Foundation Method

[Anonymous]

I am curious as to how others are modeling and documenting foundations. In a residential project I typically like to show my floor framing with my foundation plan (perimeter foundation). In this case the footing is usually represented by a dashed line and the stem walls are shown with solid lines. In the case of a slab on grade the inside edge of the footing is shown dashed, outside edge of slab/footing is solid. In both of these cases I want the linework to be solid in section/elevation. AFAIK if I use the wall tool to model the footings I cannot have them shown with different line types in section and floor plan. The slab tool allows this but seems much less friendly for this type of modeling task. I got good results using the offset tool/magic wand for edge footings by tracing the perimeter of a slab, but this wasn't helpful for footings on the interior of the slab. Every building has a foundation so I'm sure this has been worked out. I've only been using AC part time for about 2 months so I'm still developing my methods and techniques. Your help has been extremely appreciated. I also don't want fills in plan but I do in section, I know, I'm picky.

[Vitruvius]

I've gone through the same dilemma:-

Basically slabs allow you to have a dashed line in plan and solid line in section - however - you have no ability to model stepped footings.

A wall allows greater flexibility in modelling stepped footings in that you can trim angles using roof planes and the "steps" using windows. To achieve the dashed line, you can either draw a dashed line on a layer "2D plan info" and hide the footing wall - or - you can use an empty window to trim the top of the "footing" wall and have the window sills display using the dashed line.

If you're feeling really ambitious, you could GDL model a window symbol to undercut your foundation wall and provide stepped footings as required. This would provide full line control and you could even put in that little concrete key!

Cheers, Cameron

[Anonymous]

The wall tool can display different line types in plan if you use a composite. This means you have to make a different one for each footing width though. AFAIR the line type in section is always solid. Has this changed in 8.1?

[Rick Thompson]

Matthew wrote:
The wall tool can display different line types in plan if you use a composite. This means you have to make a different one for each footing width though. AFAIR the line type in section is always solid. Has this changed in 8.1?

Another good reason for do it this way is material listing. You can use the composite name to organize the list and allows rebar to be set according to the footing size. The only way I know to do this, and it works very well.

[Anonymous]

I've been working on a template file that already has my different sizes of footings. No matter what I do if my footing is shown dashed in plan it is also dashed in section! What am I missing?

[Anonymous]

Flamer wrote:
I've been working on a template file that already has my different sizes of footings. No matter what I do if my footing is shown dashed in plan it is also dashed in section! What am I missing?

Well GOOOOOLLY! I never.

It seems that the line types in plan ARE the same as in section. This is (IMHO) not such a good thing. In fact I can't (off the top of my head) think of why I would ever want this.

Mark, would you care to do the honors? It looks like we have a wish list item here.

[Rick Thompson]

Matthew wrote:

Flamer wrote:
I've been working on a template file that already has my different sizes of footings. No matter what I do if my footing is shown dashed in plan it is also dashed in section! What am I missing?

Well GOOOOOLLY! I never.

It seems that the line types in plan ARE the same as in section. This is (IMHO) not such a good thing. In fact I can't (off the top of my head) think of why I would ever want this.

Mark, would you care to do the honors? It looks like we have a wish list item here.

Are you sure... this is what mine look like

[Anonymous]

So Rick,

Tell us how you do it. I can't find any setting that fixes it as you show. Inquiring minds want to know.

[__archiben]

Matthew wrote:
It seems that the line types in plan ARE the same as in section. This is (IMHO) not such a good thing. In fact I can't (off the top of my head) think of why I would ever want this.

this is for composite walls right?

i set up some composites (with dashed lines) just last week for this very purpose. we are erecting a shell for a tenant to take over the fit out of. we have critical internal dimensions to meet whilst only constructing the wall's stud core.

i needed dashed lines in plan and section to show tenant fit-out works whilst showing our own core as solid lines . . .

additionally, if you use a thick dashed line in your composites for membranes, etc.. don't you want these to show dashed in section also? please don't add this to the wish list! (or have i got the wrong end of the stick?)

~/archiben

[Anonymous]

~/archiben wrote:
...please don't add this to the wish list! (or have i got the wrong end of the stick?)

~/archiben

Ben,

I didn't mean to remove the ability to show the dashed lines in section (though I can see why you thought so). Only to allow them to show differently in plan and section. This would be the option, the default would be to show the same (for clarity and consistency). I realize I didn't make myself very clear.