Exterior wooden Deck Design

[Anonymous]

Hey All,

I'm curious as to how people are designing Decks with Autocad Architecture.  I would have thought that it would have been a fairly......standard task, and there would have been a Tool Palette for it.  I also really can't find any other documentation on it anywhere.  Should I just do it the old fashioned way?  Thanks.

KPM

[leothebuilder]

There is not a lot of "out of the box" content for wood decks.

ACA has floor and railing objects which you can modify to your needs.

There are no such things as joists and bearers, but you can use structural members to create the joists and bearers.

To fully model in 3d will be a lot of work.

Up to you to decide if that is worth the effort or do the old fashioned way in plain 2d.

[Victoria.Studley · Accepted solution]

Hi @Anonymous,

Another option you could consider: use Structural Members. The Structural Member Catalog includes a Timber category that likely has most of the pieces you need to design a wooden deck.

And, as @leothebuilder recommended, you might be able to use the stair and railing tools in conjunction with the structural members, if it makes sense in certain areas of your design.

If one or more of these posts helped answer your question, please click Accept as Solution on the posts that helped you so others in the community can find them easily.

[Victoria.Studley]

Hi @Anonymous,

I'm just checking in again to see if the suggestions that @leothebuilder and I provided helped you find the right tools to design wooden decks in ACA. Did these suggestions point you in the right direction?

If so, please click Accept as Solution on the posts that helped you so others in the community can find them easily.

[marketingXBMHE]

Designing a wooden deck in AutoCAD Architecture can be achieved using a combination of standard tools and custom detailing. While there may not be a specific tool palette dedicated solely to deck design, you can utilize various tools and commands available in AutoCAD Architecture to create the desired deck layout.

Here's a general approach you can take to design a wooden deck in AutoCAD Architecture:

1. Set Up Your Drawing: Start by setting up your drawing with the appropriate units and scale for your project.

2. Draw the Deck Outline: Use lines, polylines, or rectangles to draw the outline of your deck in plan view. Ensure accurate dimensions and alignment with existing structures.

3. Add Detailing: Use additional lines or polylines to add detailing such as borders, railings, steps, and any other features you want to include in your deck design.

4. Insert Components: You can insert predefined components such as posts, beams, joists, and decking boards using blocks or dynamic blocks if available.

5. Customize Materials: Apply appropriate materials to different components of the deck to represent wood, concrete, or any other materials accurately.

6. Annotate and Dimension: Add dimensions, labels, and annotations to provide clarity and context to your design. Include dimensions for the overall size of the deck, spacing between components, and any other relevant information.

7. Review and Modify: Review your design to ensure accuracy and make any necessary modifications or adjustments as needed.

8. Create Detail Drawings: If required, create detail drawings or sections to provide more detailed information about specific areas of the deck design.

While there may not be a specific tool palette dedicated to deck design, AutoCAD Architecture offers a wide range of tools and capabilities that allow you to create detailed and accurate designs for various architectural elements, including wooden decks. By utilizing these tools effectively and incorporating custom detailing as needed, you can create a comprehensive deck design within AutoCAD Architecture.