Mod Files

[archislave]

I have several Mod files for Apartment units. In a building plan I hotllink in the mod file for the units. I then have a building plan. Now, when I want to do an enlarged unit plan which shows more annotation for that particular unit and at a larger scale - do I add the annotation in the unit's .mod file on layers that are turned off in the building .pln? Can I set up a view and sheet in the mod file for printing? I willl also need to import that view on a sheet for a master publishing .pln.

[archislave]

oops! I just realized I can't import .mod views into a layout book. Now I wish I had just made a .pln's of the apartments instead of .mod's. I really wish GS would develop a really concise and definite way to go on this instead of all these different ways.

[Anonymous]

I can see a couple of advantages and disadvantages of each method.

If you convert you .mod file to a .pln file and choose to annotate and generate views at that level then you'll be adding all that information multiple times into the master .pln file. This isn't necessarily a problem, and you're right, the additional information can easily be controlled through layering. An advantage to this method would be that any alterations you make to the unit plan can can more easily be coordinated with the enlarged plan graphics if they are located in the same file. A disadvantage - I find that updating layout views from other .pln files can be slow.

[Laura Yanoviak]

Create/modify your unit plans in a PLN file (be it the same file as your building, or a separate file) -- MOD files are not meant for working in, they are more like "vessels" of information for import. Publish your unit plans to MOD (with the desired layers on/off) and hotlink those MOD files into your building model. For your enlarged unit plans, work in the original PLN. Layers will not be an issue. The only "disadvantage" to this method is that you have to publish to MOD prior to updating the hotlinks.

[archislave]

Thanks! Everyone, for weighing in. Laura also gave me a new insight for saving out the .Mod file by turning off the layers that don't need to appear in the building. This is almost like a snapshot of just the info you want to be written out - great!