation definition, but there aren’t many things to pay attention to. Normally, I define one set of settings; for special cases, I modify their properties individually, and then use the format brush to apply those changes to the others. Let me introduce the settings for my commonly used annotation definitions (1:100 scale output). Lines and arrows: All color and line width options are set to Bylayer; the arrow size is 150, while the other values are generally between 100 and 200. Text: For the text style, use the font whose width was set to 0.5 as mentioned earlier; the color should remain Bylayer. The text height is 350, with the text positioned vertically at the top and horizontally centered, 60 units away from the dimension lines, with the text aligned to those lines. Some other options can be adjusted as needed; there’s no need to pay attention to them. Unit settings (Units). Among the options provided by the unit settings, I noticed that some people prefer to choose 0 for the precision setting of length, meaning they use the single digit as the unit. Regarding this, I suggest changing it to 3–4 decimal places. In the initial chapters, I emphasized that accuracy is one of the three fundamental principles used in AUTOCAD. If we define length precision at the single-digit level, many minor errors will be overlooked; for example, a line segment of 1000 might actually be drawn as 999.97. It is rather troublesome to perform the above definitions every time a drawing is created, so AUTOCAD has provided us with an excellent solution in the form of DWT templates. Every time we create a new drawing, the CAD software asks us to open a DWT template file; the default one is acad.dwt. Once we have created our own set of default settings, we can create our own template files to save all the settings and definitions. My DWT template is the result of several hours of careful selection of various images, including one each of simple floor plans, elevations, sections, and stair details, along with dozens of commonly used blocks (of course, all organized into categories). In this way, whenever I start a new project, I can open this module and get to work. Some people might ask how to create a DWT file. It’s simple: when saving a file, choose \"Save As\" and then select DWT as the file type. After discussing all the settings in AUTOCAD, let’s finally talk about the Purge command. The Purge command can remove all unused settings, blocks, and other information from the diagram. It is recommended that everyone use this command frequently; I use it almost every time before saving the file. To summarize, the well-organized settings in AUTOCAD form the foundation for achieving the three key objectives of clearness, accuracy, and efficiency in using CAD software. Therefore, I strongly urge all the professional departments within the company to establish as soon as possible a set of standards suitable for their respective departments and fields, and to put them into practice. If it is possible to standardize and regulate each specialty, it will undoubtedly improve efficiency not only within each specialty itself, but also in terms of the coordination between different specialties and the submission of documents. Part 4 of the series on experiences using AUTOCAD – Common commands and principles for setting up shortcuts. There are numerous commands in the AUTOCAD software; how can one master the most important ones and use them effectively? I often discuss with others that in CAD, when it comes to drawing or editing a certain element, there are generally several methods available. As a competent CAD drafter, one should use the most appropriate method appropriately. Let’s first take a look at what commands are available in CAD We can divide them into several categories. The first category is drawing-related, the second is editing-related, the third is setting-related, and the fourth is other categories, including annotations, views, etc. We analyze them category by category. The first category is drawing-related. Common commands include: Line for drawing straight lines; xline for constructing lines (used to draw auxiliary lines); mline for double lines (often used when drawing wall lines, and other line types can also be defined for use); pline for polylines (elements that are mostly composed of line segments; those that can be defined as polylines should be done so, as this makes selection easier); rectang for rectangles (which are essentially polylines enclosed by four segments); arc for arcs; circle for circles; hatch for filling (pay attention to the scale of the pattern); boundary for defining boundaries (used in calculations such as area determination and filling); block for defining blocks (all elements intended for use in a block must be placed on layer 0, with all other properties set to bylayer); insert for inserting blocks (compared to –insert, one option displays a dialog box while the other does not). The second category consists of editing commands. Common commands include: Matchprop for property matching (equivalent to the Format Painter in Word, often used to apply the correct layer settings to the element being edited); Hatchedit for editing hatch patterns (double-click on the hatch pattern with the left mouse button); Pedit for editing polylines (also used to connect several segments that are end-to-end to form a polyline); Erase for deleting; Copy for copying; Mirror for mirroring; Offset for translating; Array for creating arrays; Move for moving; Rotate for rotating; Scale for scaling; Stretch for stretching; Lengthen for extending (not commonly used, but useful when it’s necessary to extend segments that are not horizontal or vertical) ； !Can also achieve the same function; everyone should try to figure it out on their own first.) Trim: Cut away. Extend: Lengthen. Break: Interrupt. Fillet: Round off corners. Explode: Disassemble (can be used to break up blocks, polylines, double lines, etc.). Align: Align objects (not commonly used, but useful when drawing inclined shapes; it allows one to draw the shape with it aligned, and then adjust it back to its original angle later). (UCS are two different concepts.) The Properties attribute (similar to ddmodify in version 14) allows you to access a property table where you can view and modify almost all of the attributes of that element, which is very useful). Let’s go over some more commands related to drawing and editing. First, when drawing, in general, we should use editing commands whenever it’s possible, rather than drawing commands. In the use of CAD software, although it is often said to be about drawing, in reality most of the time is spent editing drawings. Because editing primitives can significantly reduce the likelihood of inaccurate rendering of primitives, and it can also improve efficiency to a certain extent. Second, when using drawing commands, it is essential to set up snapping (the settings for snapping will be discussed later); use F3 to toggle it on. Third, when using drawing and editing commands, orthographic mode is usually required, which can be switched on with F8. Fourth, the drawing and editing commands I have listed above must be mastered and used proficiently by a CAD drafter; as for other drawing and editing commands that are not listed, one should be familiar with them and use them at appropriate times. The third category is the setting type. A lot has been discussed earlier, so I won’t repeat it. The fourth category: others. There is a lot of content here, so let’s describe it separately. (This involves commands in Express.) Next, let’s talk about how to customize shortcuts. The definitions of shortcut keys are stored in the acad.pgp file; after version 2004 (or perhaps version 02, I can’t remember exactly), the directory where they are stored changed. Everyone can find out by searching in Windows. Keyboard shortcuts can be defined freely according to each person’s preferences. However, I believe that freedom does not mean recklessness; there should also be some principles. I. To avoid ambiguity, try not to use letters that are completely unrelated. For example, for the copy command, do not use the letter v as the shortcut key. This can easily lead to misunderstandings and forgetting. Even if you memorize it yourself, as soon as someone uses your machine, they’ll definitely be confused. II. Shortcut keys are defined based on the frequency of occurrence of various commands; when defining them, the principle of \"1 letter -- 1 letter repeated twice -- two adjacent or similar letters -- others\" is followed in sequence. Take the simplest example, copy and circle. In CAD’s default settings, copy is co/cp, and circle is c. Such an arrangement is absolutely unreasonable. Generally speaking, copy is used far more frequently than circle; therefore, c should first be defined as a shortcut for copy. Then, for circle, cc (the first and fourth letters) can be used, or ce (the first and last letters); if these are already in use or not preferred, ci can be used instead. For commonly used commands, my advice is to definitely use shortcuts; they are much faster than clicking on icons with the mouse or selecting commands from menus. It is essential to develop the habit of using the left hand for the keyboard and the right hand for the mouse. What are considered common commands? I suggest that commands appearing more than 5 times per day on average should all be classified as common commands. Once everyone defines their shortcut keys based on such principles, and after 1–2 days of practice, efficiency will definitely improve significantly. Part 5 of the series on AUTOCAD usage tips – Layer control commands, view commands, and entity selection methods. Layer control commands and view commands are both tools that assist in drawing, but they are extremely important; proficiency in using them has a significant impact on the efficiency of drawing. Let’s first take a look at the commands related to layers. Most of the commands related to layers are actually in Express (in version 02 they seemed to be in Bonus); they become available only when AUTOCAD is installed completely. In the layer commands, the first one is, of course, Layer, the Layer Properties Manager. The specific details inside were discussed in some detail before, so they will not be repeated here. Other commands related to layer control are all designed to help us easily manage the \"on/off (display)\" status, locking, and selection of layers during drawing, as well as to conveniently change the layer properties of the elements we draw. Commands related to the “current layer”. ai_molc changes the current layer to the layer to which the selected element belongs. This command is available on the toolbar, and everyone should already be quite familiar with it. laycur (change to current layer) changes the layer to which the selected element belongs to the current layer. Commands related to “switches”. layoff (layer off) disables the selected layer. The Layiso* (layer isolate) view displays only the selected layer (isolated layer). Layon* (turn all layers on) turns on all layers. Commands related to “locking”. laylck (layer lock): Locks the selected layer. layulk (layer unlock): Unlocks the selected locked layer. layerlckiso*: Locks all layers except the selected one (a command from the “Free Mini Building Tools” plugin). Other layer control commands: layerp: Restores the layer to its previous state. laymch (layer match): Changes the layer of the selected element to the layer of the last selected element (similar to matchprop, but in reverse order). I hope everyone will take some time to get familiar with and master these layer commands; of course, this is possible only if the layer settings for the elements in the drawing are well organized. If this can’t be done, then nothing else is possible. There are three commands above; those marked with a * are commands that people often overlook, but which are very useful. There are three categories of view commands. Category 1: redraw (redrawall) means to redraw, while regen means to regenerate. The commonly used option is redraw; when auxiliary display points or lines cannot be removed using redraw, try regen. The second category is view scaling types. This category mainly revolves around various sub-commands of Zoom. Commonly used options include: zoom – default real-time scaling; zoom-p – return to the previous view range; zoom-d – dynamically scale the view; zoom-a – display all views; zoom-w – display the view range of the selected window. The third category consists of view translation functions. It’s pan and its subcommands. I wonder whether, when controlling the view, people use the mouse to select icons from the toolbar or type commands using the keyboard? Think back in the past; to facilitate view control, transparent commands were often used. With AUTOCAD versions 00 and later, as well as the three-button mouse (with the middle button serving as the scroll wheel), scaling and panning views can basically be accomplished using the scroll wheel of the mouse. Scrolling up and down with the middle button of the mouse enables real-time zooming, while pressing the middle button allows panning. Moreover, these are all transparent commands, that is, commands which can be inserted to be executed during the execution of other commands. It is essential to master view control using a three-button mouse. Since we’re talking about the use of mice, let’s discuss the element selection method that is also closely related to mice. When performing editing commands, it is inevitable to select elements. For editing commands and element selection, there are two common methods. I’m* used to the second one. The first method is to select or box-select elements using the mouse; at this point, the selected elements will be highlighted. Then, keyboard input is used to enter editing commands for operation. In this way, the Shift key can be used to remove the extra selected elements. The second method is to first enter the editing commands using the keyboard, confirm them, then select the elements that need to be modified. After selecting the desired elements, confirm again to carry out the editing operation. I think this approach is more convenient and flexible when it comes to selecting the elements that need to be manipulated, as auxiliary keys can be used to assist with the selection. P - previous, selects the element from the last operation. R - remove, delete the selected elements. A - add, to increase the selected elements (used after using remove). Both of these methods involve the same aspects related to mouse usage. Left mouse button. The left mouse button is used to select objects. One is to directly left-click to select the element. Second, after clicking the left mouse button, drag the mouse to the upper right or lower right, then release it. What appears at this point is a solid-line selection box; only elements that are completely within the solid-line frame can be selected. Third, after clicking the left mouse button, drag the mouse to the upper left or lower left, then release it. What appears at this point is a dashed selection box; any elements that are partially within the dashed box can be selected. Right-click the mouse. The right-click button of the mouse is also very useful; first, we need to modify AUTOCAD’s system settings. In “User System Configuration,” there is an option for “Custom Right-Click.” In “Default Mode” and “Edit Mode”, select “Repeat last command”” ； In the Command pattern, select “Confirm”. The Enter and Space keys on the keyboard can also be used to repeat the previous command in both “Default Mode” and “Edit Mode” ； In the command pattern, confirm. But it will definitely be slower than using the right mouse button to achieve the same goal. I suggest everyone give it a try and think about it. Part 6 of the series on AUTOCAD usage tips – Control of drawing and printing scales, applying frames, and dimensioning commands. After completing the drawing, we need to print it out; only once the drawing is printed (as a plain paper copy or as a blueprint on coated paper) can we consider our drawing work essentially finished (of course, there are still tasks such as organizing and archiving the files). When printing, there is one issue that cannot be avoided: the aspect ratio problem. If the printing scale and drawing scale are appropriate, the final drawing will be clear, beautiful, and attractive. We often see that some drawings are densely filled while others are empty; this is all due to improper scale control. So, in terms of printing scale and drawing scale, what should we pay attention to during drawing and at the initial stage of drawing? Generally speaking, the drawings we eventually print come in two types: those to scale and those not to scale. Proportionally, it is usually the construction drawings ； There are many cases where proportions are not followed; typically, there are scheme texts, process diagrams (for personal use), condition diagrams, etc. In recent years, the texts for preliminary design (expanded preliminary design) have also gradually come to be printed in A3 size without respecting proportions. Let’s first take a look at the construction drawings printed in proportion. Construction drawings are generally drawn to scale, but different scale settings can be used when creating them. For example, the general scale for plan-and-elevation views is 1:100; for stairwells and bathrooms it is 1:50. The scale for detailed drawings of specific elements is 1:20, while in decoration drawings such details may be shown at scales of 1:10, 1:5, 1:2, etc. The common scale for overall plans is 1:500, though sometimes 1:1000 or 1:2000 is also used. Next, I will use a set of conventional building construction drawings that include plan, elevation, and sectional views, as well as details of stairwells, bathrooms, and joints, as an example. First of all, what we draw at the beginning are usually plan views, and in this case we should set 1 actual MM to correspond to 1 standard unit in AUTOCAD; the same applies to the other elevation and sectional views as well. At this point, there are two things we need to pay attention to: first, all fonts should generally be set at a height of around 350, room names can be slightly larger, while the height of specialized fonts used for things like drawing titles should be determined separately. Second, after adding the dimension annotations, set the \"global scale of the annotations\" to 100 (I have modified some of the settings related to annotations earlier; please pay attention). For the other settings, follow what was mentioned earlier. Next are the detailed drawings of the stairs at a 1:50 scale and those of the bathroom. When drawing such diagrams, I usually first copy the relevant parts from the plan view next to the original drawing, and then delete and trim away the excess parts. Some things need to be modified next. First is the linear scale: except for solid lines, others such as dashed lines and dotted lines have their linear scale reduced to half of the original value. Secondly, the scale for font size, elevation size, and axis number size is 0.5 of the original value. Third is the annotation settings: change the \"Global Annotation Scale\" for all annotations in this section to 50. In this way, when printed at a 1:50 scale, the sizes of all parts will be appropriate. The method for drawing the 1:20 node detail is the same, so no further explanation is needed. Once the drawing is completed, the next step is to add a frame around it. Every company has its own drawing frame, and different drawing sizes should all have one. When creating picture frames, they are usually made at a 1:1 ratio: A0—1194*840 ； A1—840*597 ； A2—597*420 ； A3—420*297 ； A4—297*210. Among them, vertical picture frames are also often used for sheets A1 and A2. Also, when we need to use an extended picture frame, the increase should be made along the longer side of the frame, by an amount equal to 1/4 of the length of that side. Regardless of the size of the image, when each frame is printed at a certain scale, the size of the title bar should remain the same. We enlarge the picture frames of different sizes to the scale we want for the output, and then place the image inside them. There are two more points to mention regarding the preparation of construction drawings at the correct scale. First, not all plan-and-elevation views need to be drawn at a 1:100 scale; for warehouses or factories that lack detailed features, a scale of 1:150 or 1:200 can also be considered. Only in this way can the drawing appear full. Secondly, no matter what type of drawing it is, always make sure that 1 MM in reality corresponds to 1 standard unit in AUTOCAD when creating the drawing (with the exception of overall plans). Different scales simply result in differences in font size, linear scale, and the overall scale of annotations. Of course, the above situation applies when graphs with the same scale are all plotted within the same figure frame. When graphs with different proportions need to be placed in one figure frame, there is a slight difference. Let’s use as an example the situation where a 1:20 scale detail drawing needs to be included in a 1:100 scale plan. First, it was determined that 1:100 is the main scale for this drawing. The 1:100 scale plan was drawn using the aforementioned method, and the 1:20 scale detail drawings were also created in the same way, with all relevant settings adjusted accordingly. When it was found that it needed to be included in a map drawn at a 1:100 scale, a copy of the 1:20 scale node was copied into the 1:100 scale frame and scaled up by 5 times; then two things needed to be modified. The first is the linear proportion, and the second are the two parameters in the labeling. One of them is to change the global scale marking to 1:100 (i.e., the main scale), and the second is to change the linear scale marking to 0.2. That’s fine then. Of course, when drawing drawings in other scales, if it is determined from the start that they are to be placed together with drawings of different scales, some of the above procedures can be adjusted, which can reduce the number of steps and save time. For diagrams that are not drawn to scale, there are still things to pay attention to; the scale issue also needs to be considered. Next, we will use a plan as an example to illustrate. When we are in the stage of finalizing the drawings for a design project, we need to pay attention to the scale issue. First, it is necessary to determine the final size of the output image. Previous proposal documents were all in A3 format, but nowadays A2 is also commonly used (that is, two vertical A3 sheets combined). After determining the final drawing scale, we need to estimate an approximate scale, and then set the font size for printing at around 2.5 MM (the scale for design documents is generally 1:200 or higher; unless it’s for villas, small residences, or small commercial buildings, the font size and dimension markings can be slightly smaller). In this way, appropriate values for the font size and dimension markings in the drawings can be determined. If necessary, it is possible to first produce a rough version of the first drawing at the beginning of the organization process; once everything looks fine, then proceed to work on completing the other drawings. All the drawings have been organized, framed, and handed over to the printing company—OK. Here, I would like to briefly mention paper space. Paper space is just as interesting; it presents significant differences in terms of paper scale settings and batch printing, among other aspects. However, after trying out this thing called drawing space for a while, I gave up on it, because the drawings we create in our architecture field are not only used by us for our own purposes but also serve as reference documents for other specialties. After I handed the drawings from the drawing space to other specialties, I kept getting calls with questions. I realized that not only did I need to master the drawing space myself, but I also had to teach all the other specialties how to use it... So I gave up using it... Hehe. However, I have noticed that in some foreign companies, drawing space is also widely used not only in the plans but also in the construction drawings. I wonder how they address the confusion I mentioned above; perhaps they provide relevant training for all employees of the company (which can be difficult when there are many employees, especially those of middle age or older). Part 7 of the series on experiences using AUTOCAD – Interaction between AUTOCAD and other software. In design work, in addition to using AUTOCAD, it is often necessary to use other software as well, such as Sketchup, Photoshop, Lightcape, 3dMax, CorelDraw, Word, Excel, etc.; sometimes interactions between these different software programs arise. In this section, I will talk about my experience in this area. I. Sketchup: This software was developed not long ago, but it has gained great popularity among architects, as it allows for the easy conversion of 2D drawings into 3D models, enabling the study of architectural forms and the detailed refinement of designs. In many design firms, architectural design (including interior decoration, planning, urban design, etc.) is first created in Sketchup to be refined, and only then is it handed over to a rendering company to create visual representations. This also helps rendering companies to understand the objects that need to be modeled more intuitively. I recommend that all architects, especially young ones, have a certain level of familiarity with Sketchup. Architectural design is by no means graphic design; apart from considering flow patterns and functionality in two dimensions, everything else needs to be taken into account in three dimensions. Good designs abroad are all the result of refining models at various scales through multiple rounds of iteration. The interaction between Sketchup and Autocad is very simple: once you have drawn something in Autocad to a certain extent and need to use Sketchup, organize the DWG file by removing unnecessary elements and keeping only the essential floor plans. Select all the elements, then move one of the reference points to the 0,0,0 coordinates (otherwise, you won’t be able to find the graphics in Sketchup). Save the file, and then import it into Sketchup. II. 3dMax: The most common and standard software for creating renderings. It is very convenient for modeling (unlike Sketchup, which is not covered in detail here; generally, architects use Sketchup while rendering specialists use 3dMax, as their modeling approaches differ). These days, renderers such as VRay and Brazil are also often used to achieve good rendering results. The plan and elevation views in AutoCAD are needed in the 3DMax modeling process; the import process is quite simple, so no further details are necessary. One thing to keep in mind is that when layer settings are appropriate and elements are drawn accurately, importing CAD drawings into 3D Max saves the modeler a lot of time compared to \"messy\" (please forgive me for using this word) drawings. III. Lightcape: Personally, I think that for creating indoor renderings, Lightcape produces much better results compared to 3dmax. Generally, first create the model in 3dmax, apply textures and set up lighting initially, then import it into Lightcape to adjust the textures and lighting before rendering. There are also experts who model directly in Lightcape, hehe. Which specific steps are to be carried out in 3dmax or Lightcape depends mainly on which software the operator is more familiar with. IV. CorelDraw: Years ago, this software was often used for coloring 2D graphics; its biggest advantage is that the resulting files are vector-based. But these days it seems that people generally use PS for coloring on a flat surface. V. Photoshop: In this industry, there are three main areas where this software is used. The first is the text preparation stage of the plan ； The second is the post-processing of renderings, and the third is used to scan various drawings, photos, etc. Regarding the interaction between Photoshop and AutoCAD, there are two methods: one is to convert AutoCAD drawings into bitmap files (with extensions such as jpg, bmp, etc.) for use in text creation and similar tasks ； Another method is to import bitmap files into AutoCAD; commonly, scanned topographic maps are imported to be turned into electronic documents. Let’s start with the second, simpler method: importing a bitmap file into AutoCAD. In Autocad’s menu, select “Insert”, then choose “Raster Image”, and follow the instructions step by step. For importing topographic maps, some software such as Vpstudio and R2V can also be used to assist with vectorization. There are three ways to convert Autocad drawings into bitmap files. The simplest method is to use the “Print Screen” key to copy the screen content, then open a new file in PS and paste it there. The second method is to select “Export” from Autocad’s menu and then choose to save it with the BMP extension. In this way, the screen display content of Autocad can also be turned into a bitmap file. When we need to convert drawings from Autocad into bitmap files with a higher resolution, we need to use the third method. It needs to be set up first. In the menu, go to “Tools”–“Options”–Print and Publish, then “Add or Configure Printer”–“Add Printer Wizard”. A menu titled “Add Plotter” appears, with stages on the left and selection options on the right. “In the “Start” stage, select “My Computer”; in the “Plotter Model” stage, choose the manufacturer as “Raster File Format”. Basically, any option in the table on the far right will work, but I am used to choosing BMP. Keep choosing “Next” throughout. In the \"Complete\" stage, select \"Edit Plotter Configuration\"; the \"Edit Plotter Configuration\" menu will appear. In this menu, you can customize the paper size – for text, 4000*3000 is sufficient. Once confirmed, we complete a setup similar to that of a printer. When we need to convert bitmap files, a method similar to printing can be used. VI. Word: Before talking about Word, let’s first discuss the text input methods in AutoCAD. There are two ways to enter text in AutoCAD: one is by entering “text”, which refers to single-line text. For small amounts of text, this method is recommended. Second, the input is “mtext”, which refers to multi-line text. For lengthy texts such as design specifications, this method is recommended. In Word, type out the long text, use “Ctrl+A” and “Ctrl+C”; in AutoCAD, select “Draw” – “Text” – “Multiline Text”, select the area where the text is to be inserted, and then use “Ctrl+V” in the menu that appears. Adjust the settings at the top as needed. 　To insert a drawing from AutoCAD into Word, it must first be converted into a bitmap file, using the method described earlier. One thing to note is that the resolution of the image doesn’t need to be too high. VII. Using Excel to create tables in AutoCAD: Earlier versions were rather cumbersome, requiring manual drawing of each element one by one. Recent versions of AutoCAD do have a table creation feature, but I find it still not very convenient or flexible; therefore, I sometimes still draw everything manually (I’m also quite clumsy). It’s very convenient to create tables in Excel. I recently discovered a small plugin called AutoXlsTable, which is extremely useful for importing tables from Excel into Autocad; you should give it a try. Regarding the section on annotation settings, modify it as follows: Annotation Settings (Dimstyle). There are a few more options in the annotation definition, but there aren’t many things to pay attention to. Normally, I define one set of settings; for special cases, I modify their properties individually, and then use the format brush to apply those changes to the others. Let me introduce the settings for the annotation definitions I use frequently. Lines and arrows: All color and line width options are set to Bylayer; the arrow size is 1.5, while the other values are generally between 1 and 2. Text: For the text style, use the font whose width was set to 0.5 as mentioned earlier; the color should remain Bylayer. The text height is 3.5. The text should be positioned vertically at the top and horizontally in the center, with a offset of 0.6 from the dimension lines, and the text should be aligned with those lines. Some other options can be adjusted as needed; there’s no need to pay attention to them. Such annotation settings serve as the base settings for all annotations in the entire drawing. When creating drawings at different scales, it is necessary to adjust the \"global annotation scale\" according to the drawing scale. For a diagram created at a scale of 1:100, its \"global scale label\" needs to be adjusted to 100 ； For a drawing created at 1:150, its \"global scale factor\" needs to be adjusted to 50. This will be discussed in detail in Part 6 later on. Part 8 of the series on experiences using AUTOCAD – Approaches to designing and drawing concepts, preliminary designs, and construction drawings. As some friends mentioned earlier, when working on concepts, it’s not necessary to have very high precision in the elements used; indeed, that’s the case. Now, with the use of computer-aided drawing, the approaches to designing plans, preliminary designs, and construction drawings are different, and naturally, the corresponding drawing methods also differ. As some friends mentioned before, as a draftsman, one feels somewhat aggrieved, thinking that the future prospects are not very bright. But I think that, at any stage of any design, the process of drawing is the design process itself; every stroke drawn, every element, is part of the design. There are many aspects to consider in design: functionality, flow, form, the relationship between solid and void, scale, user-friendliness, and so on. All of these need to be further developed and refined through plans, preliminary designs, and ultimately, construction drawings. Therefore, I believe that no matter which stage or part of the work is involved, it is necessary to think carefully and give it due attention, carefully drawing out each line. (Still being verbose.) In this section, I will discuss the design process at different stages of design, as well as how to make use of computers, particularly AutoCAD, to assist in this process. Perhaps this part isn’t closely related to Autocad. First is the scheme design, which generally goes through three stages. I. The Grassroots Stage: “Bubble Chart” – “Box Chart” – “Volume Analysis”. A “bubble chart” is used to study the functional flow patterns of a building as well as its relationship with the surrounding environment. Each bubble is a functional zone, connected together based on the flow pattern. In a bubble chart, it is necessary to determine the most basic functional relationships: what functional zones exist within a building/complex, how they relate to one another, and what order they should follow in the flow diagrams ； What are the flow paths within a building or complex? What are the different relationships between pedestrian flows and vehicle flows, etc.? How do these relationships work together? How can intersections be reduced or avoided? ； What is the relationship between the building/complex and its surroundings? What roads are there in the vicinity, which buildings are present, what is their orientation, and what are the setback requirements, etc.? “A “block diagram” is a “bubble chart” in which area relationships are taken into account. This step is based on the bubble chart; in accordance with the requirements of the task specification, the area of each functional zone is represented in the bubble chart, that is, each bubble is drawn according to the actual area requirement. “After completing the “block diagram,” a preliminary “mass study” is carried out. Based on the block diagram, the large block relationships can be essentially arranged vertically. In this step, it is necessary to consider whether the relationship between the mass and its surroundings is appropriate, as well as whether the size and dimensions (length, width, height, and shape) of the mass itself are suitable. What kind of relationship exists between volumes? Do they intersect, touch, overlap, or are they separate from each other? “The research on “bubble charts” should be completed by drawing sketches by hand; once finalized, Autocad can be used to create “bar charts”. At this point, the “block diagram” created in AutoCAD does not yet need to take into account factors such as column grids. Then, Sketchup should be used to study the volumes, and it is essential to consider what possible relationships between these volumes exist, what the advantages and disadvantages of each are, and which option is the best. For a scheme, there can be several types of mass relationships. When the first stage is completed, there should be a project team to hold discussions; for such discussions, it’s advisable to invite a couple more experts from the company and those around, so that everyone can share their opinions. If problems arise, such as unreasonable functionality, flow patterns, or orientation, adjustments should be made immediately. At this stage, it is particularly important to pool ideas in order to lay a solid foundation for further development in the future. It can be said that during the bid evaluation, the judges first check whether the overall structure of the proposal is reasonable; if it isn’t, the proposal is rejected outright, with no need to examine it any further. II. The Two-Stage Phase: “Preliminary Horizontal-Vertical Section” – “Study of Masses with Relationships between Solid and Void Areas and Local Details.” This phase is built upon the foundation of the one-stage phase and represents a further deepening of it. First, in AutoCAD, a simple floor plan is drawn based on the block diagrams and 3D models; however, at this stage the grid system, that is, the structural relationships, must be taken into account. In this stage of the floor plan, there is no need to represent doors and windows; it is sufficient to draw the rooms, stairs, corridors, etc. After drawing the simple plane, the next step is to draw the sections; these sections are also simple at this stage, used to determine the floor heights or the sectional relationships in more complex spaces. Import the simple plan view into SU and re-raise the volume; however, this time it is necessary to use a 3D approach to consider the relationship between the visible and invisible surfaces, representing all of them in the SU model, and to refine it over and over again. Key areas and some creatively designed details can also be expressed in SU at this time. By referring to the simple plane, simple section, and block model, it’s fine to draw the elevation. However, it is also necessary to refine the facade; the refinement of the facade and that of the model in SU are carried out alternately, complementing each other. Organizing these things results in two types of grasses. Regarding the results of Ercao, it is also recommended to discuss them carefully. Sometimes, after reaching the two-grass stage, if something seems off, I will go back to the one-grass stage and start over from scratch. I still remember my former teacher saying, \"Squeeze it tightly, then break it apart.\" ； Squeeze it tighter again, then break it up again.” If you have the time and energy, try it a few more times – the result will definitely be good. The first and second design phases are both foundational stages in plan design. At this stage, thinking is the most important thing; it’s completely fine if the drawings in Autocad aren’t accurate – it’s sufficient to convey the main idea. Furthermore, at this stage, thinking done by hand and thinking done using a computer alternate with each other. For example, when arranging the layout, when I encounter complex areas, I print them out and mark them by hand; if I’m not satisfied, I cover them with a sheet of copy paper and mark them again, over and over until I’m satisfied with the markings, and then I draw it in Autocad. The same applies to facades, the relationship between the real and the virtual, etc. III. Phase of Organizing and Producing the Proposal: Based on the two drafts that have been carefully considered and thoroughly discussed, the next stage can be undertaken. This stage involves organizing and refining the design elements in order to present them in a compelling manner. If you’re in a hurry, you can take two separate routes at this point. One approach is to continue improving the SU models; many drawings in texts in the future, such as those with small perspectives and other detailed SU models, can also be used to render elevations. Once the SU model is well-developed, it can be submitted to the visualization company. Another approach is to further develop and refine the plan-view section. At this point, the drawings created using AutoCAD need to be relatively accurate, especially regarding axes and window locations on the exterior walls. However, some minor issues aren’t a problem; for example, it’s fine if the dimensions for door openings are marked as 149, 218, 356, and so on. During the planning phase, there is no need to waste too much time on the precision of elements. However, it’s better to draw facades accurately, especially those that are symmetrical or have continuous patterns ； The layer relationships should also be reasonable; otherwise, difficulties will arise when coloring after importing into PS (those who have done this know what I mean) ； Also, the lines that need to be closed or connected must indeed be closed and connected; otherwise, it will be troublesome in PS as well. After drawing in Autocad, export the diagram as a bitmap file. Here’s a tip: if the layer relationships in the previous image are proper, you can turn off some layers in the same image and save it as a bitmap file in two steps. Why do this? Hehe, no need to say more; those who are interested can explore it on their own. Coloring and frame application in PS... the phase of scheme design is now complete. Next, let’s talk about the preliminary design. My understanding of the preliminary design isn’t very deep; generally speaking, I think the preliminary design serves the following purposes: First, it facilitates coordination among various specialties. During the scheme design phase, the coordination among various specialties is rather superficial. At the preliminary design stage, various specialties begin to get more deeply involved. At this point, it is necessary to ensure good coordination among various specialties, that is, the interdependent conditions between them. For example, the electrical engineering team needs to inform the architectural team of the size required for the power distribution room ； The HVAC team informs the electrical department of the required power consumption. The structural engineering team has also started modeling and conducting preliminary calculations; it will provide the architectural team with the height of the beams and the cross-sectional dimensions of the columns. Others, too many to mention one by one. II. Conduct a rough estimate. After receiving the requirements from various specialties, the engineering cost department prepares a preliminary estimate. The budget estimate serves many purposes, such as controlling investments; another one is that it can serve as one of the bases for determining the bid price in construction tenders. Because an engineering budget represents an additional cost, and not every project requires one. III. Resolve some technical challenges. Last month, I was fortunate to have a brief conversation with a designer who was involved in the entire design process of **the Grand Theatre (that big glass structure).** **The preliminary design of the grand theater was carried out by the Andrew Architects firm in France; over sixty architects were involved in this work. He participated as the Chinese representative (those who are aware of the situation should be able to guess who he is; as a hint, he is from Tsinghua University). According to him, many major technical issues are studied and resolved during the preliminary design phase. For example, in Beijing, the water surface under the large glass balls definitely freezes in winter; once it freezes, its volume expands. How can we prevent damage to and interference with the buildings and the pool? When there are problems in a specific area of the pool, how can repairs be carried out without having to drain all the water from the pool? How should the tracks for the window cleaning machine be installed on the glass panels, and so on. IV. For the architecture field, I believe the following issues need to be addressed: 1. The implementation of regulations, such as fire compartments and evacuation distances ； 2. Is the relationship between the plan and sections reasonable, especially in complex areas? Do the stairs intersect? Is there enough distance to run to the next floor, etc. 3. At this point, drawing in Autocad should be done meticulously, accurately, and in accordance with standards. Make full use of the precision and accuracy of computers compared to the human brain, to draw each graphic element correctly. 4. …… During the preliminary design phase, drawings are created; the plan, elevation, and section views should be drawn simultaneously and in coordination with each other. Once the plan view is detailed to a certain extent, the elevation and section views are refined, after which the plan view is drawn again, and this process is repeated back and forth. Finally, let’s talk about the construction drawings. Construction drawings are those that can be used for construction; therefore, every line and every element on the drawings must be expressed accurately and clearly, so as to specify exactly what it is It must absolutely not give the impression of being sophisticated like a plan, nor should it be vague. The floor plans are fine, but the elevations often contain errors that result in unclear representations. Projects of different scales have varying degrees of complexity, and the number of people involved during the construction drawing phase also differs, but the general approach remains similar. It is about continuous improvement and refinement from the overall perspective to the details, ensuring that every wall, every door and window, and every component is properly handled. This is how one person handles a small project of 5,000 square meters, and the same applies when a team works on a large project spanning hundreds of thousands of square meters. The more complex a project is, and the more people are involved in it, the more necessary it is to have a good project implementation plan, as well as good design and drawing standards from the outset, so that a large-scale effort can be carried out effectively. And for every architect, every CAD drafter, it is essential to have good drawing habits, and to follow certain standards while working diligently and carefully as an essential part of the team. As mentioned earlier, the preliminary design of the large glass sphere was carried out by over sixty architects working together; considering the difficulties involved in management and coordination, it’s quite daunting. But it is believed that as long as there is a solid foundation, systems, and regulations, and these are continuously implemented and enforced, any difficult challenge can be overcome. (Sigh, I never expected to end my article with a slogan.) ) Postscript: There was a preface at the beginning; now there are a few more things to say, which can be considered a postscript. This article has been written over the course of three months, from the beginning to now; actually, there were times when I wasn’t particularly busy. I apologize to my siblings who have supported me for my lack of diligence. However, finally putting pen to paper today means it’s something that’s been addressed now. At the end, there are a few more things I’d like to say. 1. I’m not an expert in AutoCAD; when I was using version 12, I learned a little about LSP files, but I’ve long since forgotten it all. I’m here not to teach everyone advanced software knowledge or programming skills; rather, I want to share with you, based on my practical experience, some basic yet important things. Moreover, I know that many of the things I say may not be correct. Here, I simply want to share some of my thoughts and experiences; those who wish to adopt them may do so, and those who find them ridiculous can just laugh at them. II. As for specialized software such as Tianzheng and Yuanfang, I first of all admire and respect the effort put into creating it, but I feel that those who come from a software background sometimes don’t quite understand architecture, just as I only have a basic understanding of software myself. Therefore, I hope that specialized software companies can find some people who have worked in construction for over a decade and have a basic understanding of software to serve as consultants. There’s no right or wrong with many things, but it’s hard to say whether something is very authentic or not. I think every architect wishes for a set of user-friendly software tools to assist in design work. III. On the 3Dization of software. Someone mentioned it earlier, so I’ll say a few words as well. Some software now offers 3D functionality; for example, Autodesk Revit Building – when you draw a floor plan, the elevation is generated automatically, and when you make changes to the floor plan, the elevation is updated accordingly. However, I think the problem is the same: software engineers have not yet been able to design software in a truly authentic way that aligns with the architect’s vision. The revolution is not yet complete; comrades must keep striving. Of course, if I find a good piece of software, I think I would change some of my *usual practices and ways of thinking to work with it. IV. The outline drawn up at the beginning of writing this article did not match the final version. For example, at first I planned to organize the variables in AutoCAD, but later I realized that doing so was somewhat contrary to my original intention. My intention was to share with everyone the most fundamental aspects that are related to actual work; as for the more complex aspects of software, there are experts who will study them. In this regard, I’m just a very low-level beginner. V. To be a competent architect, one must have a down-to-earth and meticulous work attitude. One must have their own aspirations when it comes to work, and dedicate effort to completing each design. Colleagues who do design carelessly just to make money will not make significant progress. And every draftsman should also keep learning at work, striving to acquire design knowledge in every project they are involved in, accumulating knowledge bit by bit with the goal of growing into a designer. VI. Finally, since Brother Xu Youran has repeatedly shown me disrespect in his words earlier on, I will tease him a little here. His new work, due to a lack of popularity, has once again ended up with me – this minor figure whom he looks down on so much – to promote it. It’s ridiculous. Let’s just laugh it off. (Brother Xu, please don’t get too angry; I’ve helped you with advertising again.) Although this article comes to an end, I hope that anyone who has any good ideas or suggestions will still feel free to post them. I will keep observing this post continuously. Regarding some interesting questions that I think are worth answering, I will share my views and continue the discussion with everyone. ? Currently offline. 10# Large, Medium, Small. Posted on 2006-7-13 11:53. View only this author’s posts. I came across it by chance on a certain website; it seems to be written in great detail and is highly practical. It’s useful for both beginners and experienced users. Please upvote it so that more people can see it. Thank you to the original author Z1999Z for sharing such valuable experience!!!!!!!