AutoCAD: Getting the Tabs on the bottom back

Tutorial: Hand Drafting

Picking Lead

Everyone has different handwriting styles which creates the need for different types of leads as well as the need for depth in architectural plans and renderings. B Leads are darker and as you get to 9B they become more and more charcoal like. When starting to draft, always use an H, generally 4H to 9H. They are lighter in shade, with a harder lead that erases the easiest. Just be careful not to write/draw too hard, it will indent the paper resulting in issues with paper texture and eraser. You can also get a ghosting affect when shading.

Architecture Student: AutoCAD Tip Compilation

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Show Lineweights

Lineweights in CAD

To show lineweights in AutoCAD, just click on the icon at the bottom. This can be problematic while drafting in modelspace, though helpful in paperspace. When you can see line weights and the plot style helps you edit your drawings without going to plot preview. To set up a black and white paperspace with plot styles, see Setting up CAD Paperspace with plot styles and line weights.

Top 10 Things you'll never hear your architecture professor say

Need a laugh? Check out Doug Patt's Top 10 things you'll never hear your architecture professor say.

Photoshop: How to Watercolor Images

To create a picture that looks like a watercolor in Photoshop is fairly simple once you have learned the basics of Photoshop. Just follow these steps to turn your pictures into watercolors.

Architectural Rendering: Adding a Sky in Photoshop

Sky from cgtextures.com

There are many ways to add a sky in Photoshop to your renderings. You can add a solid color, a color with a gradient, a picture, multiple pictures, or all of the above. This post goes through the different ways to add a sky in Photoshop.

Importing a pdf into Photoshop

The linework in a CAD PDF file is stored as vector data rather than raster data used by Photoshop, so when you bring the file into Photoshop, you will be given options on how want to import the PDF and convert the file. The import window also allows you to input a pixel resolution for the new imported file and double check the file size. Follow the steps below.

Tutorial: Learn to Create an Architectural Section Render in Photoshop

Cardiff Bay School Section - David Schnabel

Learning to render in Photoshop starts with Photoshop basics and once you understand them, you can start to learn how to render architectural drawings. It is also important to learn how to use AutoCAD, Revit, Sketchup or other programs that allow you to create architecture drawings to scale. You can also sketch/draft a section and scan into the computer. Once you have a plan, section, perspective or other drawing you can start to render them in Photoshop. In CAD and Revit you can print a pdf to scale, then import it into Photoshop to keep the scale accurate. Double check to make sure it looks to scale when you import it to be sure. I have yet to figure out how to get Sketchup to export to scale. Scale isn't always that important so use your judgement when you start thinking about how you want to do a drawing. The work flow, steps and videos below outlines the the steps to create an architectural section render in Photoshop.

Websites to Supplement your CAD Drawings for Free

When working on a drawing in AutoCAD, it is sometimes difficult to find blocks and drawings to supplement your drawings. The list below are websites that I have found that have free CAD drawings and blocks to help give that extra punch to your drawings. Many also have forums and articles to help you with your CAD-ing.

How See Plot Style and Lineweights in AutoCAD

Drawing View - Showing Plot Style and Lineweights

The best way to check lineweights and double check your drawing is to set up your paperspace to show your plot style on a white background. To set this up will only take you a few minutes.