Teamworking Plotmaker

[tsturm]

I have read a lot of posts for using Plotmaker.

I have read a lot of posts for using ArchiCAD and Teamwork.

What I have not read about how anyone is using Plotmaker with lots of teammates.

If all the drawings for a Teamworked project go into one plotmaker layout book, and only one person can open that layout book. Then how does a team of people access the layouts to add, relocate and print out drawings?

Can anyone add any information to this topic of Plotmaker usage for a team of people?

Do we create layout books for different sections of a project, such as plans, sections and elevations and details going into separate layout books.

Can anyone who worked on that great big tower in Asia chime in on how they used Plotmaker on that project??

I cannot believe that project had one layout book.

Or I missed something about using Plotmaker and Teamwork somewhere along the way.

Thanks

[Aussie John]

You can make your own temporary layouts (from a template) and then later import them into the master layout

[tsturm]

Dear John

You have always been such a help on the Architalk area

However, I am looking for help with how to use plotmaker with lots of people.

I already know how to use it very effiecently with a single person.

I need to know how to use it best with lots of people. How do we all use the single resource of the teamworked ArchiCAD file.

Thanks for the post.

[Aussie John]

terrance- plotmaker is not able to open to multiple users ie only one person can open at a time. It can have the files linked to the teamwork file however. My workaround is for each user to have temporary clone of the layout file and add drawings there.

Whoever has the real file open can import the layouts when it is time to print.

You might want to check the wish list for a multiple user teamwork file and add if not.

[Thomas Holm]

John,

please give us some details on how this works. Where do you put the temporary clone, how to you transfer layouts from the temp to the real, etc.

Please?

[Aussie John]

all you need is a local file (it doesnt matter where it is located) that matches the layout configuration of the real file. If you use templates then you can you that as a base for the file. The local user can add their files imported from the teamwork file. A title block is only important if you want to print directly from the local copy.

Anyone using the Main file can import layouts from the local file to update the main file. you can then put it anywhere you like in the drawing list ot change the master page if needed.

I use a title blockon the master page which draws heavily from the book info and autotext so it is easy to get the title block correct.

Its definately a workaround. Once transfered the only way to update is to delete the layout page and reimport. Talking between team members is needed.

[Thomas Holm]

Thanks John! I like talking. So that's not a problem!

[__archiben]

the large projects i've worked on we spilt the LBK's down into manageable chunks and work packages. you lose the plotmaker auto-drawing-marker feature, but it means that teammates can, in most cases, open the layouts that they need without the danger of duplicating any data . . .

of course, talking between team-members is still a necessity! i've yet to come across any teamwork environment where it isn't!

cheers
~/archiben

[Haneef Tayob]

Hello
Plotmaker with teamwork has been one of my wishes for quite a while.

Currently if I need to print some drawings whilst someone if using a layout book, or If i don't have time to open an entire layout book, I simply import the layout book and choose/tick off only the layouts I require. This works if you need only a few layouts and only if you don't intend editing layouts.

regards
Haneef

[Anonymous]

We also urge shared layout books from PlotMaker. Although with some of the shortcomings of know precisely which views need updating, easily finding views that may be placed twice, and coordination of updates to solo models in use (http://www.graphisoft.com/support/archicad/archiguide/LBKupdate.html), adding the complexity of teamwork functionality to the mix may be premature. It does need to get there though - the sooner the better.

Our current experience on projects with teams greater than four is to have a person wholly devoted to the "talking" and "coordination" required for the layout book.

To answer part of Terrence's post more directly:

We use 2-3 layout books per project
(If you've successfully implemented auto-detailing stay with 1)
(We current use Architectural, Structural and Details)

We designate a single Plot Manager for the project
(They are the traffic cop for importing, updating and plotting)

We carefully use ArchiCAD view sets
(A CAD Manager is assigned if it is too much for the Project Manager)
(Some specific to ease importing to PlotMaker)
(Some specific to common team navigation within the model)
(Some specific to individual navigation within the shared model)

We update in "batches" as best we can
(Just as sign-ins to a shared model should be as infrequent as possible)
(Updates to large layout books are time consuming)
("Plot" from ArchiCAD for revision review as much as possible)


I hope this helps. As you can see there is the potential for two large administrative roles once you are past 30 sheets or so). We view this required overhead and many of these steps as "workarounds" as John sees his (undesired) steps. Both office's efforts indicate that there are improvements necessary in PlotMaker. I am beginning to believe there must be some non-compete clause that must expire before Graphisoft can fully modify PlotMaker for team based projects.

Our one analog architect in the office kindly reminds us of how important getting the drawings onto paper is. That is all we sell besides with time.