CAD Scale Factors: Chart, Viewport XP Values, and Text/DIMSCALE Settings
CAD scale factor chart for architectural and engineering scales, with viewport XP values, text heights and DIMSCALE settings for AutoCAD plots.
Guides to Drawing Scales and Construction Drawings
Reference guides for reading and setting up scaled drawings: scale factor charts, what each construction drawing shows, and the BIM documents that sit behind a drawing set.
Featured guides
Building Construction Detail Drawings: Types, Scales, and Where They Fit in a Set
What building construction detail drawings show, the main detail types in a set, the scales details are drawn at and how they are used through closeout.
Architectural Scale Factors: Conversion Chart and Examples
Architectural scale factor chart from 1/32″ to 3″ = 1′-0″, plus engineering factors, the formula behind them and how to apply one in AutoCAD.
Types of Architectural Drawings: What Each Drawing Shows and Where It Fits
The main types of architectural drawings, from site plans and floor plans to elevations, sections and details, and what each sheet tells the builder.
Latest guides
MEP Drawing: Types, Symbols, and the Coordination Workflow
What an MEP drawing shows, the mechanical, electrical and plumbing drawing types on a project, when they are issued and how coordination works.
Which Type of Construction Drawing Should You Look at First? A Practical Reading Order
Which construction drawing to look at first, the order to read the rest of the set, what to check on every sheet and when trade drawings come first.
Shop Drawings vs Construction Drawings: Differences, Review, and When to Use Each
Shop drawings vs construction drawings: who prepares and reviews each, what they contain, when they are issued and which one to use for a task.
Drawings That Represent a Material or Component on a Plan: Symbols and Hatch Patterns
How drawings represent a material or component on a plan: hatch patterns, symbols, tags and keyed notes, where they appear and how to read one.
Difference Between LOD 300 and 350: What Changes in a BIM Model?
The difference between LOD 300 and 350: what each level models, how connections, supports and openings change coordination, and when to specify each.
What Type of Drawings Show How Each Wall Is Constructed? Wall Sections Explained
Wall sections show how each wall is built. See how they compare with building sections, details and elevations, their scales and how references link.
General Notes For Architectural Drawings
What general notes for architectural drawings cover, examples by topic, how they differ from keynotes and specifications, and where they go on a sheet.
Typical Detail Drawing: Meaning, Components, Scales, and Construction Uses
What a typical detail drawing is, what TYP means on a drawing set, how it differs from a section, what it must contain and how details are reused.
BIM Execution Plan Template: Specifications and Project Frameworks
What a BIM execution plan template should include: goals, responsibilities, model standards, information exchanges, quality checks and a worked entry.
BIM File Naming Convention: ISO 19650 Fields, Codes, and a Worked Example
BIM file naming convention under ISO 19650: the fields, level and type codes, a worked Revit file name, UK National Annex changes and CDE rules.