Improve Your CAD Drawings | START TO FINISH tutorial (+ template)

Improve the quality, clarity and graphics of your CAD drawings with this step-by-step tutorial. As I take the plan sketches for the Gallery House project and draft them in AutoCAD, I'll share with you all my tips, tricks and best practices for turning flat, dull and lifeless CAD drawings into presentation quality, professional documents.
A strong graphical style not only sells your idea to your client, but it helps the tradespeople better understand - and construct - exactly what you’ve designed.
I’ll discuss:
1) When CAD enters my workflow (and why)
2) Why you need to be using a drawing template
3) Tools + software
4) Tips for achieving clear line weights + styles
5) How to use contrast to your advantage
6) Why you should be printing your drawings regularly

My sincere thanks for supporting my work and the channel...I sincerely appreciate it!

// GEAR I USE //

AutoCAD TEMPLATE:

DRONE:

DSLR CAMERA:

LENSES:

AUDIO:

MUSIC I USE:

ARCHITECTURE GEAR:

STARTUP TOOLKIT:

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Please watch: "Making a Site Model - The Outpost Project"
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[BaronDeRothschild]

I just don't understand how a person could down vote a video that has this level of production quality while giving value without asking for anything in return. Some people are so ungrateful.

[isabellapowell]

I'm a 3rd year arch student and your videos are so helpful. Professors often have a 'figure it out yourself' attitude so I always end up on your videos. Thanks for the content!

[GordonCurrie]

Great video, not only are you a great architect, but your presentation skills are excellent! I really enjoy your videos.

[Mrmuffinlol]

I honestly feel blessed that someone so talented like you shares for free your knowledge with us, THANK YOU!

[moptopsbayu]

Another AMAZING video, as an architect student, I can't thank you enough how you help me to know more about architecture, keep up the good work eric!

[robthewaywardwoodworker]

I really appreciate you giving us such a deep dive into your work. I have been using CAD pretty much since college, and have always battled with wanting that aesthetic and using CAD. I even taught AutoCAD my first year out of college as it was so new and I had more experience with it than the instructors (weird right?). I went into school with a mechanical pencil in hand and came out with a mouse in it. So again, thank you for your take on keeping the art in architectural drawings. It keeps us from looking like engineers! LOL Seriously though.

[Tropical_Luv]

30X40 Design Workshop continues to be the best architectural practice/ experience channel on YouTube. I wish to express most profound appreciation! Please keep up the awesome work and thanks again!

[SuperBuenoUltimate]

It’s very generous of you to share your template to the public! That will be definitely be handy for young/starting designers and even students!

[SyedQaiserMumtaz]

Can you do a separate video on annotating CAD drawings? Creating legends, incorporating the structural grid and dimensions in your drawing layout? This is the one of the steps I mess up on a lot. Appreciate the work you're doing! Cheers!

[loop]

This dude is everything an office would accept! His presentation, the way of making his work, and his voice is satisfying!

[noboatiman]

seriously...this channel should be in Netflix....I showed to my classmates...they real appreciate the clarity of the process and explanations....

[aidanhan]

I am a long time fan of your channel and am taking your lessons more seriously recently since I am looking forward to real professional growth as an interior designer. My current firm doesn't have a good drawing standard since there is no licensed architect in the small office.... and I've been struggling to improve my company standard without a professional CAD drawing foundation since I got hired as a fresh graduate. I really appreciate you sharing the invaluable information that you've built up over years/decades. I know this is not easy to do.

[alokbhat]

When I first subscribed this channel there were very few thousands subscriber and I was wondering this channel deserves much much more subscribers and today I see it.
Your videos are the best sir. I don't miss one. Thank you for sharing your knowledge

[krishnakalavacharla]

I have no intention to become an architect. I have an intention to build a master piece of a house and thats how I stumbled on your channel and oh lord you are amazing! I hope to work with you sometime on future projects!

[ktnwood]

I just started drafting work at a road and transport firm. Though it may be different drafting work to yours, I actually learned a lot from this video. A lot of things you say makes bloddy sense. Thank you, will look for more of your videos.

[mykael]

I am taking my intro to cad courses now for my architecture degree and this video is leaps and bounds above the videos we get from our instructors.

[HaleemaMalikCC]

Been teaching Autocad for over 5 years now, and no one has described a drawing template the way you have! Beautiful CAD work! Keep doing it

[barrystott-brookes]

Eric, HNY to you. Just downloaded your Template and I haven't even watched the video!!! this is how much faith I have in what you provide. This is the only way I can send my gratitude and support to help you continue providing quality content for current and future architects.Keep it going for 2018.

[sashan]

I've been watching you since my third year of university, I enjoy them thank you for sharing your knowledge with us!

[randomCADstuff]

Your template is extremely well put together. You're so organized I think you've never had any need to use the more modern features in AutoCAD (like blocks, annotative text, etc...). These would save some time. Maybe not as much on your unique one-off type projects compared to an office doing more repetitious work. For me, I tend to do more "production" drafting (multi-residential, etc... ). I've really dug deep to maximize productivity.
I wish I could convince more people that great drawings can save the owner a decent amount of $$$ by the time the project is built, even if they take slightly more time on the front end.