AutoCAD© Elemental (2D) Drawing Standards Model

Autodesk has a well-defined base model for establishing a drafting standard for its 2D
AutoCAD© application (as well as its verticals). The DWS file structure, in conjunction with
templates (DWT), enables any CAD Manager to develop, audit, and maintain accountability
and compliance with a drafting standard regardless if a corporate policy exists or if a
departmental best-management practices guideline is defined.
By defining the DWS parameters, you are well on your way to developing a comprehensive
2D-based file structure standard. The structure and design of a DWS file is based upon the
four major components of drawing standardization commonly used within the AutoCAD
environment (e.g., Layers, Linetypes, Text Style, and Dimension Styles). These components
make up the foundation of all templates, blocks, and other customized entities created for use
within the application. The following diagram depicts an elemental standardization model and
forms the cornerstone for a drafting standard that can be adopted as the corporate needs
expand.
AutoCAD© Foundational Protocols
1 Dimension
Layers Linetypes Text Styles
Styles

Paper Space
Management
Master Template
2
([Link]) 4
Plot Parameters
Regulatory
LEGEND:
Standards
Templates & Blocks = Autodesk© defined file structure

Industry Standards = User defined parameters

3 5 = User developed entities

Drafting BMP’s = Institutionalized CAD Standard
Custom User Corporate Drafting
(Best Management
Interface Protocols
Practices) = Corporate/Industry parameters

= Corporate document management protocols

Corporate Policies,
File Management & Procedures, & = Corresponding standards development
6
Auditing Protocols Relative Standards (as needed, dependant upon company initiatives)

Autodesk Vertical
Integration
2D CAD Standard Application
Standard
Standards
7

Sustainability 3D Design Modeling

Program Standard

The following sections will highlight the components that comprise a basic drafting standard
and define how the pieces can fit together to form the overall structure of a fundamental
standards model. A working knowledge of these components is presumed. For additional
instruction for one or more of these components please consult the Autodesk website and/or
the application’s Help feature.

Note: For the purpose of this document the use of the terms CAD standard, Drafting Standard,
and Drawing Standard are interchangeable with each being used to help clarify the subject of
discussion.

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 AutoCAD© Elemental (2D) Drawing Standards Model

1 Autodesk Defined File Structure

At the core of every AutoCAD
AutoCAD© Foundational Protocols drawing are four primary
1 Dimension components that must have,
Layers Linetypes Text Styles
Styles as a minimum, one of each
identified. The degree of
complexity is of course user definable, however a conservative approach should always be
considered when developing these components. This will be self-evident when attempting
to audit a drawing file created by these foundational elements.

1.1 Layers
The minimum amount of layers is dependent upon the AutoCAD (and/or vertical)
application being used; the corporate mandates needed for data segregation; and for entity
creation, display, and editing purposes.

Each layer (and its status) represents one the more diverse property values used within
most CAD applications and thus are oftentimes widely abused and misinterpreted. Any
layering scheme (regardless of its complexity) should be well defined and illustrated to
avoid misuse whenever possible.

1.2 Linetypes
Linetypes are defined within the [Link] (or other company specific *.LIN) file and must
be loaded into each drawing prior to its use. Default linetypes that are consistent across all
disciplines of drawings should be preloaded in the templates or other user defined entities
when created.

All linetypes (including those defined by the base CAD application) should be represented
in a data dictionary and properly illustrated to avoid misuse. This becomes paramount when
extended ASCII codes or non-standard text fonts are used to display symbols within the
linetype.

1.3 Text Styles

Text styles may be easier to standardize and maintain as each defined style is dependent
upon an installed text font. However, care must be taken when establishing standard text
styles as specific fonts can become non-supportive or obsolete over time and eliminating a
predefined text style/font can become a challenging task especially if it is embedded within
blocks or templates used throughout the organizational structure.

1.4 Dimension Styles

Dimension styles are as diverse as Layers and usually vary across drawing disciplines and
the intended use of all or part of a drawing. Each dimension style is controlled by numerous
system variables and settings within the Dimension Style Manager, thus each dimension
style used should be well defined and illustrated to ensure proper use. This is fundamental
to any corporate standard given that at any time during drawing creation or editing a
dimension style may be overridden.

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 AutoCAD© Elemental (2D) Drawing Standards Model

2 User Defined Parameters

Beginning with board drafting, the drafter was forced to scale or fit
Paper Space specific details within a given physical space, oftentimes this was a
Management
pre-printed sheet unique to each company. While the use of Model
2 Space affords the CAD user the ability to work in an unlimited
Plot Parameters
amount of space, at some point the work may need to be printed.
Thus, the parameters established in the Page Setup Manager allows
for multiple sheets sizes to be used within Paper Space layouts. This
method of Paper Space management is critical to established drafting standards and
protocols.

In association with each paper space layout are specific printer/plotter requirements that
are managed within a plotter parameter (.PMP) file utilizing the Calibrate Plotter wizard and
a plotter configuration (e.g., .PC2 and .PC3) file. Depending upon the plotter settings and
corporate standards there may also exist a Plot Style Table (.STB) file and/or a Color-
Dependent Plot Style Table (.CTB) file. Such files should be well documented and copies of
each stored in a secured location if needed for dissemination to others or to restore an
altered or missing file.

If a Drawing Management System is utilized for publishing non-native drawing formats (i.e.,
.PDF, .DWF, etc.) for consumption by others outside of the CAD environment, or if all
managed drawings are configured for a specific type of printer/plotter, then the plot
parameters must be established and documented in case they are altered for use by an
alternate output device.

3 User Developed Entities

After the foundational drawing elements and user
defined parameters (Sections 1 & 2) have been
established they should support the development
of a master template file (e.g., [Link]) that
all other templates (.DWT) and blocks (.DWG) are
based upon.

In conjunction with this should be the creation of

the Drawing Standards (.DWS) file, or files, that all drawings will be
audited against for compliance assurance. When altering any portion of
the DWS structure care must be taken to ensure that all corresponding
templates are updated accordingly to avoid loss of data or problems
arising during a “CheckStandards” (audit) process.

All AutoCAD verticals and many 3rd party applications provide a robust menu, ribbon panel,
and toolbar set. However, none of these will be inclusive to every industry and corporation,
thus the need to create additional interfaces may exist. The Custom User Interface (CUI)
may expand beyond to need of simple commandline syntax and block insertions to include
custom programming code (i.e., VB, LISP, VLISP, DIESEL, etc.); and/or external files
defined within the Program Parameters File (PGP).

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 AutoCAD© Elemental (2D) Drawing Standards Model

4 Corporate/Industry parameters
Regardless of the industry, there are most likely Federal, State and/or
Local government regulations that impact specific document retention
and recordkeeping protocols, some of which may be directly or
indirectly related to the drawing files created or edited within an
organization. As such, a company’s legal counsel should be engaged
to ensure compliance with all respective regulatory requirements.

Oftentimes an industry group will exist to develop comprehensive

processes to promote a consistent and standardized approach to
general work practices. If pertinent, these standards should be
adopted and applied to the company’s CAD standards.

The CAD standard should be specific about the procedures,

protocols, and drafting practices that must be adhered to on a
continual basis. However, there may exist a suitable alternative to achieving an end result.
Such alternatives should be defined in a Best Management Practice (BMP) document to
provide a general guideline for preferential methods for drawing creation and editing. The
end result should be to provide guidance when undefined conditions arise or when an
alternate end-user preference is acceptable.

5 Institutionalized CAD Standard (Corp. Drafting Protocols)

(DWS)
(Paper Space Mgmt.)
(CUI)
+ (Corp./Ind. Stds.)
Corporate Drafting Protocols
The results of the previous sections make up various aspects of a drafting standard
however; at this point they are still fragmented. For a small organization this may
suffice as communication and work processes may not be
hampered by the restrictions of larger corporate settings.

Regardless of the corporate structure, the tools, processes and

procedures developed thus far must be vetting by all end-users to ensure that these
foundational elements are working in concert with each other as well as the expectations of
all concerned parties.

6 Corporate document management protocols

Whether an enterprise document/drawing management system
is deployed companywide, or a basic file structured is defined
using minimal resources locally, file maintenance procedures
must still be documented and communicated as the official
protocol for all CAD related files. A fundamental file management system should transcend
mere file maintenance (i.e., drawing dissemination, printing, etc.) and provide guidance for
file naming and specific tasks required to create, edit, and house drawings along each
phase of development.

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 AutoCAD© Elemental (2D) Drawing Standards Model
In conjunction with file maintenance and management a formal auditing process must be
developed and documented to ensure that drafting standards are adhered too and
accountability is placed at the correct level of drawing development and editing.

7 Institutionalized CAD Standard (2D CAD Standards)

The results of the previous sections culminate in a comprehensive
drafting standard however, it must be compiled into one document
that can be easily navigated and used for training and reference.
Upon completing these steps and incorporating them into a
document/drawing management system (if used) a 2D CAD Standard has emerged. This
standard must have the approval and support of the company’s leadership team and
such acceptance should be well communicated to all end-users of the document to avoid
misuse and the misappropriation of drawing files and their supporting documentation.

8 Corresponding Standards Development

Developing a CAD standard does not end once the document has been printed and placed
on a shelf. The document must be reviewed on an annual basis or whenever the software
is updated or amended; or company policies and procedures alter any function of the
content.

The following sections identify other areas of concern that may affect the functionality and
intent of the 2D CAD Standard and should be considered if appropriate.

8.1 Integration Standard

Other systems may exist that are dependent upon the information housed in a CAD
drawing and/or the drawing management system used to maintain it. These may include
G.I.S., EAM, CMMS, Procurement, Financial, etc. and all applications should be researched
to determine how data can be shared without duplicating a dataset or restricting the use of
the native system.

8.2 Autodesk Vertical Application Standards

If additional vertical applications are utilized (i.e., Mechanical, Electrical, etc.) then
modifications to the drafting standard can be expected. These changes may be amended to
the existing standard or a separate document may be created specific to the vertical
application used.

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 AutoCAD© Elemental (2D) Drawing Standards Model

8.3 3D Design Modeling Standard

3D applications will add another level of complexity to the 2D CAD Standard beyond that of
the verticals mentioned above. In some cases, the processes used in a 3D application can
nullify or render some portions of the 2D standard obsolete. If this is the case then care
must be taken to properly document these variances from both the 2D and 3D
perspectives.

8.4 Sustainability Program

As mentioned earlier, a scheduled review of all items mentioned herein must be prepared
and offered to all end-users of the document. Moreover, anyone affecting the integrity of a
drawing must be trained on the use and intent of this subject matter and understand the
ramifications of failing to comply with this standard.

9 Conclusion
In this model the basic constructs of the AutoCAD product, along with regulatory and
corporate procedures, define the corporate drafting protocols that must be adhered to when
creating or editing a company sponsored drawing.
All drawings and supporting file structures should be maintained within a formal document
management system. This system should compliment the drafting standard for file naming
and data distribution to all concerned parties.
Additional standards and data integration schemes may be deployed to compliment and
support the drafting protocols in use. The length at which an organization may go to deploy
3D modeling, BIM, GIS, or additional Autodesk vertical applications varies greatly and must
be evaluated as the corporate business model and internal needs dictate. Thus, such
standards are depicted outside of the scope of the foundational CAD Standard model
depicted here.

For additional information regarding any aspect of this subject please contact:
George Crowe
gcrowe@[Link]
678.762.2464 (day)
george@[Link]
404.401.5325 (eve)
678.223.3459 (answering service)

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 AutoCAD© Elemental (2D) Drawing Standards Model
The following bank model is supplied as a template to begin the process of mapping a CAD
standards model for a given organization.
User defined
parameters

Corporate/Industry parameters
User developed
entities

Corresponding

Development
Standards

Notes:

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