Drawing Template: Architectural

Topics Covered in This AutoCAD Tutorial:

Drawing Template Files (.dwt), Creating a File Based on a Template

Exercise Preview

Exercise Overview

In this hands-on exercise, you'll create a professional drawing based on an architectural template while discovering how templates streamline your workflow. By the end, you'll understand how proper template usage can save hours of setup time on every project.

Drawing Template Files (.dwt)

Every successful AutoCAD project begins with the right foundation. When you create new drawing files (.dwg) using the New command (CTRL–N), AutoCAD requires you to select a Drawing Template file (.dwt) as your starting point. Think of templates as your project DNA—they contain all the essential settings that define how your drawing will behave.

Templates store far more than basic settings. They preserve your custom units, scales, layer structures, text styles, dimension styles, attached blocks, and page layouts. Essentially, anything that can be saved in a drawing file can be embedded in a template file . This comprehensive approach means you can create specialized templates for different disciplines—architectural projects with imperial measurements, civil engineering drawings with survey coordinates, or mechanical designs using metric units.

The genius of template files lies in their protective design. Once created, templates cannot be opened directly for editing, which means you'll never accidentally overwrite your carefully crafted template with project-specific content. This safeguard has saved countless professionals from losing weeks of setup work, making templates an essential part of any serious CAD workflow.

Creating a File Based on a Template

Now let's put theory into practice. This step-by-step process will demonstrate how templates transform your drawing environment instantly, setting you up for efficient, standards-compliant work.

1. Launch the New command (File > New or CTRL–N) to open the Select Template dialog box. Notice the visual distinction: .dwt template files display red icons, while .dwg drawing files show yellow and blue icons. This color coding helps prevent the common mistake of using File > Open when you meant File > New, or vice versa.

   By default, AutoCAD navigates to its built-in template library, but you'll often need custom templates stored elsewhere. For this exercise, navigate to your student file folder and select Architectural-Imperial.dwt. Double-click the template or click Open. AutoCAD immediately creates a new .dwg file with a name like Drawing1.dwg, ready for your architectural project.

   

2. Execute the Save As command (CTRL–Shift–S or File > Save As) and confirm the file type shows .dwg, not .dwt. Give your project a meaningful name: End Table.dwg, then click Save. This establishes your working file while keeping the original template untouched.

3. Access the Units command through the command line or Format menu to examine the template's unit configuration. The Drawing Units dialog box reveals the template's pre-configured settings.

   

   Observe how the template has automatically configured units for architectural work: inches as the base unit and Architectural length type. This means you'll enter measurements like 6 feet 5 inches as 6'5, following standard architectural notation. Without this template, you'd need to configure these settings manually for every new project.

4. Expand the Layer Control dropdown in the Layer panel or toolbar to reveal the template's organizational structure. The layer names immediately signal this template's architectural focus—you'll find layers for walls, doors, windows, and furniture rather than the mechanical components you'd see in manufacturing templates.

   

   Each layer's color swatch indicates the display color for objects placed on that layer. This systematic approach to layer organization follows industry standards, ensuring your drawings remain compatible with other professionals' work and meet client expectations.

5. Select the A-Furniture layer to make it current. This action ensures that any new objects you create will automatically inherit this layer's properties, including color, linetype, and lineweight. Since you're drawing an end table, the A-Furniture layer is the logical choice, maintaining proper drawing organization from the start.

6. Study the dimensioned diagram below, which shows the end table you'll create. Notice how the dimensions follow architectural conventions, demonstrating real-world application of the template's settings.

   

7. Activate the Rectangle command to create the table top. Click anywhere to establish your starting point, then input 2'''4,2 for the X and Y dimensions. Notice how the template's unit settings allow you to enter measurements in natural architectural format.

8. Press Enter to restart the Rectangle command for the drawer component. Place your cursor at any starting location and enter 1'''8,6 for the drawer dimensions. The template ensures consistent formatting and accuracy across all elements.

9. Create the table legs by drawing another rectangle with dimensions 3"x1'8 at any convenient location. Use the Copy command to duplicate this leg, creating the second support. This workflow demonstrates how templates support efficient modeling practices.

10. Employ the Move command to assemble your table components. Position the table top, drawer, and legs according to the reference image below, creating a cohesive furniture piece.

    

11. Complete your end table with the Circle tool to add the drawer knob. Use the Geometric Center object snap to precisely center the circle on the drawer rectangle—remember to hover your cursor over the rectangle's edge to reveal its geometric center point. Specify a radius of 1 inch for appropriate scale.

    Professional Tip: Accurate snap placement is crucial for professional-quality drawings. The geometric center snap ensures perfect alignment, as shown below:

    

12. Congratulations—your end table is complete! Save and close the file. You've successfully leveraged a professional template to create a properly organized, standards-compliant drawing in a fraction of the time it would take starting from scratch.