When you rotate the orientation of a drawing 90°, so that north/south is going side to side rather than up and down, which way should north be?
It is, or at least it should be, a matter of personal/client preference (at least I hope no state has codified such a minor thing, but it wouldn't surprise me if one or more has), but my preference is North either "up" or to the "left".
It should still be pointing north. 😛
My general answer is whatever direction follows the most simplistic logic.
If you are in need of multiple pages, the right side of the page should be the match line for the left side of the next page.
If you are making your text on lines so that they can be read from the "south" side of the paper, make the south side be on the right so that if you stand on the right side of the page that text is right-side-up. If you already have a lot of text laid out, make it so that it can be read from the right side after you rotate. At least that is the "old school" I had learned from drafting days. Since multiple pages or bound on the left, you should be able to read the text on the right side.
I think a lot of answers will be that the north arrow should be pointing to the right. Personal preference is a perfectly valid reason. I don't know if there are any drafting rules on this matter.
I like the north arrow to point in a direction that helps the drawing best fit the page, so I don't have a problem with the north arrow point up and to the right, or up and to the left. I would try to make it upward generally speaking and not down. I just get too disoriented if it's downward, personally.
> When you rotate the orientation of a drawing 90°, so that north/south is going side to side rather than up and down, which way should north be?
I figure most of my clients neither know nor care which way is North. That is why I try to draft plats with the road at the bottom of the page and roughly parallel to the boarder. This way they can stand in the road and hold their plat and know what they are seeing.
The key point for why we do anything we do is why. Why do we draw plats? Not for the next surveyor, in my opinion. We do them because the client needs or wants a plat.
Why do I cap all my markers? (not required by law here) Not really for the client because until I tell them I do that most neither know nor care about corner caps.
This is why I want to make my plats and all my work, fit the purpose it is supposed to serve.
Just my 2 cents.
Larry P
Back in the good old day of drafting standards, north was up or to the left for mapping. Engineers, however, like to have stationing running west to east or from south to north. On a plan & profile sheet with stations increasing from left to right that makes the north arrow point to the right (or in all sorts of odd directions).
JBS
If not "up," it should be towards the binding edge of the sheet. (Standard cartographic convention.)
The key point for why we do anything we do is why. Why do we draw plats? Not for the next surveyor, in my opinion. We do them because the client needs or wants a plat.
Why do I cap all my markers? (not required by law here) Not really for the client because until I tell them I do that most neither know nor care about corner caps.
Not for the next surveyor but for the client?
Them's fighting words for some, but I like it!:-)
And capping a marker, some feel that it's just too expensive, I'm sure glad it's required here, and I finally came around to the idea that each cap is identified (lot# or owner name), I know that is taking it farther, but it sure helps the client.
> Back in the good old day of drafting standards, north was up or to the left for mapping. Engineers, however, like to have stationing running west to east or from south to north. On a plan & profile sheet with stations increasing from left to right that makes the north arrow point to the right (or in all sorts of odd directions).
>
> JBS
That's right for projects with roads and stationing. typically, too, stationing is set up by the engineer, and usually runs from south to north, or from west to east. Occasionally you get north-arrows pointing down because of the obscure way a stationing was laid out. The biggest time that happens, is when a road is considered, a north-south roadway, with mileposts running from south to north, but a certain stretch of the road curves from going south to north then to the east. Suddenly you are looking at the plans with the stationing going from east to west, and the north-arrow is down the paper. Very disorienting for most people who look at it.
> If not "up," it should be towards the binding edge of the sheet. (Standard cartographic convention.)
:good:
good way to put it.
I've been going with this (and earlier iterations of it) for quite some years but I haven't any other source.
In the County I work, the County Surveyor has declared it to be a "Read Right" County.
If North is not at the top of the page, you rotate the page clockwise to the "right" to read lettering, numbers, etc, including the North arrow.
If it aint that way, it will NOT be filed
Geezer :'(
I'm a lefty
But only when it comes to orienting the plat. My text reads correctly in the normal position for as much as possible and by rotating a quarter turn clockwise for the remainder.
When a plat needs to be oriented sideways, north is towards the left to conform with the bookbinding standard. Be sure to orient all text to be readable without holding the plat upside down and backwards
geezer -hijack
was your original license in Iowa?
According to the military manuals and what military map makers are taught, North should always be up OR to the left.
geezer -hijack
No, my name is not jack. but hi to you as well. LOL
BUT, to answer your question, YES, it was. Hope you don't hold that against me.
I didn't think you had a problem with that when you were in CA.
Howz all goin, anyway?
Geezer
That is how I learned it.
:good:
geezer -hijack
going good - send me a quick email so i can update my contact
> According to the military manuals and what military map makers are taught, North should always be up OR to the left.
And if your client is the military I totally see the sense in taking that approach.
But what if your client is Ma and Pa buying a house down on Maple Street? Why do they care about the military standard?
If your clients don't care about the standard, and we are providing the product or service for our clients, then shouldn't we tailor the product or service to fit the needs of the client?
Larry P
> ... shouldn't we tailor the product or service to fit the needs of the client?
Sure, but if you are attempting to establish standards for even a small drafting department it is well to standardize things like this. You can always deviate from the standard where appropriate.
> > ... shouldn't we tailor the product or service to fit the needs of the client?
> Sure, but if you are attempting to establish standards for even a small drafting department it is well to standardize things like this. You can always deviate from the standard where appropriate.
Norm, know what I like best about Standards? Everybody gets to have their own. 😉
Also, please note that I get that this discussion is a far different matter when working in the PLSS than when working as I do in a colonial state.
Larry P