Getting Started with the Detail Tools

Note: The following catalog of content covered in this webinar is time stamped to allow you to follow along or skip to sections of the video that are relevant to your questions. You can also search for content on this page using the FIND command in your browser (CTRL + F in Windows, Command + F in Mac OS.)

• Intro/TOC
• Details Preferences – The Office Standards
• Drafting Details
• Annotating Details
• Saving & Organizing Details
• Quickly Retrieving Details & Placing Them in a Project
• Smart Callouts
• Top 3 Reasons for Using Our Details Tools

0:00 – 14:09: Intro/TOC

Quick demonstration of what our Details tools can do, including scaling, callouts, and updates & edits (4:43)

 

What you need in order to follow this webinar (13:15):

• Supported version of AutoCAD or F/X CAD (2013 or newer, as of May 2017)
  • Check the latest Land F/X compatibility if watching in the future.
  • Not LT or Mac version
  • Basic AutoCAD skillset
• Land F/X license
  • Server and Workstation components installed

Note: Architects would tend to use a Design F/X license, landscape architects and designers a Land F/X license, and irrigation designers an Irrigation F/X license – but ALL of these plugins include the Details tools!

14:10 – 17:39: Details Preferences – The Office Standards

If drawing details in the Imperial measurement system, we recommend drawing them in inches. If using Metric, we recommend millimeters. Although feet and meters will work, inches and millimeters are the general standards for details.

 

Opening the Details Preferences (15:16)

If you only plan to use our software for drafting details, you may not ever need to change the preferences.

 

Setting the size of your detail template module (16:00)

 

The Detail Library location (this location is a folder where your details will be saved) (16:55)

 

Advanced detail options (17:08):

• Copy details to project folder
• Add details referenced in callouts
• Set numeric division for all details

If you’re just starting out with our details tools, we recommend keeping the default Preferences for now. Once you start getting to know the details tools on a deeper level, you’ll start knowing more about how you’d like to customize your details settings.

17:40 – 32:29: Drafting Details

Loading a Layer State (18:00)

A Layer State is a saved set of layer properties that assigns different layers to different purposes, giving each layer a color, linetype, lineweight, etc. You can create your own Layer States using our Save Layer State tool, or use our default Layer States. Our Load Layer State tool applies an existing Layer State to the current drawing.

 

Adding graphics to a detail using our Details Graphics tools (19:05)

Our software comes with an entire library of blocks you can use in building your details. You can also use our Save Detail Block tool to save your own custom blocks into our system.

 

Placing detail blocks into a drawing (20:40)

 

Adding linework to a drawing that will become a saved detail (21:10)

 

Placing a Detail Template around a detail (23:20)

Although you can definitely place blocks and linework first and then place your detail template around them, you’ll need to place the template before adding items such as hatches and text, whose appearance will depend on the scale of the detail. Because you assign detail templates with a scale before placing them, they automatically govern the scaling of hatches, text, and other scaled items.

 

Breakdown of detail modules and how they affect the size of your templates (24:00)

 

Setting a scale for your Detail Template (24:25)

 

Double-checking the units and the active Preference Set (24:45)

 

Placing the template (25:00)

 

Using keyboard commands to change the size of the template before placing it (25:25)

 

To see the keyboard commands for resizing a Detail Template, press the K key while placing the template. (25:50)

 

The keyboard commands:

• W/S: Taller/shorter format
• Q/E: Smaller/larger scale
• A/D: Narrower/wider format
• Z/C: Less width extension/larger width extension

 

Clicking to place the template (28:35)

 

The following items will autofill on your Detail Template (28:50):

• Detail title
• Detail number
• Detail scale
• Detail file

 

Placing items that require scale (example: hatches) (29:30)

Note: We strongly encourage you to avoid using splines – especially in details. They require a large number of calculations, which often leads to slow performance and can even crash CAD or your computer.

32:30 – 43:14: Annotating Details

Leader with Text/Leader/Detail MText/Detail Text (32:45)

 

Options for detail leader arrows and callout boxes (33:35)

Note: Detail callout leaders are all MLeaders, which makes it easy for you to move them around.(34:10)

 

Adding text and multi-line text (MText) (34:25)

 

Adding detail dimensions (35:15)

 

Adding text to dimensions (36:05)

 

Specialized detail callouts (37:00):

• Bubble callouts
• Keynote callouts

 

Overview of Bubble Callouts (37:14)

Bubble Callouts allow you to create a schedule of called-out items in your detail. They’re a simpler option than Keynote Callouts.

 

Placing a Bubble Callout schedule (37:55)

 

Important note: Every part of your detail needs to be completely within the Detail Template boundary. Any items that cross the boundary will not be saved with the detail.

 

Adding enlarged sections to details using our Detail Enlargement tools (39:00)

An enlarged section will automatically scale hatches and other scaled items up to the scale you set for it. However, note that dimensions within the enlarged section will remain consistent with the existing dimensions from that same portion of your detail.

43:15 – 47:19: Saving & Organizing Details

Saving a detail with the Save Detail tool (43:15)

 

Note: Our default detail categories are based on Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) divisions. We highly recommend using these divisions for organizing your details, as they’re the industry standard. (43:30)

 

The DETAILS and STANDARD DETAILS divisions (44:10)

If you anticipate using a saved detail in multiple projects, we recommend saving it within the STANDARD DETAILS division. If you only anticipate using it in one project, we recommend saving it into a project-specific folder in the DETAILS division. Specifically, if it can be used in multiple projects without alteration, save it into your Standard Details. If not, save it into the DETAILS division.

 

When you save a detail, a number will be assigned to it automatically. (46:00)

 

The Save Detail dialog box pops up when you save a detail. You can fill in the Detail Title and other fields, which will autopopulate in the corresponding fields in the detail itself. You can also add a description for the detail that provides more information than the title provides. (46:05)

Note that you can select an option to add a detail to a specific project automatically when saving that detail.

47:20 – 51:19: Quickly Retrieving Details & Placing Them in a Project

Opening the Detail Manager, which is a central hub for your details you will use in a project (47:25)

Note: When placing details on a detail sheet in a drawing, don’t forget to assign a Land F/X project to the drawing that includes that sheet.

 

You can search for details in the Detail Manager, as well as sort them by number or sheet. You can also view a preview of a detail.

 

Adding a detail to a project (48:28)

 

Importing details into a project from another project or template (49:00)

 

Placing details and creating a new detail sheet (49:28)

 

Placing details by double-clicking them in the Detail Manager (50:20)

 

Moving a detail to a different location on the sheet after placing it (50:50)

51:20 – 55:59: Smart Callouts

Placing a detail callout (51:25)

 

Placing a Sheet Index legend (schedule) listing all detail sheets in your project (52:40)

 

Moving the sheets around in the Sheet Index (within the Project Manager) and regenerating the Sheet Index legend to reflect the changes (53:25)

 

Creating a Detail Report (legend of all details used in a project) (53:48)

 

Linking details to Reference Notes and adding them to templates (54:44)

 

56:00 – end: Top 3 Reasons for Using Our Details Tools

1. The detail tools in Land F/X help you organize and find all the details in your detail library. You can organize it exactly how you want.

 

2. Automatic scaling (text, hatches, and the details themselves). No calculator needed.

 

3. They make it easy to ennforce your office standards.