8. Layout Drawings

In this exercise, you will learn to

• How to create a drawing from the model

• How to modify and add projections to the drawing

• Annotations
• Parts list

Functions in Use

• Drawings > Context-sensitive function: New Drawing
• Archive data
• Refresh (F5)
• Save

Open the model of your main assembly

• Open the model of your main assembly (EXP-MAIN.vxm) from the previous exercise.
• Open the basic browser by pressing B and find the segment Documents.
• The segment Documents divides into two main branches Model and Drawing.
• Search the folder of your project from the branch Model. Then double-click it to open the model.
• You can find more information about the browser here.

If necessary, repeat the exercise how to create the model's drawing

• Basics of Mechanical Design > Modeling parts > Exercise 5. Drawing of model.

How to create a new assembly drawing

Create the model's drawing

• First, select Drawings from the assembly tree, in picture 1).
• Then a context-sensitive function: New Drawing, in picture 2).

At the window New drawing, in picture 3):

• Label: The program proposes a label EXP-MAIN. Rename it if wanted, in picture 4).
• Scale: 1:50, in picture 5).
• Sheet: A0, in picture 6).
• Select the projection: a: front, in picture 7).
• Tangential lines: Draw as shape lines, in picture 8).
• Enable the check-boxes: Also pipe parts and Reference grids, in picture 9).
• OK, in picture 10).

At the window Archive data:

• The drawing inherits the archive data from the model. You can modify the data or leave it as it is.
• OK > The drawing opens and is saved to the archive. Do this.
• Cancel > The drawing opens and it isn't saved to the archive.

Place the projection in the upper left corner of the drawing

Move the projection

• Move the cursor close to the front projection
• Press the left mouse button and keep it pressed. Drag the projection to the upper left corner of the drawing.
• Lift the left mouse button when the projection is at the correct place.

Move the sheet

• Instead of moving projections, you can also move the sheet by dragging it as you did with the projection.
• Once the sheet is in the correct place, refresh the drawing by pressing F5 from your keyboard.

Make a top view

• Activate the Front projection, in picture 1).

• You should now see four arrows around the projection. These represent the viewing directions.
• Please note that the program uses first-angle projection according to the ISO standard as a default.

• The program "throws" the projection to the correct side according to the projection rules, in picture 3).

Third-angle projection

• You can also use third-angle projection according to the ASME standard.

• You can change the preferences: File > User References > Drawings, Models > Tab Usage > Drawing > Enable check-box American Style at Projection Creation. New drawings will use third-angle projection after this preference is activated.
• Other option is to activate it manually whenever you create the drawing from the New drawing window, in picture 4).
• Please note that our default templates only contains the ISO standard symbol in the title block, in picture 5). Changing the projection angle style doesn't affect to this. You can modify the drawing sheet to match your requirements, but we don't go through this in this tutorial.

Symbols of the Reference Grid

• Symbols of the reference grid appear in the drawing automatically when the check-box for Reference grids is activated during the creation of the drawing.
• The appearance of the symbols and lines follows the settings made on the model side.
• The visibility of the symbols and lines is adjusted on the drawing side in two ways:
  • Per Projection
    • Activate the projection by clicking on it with the left mouse button, in picture 1).
    • Projection tab > Edit, in picture 2).
    • Projection settings window opens > Check/Uncheck the checkbox for Reference grids, in picture 3).
    • Close the window with the OK button, in picture 4).
  • Per Drawing
    • Ribbon > Select layers from list, in picture 5).
    • Hide layers 120 Reference Grid Lines and 124 Texts by turning off the light, in picture 6).
    • If your layer list does not show numbers and texts, right-click on the screen and activate the options Numbering and Numeric Order, in picture 7).

Drawing's parts list

• You can find the data of pieces of the pipeline and equipment in the parts list.
• You can delete the parts list if you don't need it:
  • Press the button Alt from your keyboard and keep it pressed > Click the parts list with the mouse left button.
  • You have now selected the parts list > Context-sensitive function: Delete (Del).

Check the archive data of the drawing and refresh the drawing

The drawing inherits the archive data from the model. You can modify the data.

• Tab Archives > Data (when the drawing is active).
• Fill and modify the archive data. More is better.
  • Some of the data fields are visible in the title block.
  • You can use the most of the data fields as searching parameters if you search drawings with the fucntion File > Open > Drawing.
• Exit the archive data window by clicking the OK button. Then refresh the drawing by pressing the F5 button from your keyboard, which updates the title block and refreshes the drawing borders.
• The drawing is now ready.

Save the drawing

• File > Save or click

  

  or from your keyboard

  

  +

  

  .
• Close the drawing.

Save the model

• Save the main assembly also:  File > Save or click

  

  or from your keyboard

  

  +

  

  .

Please note, that you have to save the model at least once after you have created the drawing. This action connects the drawing to the assembly tree.