Linking columns together floor to floor

[Anonymous]

Hello,

I am working on developing a new 4 story building. The column locations are constantly changing and I'm finding it difficult to constantly change column locations on all the floor levels. Is there a way when I move a column on on floor the corresponding columns on other floors adjust with it? I appreciate your help!

Cheers,

Alan

[Dwight]

TomWaltz wrote:

If the floor to floor height is the only difference, you could make the columns the tallest height them SEO them as needed on each floor.

On his album "My Feet Are Smiling" the famed American twelve-string guitarist Leo Kottke promises "I'm going to take a lovely melody and drive it right into the ground."

There's a point where you do a trick and then you do another trick and then you do yet another trick and pretty soon nobody can figure out what you did.

[Dwight]

Matthew wrote:

Dwight wrote:
Like in 3D? Maybe make the columns on a dedicated layer and show them alone in 3D and group individual column stacks?

Yup.

Columns are usually on the A-COLS, S-COLS or such anyway. It's easy, but it's not a trick 😉 (New to 11 though.)

The module approach seems too tedious unless the extra security is important.

I'm just "having you on" since in my first posting i suggested grouping.

[Anonymous]

Dwight wrote:

Matthew wrote:

Dwight wrote:
Like in 3D? Maybe make the columns on a dedicated layer and show them alone in 3D and group individual column stacks?

Yup.

Columns are usually on the A-COLS, S-COLS or such anyway. It's easy, but it's not a trick 😉 (New to 11 though.)

The module approach seems too tedious unless the extra security is important.

I'm just "having you on" since in my first posting i suggested grouping.

oh I hadn't noticed

[Karl Ottenstein]

Dwight wrote:
Group in 3D, either as vertical groups or whatever....

When you move a column on one storey, the grouped ones on other storeys will also move.

I didn't realize multi-story grouping had been added to 11. Cool. Works well, and easiest solution.

A hotlinked module has the benefit of avoiding any placement errors (the grouping could be suspended in the group solution, resulting in mis-alignments) - but has the disadvantage Dwight mentions of different story heights, but also that the column members would be the same in each story. Frequently, of course, smaller members are needed on the upper stories.

So, yeah, I'm on board with the careful use of grouping in 11+ for this.

Cheers,
Karl

[Anonymous]

Karl wrote:
A hotlinked module . . . has the disadvantage Dwight mentions of different story heights, but also that the column members would be the same in each story.

Unless you use a multi-story module.

[Dwight]

How would that be done? I am not familiar with modules.

[Dwight]

Nevermind. I looked it up, but it seems convoluted.

[Anonymous]

Dwight wrote:
How would that be done? I am not familiar with modules.

Two ways.

One is to make a PLN with nothing but the columns (and perhaps the column grid) and link this into the main building model(s).

The other is to group all the columns in 3D and then select and save them from the plan view (Save selection as module is not available in 3D). Note that if you chose to replace the selection with the newly created module it will place multiple, single story modules (just a quirk I guess).

[Dwight]

Okay. I tried to do it by saving from the 3D and it was not possible.

This does seem like extra work since you must group the elements anyways.

What are the advantages beyond simple grouping?

[Anonymous]

Dwight wrote:
What are the advantages beyond simple grouping?

Just the extra security that columns cannot be inadvertently moved. No big deal since the elements can be locked as well as the layer if desired. It's hard to imagine a need for it in this case. On the other hand I am using modules for the column grids - still a bit of an esoteric purpose though.