466 Interiors Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Generally, the designer specifies dimensions of 12 inches or above in feet and inches with a dash between the feet and inches as in the following: 2'-6" or 2'-0". The outside dimension is the overall measurement. The middle measurement is the dimension of a space or object. The smaller dimensions usually relate to details within the drawing. Horizontal dimensions should read across the page from left to right. CAD software offers easy dimensioning capabilities with many styles and fonts from which to choose. Stick with one style throughout a set of drawings. Digital Construction Drawings One constant challenge of builders and designers is the delivery of successful projects to the client despite tight budgets, labor force limitations, and schedule accelera- tions. The clearer and more accurate the construction documents, the faster the project proceeds. Due to the amount of technical detail, designers complete the vast majority of construction drawings using AutoCAD® and Revit®. AutoCAD is an industry standard throughout the world. This is an important advantage because many other countries hire design firms to complete projects in their countries. AutoCAD runs on both MAC and PC platforms. As you know, Revit is modeling software that is quickly moving into the designbuild fields. See Figure 13-37. There are many advantages for digitally creating construc- tion documents. The designer can complete revisions common to any client’s project more easily with a computer than by hand. The computer also allows drawings to “refer- ence” each other. If a designer makes a change to a wall on the floor plan, the computer updates all other drawings linked to the part of the project with the same change. For example, the floor plan is often the base drawing for the electrical and furniture plans. When the designer makes a change to the floor plan, the computer software automati- cally updates the configuration of the electrical and furni- ture plans by using a cross-referencing command. This capability alone contributes to a significant decrease in the number of construction errors. CAD and BIM programs allow the designer to designate lines and objects to their own layers. Each layer is like a separate drawing. The designer can make different line weight and line type assignments on each layer. Then, for the layers (or sheets) the designer needs, he or she can turn off layers unneeded in a particular drawing and print (or plot). Additional benefits for using CAD or BIM programs include ■ rapid reproduction—if you need more than one set of documents, you do not have to redraft them, just simply print (plot) them ■ time and money savings ■ increased value to clients by delivering more design alternatives in less time ■ faster completion of projects and thereby reducing possible coordination errors ■ enhanced perception of you as an up-to-date designer by the client Other issues with CAD and BIM work is file sharing and file management. As the design project increases in size, the number of team members also increases. Effective manage- ment of the drawings and construction documents is a criti- cal part of the design process. Clients and team members change their minds, requiring revisions to the design. To ensure you are working off the most recent document file, you should use a system of file management. File management is a list of guidelines to indicate such things as the file name for the most recent version of the client’s drawing. In addition, designers must outline and commu- nicate methods of file sharing. File sharing through cloud technology has become easier and more secure. Another advantage of completing construction drawings in CAD or BIM is their link to specifications. Construc- tion documents show the builder or subcontractor how to put together different parts of the exterior and inte- rior. The specifications indicate the type and quality of products and the craftsmanship the project requires. Ionia/Shutterstock.com Figure 13-37 Construction drawings prepared using AutoCAD or Revit consistently run on MAC and PC platforms and are easily understood across cultures.