Serious question, is manual drafting actually faster for rough layouts?

I started out digital only, using AutoCAD for everything. Old timer at the supply shop told me to try sketching a floor plan by hand first before even opening the software. I laughed it off for about two months. Then last Tuesday I had a rush job for a 1,200 square foot remodel and decided to give it a shot. Grabbed a scale ruler and some vellum, did the whole thing in 45 minutes. Digital would have taken me at least two hours with all the layer setups and dimension tweaks. But I still wonder if this only works for simple projects or if you guys find it legit for commercial stuff too. What's your take on pencil and paper versus going straight to the screen?

2 comments

2 Comments

sagelane6d ago

Had a buddy who tried going straight digital for a warehouse layout and spent THREE hours fighting with a wall alignment. He finally ragequit, sketched it on graph paper in 20 minutes. Says he still does rough stuff on paper first, especially for complex layouts.

rivershah6d ago

Tried the same thing @sagelane and yeah, paper first just saves the headache.