January 28, 2008—Version 4.0 of the U.S. National CAD Standard (NCS), the first update since 2005, has been unveiled by the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI), and the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS).
The latest edition, designed for owners, architects, engineers, contractors, facility managers, code officials, manufacturers, and suppliers, adds the following improvements to Version 3.1:
- Expanded and reorganized CAD Layer Guidelines make it easier to locate layer names, including new telecommunications and electrical discipline layer names.
- Updated Uniform Drawing System adds new and revised symbols for geotech, security, fire suppression, masonry, plaster, and updates and clarifies common drawing practices.
- Completely re-written Plotting Guidelines reflect that line widths are no longer required to be mapped to color numbers.
- Version 4.0 now includes documents in PDF, Excel, and .dwg file formats, making it easier to search and integrate the standard into CAD, BIM, costing, and other software.
The NCS incorporates three important components from the partnering organizations: AIA’s CAD Layer Guidelines; Modules 1-8 of CSI’s Uniform Drawing System; and NIBS’ Introduction, Appendices, and Plotting Guidelines (all maintained and balloted by the NIBS NCS Project Committee).Combining these resources, the NCS prescribes CAD layer names, drawing set organization, drafting, notation, and plotting conventions. It adds an extensive symbols library and thousands of terms and abbreviations.
Over 5,000 workplaces have voluntarily adopted the NCS since its debut in 1999. Many federal agencies require NCS use and many private sector users have adopted it, including auto manufacturers, international shipping companies, national retailers, and financial service providers.
To order NCS Version 4.0, visit the Web site.
