Sections: building to wall to details

[Anonymous]

In an effort to keep all our drawings "live" we'd like to not use the detail tool as much. In the past, we'll have a building section, then use the detail tool to make a wall section, then again use the detail tool to get your larger scale details. This creates a major headache in my opinion: let's say you need to add something to the wall section or detail, you go to your building section, add it there, then have to re-build all the following details. This creates room for error, and you have to "clean up" all the following details after rebuilding. The wall sections aren't auto-updating.

I'm thinking that alternatively we create wall sections by just saving a new view of the building section, renaming it, and changing the scale and model view settings. This way if something changes in the project, it is auto updating. The world is perfect and everyone is happy.

I'm just wondering what some of the more experienced users here do and how they go about doing sections, wall sections, details, etc. I guess this also applies to enlarged floor plans (ie: larger scale bathroom plans).

Thanks in advance.

[Anonymous]

I have used different methods over the years which have changed as features have been added or improved. One thing I have never done is to use details sourced from other details for just the reasons you describe.

One old method is to embed the wall sections and details directly in the building sections themselves using layers to differentiate the annotations. This worked back in the days before the detail tool was introduced and still works now. The disadvantages are that the layer management can be a bit of a chore and you are creating multiple views of the same section for the various drawings.

Another old fashioned approach is to use the section tool to make all the wall sections and details as limited scope sections. This avoids the disadvantages above but you end up with a long list of sections in the Navigator.

Probably the best approach is to make the wall sections with the section tool and then use the detail tool to extract the section details from the wall sections. This way you are not two stems removed from the model (details within details) and the details are listed where they belong in the Navigator. A similar approach would be to derive the details directly from the building sections, in which case you could also use the detail tool for the wall sections as well.

The best approach depends on the nature of your projects/practice and how you like to set up your documents. If all details your details are referenced/derived from a smaller scale view then the latter methods work well. If you create any section details which are only keyed in plan then the you have to use the section tool (or create an independent detail). As a rule it is best not to mix the methods. It's too hard to maintain.

[Anonymous]

Matthew,

Thank you.

It's funny how when you ask a question about working in 3D you get very few responses....

[Link]

There's always a balance between doing what Graphisoft intended and working around to get what you intended.

In this case I believe (and have personally chosen) to implement the Graphisoft intended workflow. That is, to use the detail tool. It's not perfect, but if I give them the benefit of the doubt, perhaps Graphisoft will perfect it (read: finish the remaining 20%) in the future. Then everything will fall into place and I won't have to restructure the office template and retrain everyone!

Cheers,
Link.