WORKING ON MULTIPLY PROJECTS IN THE SAME ARICAD FILE

[Anonymous]

I AM CURRENLY WORKING ON A BUILDING WITH MULTIPLY PROJECTS.

SCOPE OF WORK
1.) DESIGN A NEW GYM
2.) DESIGN A NEW CAFAE

TO SPEED UP THE WORK FLOW, I HAVE BEEN USING EXTENSION @ THE END OF MY LAYERS TO DISTIQUIST BETWEEN THE TWO PROJECTS. EXAMPLE (1Z-WALL.GYM) / (1Z-WALL-CAFE). THIS METHOD WORKS FINE BUT YOU END WITH A LOT OF LAYERS THAT ARE SIMILAR IN NAME WHICH MY TIME LEADS TO DELETING,LOCKING,HIDE BY MISTAKE. CAN I USE THE ZONE TOOL HANDLE THIS ISSUE

[Laura Yanoviak]

One question: WHY?

[Scott Bulmer]

No expert on this, but I would do the following for campus type projects(note, very brief explanation):

For speeding up your work, split your campus project into three separate PLN files with one for each building, and the third for the site model.

After creating PLN models of the two buildings, save each of the two buildings as Hot Linked Modules (file extension MOD). These HLMs will be periodically re-saved as the design progresses.

Insert each building module into the master site PLN at the desired locations.

Note that after source building files are updated and re-saved as HLMs, the destination master site PLN file must update those Hot Linked Modules.
Goto File > External Content > Hot Link Manager, select the out of date hotlinks, then hit 'Update.' Now your master site PLN will have any and all changes made from your individual source building PLN files.

Please read up on Hot Link Modules for a complete explanation. That should speed you on your way.

[Laura Yanoviak]

Absolutely follow Scott's advice:

Scott wrote:
For speeding up your work, split your campus project into three separate PLN files with one for each building, and the third for the site model.

Do not combine multiple projects in one PLN -- this will only complicate things.

[Anonymous]

THANK Scott

[Erich]

Also, if you absolutly must work in this fashion consider putring your modifier first in the layer name so it will group by location. Having it at the end puts similar elements together (ie. all 1Z-wall's are adjacent) but mixes up each sub project.

[Anonymous]

AFTER I HAVE CREATED MY MODULE FILE CAN I DELETE THE SOURCE FILE AND WORK DIRECLY ON THE MODULE FILE. DO I STILL NEED THE SOURCE FILE ??????? I SEE NO REASON FOR HAVING THE SOURCE FILE AM I MISSING SOMETHING

[Scott Bulmer]

Agayle,

A good question that I have myself.

You can save the entire file as a HLM using File > Save-as, or a portion of the PLN using File > External Content > Save selection as module. Be careful when saving using the External Content method as there is a checkbox that, which if selected will group the selection, and you may not want that.

Because I sometimes will save a selection, like an apartment unit or bathroom as a module, I just got in the habit of keeping both the original PLN as well as the MOD files.

Also, I will complete the condocs for each building in their own PLN file, then combine in the master site PLN using the project chooser.

Separately however, for Visual Legends (favorites), I only keep and modify/maintain the MOD file. Those files do not have Layout Sheets in the Layout Book.

So, to answer your question, I keep the PLN files & overwrite the MOD files as the project evolves, however I do see that it appears the MOD file may be able to achieve the same. For 'Legends' HLMs, I only keep the MOD file.

Hope that's not too confusing, and is most of what I know on this subject. Keep us informed on your progress.

[Anonymous]

i have a module file that i want to add some elevation and section Markers to, but i know from pesonal experience that a module file will skip section/elevation and cameras when you place it into yore Original Plan. I am not sure if i should go into the oringnal plan to add my section/elevation.

[Scott Bulmer]

There's your answer.

Because markers and camera paths are not recorded into MOD files, you have to keep and develop the original source PLN files. Please refer to my earlier post on condoc configuration.

Good work.