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110 | Chapter 10 Organize Drawings and Apply Standards
Overview of CAD Standards
You can create a standards file to define common properties in order to main-
tain consistency throughout your drawing files. Standards define a set of
common properties for named objects such as layers and text styles. You or
your CAD manager can create, apply, and audit standards in AutoCAD
®
drawings to enforce consistency. Because standards make it easier for others
to interpret drawings, standards are particularly useful in collaborative envi-
ronments, where many individuals contribute to the creation of a drawing.
Named Objects for Standards-Checking
You can create standards for the following named objects:
■ Layers
■ Text styles
■ Linetypes
■ Dimension styles
Standards File
After you define standards, you save them as a standards file. You can then
associate the standards file with one or more drawing files. After you associ-
ate a standards file with a drawing, you should periodically check the draw-
ing to make sure it conforms with the standards.
Sample Drawing and Associated Standards File
AutoCAD provides a sample drawing and an associated standards file. The
drawing file has been deliberately modified to contain a number of non-
standard objects to demonstrate how drawings are audited. The sample files,
MKMPlan.dwg and MKMStd.dws, are installed in the Sample folder of
AutoCAD.
How a Standards Audit Works
When you check a drawing for standards violations, each named object of a
specific type is checked against the standards files associated with the
drawing. For example, each layer in the drawing is checked against the layers
in the standards file.
A standards audit can uncover two types of problems:
■ An object with a nonstandard name is present in the drawing being
checked. For example, a layer named
WALL is present in the drawing but
not in any associated standards files.