04 How I Annotate Drawings in LayOut (Real-World Workflow)

04 How I Annotate Drawings in LayOut (Real-World Workflow)

In this final installment, Mike wraps up the permit set by focusing on the annotation phase inside LayOut — the part where things start to look truly professional. This video is packed with real-world tips for labeling drawings, applying dimensions, and putting a polished finish on your documentation using the ConDoc Annotation Scrapbook.

Mike begins by dropping in title blocks and drawing titles using the preconfigured scrapbook elements. He addresses common quirks with auto-text, renumbering sequences manually to stay in control of the layout. From there, he builds out a structured set: foundation plans, floor plans, roof plans, elevations, sections, and perspectives — all clearly labeled, clearly scaled, and ready for permit submission.

He then shares his best practices for dimensioning. Instead of toggling between style dialogs, he demonstrates how to use the scrapbook palette as an eyedropper — dramatically speeding up the process. He also dives into Layout’s layered tool settings and explains how to manage precision, length snapping, and dimension string cleanup for maximum clarity.

The video also covers:

  • Using leader text to pull smart data from ConDoc windows

  • Overlay techniques to add heavy ground planes to elevations

  • Scaled drawings and how to draft over vector viewports

  • How to create detail views and foundation sections directly in LayOut

  • Final notes on cleaning up linework and structuring your detail pages

Mike wraps with a call for feedback and personal support — encouraging viewers to reach out directly if they hit any snags.



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