Update: A client's comment at a job site in Tacoma completely changed my layer management.

They kept asking for tiny tweaks to the electrical plan, and I was digging through one messy file. Now I separate every trade onto its own locked layer from the start. Anyone else have a simple system that saves hours?

4 comments

4 Comments

the_anthony2mo ago

Honestly, that "digging through one messy file" part hits home. Tbh I don't do CAD work, but I see the same chaos with our prep sheets and tickets. One time we tried color coding everything by station, but the new guy kept using the wrong pens and it was a mess. Now we just use separate clipboards for grill, fry, and salad. It's dumb but it works.

robertcarr2mo ago

Yeah the "dumb but it works" part is the real truth, @the_anthony. So many systems fall apart because they rely on everyone being perfect. Your clipboards don't need everyone to follow a complex rule, they just work. That's way better than a smart plan that fails in real life. Sometimes the simplest fix is the one that actually sticks.

ivan7742mo ago

Hah, yeah my whole life is a "dumb but it works" system. You're right on the money, @robertcarr.

blairc9013d ago

Used to be a "process first" guy all the way. Thought if you just designed the perfect system, people would fall in line. Took a few years of watching carefully laid plans fall apart before I got it. A clipboard that never fails is way better than a color coded system that breaks when a new hire grabs the wrong pen. Simple and reliable beats clever every time.