Five separate files, one site plan...?

[Melissa F]

Hi there,

I'm after some advice for a current project I'm working on that covers 5 adjacent sites. Each site will have a double storey house on it that needs to be documented separately, as each site will have a separate building permit. So for each site/house I will need to produce a separate set of documentation.

However I also need to be able to produce an overall site plan, site elevation and 3D street views that show all the houses and sites together. Let's call this the" site plan file".

My idea was to create a separate Archicad PLN file for each site (so 5 separate files) in which I can use my template to create layouts for plans, sections elevations etc, then save a MOD file from each of those files that can be hot linked into the site plan file.

The problem I see with this method is that there is no link between the original site PLN file (which includes all the layouts) and the MOD file created from it. That is, if I make changes to the PLN file they will not be reflected in the MOD file and therefore the overall site plan will not be up to date. I would need to re-save MOD file each time and re-link it in the site plan file.

If I just work on the MOD files to produce the documentation for the building permit, I don't have all the pre-set layouts & views from my template available. Is there a better/more efficient way to set this project up that I am missing?

I thought about just keeping all 5 houses in the one project file and using 5 sets of layers to keep their docs separate. But I think that would create a really big file and also be completely unwieldy to manage all those layers and views! Any suggestions would be most welcome.

[Rex Maximilian]

You link the PLN files of the building to the site file, not MOD files. That way, every time you edit and save the actual building files, the site file will see them updated. I do this all the time. When I import the PLN files, I import them by stories, not as a single model. It works great!

For your situation, you could import each site and each building from the PLN file into the master site model (which is made up of hotlines).

TLDR: link PLNs instead of modules for automatic updates.

You can also link Teamwork files as you would a PLN file as well.

[Melissa F]

How do you link a PLN file??!! I din't know that was possible!

Also, why by stories not a single model?

[Rex Maximilian · Accepted solution]

When you're finding the hotlink to add, choose a PLN file or Archicad FIle. If not available, make sure the filter type is set correctly.

I import by stories because I like having control over what shows for my plan files without having to worry about cutting planes. If your purpose is truly for 3D only, then import as a single model.

[Melissa F]

Brilliant! Thanks so much - I will give that a go. I've been using Archicad for years and thought the only file that could be hot linked was a MOD file!

[Rex Maximilian]

Just choose "Archicad Solo Project" to hotlink a PLN file.

[Lingwisyer]

If it is detached housing, go with the above method, else if you have party walls, I would use the Iceberg method as it will be easier to align everything.

Ling.

ps. Please add a signature to your profile. Refer link in my signature.

[Erwin Edel]

We set up a module publish set for this. All you need to publish is one floor plan (with a layer combination of all relevant layers) and set it up to include all other stories. Automatic updates sound great, but a PLN can be constantly changing, with some changes not meant to be shared with client yet, so having a module file from the latest published set, instead of a live model, can be useful.

Publishing a module is a matter of opening the set and pushing publish button and takes like 30s.

[Rex Maximilian]

In most all of my cases of using hotlinks, I always want the update to be live. I would recommend using PLN linking first, then if live updates are actually counter to what is needed, then use a MOD system. That way. if live updates are the intention, it'll save you the steps of having to create a publisher set and then constantly publishing.

[Melissa F]

Yes agree - live updates essential for me otherwise things get missed. 

Update: I have now set up the hot linked PLN's which so far seem to be working really well. Thanks again.