I have to do all my drafting by
hand. (Don't knock a pencil and an eraser – look around, most of the things you see were built that way.)
Assuming that your projects are small and relatively informal, consider the following (and please excuse the rambling.):
Get a good architect's scale/ruler. It's marked for feet and inches. (You can also use an engineer's scale, but all the markings are in tens, but its good for metric, I suppose.)
Use graph paper, if you can. Its easier to
lay things out and
line them up. If possible, use graph paper that "matches" your scale. For example, paper with ¼ inch
spacing work well with 1 inch = 4 feet, or 1 inch = 1
foot. On the other
hand, much of the more expensive graph paper is lined in units of 10, which can be tedious if you are drawing in feet and inches. Also, graph paper is useful if you only have a standard ruler. It also eliminates the need for other drafting tools like triangles.
Don't try to cram too much on a sheet, but make the figure as large as possible with a normal scale. Remember to leave room for notes and labels. If it takes more than one sheet for one project, try to use the same scale on all the sheets.
Write the scale on the drawing, and draw a scale bar, in case the drawing is ever reduced or enlarged.
If you need larger paper, use 11 x 17.
Although an architects scale will do the job "automatically", always use "normal" scales, like 1/8 inch = 1
foot, or ½" = a
foot, if all you have is a standard ruler. (In my regular job, I've occasionally come across beasts like 1" = 75 feet – drives me nuts.)
Put a title and date on the drawing. If you revise it, add the revision date, and may be a note about what was revised. The latter detail really depends on who is using the drawing and how often it is copied and distributed.
Check a theater text
book – I think there are standard symbols for lights. I think there are
templates for them too. (Also, I believe there are a few drafting conventions that the theater uses.)
I'm not sure I understood your specific question. It sounds like your view is perpendicular to the pipe at the same elevation as the pipe, viewed either from the audience or the upstage wall. (Note, there may be a standard theater convention for this type of view – my gut feeling is that it should be from the upstage wall so that
stage right is on the right side of the paper….regardless, write "view from upstage wall" on the drawing.) Anyway, for the lights facing the view, use a solid
line (circle, or oval if at an angle) for the end opening, and for those facing away, show the opening in phantom
line (dashed) (or no
line at all). Although it adds a little more work, you could go as far as to label each light as "points upstage" or "points
downstage". (But if things are changed, its an extra item that you have to remember to revise.)
Joe