I'm setting up a design office and have received a computer that will be free of teenagers and I'm wondering what people are using to communicate drawings etc over the internet.
The new computer is an old imac and an agfa scanner came along with it.
The computer has adobe photoshop installed already....
I'm designing with pencil and paper and would like to continue doing so for the forseeable future, so i plan to scan designs in order to send to clients, engineers, architects, general contractors, etc.
Basically I'm wondering what program is most used to receive and send images over the internet?
Or should I be looking at more than one program to move images around?
Is there a program that can preserve the size of a drawing so that the scale remains constant?
-Mark in Ontario.

Mark:
As printers vary you shouldn't expect drawings to print to scale.
Creating a drawing by any means and to be easily transfered you could convert it to a pdf format.
This is what I use and most everyone has some type of pdf reading program.
Good luck.
Jim Rogers

Mark, I was wondering how that worked out? Pencil and paper, is that a program or really just pencil and paper? I still use Pencil and Paper with all of my drawings. I was also wondering what the norm is today, are the majority using cad programs? Is there sill pencil pushers out there? Tim

Tim: A lot of people still draw with pencil and paper.....

Pencil and paper has given way to sketchup, and the old imac has given way to a used pc. I'm glad to have put some time in hand drawing, as I always need it, but sketchup is much easier for others to understand, and gets the concept across quickly. Sketchup is also easier to edit than hand drawings, and will quickly copy joists or rafters and other minor members. Sketchup is also available as a free download, so one can get started and learn the program before making an investment. Even when you buy the full version, its only $500......

Someday I will try sketchup but as for now I am comfortable with my pencil and paper. Still wondering if any one else is using only pencil and paper? Maybe I am behind the times. This goes back to Jims post on models, I find I follow up my drawings with a physical model. There are exceptions, like my last project, hindsight says I should of. Like you say Mike, it is quicker and has other advantages. Tim

Mark....I admit I was a bit stumped when I read your first post in the thread and realized it was 2004!

Glad to see you take on digitized drawings

I am currently on my second autocad course and would eventually like to try and revitalize TimberCAD....though I see most people like sketchup for its low cost.

I guess I chose autoCAD for the ability to send frames to an engineer for FEA directly and am not sure many engineers would be able to accept a g**gle drawing for structural analysis.

For $500, you can get the pro version of SU, which will export in Autocad's native format. CB.