better looking drawings

[Ride]

I realize this may be too broad of a topic, but thought I'd throw it out there anyway.

A bit of background: I use Vectorworks 2012 with InteriorCAD for millwork shop drawings. Mainly commercial stuff....restaurants, schools, commercial interiors. It all works well enough.

But, I'd like to have better looking viewports when doing smaller jobs, say residential stuff where the client isn't too familiar with architectural plans. I don't have Renderworks, so I'm left with "tricks" to make better looking plans and elevations.

What I'd like to know is what, if any tips/tricks do you use to achieve this?

Some that I use:

- in plan views, I sometimes draw over the 3D generated top/plan to show things with a bit more clarity. Clumsy as it needs to be re-done with every update to the drawings.

- when showing a 3D view, I overlay a hidden line viewport on top of an open GL viewport.

- in the SLVP, I overlay the millwork with a polygon with a woodgrain hatch and beige background, and 'send to back'. Although I already use a grey woodgrain line I sometimes I set the opacity lower to make the grain lines or colour a bit more subtle.

[Dieter @ DWorks]

For 2D plans, you could use the normal plan view and use colors and other fills through classes to make the drawing look good. For 3D views, you will have to use renderworks.

[Guest Wes Gardner]

Yep, lke Dieter says, color...maybe some gradients where appropriate, maybe hatches for floor covering and of course REALLY good line weight always makes a drawing pop

Edited March 10, 2014 by Wes Gardner