Worhsheets ? - How do you all use them?

[rob2218]

Basically, what and where would you use a "Worksheet" scenario?
I find I'm using them for doing "General Notes" list, or demolition key notes, or plan key notes.

But I'd like to know how the rest of you use the "worksheet" function?

I know that in worksheets, objects loose their 3d parameters and you can only have 2d type symbols...so how do you all use it?

Would you also create "viewmaps" for worksheets and how would this be advantageous? In what ways? EXPLAIN.

[Anonymous]

I place any CAD files (as drawings) either from consultants or product manufacturer's that I need to refer to.

I also have some office standards set up on one for quick reference.

[Anonymous]

I use them (extensively) to place reference backgrounds. On my coordination projects this includes DWGs and PDFs (and the occasional TIF) of civil, architectural and engineering drawings.

Worksheets are functionally identical to details. They exist primarily to provide a place to put anything that wants it's own window but isn't a detail. Some have complained that this is unnecessary duplication but I quite like the distinction without a difference since I have some projects with many details and reference drawings and managing them all in the same list would be quite a chore.

Your use of them for general notes and such makes perfect sense to me.

[Anonymous]

Apart from the uses already mentioned, I frequently use worksheets for exporting DWGs background files for consultants to quickly consolidate lines and fills and remove things from the export without messing with the actual drawings or model. Also they are quite handy for special diagrams that would otherwise require adding new layers and layer combinations.

[rob2218]

thanks all.
very helpful comments.

what about "viewmap" settings? Do you find that you'll create a "viewmap" for specific worksheet areas or simply drag-n-drop the actual 'worksheet' right off the project naviator instead of the 'viewmaps'?

[Laszlo Nagy]

rob2218 wrote:
Would you also create "viewmaps" for worksheets and how would this be advantageous? In what ways? EXPLAIN.

If you want the to place the content of the Worksheet on a Layout then it is a good idea to save it as a View. Even for a Worksheet that contains note. Then you can just drag the View onto any Layout you like.

[rob2218]

thanks Laszlo,
I figured as much that worksheet viewmaps 'should' be created just like any other "viewmap" on the database but wanted to confirm.

I noticed the other day as I was working on my worksheet that the "quick options" for the scale was off. Wasn't 1:1 and it was something like 1/4"=1'-0" or so and all the lines, notes, text, etc...looked huge...then when I changed the scale back to a 1:1 scale, everything looked 'better'.

So, lead in into my next question about worksheets.

Does anyone also have a precise 'penset' for worksheets? Pens that you want plotted a certain way either thin or thick?

Also, what about bringing objects like tags, and electrical symbols into worksheets? I noticed that 3d objects tend to get "exploded" (loose their 3d properties) while 2d objects that have some sort of parametric functionality.

[Laszlo Nagy]

You can create a penset especially for the Worksheets placed on Layouts.
You place the View saved of the Worksheet as a Drawing on a Layout, then you can assign a different penset to the Drawing.

Worksheets are essentially 2D with a one-way connection (they can also be independent). Their source updates them but they cannot update their source. So they are not like an enlarged floor plan (Call-out as they call it in that other program), where the Worksheet remains a model and any change you make in the Worksheet updates the model.
I think many people would welcome such a feature.

So yes, it is essentially 2D. Very similar to a Detail with a few slight differences.