topic Re: Difference between Worksheet and Detail Tool??? in Documentation

Difference between Worksheet and Detail Tool???

Anonymous — Fri, 07 Feb 2025 13:45:22 GMT

In our office we typically do 1/4" floorplans then enlarge certain areas that need to show more detail (ie: kitchens, bathrooms, etc.).

For the enlarged plans, I use the Detail tool or the Worksheet tool, which brings me to my question...

What do you use for enlarged plans?

Is there a difference between the two? Should I use one vs. the other?

Please help as there is dissension in the ranks...

Re: Difference between Worksheet and Detail Tool???

Anonymous — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 17:56:33 GMT

Steven wrote:
In our office we typically do 1/4" floorplans then enlarge certain areas that need to show more detail (ie: kitchens, bathrooms, etc.).

For the enlarged plans, I use the Detail tool or the Worksheet tool, which brings me to my question...

What do you use for enlarged plans?

Is there a difference between the two? Should I use one vs. the other?

Please help as there is dissension in the ranks...

Neither. We have a view set folder for enlarged plans, two enlarged plan layers (one for dimensions, one for notes etc), and layer sets as required to display what we need. Many of our project are fast track commercial with the more detailed information changing until the doors open. Having unlink plans would just create more chaos.

Dave

Re: Difference between Worksheet and Detail Tool???

Djordje — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 18:11:04 GMT

Dave wrote:

Neither. We have a view set folder for enlarged plans, two enlarged plan layers (one for dimensions, one for notes etc), and layer sets as required to display what we need. Many of our project are fast track commercial with the more detailed information changing until the doors open. Having unlink plans would just create more chaos.

Dave

Ditto.

As it is mostly commercial/industrial, you have a 500m2 office slapped onto a 25000 m2 warehouse or factory - so you need VERY different level of detail.

Would be good if woerksheets were alive ... then there would be a reason for their existence, and a difference fromthe details, which by their very nature should be zombies - dead but alive.

Re: Difference between Worksheet and Detail Tool???

Anonymous — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 21:46:32 GMT

Ok, someone in our office used to work that way as well. It seems like it may be the best option. Is there anyone else out there wanting to put in their two cents?

What is the "Worksheet" tool for anyway?

Do you still use the detail tool for wall sections?

Re: Difference between Worksheet and Detail Tool???

Anonymous — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 00:16:18 GMT

Steven wrote:
What is the "Worksheet" tool for anyway?
Do you still use the detail tool for wall sections?

Haven't used Worksheet yet.

Our process is building and wall sections always "live" with fills, lines or patches(rare) over the top if needed.

Detail tool is used for DETAILS referenced off wall, other sections, or plans with 2D enhancements as necessary.

Dave

Re: Difference between Worksheet and Detail Tool???

Karl Ottenstein — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 03:36:58 GMT

I too recommend only live views for all plans - enlarged or not.

Back to the question in the subject: the obnoxious but true answer is that the Worksheet Tool and Detail Tool have (1) different buttons in the tool palette, and (2) different folders in the Navigator.

Since a tool can have its own defaults, you can have different default settings for the Detail tool from the Worksheet tool. For organizing things, some might prefer to put Details in...Detail viewpoints. This leaves Worksheets to be anything you want to have its own 2D view.

For example: if you need to bring in an editable DWG (as opposed to importing onto a layout for reference), bring it into a Worksheet (assuming it is not an external Detail that should be a Detail viewpoint [just for organizational purposes]). In the 'old' days, we would bring in dwg plans into fake stories so that they could be ghosted for tracing/etc. With Trace & Reference, the fake story is not needed since anything can be a trace reference - so Worksheets are a convenient place to put this stuff.

Cheers,
Karl

Re: Difference between Worksheet and Detail Tool???

Anonymous — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 14:12:11 GMT

Hmmmm... this is disappointing that tools aren't being used the way they were designed because they just don't work the way we want them to. I have talked this over in the office and I think we are going to do it as mentioned above. I always thought it was a pain having to change the layout at the floor plan level and then update it through the worksheet/detail tool....

Thanks to all for your responses.

Re: Difference between Worksheet and Detail Tool???

Chazz — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 14:53:18 GMT

Dave wrote:
Neither. We have a view set folder for enlarged plans, two enlarged plan layers (one for dimensions, one for notes etc), and layer sets as required to display what we need.

Agreed, but you still need a tool to call and link those views on the plan. The detail tool (now that it can link to any drawing) is perfect for this function.

As to the worksheet tool, my thought is: "what were they thinking?" Graphiisoft, you of all entities should live by the gospel you preach: everything live, connected, coordinated, model-linked.

Re: Difference between Worksheet and Detail Tool???

Anonymous — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 15:17:01 GMT

Chazz wrote:
Agreed, but you still need a tool to call and link those views on the plan. The detail tool (now that it can link to any drawing) is perfect for this function.

As to the worksheet tool, my thought is: "what were they thinking?" Graphiisoft, you of all entities should live by the gospel you preach: everything live, connected, coordinated, model-linked.

Exactly my thoughts....

Re: Difference between Worksheet and Detail Tool???

Anonymous — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 15:50:19 GMT

Chazz wrote:
Agreed, but you still need a tool to call and link those views on the plan. The detail tool (now that it can link to any drawing) is perfect for this function.

I agree, but I'm not sure I follow your 2nd statement. I haven't tried to use it that way. Are you saying that you can use the bubble type detail on the plan, then throwing away to 2D info, and relink it to a live view set on a layout? Or something like that? Ideally, as Djordje hinted, the detail tool would have a check box to keep it live or make it a zombie.

Dave

Re: Difference between Worksheet and Detail Tool???

Anonymous — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 16:02:28 GMT

Dave wrote:
Chazz wrote:
Agreed, but you still need a tool to call and link those views on the plan. The detail tool (now that it can link to any drawing) is perfect for this function.
I agree, but I'm not sure I follow your 2nd statement. I haven't tried to use it that way. Are you saying that you can use the bubble type detail on the plan, then throwing away to 2D info, and relink it to a live view set on a layout? Or something like that? Ideally, as Djordje hinted, the detail tool would have a check box to keep it live or make it a zombie.

Dave

Yes, you can take the detail tool and use it as a "linked marker." Let's say you're doing an enlarged plan of a kitchen: you can select the detail tool, go to the linked marker option, and link it to a view or a drawing on a sheet. Put the marker with an outline around the kitchen on the regular plan and it will just tell what sheet it's on, not create a new detail if you select the "linked marker" option. It's very useful.

Sorry if that's confusing...

Re: Difference between Worksheet and Detail Tool???

Chazz — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 16:04:09 GMT

Dave wrote:
Are you saying that you can use the bubble type detail on the plan, then throwing away to 2D info, and relink it to a live view set on a layout? Or something like that?

Exactly. You never even look at the data in the detail window. It's just unlinked 2d junk. Just link it up to another view or drawing. It's just a very convenient way to denote and link a (for example) enlarged plans. In our work, all the details are linked to something else, usually a massive set of standard details from a seperate PLN file.

There are downsides: polygonal outlines of the detail areas on plans do not work well. But the ability to link details to anything was a huge help when it arrived in AC 11. When the detail tool fist appeared without this functionality, I thought GS had lost its mind.

Re: Difference between Worksheet and Detail Tool???

Dwight — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 16:40:57 GMT

Note to self:

Screenplay idea:

"Night of the Attack of the Zombie Details."

"A young architect, naively buying BIM technology as the solution to all design and production problems, slowly goes insane from overwork trying to make the thing work due to lack of foresight in not delegating the entire challenge to a servant. He hallucinates being pursued by animated building materials that cannot be controlled [or linked] before giving the whole thing up and going back to drafting, as the sun finally rises."

Re: Difference between Worksheet and Detail Tool???

Chazz — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 16:45:42 GMT

Dwight wrote:
Screenplay idea:"Night of the Attack of the Zombie Details."

Can I preorder the screenplay?

Re: Difference between Worksheet and Detail Tool???

Anonymous — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 16:45:52 GMT

Dwight wrote:
Note to self:

Screenplay idea:

"Night of the Attack of the Zombie Details."

"A young architect, naively buying BIM technology as the solution to all design and production problems, slowly goes insane from overwork trying to make the thing work due to lack of foresight in not delegating the entire challenge to a servant. He hallucinates being pursued by animated building materials that cannot be controlled [or linked] before giving the whole thing up and going back to drafting, as the sun finally rises."

Can I star?

Re: Difference between Worksheet and Detail Tool???

Dwight — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 17:34:57 GMT

Do you have the round glasses and bow tie?

Re: Difference between Worksheet and Detail Tool???

Dwight — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 17:35:28 GMT

and chiseled Dawson's Creek chin?

Re: Difference between Worksheet and Detail Tool???

Stress Co_ — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 08:18:01 GMT

A small but, significant? difference:

The worksheet tool will copy text and dimensions, The detail tool will not.

Re: Difference between Worksheet and Detail Tool???

TomWaltz — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 14:29:50 GMT

Stress wrote:
A small but, significant? difference:

The worksheet tool will copy text and dimensions, The detail tool will not.

It will if you check the box to do so in the Settings Menu.

Re: Difference between Worksheet and Detail Tool???

Djordje — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 05:09:54 GMT

Dave wrote:
Ideally, as Djordje hinted, the detail tool would have a check box to keep it live or make it a zombie.

No.

Detail should stay as it is. The Worksheet - unlike now - should not be a zombie, but a live model view, cropped to zoom. Cropped being the key word here - placing on layouts, DWG export etc ...