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
• Annotate reference grid
• 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-3 if your isometric drawings are in the assembly tree. Rename it to EXP-MAIN, in picture 4).
• Scale: 1:50, in picture 5).
• Sheet: A1, in picture 6).
• Select the projection: a: front, in picture 7).
• Enable the check-boxes: Also pipe parts and Auxiliary geometry, in picture 8).
• Tangential lines: Draw as shape lines, 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.

Annotate reference grid symbols

• Tab Drawings > Function Annotate reference grid, in picture 1).
• Define Annotate text height to 5 from the drop-down menu, in picture 2) > OK, in picture 3).
• The program adds the symbols of the gridlines to each projection, in picture 4).

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.

This transfer package will create a project EXP and insert models, drawing, and other files into the archive. This package contains all data from the exercises 1-8.

We don't recommend using this package if you already conducted the exercise by using the same labels for the project and models as guided.