Writing information into 2000+ zones

[Anonymous]

I am currently modeling a 2200 room hospital, for coordination and management puposes.

Having all the architectural drawings in 2D, we are trying to write into the zone stamps the finishes information (floor, ceiling, walls, skirtings, etc.)

This has to be done manually, zone by zone, on the floor plan, with the drawings as ghost stories.

The obvious way to do it is selecting a zone, ctrl+T, inputting the correct letters to the variables (I am using the DCA Zone Identifier stamp, but this applies to any other stamp), and moving to the next zone.

for 2000+ zones, this is mind boggling.

Would there be any other way to do this input? No schedules, because the info is in plan view, and each room has a different combination, with no clear logical assignments.

[Anonymous]

If you set the right parameters for the interactive schedule, you can directly change the data in the zone stamp. It worked for me. Well, I did not have 2000 zones...

[Anonymous]

Erika
Last time I checked, it was A LOT

Ralph
Looks great, a bit like ArchiFM.
But it is also an expensive solution for solving just this problem.

Marie
I can change parameters in the schedule, but that is not the solution, as the information is drawn on a Xrefed DWG plan view.

I want to be able to do the changes in the floor plan window, without opening the schedule.

When working with a 2000+ zones schedule, things tend to slow down on the variables input.

I could of course select just a few zones, open the schedule, introduce the changes, close the schedule, select a few more zones, opens the schedule...

But when you are dealing with so many elements, theses workarounds get very expensive, time wise.

My hope was that there would be a magical way you could input the data directly into a zone stamp on the floor plan, as you do with the text tool.

Wish list, I guess...

Still, thanks for all the help.

[KeesW]

Codebook looks terrific!
Is cost really an issue with a 2200 room hospital commission?
Surely the time saved and accuracy of the information will more than pay for such a product?
Or is the cost really astronomical?

[Anonymous]

Kees

One year subscription is 3300 Euros.

If the software allows me to input the room data in some minus 10 hours, that would mean 330 € per hour rate (not counting the time I'll need to learn it).

And after one year I loose the software, because it is on one of those subscription themes.

It is not expensive taking into account the hospital as a whole (My job is modeling for construction, not designing), but is is very expensive just to save some 10 hours work.

[Erika Epstein]

dRofus is another hospital data base. They are in Norway and are used in many countries. We used them very successfully and in two BIMstorms last fall. We were all impressed by their work and how easy it made all of ours including that of our cost estimator.

http://www.drofus.no/

[KeesW]

Miguel

That is too expensive for 10 hour's work!

A bit like CAD where the first plan version could sometimes be done as quickly by hand as by computer. However, CAD earns its keep when the information has to be edited. Maybe your database is the same - how much time to alter it after its been done? We in AUS are not as efficient and sometimes have changes after the intial designs are completed.

[Anonymous]

KeesW

You are right, changes are the only constant in construction

But on this job, we are modeling a hospital for the GC, and construction is allready under way, so the changes will be on the detail level (no new floors, wings, or hardly even rooms).

I am struggling with the input of the whole data, but am not so worried with minor changes along the way. Changing a couple of room finishes is one thing, inputting the same finishes into 2200 rooms another.

[Anonymous]

Hi Miguel,

Assuming you are using one zone stamp to all zones on your project... I guess it could be done by a little GDL hacking inside the zone stamp object.

But of course I must be missing something... If you could give me more details I could give it a shot.

HTH.

[Anonymous]

Hello Braza

That would be a powerful object:

A Stamp that would allow data input in the plan window.

You think that is possible?

[Anonymous]

Krippahl wrote:
Hello Braza

That would be a powerful object:

A Stamp that would allow data input in the plan window.

You think that is possible?

This would depend on GS granting my long standing wish for "hottext" in GDL (like the hotspot and hotline which allow direct user input). This is one of those little things with HUGE implications.

Add to this a "hotpoly" function and the ability to include these in autoscripts and we would be inches away from visual GDL.