The Nominal Defaults File is located in every Project directory. It is simply a copy of a normal defaults file containing a list of your General, Level, Structural Detail, Main Bar, Longitudinal Bar, and Text defaults.

Whenever a detailing session begins, the program looks for an existing database file of the same name as the drawing. All of these Bar Defaults are read from the existing Database and installed for the current session. If an existing database is not found (as in the case of a brand new drawing), the program looks to your Nominal Defaults File in the current Project directory to install an initial set of Bar Defaults.

The Nominal Defaults Files enables your most commonly-used defaults to be installed automatically at the start of every new session. If the defaults within the file are established correctly, only minor changes to Bar Defaults should then be required prior to commencement of detailing.