topic Re: Capitalize or Lowercase Notes in Documentation

Capitalize or Lowercase Notes

EH21 — Mon, 20 Mar 2023 17:06:32 GMT

Just curious - for general notes/sheet notes/keynotes, do you use all caps, or do you use lowercase numbers and write traditionally? I have heard arguments for both sides. The all caps were originally used in hand drafting to reduce communication errors, but now, with computer drafting, computer fonts are often more easily read using lowercase. What do you all think?

Re: Capitalize or Lowercase Notes

Erwin Edel — Tue, 21 Mar 2023 14:19:52 GMT

If you type things in ALL CAPS IT TAKES UP MORE SPACE.

If you type things in lower case it takes up less space.

This depends on the font, of course.

For long text paragraphs it easier to read if you type in lower case.

If you want to grab attention or have something be quickly read type it

ALONE IN CAPS

Hope this helps 🙂

Re: Capitalize or Lowercase Notes

Erwin Edel — Tue, 21 Mar 2023 14:21:57 GMT

Oh and to answer the actual question: as I pointed out above CAPS take up more space and since we are forever trying to cram in as much information as we can on our layouts, we generally type almost everything entirely in lower case.

Re: Capitalize or Lowercase Notes

Miha_M — Wed, 22 Mar 2023 14:08:56 GMT

I suspect that many of you don't know about this nice set of addons GSSG has on their website and, for now, they are not tied to a specific localization. I hope this will not change in the near future. They work on my INT version.

One of those is a simple "Text Change" addon with which one can toggle between some text options - if you want to check how different case-types work in your project.

The Update Classification addon is also extremly useful if you want to upgrade your template to a new AC version.

Re: Capitalize or Lowercase Notes

EH21 — Wed, 22 Mar 2023 14:05:43 GMT

Thank you for sharing! I would be interested in this. I am wondering if you would be able to provide a link where this addon can be found. For some reason I am having trouble finding it.

Re: Capitalize or Lowercase Notes

Miha_M — Wed, 22 Mar 2023 14:09:44 GMT

@EH21 I've added the link to my original post.

Re: Capitalize or Lowercase Notes

Erwin Edel — Wed, 22 Mar 2023 14:17:40 GMT

So we have 'goodies' and these addons, interesting. Still no clue why these aren't just part of the main installation.

Re: Capitalize or Lowercase Notes

Eduardo Rolon — Wed, 22 Mar 2023 19:24:53 GMT

No macOS Add-Ons available

Re: Capitalize or Lowercase Notes

Erwin Edel — Thu, 23 Mar 2023 08:15:26 GMT

So even 'worse' than the goodies then 🤣

Re: Capitalize or Lowercase Notes

Laszlo Nagy — Mon, 27 Mar 2023 19:05:31 GMT

Miha,

I could not access that Add-On. even when signed in with Graphisoft ID, it did not display anything for me. And also, it is under SSA- downloads. Is it possible that it is only accessible to GS Singapore customers with SSA?

Re: Capitalize or Lowercase Notes

Miha_M — Mon, 27 Mar 2023 19:24:38 GMT

@Laszlo Nagy I can get there by signing in with my GS ID, I just tried it again to be sure. It works (for me). I am on an INT version + SSA/forward, non GSSG.

If you didn't try that already, try signing in from a "in-private" or another browser window. Maybe some loaded cookies are preventing you from signing in there.

Re: Capitalize or Lowercase Notes

Laszlo Nagy — Mon, 27 Mar 2023 19:38:04 GMT

Thanks Miha,

I tried it with both way, but it does not let me access the download. I don't know what could be wrong, but I have no more time for testing. Thanks anyway.

Re: Capitalize or Lowercase Notes

Ignacio Azpiazu — Mon, 27 Mar 2023 21:42:42 GMT

Caps take up more space for a given text string in the same font size, but give better legibility for the same text area –you can read the same font size from farther away, or the other way around, you can use a significantly smaller font size with caps.
As far as I know, annotations in technical drawings have always been caps. For architectural construction drawing sets the cap font size in the full-size drawing meant to be discussed across a table or something will give an acceptablly legible 50% set for individual consumption only (typically ~2,5 mm for dimensions, although some people use 2,2; ~3 mm for text, at full size; not fun trying to read that at 50% with lowercase).
Also the supposed better flow in reading lowercase is irrelevant for the short texts used in architectural sets.

I personally dismiss construction drawings sets with lowercase annotations as the work of noobs (internally; I only bring this up with students or people working under my guidance) –draftsmen using computers before learning what a construction drawings set is.

Preliminary design presentations etc. are a different story.

PS: in text legibility, height is key (which is why road signs and license plates often use some narrow font); I think there are advantages to using Arial Narrow for dimensions, which I find more of a real estate problem than text, once they start cluttering the drawing with wall thicknesses and such.

Re: Capitalize or Lowercase Notes

Barry Kelly — Tue, 28 Mar 2023 01:05:24 GMT

Not that this will help you Laszlo, but I just clicked on the link in Mihas's post and it took me to the Singapore download page straight away, and I was already logged in with GSID.

No problem downloading the files.

Barry.