As engineers, many of us spend a lot of time in AutoCAD. For this reason, engineers must learn how to draft clear, attractive plans in AutoCAD. After a while, CAD drafting becomes second nature. However, there is a steep learning curve to get to that point. This is especially true in settings where there is no formal training. Most engineers are left to figure out CAD as they go and learn “on the job.” Furthermore, many engineers view CAD drafting as a necessary evil that is part of the early stages of their careers. The truth is that technically sound CAD standards allow civil engineering firms to work more efficiently and produce better work products. Some engineers can figure out how to make the printed product of a drawing look the way it should, but the underlying data is subpar. While this may work in the short term, this is not a good long-term strategy for developing a good reputation as an individual professional or a firm. This is why it is important that everyone, from entry-level engineers to seasoned professionals, continue to develop their AutoCAD skills as technology changes and updates. The following blog post includes some tips to start drafting like a pro.
1 – Practice Good Layer Control
Putting all your linework on one layer is a sure-fire way to look like an amateur. Whether you are an engineer, architect, or designer, good layer control is always helpful to your coworkers and external people who may be using your drawings for their work. The CAD equivalents of solid technical writing and good communication skills are layer control and labeling. In AutoCAD, layers allow the user to organize, segregate, set the drawing object’s color, control the visibility, and manage the plotting of a drawing. After finalizing a drawing that is to be sent to another consultant or the client, it is a good practice to “purge” all unused layers for further clarity.
2 – Follow Typical Layer Naming Conventions
While some people like to use simple layer names such as “TEXT” or “WALL,” there are standards for layer naming. It is good practice to follow these layer naming conventions. One such naming convention is the American Institute of Architects (AIA) National CAD Standard. According to this standard, layer names begin with a prefix associated with the discipline associated with the work that will be depicted by that layer. Subsequent segments of the layer name are to be exactly four characters in length and separated by a hyphen.
The following table lists some examples of the first letter of a layer name.
| Designator | Description |
| A | Architectural |
| C | Civil |
| E | Electrical |
| L | Landscape |
| P | Plumbing |
| V | Survey/Mapping |
The next segment of the layer name is referred to as the major group. This document contains a list of the major groups used when naming layers according to the AIA standard. Some examples of segments you will see in this group are listed in the following table.
| Designator | Description |
|---|---|
| ANNO | Annotation |
| BLDG | Building |
| BNDY | Boundary |
| ESMT | Easement |
| PIPE | Pipe |
| PVMT | Pavement |
| ROAD | Road |
| STRM | Storm Sewer |
| TOPO | Topographic feature |
| WETL | Wetland |
The next parts of the layer name are called the minor groups. Everything after the major groups is up for grabs as long as the abbreviation makes sense, and the segments are four characters long. In some cases, a suffix is added to the end of the layer name to indicate the phase/status of the work being depicted by that layer. Some examples of suffixes include E for existing, F for future, T for temporary, and N for new.
The following table contains some examples of layer names.
| Layer Name | Description |
|---|---|
| C-ANNO-0050-MV01 | 0.5 mm lineweight note for view no. 1 |
| C-TOPO-MAJR-ANNO | Major contour line labels |
| V-PROP-LINE | Property line drawn by a surveyor |
| C-STRM-PIPE-06IN | 6-inch storm drain |
3 – Use Line Weight to Add Depth and Clarity to Your Drawings
In AutoCAD, lineweight is a property assigned to graphical objects, hatches, leader lines, and dimension geometry to depict thinner, lighter lines or thicker, darker lines. Lineweight is typically used to differentiate between existing and proposed conditions with lighter lineweights being associated with existing conditions and heavier, darker lineweights being associated with the proposed condition. In AutoCAD model space, it is easiest to assign the most common lineweights to colors that are easy to see while drafting.
4 – Font Selection Matters
In my opinion, SHX fonts are preferable to TrueType fonts because they are displayed directly by AutoCAD. In contrast, TrueType fonts are displayed by the Windows graphical engine. This means that a drawing will tend to load more quickly if the text is written using SHX fonts. It is also worth noting that the weight of SHX fonts will change depending on the layer color. I’ve noticed that most civil engineering firms either use Romans or Simplex fonts. Sometimes, SHX fonts will show up as comments when plotted to PDF. To fix this, enter PDFSHX and type.
5 – Make Sure Your Font Size Is Not Too Small
Often, there is a lot of information packed onto a plan sheet. Resist the urge to make your font size too small! If possible, make sure all fonts are at least 0.1 inches tall when plotted.
6 – Don’t Cram Too Much On One Sheet
As previously mentioned, there is often a tendency to put too much information onto one plan sheet. If your plan sheet is starting to become distractingly busy, it’s time to zoom in and start another sheet. In a world where plans are often sent as PDFs rather than plotted, there is no need to “save” paper by cramming too much line work onto one plan sheet. I’ve also found that plans that are easy to read will contain fewer errors than those that are messy in appearance.
7 – Use Civil 3D For Grading
It is best (essential event) to use AutoCAD Civil 3D for all grading operations. It is the industry standard. Some grading contractors even rely on 3D surfaces as input into their machines. Unfortunately, some still insist on grading by hand. While I admit it is typically easier to make the contours appear smoother and cleaner when grading by hand, it takes so much longer that the tradeoff is not worth it. The civil engineering industry, especially consulting, is competitive, and clients do not want to pay extra for drawings performed by a firm or professional who refuses to take advantage of technology. For these reasons, I encourage all engineering firms to invest the money and time required to become proficient with Civil 3D. Otherwise, you risk being left behind.
8 – The Power of Feature Lines
In AutoCAD Civil 3D, users can convert polylines and lines to feature lines. Feature lines are are three-dimensional (3D) objects which can be used as grading footprints, surface breaklines. Feature lines are a powerful part of grading a site in AutoCAD Civil 3D.
If you want to learn more about site grading using feature lines, I recommend checking out this YouTube video.
9 – Use Descriptive LineTypes
In AutoCAD, linetypes can be a pattern of dashes, dots, text, and symbols, or unbroken and continuous. Linetypes are a good way to add more information to your drawing without making your sheets more crowded in appearance. For example, using a linetype that includes utility type (e.g., sewer, water, storm drain), material, and size is more descriptive than using a generic water or sewer linetype.
10 – Use Construction Notes Manager (CNM) For Bubble Notes
Construction Notes Manager (CNM) is a freely available tool that allows you to add bubble notes. I started using this tool as part of my work with NPS Maricopa, and it has been a game changer in terms of my CAD work. CNM allows users to add bubble notes with leaders. There are eight different shapes available, and notes are added to a spreadsheet. The really helpful aspect of CNM is that the tool keeps track of the quantities associated with your bubble notes. CNM helps reduce the errors associated with bubble notes and allows users to format bubble notes quickly.
You can download CNM from https://constructionnotesmanager.com/.
CNM was created and continues to be maintained by Tom Haws, CEO of NPS and experienced land development engineer in Arizona. He has CNM tutorials on his YouTube channel (Tom Haws).