Big team, Single Building.

[NandoMogollon]

Hi,
there is the situation:
We are working with 20 guys, in a single building. (the terminal building for an airport)

Today we are working with a simple PLP and 6 PLC files. all other guys are working on MOD files that have been placed into the PLP file as a Hotlinked Module Files (HLM).

And we have like 8 PLN files for Layouting only ( we need to produce about 1600 sheets)

Would it be better IF: ...

Instead of working on a single PLP, working on, let say 6 PLCs and Put them all together as HLM files on a different PLN?

In that case:

How can we guarantee the consistency of the layer combinations, Pensets, Model View options, fills, composities, profiles and others attributes, all over 6 PLP files?

I'll really appreciate any opinion or help from you. (it doesn't matter if you're a Guru or not)

Thanks !

[Ignacio Azpiazu]

Juha wrote:
If you open a MOD it copies itself ALL the attributes that were present in the previous PLN, PLC, DWG or whatever file was open in ArchiCAD. […]If you want to modify linked MOD's, then be sure to open a decent PLN (which contains only accepted attributes) before opening and saving it. Better off with PLN's.

Don't modify a .mod by opening it, .mods are not working files really, they are more like output 'messenger package' files, the modelspace equivalent to the beautiful paperspace PMK of yesteryear. Modify its content from the file you created them from and re-save, or better keep a view with its layer combination saved and publish as .mod so that you keep control of the layer combination you are using.

[Anonymous]

2. Layout books:
Updating Views from different PLP files that are 60mb (+) size its tricky sometimes. for floor plans details and worksheets works almost at 90%, but for general sections, you can wait for 1 hour to rebuild it and maybe an hour or 1 day to get it into the layout book. It is still a problem.

We worked on a 30,000sqm commercial development last year and had similar problems updating the layout book. We were lucky if the book updated overnight, even after splitting it from the main plp file. The project was fast track and was 3 months ahead of programme and we only managed to scrape through the project with our reputation intact.
We now have a similar project, same team, same contractor and same problem.
We have even started (can't believe I am saying this after being an Archicad worshipper fro soo long) to look long term for other softwares. If it does not wotk in the "real world" then it does not work.
Is anyone else having updating issues with semi large jobs?

[NandoMogollon]

Hi Cam.

We have been able to manage the problems (we are still dealing with the same project).

We still have like 5 active PLPs that are"connected" trough mod files that have been updated once every 3-4 days.
The documentation tasks stays on the other 30 PLN layout books. Now the difference is that we do not link the drawings directly to the PLPs ,we are publishing the views as PMKs, and then these are placed on the layouts as drawings.

I have to tell you that this works much faster, really faster. But.... there is always a BUT... 80% percent of the times we can not update the drawings, from an updated PMK, because the the drawing disappears. Of course it does not disappear, but is moved out of your pre-defined frame, and then you have to set it to "fit frame to drawing" and "zoom to fit" and try to find the drawing.
That is why most of the times we just delete the old drawing and place a new one (the same one).

This is a really waste of time, because if the drawings were working correctly , we could just update the PMKs, and then update the drawings from the drawing manager.
I agree with you that This software has very nice things, really nice things... that works only some times an under certain limits. (when is not the polygon count, then is the amount of 2D lines, or the File size, or the number of team mates, or just a Bug)

There is not a tool 100% reliable.
Some times it works, some times it doesn't, and you expend too much time just figuring out what is happening.

But i still like it more than Revit ....which have really nice things too. (i have worked on a couple of projects with Revit)

Regards
Nando

[vfrontiers]

Regarding the RE-FRAMING of the drawings (pmk's) placed on the layout....

Have you checked the USE PROJECT ORIGIN instead of choosing one of the TIC-TAC-TOE anchor positions? This should keep the drawings in their place....