Documentation All On One Drawing

[Anonymous]

Hi,

Now that contractors are starting to read drawings straight from PDF's I was wondering if anybody is placing all documentation on a very large layout? It would be fairly easy to zoom around the one drawing to see all the different drawings and notes without having to select different drawing layouts to go back and forth.

Just a thought.

Regards,

[Anonymous]

Interesting idea but not sure if you've tried large PDFs on a mobile device like iPad?
We document large projects at B1 or A1 size and the iPad dies with B1s. fills in particular can cause massive slowdowns.
There is a product we've used occasionally that rips all PDFs into images of your size. As a result the processor is not so taxed for the large files. Saying that we don't use it much as its painful to have to per process files…

[Anonymous]

Hi,

Thanks for the feedback and large PDF's are a problem. Apple Macs seem to make huge PDF prints particularly where 3D images are embedded in the drawings.

I have found that hairline drawings can be scaled to any size though and all the detail is visible at 1:100 or 1:1000, etc. Add some colour to the plans, details, elevations and they still read well at tiny scales. Hairline plans, elevations and details make small PDF files.

As PDF printers get more efficient I think the one drawing approach makes sense in terms of ease of production of the drawings by the architect and ease of use by contractors and clients, etc. Parts of the drawings could be marqueed and printed off as required.

However this is all just an incremental step to contractors and users eventually working with the 3D model in my opinion. But it could be a useful step.

Change is inevitable.

Regards,

[Anonymous]

What about the model?
That's where it should end up!
However sharing a model and all notes dims details etc is well beyond IFCs as we know them

I'd say watch this space.