#design workflow

Find your preferred workflow.

While it’s important to have a basic understanding of a wide variety of programs, it’s arguably even more important - especially in school - to figure out a workflow that is most efficient for you. Everyone prefers different programs, and finding the ones that work best for you can help you to create better work in less time.

For me, this usually looks like starting in Sketchup, and then moving to different programs depending on the drawing. For 2D and 3D linework drawings (plans, sections, elevations, axons, etc.), I take the linework into AutoCAD, clean it up, then take it into Adobe (Illustrator to keep the linework vector/editable, then linked in Photoshop to add color/effects). For renderings, I livesync with Lumion, churn out the main image, and then add people in Photoshop. Overall, I use about five of the ten or so programs I listed in AT#61.

Other people I know prefer to do all their modeling and linework in Revit, then do some quick edits in Photoshop. Some use VRay for renders. Some don’t even know how to do much of anything with Illustrator. We all may have different workflows, and that will most likely be reflected in our drawing styles, but it doesn’t necessarily make one flow or another bad or good. Just different. 

Find what works, and stick with it.

Once data is downloaded from GIS/Digimaps, and loaded into CAD (e.g. Rhino), you can draw a rectangle representing your printed page frame

e.g. if you create a frame at 841x594 metres (in your CAD model) in size your drawing when printed will be 1:1000.

If the frame is double that size, the printed drawing will be 1:2000

It helps if the rectangle layer in the drawing is labelled with the scale

You can also duplicate the frame and scale - so if it's at 1:1000 and you scale by 0.5 that will give you the part contained within 1:500.

Trim the drawing.

To reduce the drawing size, use the TRIM command - select the largest scale rectangle and then select all elements _outside_ the rectangle and trim. This can be labourious, but will reduce the file size.

Aside - Blocks

Blocks help you reduce your filesize by creating reusable objects.

Trimming:

You only need to trim those lines that intersect your frame. Once that is done you can goup select lines outside the fraome and delete them.

For importing into Illustrator:

Select all

Export

Save as DWG - this gives more reliable outcomes than .ai files from Rhino.

When importing choose 'scale fit to artboard' this will show you if you have any outlying data or untrimmed lines as it should fit 1:1 (given you've set your frame at a fixed scale and size).

IMPORTANT:

Choose the correct Document Colour Mode for your document. If printing it must be CMYK (to get true black). For export for screens RGB.

Flatten the line weight - select all and set it to the lightest line weight and work up from there.

Adding new layers.

The premise for vibe coding is simple: using AI to generate functional code based on a description of the desired outcome. The vibe, the look, the specific UX.

For us designers, this is the essential pivot:

Focus on the Final Pixel: We spend less time troubleshooting frameworks and more time ensuring the generated code perfectly captures the subtle shade of a gradient.

Rapid Prototyping: Have an idea for a niche moodboard generator, a custom color palette tool, or a strange experimental layout? Vibe Code it into a live test environment in minutes.

Concept is King: Our job has always been to articulate a complex concept clearly. Now, that same conceptual language becomes the input for the entire application.

The code now answers to the design.

A Question for Creatives:

Designers harness the power of AI to enhance efficiency, from automating repetitive tasks to receiving data-driven suggestions that elevate their creations. This union goes beyond mere automation; it's about infusing intelligence into the fabric of design, enabling a harmonious blend of human ingenuity and artificial intelligence. 

Discover the transformative impact of CAD Automation in simplifying intricate design tasks and enhancing the overall quality of your final product.