Topic: Using UpperCase for all letters in text for CAD Drawings.

[Jeff H]

When did this trend start and why.
The only thing I can think that I really do not like about it is when I switch to a different program and forget to turn off the caps lock before I start typing.

[jonesy]

I've always used upper case in drawings, even many years ago on the drawing board. On a drawing board it made it easier to read, but I personally think it looks neater to have all the letters the same height

[Krushert]

When did this trend start and why.
The only thing I can think that I really do not like about it is when I switch to a different program and forget to turn off the caps lock before I start typing.

Check out Keith's little program! It works great.   It is old and not all MS Windows apps will comply with it but it saves a lot of time and cussing for me. 

[Dinosaur]

In all the places I have worked over the last 35 years, the only place where the standard was NOT all upper case lettering was at an unnamed global engineering company with the initials Black & Veatch.

[deegeecees]

I believe LeRoy started this, but I'm guessing.

[M-dub]

I've seen a few drawings with "sentence case" and they all look ridiculous.

As to how the standard began... I have no idea.  Maybe it's because there are more lower case letters that look very similar?

[Jeff H]

Autodesk buys rights to all uppercase letters

[Dinosaur]

I've seen a few drawings with "sentence case" and they all look ridiculous.

As to how the standard began... I have no idea.  Maybe it's because there are more lower case letters that look very similar?

Was mostly to accommodate reduced size drawing sets.  A standard sized engineering drawing reduced to a ledger sized plot really needed to have all of the characters at least .1 if not .125 to be clearly readable on the reduction.  The lower case letters were an odd height that were difficult to reduce from any of the standard lettering guides and Leroy sets and for the sake of uniformity, all caps were a better choice.

[dgorsman]

I think it may have developed from hand drawings.  Upper case is mostly straight lines so its easier to print faster and more legibly e.g. a A e E f F h H m M n N.  Upper case also avoids spacing problems from dangling lower case letters such as j, p, g, q, y.

[StykFacE]

I think it may have developed from hand drawings.  Upper case is mostly straight lines so its easier to print faster and more legibly e.g. a A e E f F h H m M n N.  Upper case also avoids spacing problems from dangling lower case letters such as j, p, g, q, y.

Yep, you're on the money. My grandfather is an engineer from the 50's and they used all uppercase for legibility purposes.

[cadtag]

I think it may have developed from hand drawings.  Upper case is mostly straight lines so its easier to print faster and more legibly e.g. a A e E f F h H m M n N.  Upper case also avoids spacing problems from dangling lower case letters such as j, p, g, q, y.

yup -- all upper case is a hold over from the manual drafting days.  much faster to do straight strokes for all lettering by hand, than trying to fit tiny curves into the sentence.  Especially if you used an ames to set the line spacing and stroke angle.   Heck, the tradition may go all the way back to medieval times, when scribes used upper case only, since that was pretty much the only letterforms in use. 

today, with computer generated lettering, kerning, and ttf fonts adapting weight to height, it's not essential - just traditional.  Arguably, all upper case is harder to read in a wall of text - if it was easier that's what the phone book would use.

[BlackBox]

Arguably, all upper case is harder to read in a wall of text - if it was easier that's what the phone book would use.

What is this *phone book* device you speak of...? 

[Keith™]

When did this trend start and why.
The only thing I can think that I really do not like about it is when I switch to a different program and forget to turn off the caps lock before I start typing.

Check out Keith's little program! It works great.   It is old and not all MS Windows apps will comply with it but it saves a lot of time and cussing for me. 

I am glad that thing is still working for you ... I am surprised with the latest round of OS changes ...

[mjfarrell]

When did this trend start and why.
The only thing I can think that I really do not like about it is when I switch to a different program and forget to turn off the caps lock before I start typing.

Ever try using the CAPS toggle in the Text editor?

[Jeff H]

When did this trend start and why.
The only thing I can think that I really do not like about it is when I switch to a different program and forget to turn off the caps lock before I start typing.

Ever try using the CAPS toggle in the Text editor?

AutoCAD's Text editor?
If so then yes.