Annotation in Layouts: Is it Wrong? Do You? Are You Ashamed?

[Chazz]

For an old-schooler like me, it somehow just feels impure, tainted and unclean to annotate in the layout environment. This is undoubtedly leftover baggage from the bad old days of my childhood with PlotMaker, where I trained users to only lay up and plot in the layouts --nothing more.

However, lately I've been doing more live 3D assembly views and it would be nice to keep them live and be able to annotate them. Since annotation is currently not possible in the 3D window, doing it in the layout environment is the next best option.

Is anyone else here willing to confess the sin of annotating in the layout window? If so; Why did you do it and do you feel sullied or liberated? Speak up, we're here to support you.

[Anonymous]

I share your reservations, but it's the only way to go with 3D details for now. My rule is always do what works if it won't cause too many problems later. BTW: Nice drawing. Is all that detail in in the model?

[Chazz]

Matthew wrote:
My rule is always do what works if it won't cause too many problems later.

Amen. Nice to have a prominent user out himself here and join me in solidarity. Together we will remove the stigma and through our stance, encourage others to come forward and annotate any way they darn well want.

Matthew wrote:
Is all that detail in the model?

Yeah, I'm not a very good drafter so I model everything. My current gig for a global retailer requires something other than traditional CD's (of which I'm all to familiar). We publish things that are more like style guides. They need to point the way without being too technical and can be understood at a glance. Because the conventions are so different globally we don't get too specific. The ultimate goal is to remove english, which, if you've ever looked at Ikea instructions, you know is really hard.

[Thomas Holm]

Chazz wrote:
The ultimate goal is to remove english, which, if you've ever looked at Ikea instructions, you know is really hard.

I know. Despite I even know Swedish.

I'm with you all the way, Chazz!

[Anonymous]

Chazz wrote:
Since annotation is currently not possible in the 3D window, doing it in the layout environment is the next best option.

Hi Chazz,

What do you say about saving your 3D view as 2d lines and then importing it in floor plan, in order to add annotations?

Cheers.

Adrian Tudoreanu

[Chazz]

adytc wrote:
What do you say about saving your 3D view as 2d lines and then importing it in floor plan, in order to add annotations?

What I say is that it's a strictly one-way ticket to pain and humiliation (and yes, I do it all the time). The problem, of course, is that when the model is revised, the whole process needs to be repeated and that is sort of antithetical to the gospel of BIM and virtual building that I preach. I am a hopeless link maintainer and file dynamicist.

However, when the 3D window is saved as a view and placed as a drawing in a layout, it stays live. All you have to do is get over your natural aversion to annotating in the layout evironmaent which, with Matthew's help, I'm seeing my way twords doing.

[Chazz]

Thomas wrote:
I know. Despite I even know Swedish.

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/30546

[Thomas Holm]

Chazz wrote:

Thomas wrote:
I know. Despite I even know Swedish.

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/30546

[Anonymous]

After seeing what you have created in that detail I will also start annotating 3D in Layouts. Just tell me, are the studs & runners objects or slab/wall... creation. If Objects, where can I buy them from.
Thanks,
Joseph

[Chazz]

Joseph wrote:
Are the studs & runners objects or slab/wall... creation. If Objects, where can I buy them from?

The studs and joists are profiles (with SEO's applied to the joist for the holes) and the rest is custom library junk or stuff out of the standard library.

BTW the articulating top and bottom plates are based on the system supplied by Flex-Ability Concepts --maybe the dumbest company name ever.

I wish someone would make a nice, super-parametric steel framing collection but I have not seen one.