topic Re: detail library in Project data & BIM

detail library

Anonymous — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 08:06:41 GMT

Hi

I am just setting up archicad in the office. What is the best way to go about setting up a detail library. Just standard eaves etc. I would like to be able to use them as "detail templates" while I rebuild the library, and store them separately to the projects I am working on. I am wondering if anyone has some 'best practice' tips. I sure don't want to draw them all twice.
Cheers Jo

Re: detail library

Steve Jepson — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 03:14:12 GMT

I used to keep standard details in a sperate plan organized on stories.
It was a plan I would have open at the same time as the plan I am working on. I could copy from the details plan and paste into other plan. The stories were named Cover Sheet, General Notes, Foundation, Floor Plans, Sections, Elevations, Framing, Roof, Miscellaneous, etc...
It works as well as anything else I have tried, however, I really don't use it much. I open a similar project and take what I need out of it and paste it into the new plan. I don’t start the project with an empty Template. I start it with a similar project.

Re: detail library

Anonymous — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 03:28:08 GMT

In my little world.
I've known my structural engineer for a long time and he just gave me a very lg dwg of details that are relevant to what I do which is just SFD remodels.
I've imported them into AC and organized them in general categories that you might expect in their individual; 1,2,3; A,BC sorta grid pattern all on one story.
I had them in relevant kinda stories like Steve,but found that harder to find them, and many cross story lines anyway.
I made the headings to each group with a HUGH font so that I can zoom out and still identify the group I'm after, then swoop in and copy, go to target pln and past.
Some have 3or 4 variations for slightly different situations, that I keep next to each other.
But then again, that's just my little world.
lec

Re: detail library

Anonymous — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 09:07:37 GMT

Excellent -- gives me somewhere to start. Someone suggest I store them as modules but from the feedback I am getting it is just as easy to store them in one drawing.
I am disappointed that you can't store them as 2d library items. Then i could search the libray for them.

Re: detail library

Brett Brown — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 10:04:08 GMT

joPlan wrote:
I am disappointed that you can't store them as 2d library items. Then i could search the libray for them.

Depends how much you want to edit them afterwards. You could place your detail on your floor plan view at the scale you need, select all, save as an object, into your Library, then you can place them as objects. (into a detail view so it works in Layout)

If you need to edit them, "explode into current view", but easier to edit if it were a module.

Would be even quicker if you could place the object into Layout, you can but it seems to do strange things to it. Perhaps someone can tell us the correct way to place an object into a Layout?

Re: detail library

Laszlo Nagy — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 12:54:13 GMT

joPlan wrote:
Excellent -- gives me somewhere to start. Someone suggest I store them as modules but from the feedback I am getting it is just as easy to store them in one drawing.
I am disappointed that you can't store them as 2d library items. Then i could search the libray for them.

You can use the File\Libraries and Objects\Open Object command to open a DWG file as GDL and save it as a Library Part.

Re: detail library

Steve Jepson — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 15:59:21 GMT

joPlan,
Are you wanting to set up a details system like AutoCAD where your xref the details or Drag-n-drop?

As for browsing the library for the details you want. Wouldn't it be easier to have them all on one sheet, organized by category?

Re: detail library

Anonymous — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 05:43:06 GMT

It almost depends on the detail. Most details require some fiddling to get them to fit the scenario they are being placed into, but say just eave details. At the moment I have a list of Eave details organised by tile / metal roof at various pitches which then affects the brick drop off to the eaves, 3 course or 4 course etc. I tend to use those repetitively and tie down details which are standard and insulation details.
I was real just wondering what common practice was and what is best practice.
I dislike having them on sheets I would prefer to be able to organise them in folders like I am used to but I am worried if I store drawings it will blow out the storage size and become problematic. Also I haven't made any GDL objects yet and it looks a little scary

Re: detail library

Steve Jepson — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 18:53:21 GMT

If you could see a thumbnail of each detail in the folder, and then drag it from there directly into your work space or layout page, would that be how you want to work with details?

Re: detail library

Brett Brown — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 23:05:37 GMT

Steve wrote:
If you could see a thumbnail of each detail in the folder, and then drag it from there directly into your work space or layout page, would that be how you want to work with details?

Thats exactly how I would like it to work, (what I asked earlier). Please enlighten us to how this works Steve.

Re: detail library

Anonymous — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 00:17:41 GMT

Yep Spunds good, but I find listing them under their names is good too. I tend to have a few catagories
1. obects & profiles eq gutters, 2d roof profiles masonry anchors etc local sinks etc. This library is mostly a cad library, but it is good to transfer them into the current software so I don't have to fiddle with the line weights and layers all the time.
2. notes and layout objects including titleblocks
3. details of two varities
- Standard details like eave detail and column base plate details etc
- Details I build from like balcony details.

Is that similar to how you manage your libraies?

Re: detail library

Steve Jepson — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 01:38:20 GMT

Brett wrote:
Steve wrote:
If you could see a thumbnail of each detail in the folder, and then drag it from there directly into your work space or layout page, would that be how you want to work with details?

Thats exactly how I would like it to work, (what I asked earlier). Please enlighten us to how this works Steve.

It doesn't work.

Thats why we all have our own unique work-arounds.

It's been on the ArchiCAD-Talk wish list since before there was an official wish list.

Perhaps they think that because we have managed to figure out how to get by without it for so long that we wont mind if they keep ignoring it.

There are some new things we can do with ArchiCAD 14 hotlinks, modules, dwf, pmk, etc... that might turn out some new work-arounds for this very simple thing, however, having the details and commonly used parts organized on a sperate sheet that you can copy and paste from or reference may be the simplest alternative.

If you look at some of the Templates available for ArchiCAD from 3rd parties you will see them using this sort of bone pile strategy.
I call it bone pile because I used to talk about doing this in the context of cannibalizing my other plans to get the parts.
I am sure there must be better terminology for talking about this but its the same idea.

Re: detail library

Anonymous — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 02:17:56 GMT

Steve wrote:
I call it bone pile because I used to talk about doing this in the context of cannibalizing my other plans to get the parts.
I am sure there must be better terminology for talking about this but its the same idea.

I vote for bone pile.
lec

Re: detail library

Brett Brown — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 03:45:56 GMT

Steve wrote:
There are some new things we can do with ArchiCAD 14 hotlinks, modules, dwf, pmk, etc... that might turn out some new work-arounds for this very simple thing

You had my hopes up that I'd missed something, so 14 just prolongs the agony with different workarounds.

Re: detail library

Laszlo Nagy — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 17:58:14 GMT

Brett wrote:
Steve wrote:
If you could see a thumbnail of each detail in the folder, and then drag it from there directly into your work space or layout page, would that be how you want to work with details?

Thats exactly how I would like it to work, (what I asked earlier). Please enlighten us to how this works Steve.

Maybe I am misuderstanding something, but this can be done.
On Windows, you can go to any folder and make the icons extra large.
Then it will show you the content of the DWG as it was when it was last saved.
I don't know what is actually needed to see the preview icon of DWG files in Windows, I have DWG TrueView installed, which is free. I also had Autodesk Design review installed, maybe that's what is creating the preview images.

Then you can drag any DWG file into ArchiCAD and it will place it as a Drawing.

Re: detail library

Brett Brown — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 22:53:21 GMT

laszlonagy wrote:
Maybe I am misuderstanding something

Not really misunderstanding,but missing the point of all the extra process you have to do to get a native Archicad Detail (module) to Layout. Doesn't it seem ironic you can place DWG's all over the place, but the Drawing Tool can't place a Module. If it could, we could place native Archicad files straight into layout from our Detail Module Library.

Of course having Details as DWG's you can use them in your Revit projects as well.

Re: detail library

Laszlo Nagy — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 14:20:20 GMT

In the Organizer you can open another PLN file and place views from that PLN as Drawings on your Layouts.
So you would have a PLN that has all the Details and you can place them into any File.

Re: detail library

Anonymous — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 07:23:37 GMT

And that returns me to my original question. Which method is best.
If I saved each detail individually in a .pln file I am worried I will blow out the storage sized but I could seach for it by title,
or
I can store many details on one .pln and reduce the storage size but can no longer seach for them via their title in an organised library system.
so Which IS best? :roll:

Re: detail library

Anonymous — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 08:28:47 GMT

Jo

We have a detail 'book' here and we have all our company standard details in one .pln.
Each detail has its own section so that the scale can be set independently.
Then each of those sections are setup in the view map, making it easier to index and find the details.
A few tips I will give you though is keep your pen use to a minimum and put all your details on the ArchiCAD Layer. Also avoid using objects in the details.
All the objects we used (standard gutter profiles, timber sections etc) were exploded after they were placed in the detail. Just makes it easier to manage in the long run.

Hope that heps mate

Re: detail library

Anonymous — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 09:01:58 GMT

Thanks mate - owe you a beer.