.045 mm This is our hairline.

Generally, hairlines are used for the things that should disappear
first when you squint. Dimension lines fall into this category, as do arrows, since they should be less
weighty than the drawing itself. We also use them for what we call surface lines, which are places
that a surface breaks, but where there is no offset from one plane to another.

.13 mm This is our standard drawing line. We have a Profile Lines Layer onto which we may copy
standard drawing lines and increase their lineweight, but the line also exists on the basic drawing
layer so that the drawing isnt hit-and-miss when we turn the profile lines off. We do this often on our
certain drawing sheets like electrical plans, where the walls should be light and your eye should be
drawn to the electrical items, not the walls.
.25 mm We use this weight for doors and for window glass. It is also our lightest profile line. We
profile wall section cavities where the air is less than 24" wide with this lineweight. We also profile
elevation breaks less than 8 with this lineweight.
.35 mm We profile wall section surfaces that meet interior air greater than 24" wide with this
lineweight. We also profile elevation breaks between 8 and 24 with this lineweight.
.5 mm We profile wall section surfaces that meet exterior air with this lineweight. We also
profile elevation breaks greater than 24 with this lineweight.

.7 mm This lineweight is reserved for ground breaks at the bottom of elevations.

1 mm This lineweight is reserved for special conditions.

Layers

The following layer schemes are for our stock plans, for which our layer scheme is simplest. We
have modified layer schemes for Build-Outs, Builders Plans, Commercial, Planning, and Custom
Residential. Theyre based on the same genetic material, but with additional layers as required for the
job types. Within the Stock Plans, we have the following drawings:

0.1 Title Sheet (These are the basic layers that exist on all of our drawings.)

Comments (This is where all checkset comments go, and any other comments that we want to
attach for our reference, but which will not appear on final drawings.)

Title Block (This is where our title block resides, including the job name, and the date and time
stamp which I HIGHLY recommend for all drawings.)

Text Layer (This is where the content of the drawing resides Key to Symbols, Abbreviations,
Conditions for Purchase, and Index)

Layout Lines (The layout lines establish the basic zones for the drawing. See Layouts later.)

Working Layer (This is where we paste all temporary items to which we may refer during the
drawing process. For Title Sheets, its used very infrequently.)
0.2 Schedules (Same layers as Title Sheet. We use this very infrequently on Stock Plans; its only
necessary on the largest plans.

2.1 First Level (This is where all drawings pertaining to the first level (or below) reside.)

Floor Plan Comments

Roof Plan Comments

Foundation Comments

Electrical Comments

Title Block

Dimension Layer (This layer contains dimensions and also basic floor plan info like the drawing
title and floor plan notes. All specifications occur in the form of notes, not as a separate Project
Manual or spec book. We have a very robust set of drawing notes, which Id be happy to share if
anyones interested. Floor Plan notes occur on the Dimension Layer. Notes for other plans (electrical,
roof, foundation, etc.) occur on those layers. Also, general floor plan details occur on the Dimension
Layer, while details specific to the other plan types occur on those layers. In many ways, the
Dimension Layer is the parent layer of floor plans.)

Text Layer (This is where all the basic CD text is located.)

Section Cuts (This includes all Building Section and Wall Section cut marks.)
Presentation Plan (This includes all DD notes. For example, at the DD phase, we show room names
and room sizes, whereas at the CD phase, we show room names and room numbers.)

Profile Lines (See notes under Lineweights above.)

Wall Blockouts (These are polygons or bezier curves that encompass anything heavier than a door
or window glass cut through on a floor plan. The shapes are .35 mm, filled with black as per the DPZ
drawing standard. Previously, we filled with white and hatched them with hairlines. DPZ is right;
their system reads better)

Masonry Veneer (Self explanatory. We draw them as polygons, then fill them with hatches
appropriate to the material.)

Wall Layer (We draw walls as .13 mm lines for exterior faces of walls, which will be profiled, or .35
mm lines for interior wall faces.)
Building Layout (This is where the drawing begins. We draw the exterior footprint here, plus the
centerlines of interior walls.)

Area Calculation (This is where the polygons representing the interior conditioned space, interior
unconditioned space, and porch space reside.)
Door Layer (Self-explanatory. For stock plans, we show the door size on the floor plans (Text Layer)
rather than generating door schedules.)
Window Layer (Self-explanatory. Like doors, window sizes are shown on floor plans (Text Layer)
rather than generating window schedules.)
Stairs & Handrails (Self-explanatory.)

Miscellaneous Plan Items (Columns with their bases, overhangs, headers, fireboxes, etc.)

Plumbing Fixtures (Self-explanatory. Includes shower lines such as floor breaks.)

Appliances & Equipment (Self-Explanatory.)

Cabinets (Self-Explanatory.)
Furniture & Rugs (Self-Explanatory. Only shows up in Presentation Plans.)

Roof Plan (Self-Explanatory. We show all the normal stuff, plus we indicate zones in which roof
penetrations may occur you dont always see that.)
Floor Framing Plan (First level floor framing plan. Our notes are very explicit in that a structural
engineer must be consulted for local conditions.)

Foundation Plan (Drawn on a separate layer, but shows up on a single sheet with the floor framing
plan. Foundation & framing notes and details go here.)

Electrical Plan Text (Electrical notes and keys.)

Power Plan (Self-Explanatory.)

Lighting Plan (Self-Explanatory.)
Auxiliary Plan (Should be self-explanatory: phone, computers, doorbells, smoke alarms, etc.)
Texture Layer (Masonry hatches, etc.)
Room Name Spots (Diagonal lines to corners of each room to facilitate placement of room names
in the centers of rooms.)

Layout Lines

Working Layer

Sheets: 2.1 First Level produces the following drawing sheets:

Electrical Plan (All of the electrical layers, plus Title Block.)
Floor Plan Area (Wall Layer, Masonry Veneer layer, Building Layout layer, Area Calculation layer,
and Miscellaneous Plan Items layer facilitates measurement of plan areas.)

Floor Plan Dimension (Layers needed for dimensioning the plan.)

Floor Plan Draw (Layers needed in early drawing phase of the plans.)

Floor Plan Final (Final CD layers.)

Floor Plan Layout (Beginning set of layers.)

Floor Plan Presentation (Final DD layers.)

Foundation Plan (Foundation Plan & First Floor Framing Plan plus Title Block.)

Roof Plan (Roof Plan plus Title Block. The roof plan occurs on the first floor sheet because not all
plans have upper levels, and the roof must cover all levels.)

2.2 Second Level (This is where all drawings pertaining to the second level (or above) reside.)

Floor Plan Comments

Floor Framing Comments

Electrical Comments

Title Block

Dimension Layer

Text Layer

Section Cuts

Presentation Plan

Profile Lines

Wall Blockouts

Masonry Veneer

Wall Layer

Building Layout

Area Calculation

Door Layer

Window Layer

Stairs & Handrails

Miscellaneous Plan Items

Plumbing Fixtures

Appliances & Equipment

Cabinets
Furniture & Rugs

Floor Framing Plan

Floor Framing Support (This layer shows all lower level plans as .13 mm lines, plus it shows all
wood headers as double .5 mm lines.)

Electrical Plan Text

Power Plan

Lighting Plan

Auxiliary Plan

Texture Layer

Room Name Spots

Layout Lines

Working Layer

Sheets: 2.2 Second Level produces the following drawing sheets:

Electrical Plan

Floor Framing Plan (Floor Framing Plan, Floor Framing Support, and Title Block.)

Floor Plan Area

Floor Plan Dimension

Floor Plan Draw

Floor Plan Final

Floor Plan Layout

Floor Plan Presentation

3.1 Elevations (This is where all exterior elevations are drawn.)

Comments

Title Block

Dimension Layer

Text Layer
Presentation Plan (DD text occurs on this layer.)

Nonprofiled Foreground (Some items need to occur here in order to appear properly profiled.
Handrails are a classic example. If anyone has read this far and is interested, ask me its slightly
complicated, but a very good reason.)

Profile Lines

Drawing Layer (Primary drawing layer.)

Surface Lines (See lineweights discussion above.)

Text Blockouts (Text is much more readable if items on the Texture Layer are obscured below the
text blocks.)

Texture Layer

Layout Lines

Working Layer

Sheets: 3.1 Elevations produces the following drawing sheets:

Dimension (Layers required for dimensioning.)
Draw (Layers required for drawing.)
Note (Layers required for notes.)
Print (CD layers.)
Print Presentation (DD layers.)

3.2 Sections (This is where all building sections are drawn. Layers and sheets are identical to 3.1
Elevations.)

5.1 Interior Elevations (This is where all exterior elevations are drawn.)

Comments

Title Block

Dimension Layer

Text Layer

Profile Lines

Drawing Layer

Surface Lines
Texture Layer

Layout Lines

Working Layer

Sheets: 5.1 Elevations produces the following drawing sheets:

Dimension

Draw

Note

Print

Stretch (Layers needed to stretch templates into lengths of walls being elevated.)

9.1 Wall Sections (This template is also usable for details (if they cant all be shown on the other
sheets) and also for a Dormer Sheet, which shows dormer elevations (front and side) and dormer
sections (transverse and longitudinal) plus details.)

Comments

Title Block

Dimension Layer

Text Layer

Profile Lines

Drawing Layer

Surface Lines

Texture Layer

Layout Lines

Working Layer

Layouts

Our layout divides the D-size drawing sheet (24" x 36") into 24 modules (6 wide by 4 high,) each
5" x 5". Horizontally, the modules are separated by "; vertically, theyre separated by ".
Horizontally, thats 1/8" each side from the centerlines. Vertically, its the same dimensions plus
space for drawing titles. This very rigorous system allows for details and major drawings to
cohabitate peacefully on the same sheet. Major drawings get alphabetical designations (A-whatever.)
Details get numerical designations beginning with 1 in the upper lefthand corner, then left to right
until you get 24 in the lower righthand corner. Drawings ALWAYS are numbered by where their title
occurs, so that you always know precisely where to look for drawing 17 on every sheet. Text
occupies a band beginning 2-" wide beginning 1/8" from the left size of each zone. Dimensions are
1/8", 3/8", and 5/8" from the right side of each zone. This is because its graphically clearer to extend
an arrow from the end of a note (to the right) while its cleaner to put most notes to the right of a
detail for reasons I can explain if anyones interested. Let me know if youd like an image of this
layout scheme.
Filed under Drawing Systems