Shared Details

[Seiss Wagner]

I am working a three building job with each building in its own ArchiCAD file and with the whole project collated into one layout book.

How do I effectively share details between the various building sets? It appears, as if all the details for the job must be stored in the Navigatior Project Map, for each building set, if the details are going to be linked to the detail maker.

To put it another way: Detail Tool>General>Link this Detail...>Browse does not allow you to access details outside of its own file. So each building file in the set must contain all the jobs details that maybe needed for that file. This is a lot of extra work and a waste of file size.

Is there a better way to do this, is there another way to link the details?

Seiss

[TomWaltz]

You are correct. The only way to link to a Detail Window is if it is in your current PLN/PLP file.

(VERY long-standing complaint, and don't even get me started on "detail from a detail").

[Anonymous]

you could publish the detail as dwg/pmk....place it in a common folder then just import it into plotmaker....

[Djordje]

... or create a PLNful of independent details, and take them as needed.

[Karl Ottenstein]

...but those workarounds do not give you a Detail Marker that is autotext-linked to the number/page of the placed detail. As Tom said, this has all been a big wish for a while...

Karl

[Seiss Wagner]

KARL -

Thanks for stating the issue clearly: creating a file of details is not the issue, auto-linking details from all over the place without having to create a detail file is the issue.

Djordje, Benbenek, and others, would do well to read a more complete explaination in my response to Grant: see "Drafting Wishes": http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=6033

Seiss

[tsturm]

Or next time consider linking all three buildings into one file and manage them as resources via the Hotlink Manager.

Do all the detailing from this single file and you will only need to draw them once and have them all autolink.

Keeping the buildings in separate files allows you to set a team to each building and a team to produce the sections and details without ever using teamwork.

[Scott Bulmer]

Karl wrote:

...but those workarounds do not give you a Detail Marker that is autotext-linked to the number/page of the placed detail.

which is correct but.......

Outlined below is our method (tip/trick) for the autotext-linked referencing of details when importing from different project PLN's into Plotmaker. This is useful when using a single PLN file catalog of all office details (master PLN file of all office details), or referencing details from other PLN projects. This also eliminates the need to copy/paste details between PLN projects.

I know this is a work around, but it works well for me when using the PM 'Grid for Drawing Numbering' feature. This will not work when details are placed on standard sheets without the grid feature layout setting on.

I have a master PLN of details only, sorted however you wish. In PM (for any project), we import details from that master detail PLN. In the project PLN file (non-detail PLN), we create place holders or phantom details named i.e. ‘PLACEHOLDER WEEP SCREED’ (empty with the exception of a couple hot spots). Within the project PLN, these phantom details are linked to their respective reference marks placed in plan and section. Then in PM, we import and place the place holder/ phantom details into the same squares/cells as the actual details previously imported from the Master Details PLN file, creating an artificial hotlink.

The end result is that we maintain a centralized master PLN of all details organized, in our case using a version of the CSI format in addition to View Sets for each project, i.e. we have View Sets grouping CSI items like -7 Thermal & Moisture Protection details, as well as grouping details by individual projects (which view set is imported into PM).

By using place holders or Phantom details in any and all project PLN files, the details will be accurately referenced/autolinked. Import the phantom details from the project PLN file and combine with the corresponding details imported from the master detail PLN file. Place the phantom detail with the real detail in the same PM details sheet cells. That will trick AC9 detail reference markers to have the correct auto text.

One final note, in PM I typically group the place holder detail with the actual detail in case a detail is shifted or moved to another sheet. This is very quick for me, and to date I have had great success with automatic and properly referenced details (no errors since using this approach). This trick will become unnecessary upon Archicad's (hopefully) future ability to import/exchange details between PLN files.

I hope this is something useful.
Ciao,
Scott