Switched from manual drafting to AutoCAD and honestly I regret it sometimes

Been drafting for about 12 years now, mostly in civil. Back in 2019 I had to choose between sticking with my old manual board setup or going all in on AutoCAD. Everyone in my office was pushing the software, saying it was faster and cleaner. I caved and bought the license for $2,400. Now I spend half my time fighting with layers and plot styles. Manual drawings had a certain... I don't know, clarity? Less clutter. Anyone else feel like digital added more busywork than it saved?

2 comments

2 Comments

emmafisher1mo ago

Honestly, that line about "fighting with layers and plot styles" hits way too close to home. I had the same issue when I switched over, and for a while I felt like I was spending more time fixing digital problems than actually drawing. What finally helped me was setting up a master template with all my layer names, lineweights, and plot styles locked in from day one. It took a solid weekend to build, but now I just open that file for every new project and it cut the busywork by like 80 percent. Tbh, the manual work had a tactile feel I miss, but getting the setup right made digital way less of a headache.

simonp401mo ago

Was it really that serious though? A whole weekend for a template sounds like overkill.