CAD version of house plans

[the_r_sole]

2 minutes ago, Ferdinand said:

Also, bear in mind that there are different views on here.

As someone who handles rentals I tend to view drawings and ip as part of the building project / documentation.

 

Mr R has a different view.

 

drawings are what we get paid for, not the tools we use to produce the outcome, we can control (and limit) our liability on  formally issued drawings - issuing our base information specifically to be altered by a third party is a completely different thing so you wouldn't get our layering system, cad blocks, sheets etc on a cad file

[the_r_sole]

4 minutes ago, IanR said:

It does high light the need to get it agreed before you engage your chosen technician/SE/frame designer/architect. For me, native CAD files (or a neutral file format as a minimum) have to be included for collaboration and as the final deliverable.

 

 that's very different to handing over the files to be altered by a replacement designer...

 

you should find that dwg/cad issues for coordination are done by everyone involved in the project, but you should also see that no one is amending anyone elses information, only commenting on areas where there are conflicts, for example - I could just move some structure on the engineers dwg to "correct" it, but that would have unintended consequences on the structural design - but coordination is not the purpose for the release of the CAD in this instance

 

Edited June 8, 2021 by the_r_sole

[IanR]

1 minute ago, the_r_sole said:

 that's very different to handing over the files to be altered by a replacement designer

 

Not really, once the contract is complete and technician/SE/frame designer/architect has been paid for their service, I would expect to be free to do as I see fit with the CAD files generated by the prior engagement. The contract would of course have to be structured for this. Easy to do when the client is the hub and is engaging directly with each of the collaborative elements of the process, but more difficult if the client is contracting a turn key solution from one of those individuals, who is then engaging the other elements to deliver that solution.

[Carrerahill]

2 hours ago, Dudda said:

Yes it will import it... but as a PDF. If you wanted to move a wall or door you can't unless you go messing with wipeouts or a white hatch which is a disaster and very messy. That's why you want the PDF in DWG format.

Not so - maybe you are getting confused with a PDF XREF.

 

You must have an older or lighter version of ACAD. I import PDF's probably 2-5 times a week - full import to give me a fully functional CAD drawing that I can edit and tweak to my hearts content. Layers usually even come in too, although not always spot on but good enough to work on.

 

 

[Carrerahill]

1 hour ago, the_r_sole said:

if we release cad drawings for a job where they are giving it to another architect/technician we will remove all of our ip from the drawing - the new designer should want to work from their own base drawings too in case there are any errors built into to third party drawings. 

I've said this before on here, but you wouldn't have asked an architect for his pens, drawing board, head and arms before, you'd just take the output from those things. Pdfs are the same as paper drawings and the deliverables from the process

Agreed - we, as a practise were asked for DWG drawings this morning, there was a wave of laughter across the office. It depends where the job if of course, complete and fee's paid, maybe. But lets face it, that is like a joiner giving away potentially 25-100% finished window surrounds or cabinets he has made in his workshop without a payment agreement. 

[the_r_sole]

51 minutes ago, IanR said:

 

Not really, once the contract is complete and technician/SE/frame designer/architect has been paid for their service, I would expect to be free to do as I see fit with the CAD files generated by the prior engagement. The contract would of course have to be structured for this. Easy to do when the client is the hub and is engaging directly with each of the collaborative elements of the process, but more difficult if the client is contracting a turn key solution from one of those individuals, who is then engaging the other elements to deliver that solution.

 

The last bit of your post is very strange to me - you don't appoint a design team and then not get them to coordinate their packages, what every client I've ever had wants, is a set of fully coordinated information which they can hand over to a builder (or build from). I've never had someone ask me for the early design drawings and then dissppear off to get an engineer to design the structure, then hand it over to someone else, then to someone else, imagine the errors built into that information if no one is going back coordinating between the different bits. And if you as the client are doing that work, why would you need any of the other professionals because you'd need to have the knowledge of each of them to be able to change the drawings after they've "been paid for their service"

If you engage a professional design team, don't remove all their design liability by changing their information

Edited June 8, 2021 by the_r_sole

[the_r_sole]

13 minutes ago, Carrerahill said:

Not so - maybe you are getting confused with a PDF XREF.

 

You must have an older or lighter version of ACAD. I import PDF's probably 2-5 times a week - full import to give me a fully functional CAD drawing that I can edit and tweak to my hearts content. Layers usually even come in too, although not always spot on but good enough to work on.

 

 

 

LT does it out of the box too

[IanR]

22 minutes ago, the_r_sole said:

you don't appoint a design team and then not get them to coordinate their packages, ...

...I've never had someone ask me for the early design drawings and then dissppear off to get an engineer to design the structure, then hand it over to someone else, then to someone else....

...If you engage a professional design team, don't remove all their design liability by changing their information

 

I think you are reading a whole lot in to my post that I didn't actually say.

[the_r_sole]

10 minutes ago, IanR said:

 

I think you are reading a whole lot in to my post that I didn't actually say.

 

Well, your reasoning for wanting the base CAD files over the consultants PDF's doesn't stack up at all if you don't want to change it...

[ToughButterCup]

I think,  however we get there,  the answer to the question asked by the OP is;

 

... yes, but do so with great caution...

 

for all the reasons given. 

[Alan Ambrose]

I find it funny that there a great deal of heat here re CAD files. I do a lot of 3D engineering CAD and really, either way it’s not such a big deal:

 

+ it’s not _such_ a big deal to re-create some CAD files from some images or ‘paper’ drawings. Yeah it’s a bit dull and take a few hours but done carefully and checked, sometimes it adds a bit of increased quality to redo the CAD - as it might any job where you do it a second time. I’m assuming here we’re not talking about dozens or hundreds of drawings. 

 

+ re Architects & liability for files changed by someone else. Goodness gracious me, what a fuss. The architect should just specify that their logos and ID should be removed if changes are made (if that’s what they really want) and that they obviously don’t have any liability for someone else’s work (it’s not really necessary to point that out though). Otherwise welcome to the digital world, embrace it. Supposing my job is to write reports - would it be OK to insist someone always re-types my text again? Maybe I would just insist that they give me credit in any new docs where they quote my work.

 

+ I regularly import photos, shots from Google earth, and images acquired from all over the place into CAD. I scale correctly and read off any approx. dimensions I need. Be aware that this in an approximate process for a few reasons, but if the need is to get an approx. result only, that just works fine and is very quick. What level of accuracy are you working to? I suggest 10cm for groundwork’s and 1cm for building is as accurate as you can reasonably expect. It other fields I regularly work in nanovolts, parts per million and microns. Get a grip :).

 

Alan

[SteamyTea]

On 08/06/2021 at 12:02, the_r_sole said:

 

I've said this before on here, but you wouldn't have asked an architect for his pens, drawing board, head and arms before, you'd just take the output from those things

Except we are only asking for the pencil lead and the paper.

 

Do architects pay the brick makers, lumber yards and window manufactured royalties when they copy their designs in.

No they don't, as that would be silly.

Edited July 24, 2022 by SteamyTea