Engineering

Structural Drafting

Structural drafting can be defined as the discipline of making drawings of structural objects, then placing descriptive dimensions and other notes on that drawing that when placed together, will communicate the needed information for the creation, and in some cases the finishing of a structure. In making of these drawings, super accuracy in drafting is • Read More »


Drawing An Architectural Roof Plan

If you’ve ever looked over a set of house plans, you should find several pages containing a floor plan or plans, electrical plan, exterior views or elevations, etc. The roof plan is sometimes overlooked on some plans but it is actually a very important feature to a full set of plans. A roof plan is • Read More »


Using The Fillet Command In AutoCAD

One of the handiest tools in your AutoCAD arsenal is the “fillet” command. Why is it so handy? Well, if you have two lines that you want to join that are at different angles to a junction point, it does this and also lets you to draw an arc between two intersecting lines or adjacent • Read More »


What Does A Draftsman Do?

A draftsman or drafter is someone who is trained in creating technical drawings. Their job is to take the sketches, concepts, and specifications of professional architects, engineers, machinists, or inventors and build the necessary illustrations from which that idea can be implemented or fabricated in a methodical and practical format. The tools of the trade • Read More »


Beginner’s Guide to Understanding a Set of House Plans

Depending on how much detail your builder or local building inspector requires, the minimum set of plans should include the floor plan, exterior elevations, foundation or basement plan, and a roof plan drawn to scale. Just so you’ll know, a scale is nothing more than a shrunken ruler so that 1′ -0″ (12 inches) is • Read More »


As Built Remodeling Drawings

When we need to make alterations or additions to an existing building, the drafter finds that they need an accurate drawing of the structure as it stands. This is called an As-Built drawing. If the original drawings of the building aren’t available, it is then necessary that we measure and recorded it in some quick • Read More »


Finding a Suitable Barn to Convert Into a Home

There is a trend lately to find unique and affordable housing and many have turned to converting a barn into a home. In my area of East Tennessee, there are some fine examples of this including the one I converted. It’s needless to say that there are many barns in various shapes and sizes all • Read More »


Chief Architect Home Designer Suite 9.0 Review

This software is one of the easiest of all the home designer software around. It can be used with just about any project like landscaping, kitchen and bathroom remodeling, deck construction, interior design, remodeling. It also has a cost estimation option to find out how much such projects will cost. Novice and professionals highly recommends • Read More »


The Creation Of An Architectural Rendering

To manually render a drawing is to make a still life of an exterior elevation or view of a building requires either a natural gift for art or a great deal of practice. It’s a subject most usually only taught in a university or higher learning technical school. Some high schools attempt to teach it, • Read More »


Creating House Plans

The field of technical illustration known as architectural draftsmen or drafters are the specialists who draw the architectural and structural features of a building for new construction. These professionals may specialize in various types of building, like residential, structural, or commercial. A major part of these people use a tool called a CAD or Computer • Read More »