Federal Style Patterns

Our project seemed to be at a standstill until an unexpected windfall gave us the fortitude and the nerve to purchase PowerCADD, WildTools, and two Macintosh G4s to run the software.  We unpacked the computers, loaded the software, and started using it. 

That is the truth: PowerCADD and WildTools is that easy to learn and use.  In the first couple of weeks, if we got stuck, we would post a question on the drawing forum and within hours we would have several excellent solutions to choose from. 

Shortly thereafter, we realized that we didn’t know enough about computers, PowerCADD, WildTools, printers, Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat, and “What are those key commands for Force Quit?”.  We contacted Brian Huculak, and he provided step-by-step “do it this way” procedures to combat all of our ignorance.

To make our drawings, we used this basic method:  Larry drew the profiles and any ornament that required precision and accuracy (dentils, beads, reeds, etc.) and then he put a copy of the file on a zip disk and gave it to me.  I finished each drawing by creating an elevation from the profile and adding the decorative ornament. 

About halfway through drawing the mantels, we realized that our “catalogue” might just be useful enough to others as a book, and after we finished all of our drawings, we arranged the collection into a form that we thought might make it look like a book in the eyes of potential publishers.  This portion of the project (Larry a first-time computer user, me new to Macintosh and both of us new to PowerCADD and WildTools) took us a year.

To find publishers that might be interested in our book, we did an Internet search for those who accepted unsolicited manuscripts.  We found twelve publishers that carried books that were similar to ours and sent off twelve boxes that each contained a manuscript, cover letter, and return postage.  We received four offers to publish the book and all of the editors that we spoke with were surprised to learn that neither of us are architects and that the drawings were already in “book form”.