Smart Client Extension for AutoCAD

Creating New Floor Plan Drawings

When you start a new floor plan drawing, the Extension for AutoCAD prompts you for information about the drawing: the scale for reports, a descriptive name, and the default space hierarchy values (the building and floor that the drawing represents).

Once you create a drawing inside a project, the Archibus Drawing List includes this drawing when prompting you to choose a drawing.

To create a new floor plan drawing using the Archibus command

Tip: Alternately, you can create a new drawing from the Navigator by selecting the Space / Space Inventory / Room Inventory - Set Up and Manage / New Drawing task. This AutoCAD New Drawing command provides choices for how to create a drawing - from scratch, from a template, or using a wizard. The dialog includes descriptions of each method. These methods enable you to set the units, but you can also select the Units command from the Navigator to set the full range of unit settings for the drawing. When you select Units from the Navigator, the Drawing Units dialog includes a Help button to describe the available options.

  1. Start the Archibus Smart Client Extension for AutoCAD and sign in. The drawing will be added to the project that is specified in the sign-in form. (That is, the folder specified with drawingsFolderForSmartClient in afm-projects.xml.)  
  2. From the Ribbon, click Archibus / Drawing / New. The system displays the Drawing Properties dialog box. Enter values for the following: 
    3. Option Description
    File Name Enter a file name.
    Title Enter a descriptive name. The program uses this name in the Drawing List dialog box and on reports
    Building Code This option specifies the building in which the content of this drawing resides. Click on the ellipses button to access a list of defined buildings. If you have not yet defined your buildings, you can choose the Add New button to define one now
    Floor Code

    This option specifies the floor that this drawing represents. Click on the ellipses button to access a list of floors defined for the building selected above. If you have not yet defined your floors, you can click the Add New button to define a floor for the selected building now.

    The Building Code and Floor Code options form the drawing's default space hierarchy values. For information, see Using Default Space Hierarchy Values.
    Units

    Enter whether the drawing's units are Metric or imperial.

    • If the drawing is Imperial, the units are shown as Inches.
    • If the drawing is metric, the units are shown as Meters, Centimeters, or Millimeters. If you choose Metric, select the measurement unit (meters, millimeters, or centimeters) for one drawing unit.

    Tip: Additional setting for Units are available from the Navigator by selecting Space / Space Inventory / Room Inventory - Set Up and Manage / Units. By selecting this task, you access the AutoCAD command to set units and see the full range of options for setting units. A Help button in the Units dialog provides a description of the available options.
    Height and Width Enter the height and width used for reporting for both letter and tabloid sizing.
  3. Click OK when through. The program displays the drawing.

See also

CAD and BIM on SaaS Deployments

Prepare Drawings for Archibus video (8:06)

Start from a Scanned Drawing video (13:54)