Set default layer for line depending on story

[Anonymous]

Hi All. Quick question. When I double click my view map to activate a certain story view i'd like Archicad to default the next tool, such as a line, to a layer associated with that story. Such as this;

Double click first floor plan
I also have a layer "first floor plan"
I Start the line (or any other) command
Archicad activates the "first floor plan" layer (Based on the story name) for that command

This would override the last layer used for any tool.

Is this possible?

Thanks,

Doug

[Karl Ottenstein]

No, it's not possible - and the idea of different layers per story runs counter to the whole concept of how things are modeled in ArchiCAD. If you have a layer called "A-Anno" for example - whatever annotation is on that layer on any story is 100% unique to that story and cannot be viewed anywhere else. Straight 2D AutoCAD guys are used to having per-story layers since there is no concept of stories.

Not sure why you would want a "first floor plan" layer?

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the reply Karl.
First off, let me say that I was, for many years, one of the "Straight 2D AutoCAD guys" that you mentioned. Maybe some of those habits have carried over to how I work with Archicad and maybe I can learn something here. Probably 95% of the homes that we design and draw are Cape style homes. Basement, Main floor, Loft/Second floor and roof and each has it's own saved view in the map. These are my "Stories" in AC. First floor frame and second floor frame are merely saved views in view map, so any common layers will be visible in corresponding view. With that said I have certain layers that are visible on multiple stories/views depending on what I want to see in plan, section etc. Each story/view has a corresponding layer name. I thought I was keeping it pretty simple considering the scale of design that I do. Do you think I am totally off base here?

Thanks again,
Doug

[Laszlo Nagy]

I think this could be done only by coding such a function using the ARCHICAD API.

[Karl Ottenstein]

4thorns wrote:
Do you think I am totally off base here?

Not totally... but close, if I am reading between the lines correctly.

Yes, you should have saved views for those things, but the basement, main floor, loft/second floor, and roof should each be on its own story - 4 stories total. You might model the site mesh and put it on a story below the Basement to get it out of the way, giving you 5 stories. Etc. There are some here who put floor framing on a separate in-between story, but I feel that complicates the automation that you get for labeling/numbering stories in section, etc.

If those things are NOT on separate stories, you've probably more than doubled the amount of work and error-checking involved, and missed out on being able to have wall heights follow story heights and other features.

By using stories (and renovation filters if you do remodels), you can get by with a very short list of generic layers. Consider your Wall-Interior layer. It can hold any wall that is existing, demo, or new on any story. Just one layer. Your visibility is controlled by viewing the desired story, with the desired simple layer on, and the desired renovation filter. Oversimplifying the depth of what can be done, but that's the idea.

Cheers,
Karl

[gpowless]

I'm a 'model it till you're done' guy. So I use storeys extensively to help model detail (as in sections). The benefit of this scheme is that if there is any adjustment to any storey height, wall heights (linked to top of wall) floor slabs (linked to storey) etc all adjust without much manual adjustment.

Then on a project by project basis I can delete the unused storeys to simplify the workflow.

Just something to consider....

[Anonymous]

Thanks guys.

The 4 main views are actually stories. (may not have been clear on that) The First Floor Frame is a saved view of the First Floor Plan therefore any common layers will show up on both. Same with the second floor. I'd like to make changes based on this thread but haven't been able to figure out how to create a view that won't show it's common layers on another view.

I've also created a First Floor Frame story just to test it out. Seems to work but if there is a better way Karl I'm open to try it.

Doug