Photoshop for Architects: CS3 Extended Edition

Module 2 - Enhancing Drawings Mac & Windows

Learn how to transform technical plan, section, and elevation line drawings into beautiful presentation images that your clients will immediately understand. Use the provided Lisp program to convert layers from AutoCAD to Photoshop, and see how to preserve scale in Photoshop (both Imperial and Metric units covered), so you can print out the enhanced artwork to scale (i.e. 1/4"=1' or 1:50 scale).

This module is filled with advanced Photoshop enhancement techniques. Although there is some overlap with my original Plans & Elevations module, this module goes into greater depth and adds more efficient enhancement tips & tricks representing years of additional research. Having CS3 Extended is a plus, but not strictly necessary for this particular module, as the techniques will work back to Photoshop 7.

This module contains 50 high resolution videos running 3.6 hours overall. I explain each concept and technique using Adobe Photoshop CS3 Extended, although many of the concepts and techniques are applicable to other versions of Photoshop. The videos are captured right off my screen and you can hear my audio commentary.

This module focuses on the specific project of enhancing a simple residential plan drawing and takes you step by step from the CAD drawing in AutoCAD to print-ready artwork in Photoshop. The skills learned can be applied equally well to enhancing elevation and section drawings.

Click here to view Module 2's video table of contents.

The installation process is simple - on Windows you download and run a small install program and it will pull down and install all the videos for you. Mac users will download and mount a .dmg disk image and double click the installer. The Quicktime videos are launched through a web interface that lets you keep track of where you are in the module.

System Requirements
Any recent version of Windows or Mac OS, 571 MB disc space, sound card, speakers or headphones, minimum graphics resolution of 1024x768 (1280x800 or higher recommended), and free Quicktime player. Although Adobe Photoshop is not strictly required, it is essential to practice the techniques shown (sample files provided) to build solid skills.