Aligning and Rotating Elevations for Floor Plan Layouts with Accurate Spacing in CAD Designs

Organizing Elevations with Precision: Rotating Views and Setting Consistent Spacing in CAD

Explore step-by-step instructions to correctly orient and align architectural plans and elevations using rotation and movement commands. This article also discusses the method for creating copies of designs and ensuring precise placement of each element.

Key Insights

  • The article outlines the process for selecting and moving architectural designs, specifically an island elevation, to the left by 20 feet, demonstrating the usage of the 'M' command for movement.
  • In addition, it describes the method for copying all three elevations and both plans with the 'CO' command, allowing for a backup copy to be stored and accessed if needed.
  • The article further explains how to align and orient architectural designs by using the rotate ('RO') command and the line ('L-I-N-E') command, ensuring proper spacing between each architectural element.

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Now let's rotate our elevation so that the ground plane is down and the ceiling is up. First off, I want to select our island elevation, and we'll select M for move. And with ortho turned on, let's move it to the left 20 feet.

It just brings everything close together. Now I want to make a copy of all of this. I'll select the whole thing, all three elevations, both plans, and the island elevation.

And I want to do a CO, CO to copy. And I'm going to click once, move my cursor to the right, and type in 100 feet, nice round number, and click enter and escape. That way we have this in our back pocket if we need to come back to it.

Okay, from here, we will select our plan and delete it. And we will select our island plan and delete that as well. We don't need those.

And now let's do some rotating. So grab our doorwall elevation first, RO to rotate. I'm going to click this bottom corner near the door, click one time.

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And with ortho mode turned on, if I drag my cursor straight down, it will rotate to the correct position, and then click. Okay, and now this hearth wall elevation is okay already. This range wall elevation needs to be rotated.

We'll select the whole thing, RO to rotate. And I'll click this top corner, top left corner, click, move my cursor straight up, and click again. Now everything is oriented correctly, but it's kind of all over the place.

I want to get them lined up and have some good spacing. We will start with this door elevation. We'll notice here in our PDF it says four foot spacing.

We'll type the line command, L-I-N-E. And again with ortho turned on, I'm going to click the bottom right corner of the elevation, move my cursor to the right, and type in four feet, enter, and escape. There's my spacing line.

Now I want my hearth wall. I'll select that and type in M for move, click the bottom left corner, and click on the right tip of my spacing line. Click, and there it is.

Now I see in the other line, L-I-N-E, and to the left side of this door, I will click one time, drag my cursor straight down, type in seven feet, enter. And now I will grab my range wall elevation, M for move, top left corner, click, click on that spacing line, click. And last but not least, I have my elevation, which also has four foot spacing.

I'll type in my line command, click on the bottom right corner of this elevation, move my cursor to the right, type four feet, enter, escape, and now grab this elevation, M for move, and pop it right into place. Once they're all into place, I can delete my spacing lines. They were just there to help us move everything into place.

And that is looking really good. Now we're ready to add more details.

photo of Reid Johnson

Reid Johnson

Reid isn't just someone who knows CAD and BIM; he's a licensed architect and contractor who deeply integrates these technologies into every facet of his career. His hands-on experience as a practitioner building real-world projects provides him with an invaluable understanding of how BIM and CAD streamline workflows and enhance design. This practical foundation led him to Autodesk, where he shared his expertise, helping others effectively leverage these powerful tools. Throughout his professional journey, Reid also dedicates himself to education, consistently teaching university courses and shaping the next generation of design professionals by equipping them with essential CAD skills. His unique blend of practical experience, industry knowledge gained at Autodesk, and passion for teaching positions Reid as a true specialist in BIM and CAD technology, capable of bridging the gap between theory and real-world application.

  • Autodesk Fusion Certified User
  • Autodesk Revit Certified Professional
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  • Licensed Architect
  • Licensed General Contractor
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