Multiple building multiple apartment file structure

[Anonymous]

We are starting to document a Multiple building (5) apartment development (300 apartments) in total) and I would just like some advice on the way we have the files setup to see if this is the best way or if there are more efficient ways to do this.

We have a team of 3-5 people working on the project. We are doing construction drawings .

All files are teamwork to enable multiple concurrent user.

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MASTER FILE (Masterplan) that contains:
- All below ground works to and including ground floor slab.
- Siteworks
- Grid
- Lift cores

Into this file the each building A, B, C, D, E is hotlinked as a mod.

This file is used to generate all sheets including, elevations sections and details.

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BUILDING A.PLN, BUILDING B.PLN.......

Each building has its own pln. This contains slabs, firestairs, internal and external walls and everything that goes into this building from the ground up.

Apartment types are hotlinked mod files into the building pln.

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APARTMENT .PLN
Each apartment type is drawing on a separate storey. These include internal walls, ceilings floor surfaces and anything internal to the apartment.

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Does this structure seem workable, what problems do you forsee, any suggestions for improvements?

Thanks
Pete

[Anonymous]

What you have there is what I recommend for this sort of project.

The only thing I can think to add at the moment is that it is generally better to publish the unit plans/models as modules rather than linking them directly. This allows a lot more flexibilty and control.

For one thing it makes updating an explicit process which I prefer to having it automatic in cases like this.

Another advantage is that you can control which layers are conveyed from the unit plan file to the buildings. So, for example, you can have the same layers and combos in all the files and still draw common walls in your unit plans without conveying them to the buildings.

[Anonymous]

Further to my last question:
We currently have linked to the masterplan file the following module types:
1. module for each apartment type showing internal walls and ceilings
2. module for each floor slab and external walls and party walls.

However the floor levels of each building are at different levels.

In the masterplan file do you create a storey for each level across the development... eg Building B Level 1, Building C Level 1, Building C Level2 etc..?

In doing this we have found that we are essentially "building the model" twice, one in the "building file" and again floor by floor in the masterplan file

Is it better to bring in the whole building as a multi-storey module - I have heard that this could be quite slow.

[Anonymous]

Setting up the master plan/overall site/campus model can be a bit of a chore. The exact process depends on the scope and details of the project but I don't see any advantage to replicating all the stories from all the buildings except perhaps in cases where the floor to floor heights are largely standardized. This means that the buildings will need to be assembled floor by floor.

One consideration is what you want to display on the site plan. I have seen some where the ground floor plans are used, others which use the roof plans and some sets that use both. The easiest way to do this is to create one story for each plan and another for the modules for 3D only. The details depend on the specific circumstances.