Fire Plans

[chrpay]

I am striving to draw electronic single line plans, rather like the old fire cert plans. I am looking for something more complicated than microsoft paint, but not as complicated as AutoCAD. Has anyone any advice. I also need a little help on importing fire symbols to the plan. Can anyone help?

[nearlythere]

I am striving to draw electronic single line plans, rather like the old fire cert plans. I am looking for something more complicated than microsoft paint, but not as complicated as AutoCAD. Has anyone any advice. I also need a little help on importing fire symbols to the plan. Can anyone help?

I use a scansoft paperport programme chrpay which I think is quite ok but you might try a multi display adaptor and cut and paste from preformatted symbols. But if you come up with what you are looking for please share.

[kurnal]

I know its not what you asked, but I have an associate who receives my scribbled notes and squiggles scanned in, produces beautiful cad plans and emails as pdf or dwg  back by return, Very very good value. She is always looking for more work, if you want contact details pm me.

[Midland Retty]

Daft as it sounds you can generate some half decent plans using Microsoft Word or Powerpoint - you can also cut / paste the relevant symbols you want.

They way to do that is look online to see if you can get the fire safety symbols using google images - once you have got the symbols you want right click on them, select copy, then go to your plan document right click again in the position you want the symbol and select "paste" and the symbol should appear!

You may be able to cut / paste individual symbols or you may have to just copy the whole lot across, save them on your hard drive and then indivdually cut them as you need them.

[nearlythere]

Daft as it sounds you can generate some half decent plans using Microsoft Word or Powerpoint - you can also cut / paste the relevant symbols you want.

They way to do that is look online to see if you can get the fire safety symbols using google images - once you have got the symbols you want right click on them, select copy, then go to your plan document right click again in the position you want the symbol and select "paste" and the symbol should appear!

You may be able to cut / paste individual symbols or you may have to just copy the whole lot across, save them on your hard drive and then indivdually cut them as you need them.

I have tried to find symbols online Midders without success. Have you?

[Tom Sutton]

Check out http://www.firesafe.org.uk/graphical-symbols-and-abbreviations-for-fire-protection-drawings/ something I did a little earlier. The latest BS is there as well but I don't think you will like them.

[Midland Retty]

I said that without moving my lips!

By the way - nice work Tom - very handy indeed

[jayjay]

I have been  producing cad fire plans with fire risk assessments using auto cad and most recipients really appreciate the pictorial view of the fire precautions. Also fire evacuation plans can be simply draw showing the internal exit routes exit doors and assembly points.

If the original drawings can be obtained from architects then the fire plan production is quite simple and most architects are quite happy to do this as under the building regs there is a requirement to provide information for the FRA.

I produced my own symbols in cad and saved them as a plan key so that they could be used in other drawings. If you have to draw from scratch then making a single line drawing is simple if you are not requiring scale drawings, Plans in PDF or scanned can be brought into the cad program and then just trace over the document, on completion the PDF can be removed and you are left with the traced drawing.

There are some free cad programs available check link below. look for a compatibility with .dwg or .dxf format as these are the industry standard and therefore can be shared.


http://cad.about.com/od/Personal_CAD/tp/Five-Top-Free-Cad-Packages.htm


If you need any more advice or an example of what I have done.

[Dinnertime Dave]

Have you tried using Microsoft Visio, used it at university and seem to remember it has some fire signs. Also used it to design a kitchen.

[Graeme]

I am striving to draw electronic single line plans, rather like the old fire cert plans. I am looking for something more complicated than microsoft paint, but not as complicated as AutoCAD. Has anyone any advice. I also need a little help on importing fire symbols to the plan. Can anyone help?

Hi Chrpay

Autocad is as easy or difficult as you want to make it. I use LT version and its like everything that at first seems complicated,gets easier through experience.

Most of the drawings I am given are DWG files so Autocad was the best option for me