Had a talk with an old drafter at a shop in Detroit that got me thinking

Ran into a guy who's been drafting since the 80s at a supply house near Dearborn. He said he still sketches everything by hand first before touching CAD because it forces him to think through the whole layout. Made me realize I've been jumping into software too fast and skipping that planning step. Anyone else ever feel like they lost something switching fully to digital?

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jordanr895mo ago

Yeah I used to think hand sketches were just old school stubbornness, but after trying it out for a few projects I get it now. That planning phase really does save you from a ton of rework.

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faith125mo ago

That old drafter is exactly right and it's something a lot of people overlook nowadays. Jumping straight into CAD is like trying to build a house without a blueprint, you end up making 20 revisions because you didn't think through the whole thing first. The hand sketch phase forces you to see the big picture and catch major problems before you waste hours modeling something that needs to be totally redone. Plus there is something about drawing with a pencil that helps your brain connect the dots in a way clicking a mouse just doesn't do. Digital tools are great for speed but the planning step is where the real thinking happens and skipping it is a huge mistake.

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