Cut plane and hotlink modules at different levels.

[Arcadia]

I have a pln file set up for a unit development with 6 hotlinked modules inserted. I have lowered the modules from project zero to various hieghts to suit the floor levels needed (2.8m between highest and lowest) and so I can model the site terrain/retaining etc accurately. Trouble is I can no longer get the floor plans to display correctly. I want to use the floor plan display as a site setout plan and I have the layer with my external walls displayed to define the unit extents. I need the walls to show as cut so that all fills and window show correctly but no matter how much I play around with the settings in the floor plan cut plane window I simply can't get them to all show correctly. As all my walls are complex profiles the 'symbolic cut' option is not available for the wall settings. Any idea's?

[Anonymous]

I think your best option is to place separate floor plan drawings from each of the building models onto the site plan in the layout. The only other thing I can think of would be to duplicate the modules, adjust the elevations to match and set the master layer for the duplicates so you can turn them off most of the time.

[Arcadia]

Thanks Mathew. Yes I actually did exactly that - I duplicated all the modules put them on a seperate layer with different wall intersection number and put them all at the same level so the cut plane showed correctly. So basically I have a view for my 2D documentation then another view with the other hieght adjusted module layer for use in 3D visualization. This seems like a hack work around though and I guess it is bumping up my file size as well. You would think there was a better option than this - this situation you would think would come up pretty often. In the past I have gotten away with it when the levels weren't so different between the modules.

[Link]

Do your walls absolutely need to be complex profiles? Symbolic cut would solve all your problems. Otherwise could they be set to outline only?

Cheers,
Link.

[Arcadia]

Yes symbolic cut would be better. I much prefer complex profiles though so I guess for me the inconvenience of changing all 6 units back to composites and working without my complex profiles is more than the incovenience of having 12 modules in my site .pln. Maybe next time I might set things up differently at the start.

[Link]

Out of curiosity, what advantages do you see in using complex profiles over composites?

And in this instance would setting them to outline only get you by?

Cheers,
Link.

[Arcadia]

All my external walls I have set up as complex and I have a full range of profiles I have created that have the correct rebate at the bottom of the wall for the slab/footing profile and the eave rebate at the top with a wall plate shown, internal linings etc. And I have all my commonly used hieghts set up so I just grab the right wall the right hieght with the right rebate setup and brick coursing hieghts according to the normal construction practise for whatever area I am working for (ie WA is different to NSW). Much quicker and more accurate for sections and details.

[Link]

Sounds like good enough reason.

It's a shame it comes at a price in this case. Maybe a wish to show complex profiled walls as symbolic is due?

Cheers,
Link.

[Arcadia]

Maybe a wish to show complex profiled walls as symbolic is due?

Yes this would make life easier for split level homes as well - I prefer to have all levels shown on the one story when there is only a small hieght difference between them and this can also be an issue but to date I have managed to sort these sorts of jobs by adjusting the cut plane but it is a PITA.