vodjenje projekata u autocad-u.pdf

7/27/2019 Vodjenje projekata u AutoCAD-u.pdf

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ovember 30 – December 3, 2004 ◊ Las Vegas, Nevada

Level and Project Management in Autodesk®Architectural Desktop and Autodesk® BuildingSystems 2005 - the Basics Paul F. Aubin – Paul F. Aubin Consulting Services

BD11-2 The Drawing Management system in Autodesk Architectural Desktop is the ultimate tool for managing projectdrawings! Using this robust set of tools, we can set up the levels of our building and quickly generate floor plans,

sections, and elevations relative to these levels. However, Level Management is only the beginning of the ProjectManagement system in Architectural Desktop 2005 (and 2004). In this session, we will explore the Project Browserand learn how to create, locate, and manage new projects. We will then explore the Project Navigator in completedetail and demystify terms like Construct and Element. We will also explore global cut plains, project data, and xrefcleanup. Once you have seen the ease of use and power of the Project Management system in Architectural Desktop,you will never go back to doing projects the old way again. This session focuses on Architectural Desktop 2005, but

Architectural Desktop 2004 and Autodesk Building Systems users will benefit as well.

Who Should Attend Architects, building engineers, CAD managers, contractors

Topics Covered:

o What is Drawing Management?

o Building Level Managemento Constructs, Elements, Views, and Sheets

o Setting up projects and creating drawing setso Understanding and using Sheet Sets in Project Navigator

About the Speaker:Paul is the author of several books on Autodesk® Architectural Desktop including Mastering Autodesk® ArchitecturalDesktop, and the newly published Mastering VIZ Render: a Resource for Autodesk ADT Users coauthored withJames D. Smell. Paul is an independent consultant offering training and implementation services to architectural firms.He also serves as the moderator for CADalyst magazine's online CAD Questions Forum and has spoken at AU formany years. The combination of his experiences in architectural practice, as a CAD manager, and an instructor giveshis writing and instruction a fresh and credible focus.

Email Paul at: [email protected]



Level and Project Management in Autodesk® Architectural Desktop and Autodesk® Building Systems 2005 - theBasics

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Drawing Management Introduction

This document contains a collection of tips and tricks that you will find useful when working with the Autodesk Architectural Desktop 2005 Drawing Management system. The Drawing Management system, also referred to as “ADT Projects” is a powerful system of tools used to manage XREFs, Levels and plotting Sheets for projects of alltypes and sizes in ADT. The Drawing Management Interface in ADT 2005 is comprised of two tools: The ProjectBrowser which is used to browse, load existing and create new projects, and the Project Navigator Palette

which is used to interface with all aspects of the current project. The Drawing Management system is a feature of Autodesk Architectural Desktop 2005 (ADT). Autodesk Building Systems (ABS), which is built upon the foundation

of ADT, can also take full advantage of this toolset. If you are using the 2004 versions of ADT or ABS, much ofthe content covered in this paper and this session will still be valid to you. However, please note that there aresignificant differences in the two versions and time and space do not permit full coverage of both versions. Withthis in mind the primary focus will be the current versions— ADT and ABS 2005. Additional resources are noted at

the end of the paper that pertains to both releases. Feel free to visit my web site and explore those items.

This class and paper will explore the basic concepts, terminology and techniques necessary to understand andbegin using the ADT Drawing Management system. If you would like to get more detailed information, be sure toattend BD41-2 Level and Project Management in Autodesk® Architectural Desktop and Autodesk® BuildingSystems 2005 – Advanced. In that session, we will delve deeper into many of the topics covered here and exploresuch items as: managing project types, working with project XML files, project setup, implementation.

Project BrowserProject Browser is used to locate existing projects, load the current project and create new projects. Launch theProject Browser from the File menu. (See Figure 1).

Figure 1 – The Project Browser (File menu)

o 1. Project Banner —Includes the user defined project Image, Name, Number and Description

o 2. Back —Click to go back to previous Folder

o 3. Up One Level —Click to go to Parent Folder

o 4. Browse Project —Click to open a standard Browse Window to locate Project Files

o 5. Project Folder —Click to Browse for Projects within the Folder Tree

o 6. Project History —Click to Browse for Projects that were Previously Active (see image inset for additional history

view options)

o 7. Browse Drop Down —Choose a Location such as My Documents, My Network Places or My Computer from this

list

o 8. New Project —Creates a New Project within the Current Folder

o 9. Refresh Project —Refreshes the selected Project




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o 10. Project File Navigator —Opens another Window that allows you to preview all of the files belonging to aselected project.

o 11. Bulletin Board —The user defined Project Bulletin Board Web Page. A fully customizable Project-specific HTMLWeb Page

o 12. Project Bulletin Board Navigation Tools —Typical browser functions

Project NavigatorThe Project Navigator Palette (Window Menu or CTRL + 5) provides the complete interface to all files used in aproject. Use Project Navigator to set up Levels and Divisions and to create, open and XREF Constructs, Elements, Views and Sheets (see below for terminology). Project Navigator behaves like other ADT Palettes and may bedocked, floating transparent and set to auto-hide.

Figure 2 – The Project Navigator Palette (Window menu)

ADT Projects are organized into several file types named Constructs, Elements, Views and Sheets. The ProjectNavigator Palette contains tabs to manage each of these (Constructs and Elements are both found on theConstructs tab) and Project tab for managing the project’s overall parameters such as Levels and Divisions. Iconsappear along the bottom of each tab for common functions. To see a complete list of tools and commands, rightclick in the file list. (See Figure 2).

Drawing Management Features and BenefitsThe ADT 2005 Drawing Management system offers many features and benefits. Using Drawing Managementgives you a logical easy to use interface to all of your ADT projects large and small. Drawing Managementformalizes the relationship between the several disparate files used to create the typical ADT project. WhileDrawing Management is not required to use the other features of ADT 2005, doing so allows you to gain thefullest benefits from ADT. Most of the tools that would otherwise be separate and disparate functions are broughttogether into a unified process through the Drawing Management system. Drawing Management offers thefollowing key features:

o Level Management —Once you have established each floor level in the Project Navigator, the software willmanage all floor to floor heights in all project files.

o Clear Delineation of Project Components —With the introduction of Constructs, Views and Sheets, ADT

2005 presents a clear standard for location of model components, adding annotation and plotting.

o Ease of Use —Project Navigator introduces drag and drop ease to XREF Management. Simply drag a file from

Project Navigator and the software takes care of the rest.

o Maintains a Project Database —All project files are tracked and maintained in Project Navigator. In addition, acomprehensive list of project data are maintained and can be fed to project schedules, tags, title blocks, filed codesand even project bulletin boards.




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o Automated View and Sheet creation —Once you have determined the structure of your building (developedits Constructs) creating reports, adding annotation and setting up Sheets is made easy with a simple wizard interfaceand drag and drop.

o Integration of the AutoCAD Sheet Set functionality —Sheet Set functionality is fully integrated intoProject Navigator making the organization, publishing, eTransmiting, archiving and plotting of Sheets easy and

powerful.

o Automatic Re-pathing and View Regeneration —Whenever a change to file locations and file names

occurs, Project Navigator will automatically offer to re-path all XREFs in the project. In addition, whenever astructural change to the building model is made, such as a change in Level or the addition of a new Construct, thesoftware will automatically regenerate associated Views to reflect the change.

Level ManagementProjects in Architectural Desktop consist of a collection of drawings saved in one of four types. “Elements”(components without explicit physical location within the building) and “Constructs” (components with an explicitphysical location within the building,) form the building blocks of a composite “Building Information Model.”Reports in the form of “Views” (for working) and “Sheets” (for printing) are developed from this Building

Information Model to covey a particular subset of information. The basic framework of a project begins with aninformation store, or database, of descriptive project data. These data include items like Name, Location andProject Number saved in easily accessible XML data files. They also allow us to sub-divide the Building Model bothhorizontally into (physical) “Levels,” and functionally into (physical or virtual) “Divisions.”

o Division —A separation of building model data. Divisions typically represent a physical separation such as a vertical

slice through a building model, (like a Wing, an Annex or an Addition.) They are most typically used for large scale projects.

o Level —A physical floor in a building. Levels can be established for actual building stories, and also for mezzanines,

basements and other partial levels. You also use Levels to establish Grade level and Roofs. Create a level for any place where a person can walk – floors, mezzanines, crawl spaces, grade, roof, etc. (See Figure 3).

Figure 3 – Divide your building into Levels and Divisions to create your project structure

Clear Delineation of Project ComponentsStandard industry practice and the US National CAD Standard (NCS) recommend the creation and maintenance oftwo types of file: “Model” files and “Sheet” files. This practice is widely used in the industry and offers many

benefits.o Model File —A file containing actual building data drawn at full size (1 to 1 scale.) This is a file in which all of the

day-to-day work is performed.

o Sheet File —A file that is used exclusively for printing drawings. No data is saved in this file. It typically containsonly a title block and external references to the project’s various Model files.

Model files are referenced to Sheet files for printing (or as appropriate, other Model files). Most daily work isperformed in Model files. In contrast, Sheet files exist solely for printing final documentation sets for distribution.




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One or more Model files are “gathered” by the Sheet file, composed on a title block sheet, scaled properly withproper Display Configuration active, layers and objects visible, and then printed. The Sheet is saved in this state,(much like a saved “report” in a database,) so that documents can be printed any time, at a moment’s notice. Toperform physical edits and design changes, return to Model files and perform them there. Those changes willappear in the Sheet file the next time the XREFs in that Sheet are reloaded.

The Sheet file’s “ready-to-print” status is maintained only if all project team members agree to work only in Model

files and not in the Sheet files.

Architectural Desktop 2005 seeks to formalize the creation of project files based on the Model/Sheet concept inthe Project Management system tool set and accompanying procedures. To fully realize the goals of theModel/Sheet file system, ADT provides the “Project Navigation” system that we have begun to see in thepassages above. This system incorporates the industry standard use of Model and Sheet files and introduces anadditional layer of granularity (View files) to help formalize the process. This is necessary simply becauseModel/Sheet file recommendations as published in the NCS and its predecessor the AIA CAD Layer Guidelines , arenot written specifically for ADT or even for AutoCAD. Therefore, when we apply these recommendations to thespecific toolset offered by ADT, we find that the Element, Construct, View and Sheet framework greatly enhancesour ability to fully achieve the NCS (AIA) Model/Sheet file intent.

Note: Some of the recommendations made in the UDS Module 01 (part of NCS 2.0,) refer to the earlier “AIA CADLayer Guidelines - Second Edition” document. The overall intent of these documents has been summarized here.

However, for the complete explanation of these recommendations and all supporting materials, you are encouragedto refer to the above referenced documents.

ADT 2005 Model Files:

o Element —A discreet piece of a design without explicit physical location within the building. Often they representcomponents that are repeated more than once in the design. Elements are drawing files that can be XREFed to otherfiles (Constructs, Views, Sheets or even other Elements) as project needs dictate. Elements are also ideal for savingdata related to the project that does not get inserted directly into the project drawings, like test files, sketches orlibraries.

o Construct —A unique piece of the building occurring within a particular zone (Division) on a specific floor (Level) ofthe building. They are distinguished from Elements by their unique identifiable physical location within the building.Constructs are drawing files that are XREFed to other files (other Constructs, Views and Sheets) as project needsdictate. A Construct is like a piece of a jigsaw puzzle. Each piece is unique and all are required to show the complete

picture (See Figure 4).

o View —A “working” report of the building model. A View gathers all of the Constructs (and their nested Elements)required to correctly represent a specific slice (or view) of the building. They also serve as ideal locations for projectannotations like dimensions and tags. Views are drawing files that are XREFed into Sheets as project needs dictate.

Figure 4 – Each Construct is like a unique piece in a jigsaw puzzle

For example, imagine a 3 story commercial building. You might create Elements to represent a typical egressstair, typical restroom layouts and even furniture grouping configurations. You would have at least one Construct




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for each floor, although there could (and often would) be several. For instance, in many cases it is advantageousto separate the interior from exterior construction. In this case, you would have a “First Floor Interior” Constructand a “First Floor Exterior” Construct. Nested within interior Construct would be the Elements for stairs and toiletrooms. A similar structure would be established for each of the other floors. If some unique element occurred onone or more of the upper floors, such as a Curtain Wall that spans from second to third on three sides of thebuilding, it would be built in its own “Spanning” Construct. (Spanning means that it belongs to two or moredivisions or levels at the same time). This Construct would then be referenced to both (or all) of the floors to

which it applied. Again, each piece of the puzzle (Construct) is unique, what you must determine for each projectis how many pieces your puzzle will contain.

When you were ready to begin creating construction documents to convey your design, start creating Views. A View allows you to create a unique snapshot of a portion of the building. For instance, if you wish to work on the3rd Floor East Wing in plan, you would create and work in a View that would gather and correctly represent all ofthe Constructs (and their nested Elements) that are required by that physical portion of the building. Anothersimilar View could be made of the same physical slice of the building but for a reflected ceiling plan, and yetanother for furniture or finishes. Views are not limited to just plans. Views can be made to accommodate the

creation of Sections, Elevations, Schedules and even full 3D Models as well. Be careful however to distinguish the “working” nature of Views from the “output” or plotting nature of Sheets.

Figure 5 – Views assemble certain pieces of the “puzzle” as required to convey a particular type of drawing

ADT 2005 Sheet Files:

o Sheet —A “just for printing” report of the building model. While Elements, Constructs and Views are all to beconsidered Models as defined by NCS/AIA, the ADT 2005 Sheet exactly emulates the purpose and intent of theNCS/AIA recommended Sheet file as noted above. A Sheet file will gather all required building model components(Views and nested Constructs and Elements) and compose them on a title block sheet, at a particular scale and readyto print.




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Figure 6 – A Sheet is used to compose one or more Views for printing

There are those that argue that annotation and dimensions ought to be placed in the Sheets. Some go further topromote that these items be placed in Layout space on top of viewport images of the project files. While both ofthese approaches are certainly possible and neither is necessarily discouraged by the ADT toolset, the approachchampioned by this text is as indicated in the definition of “Sheet” above. It is the position of this text that Sheetsshould be set up once and maintained from then on as “for plotting only” files. The goal is to provide a set of files(one for each physical paper sheet in a document set,) that are always ready to be opened and printed with noadvance notice or tweaking required.

When project team members are allowed (or encouraged) to work in Sheet files, it is possible or even likely thatthey will leave the drawings in a state that is less than ideal for ready printing. For instance, one might close thedrawing with Model Space active, or change the LtScale, or accidentally forget to freeze or thaw the correctlayers or activate an improper Display Configuration. These are just some examples of the types of smallmundane settings that if set incorrectly at the time of plotting can force re-printing. Not only is this frustrating tothe person making the plots, it needlessly wastes time, paper and money. It is therefore strongly recommendedthat Sheets be used for plotting only and all work be performed in Elements, Constructs and Views. Morespecifically, edits to the physical geometry of the model are to be performed in Elements and Constructs while alltext, notes, dimensions and other annotation is reserved to View files only.

Relationship of all the parts

So now that we have defined all of the individual components, let’s try to understand how they all fit together.One analogy that works for illustration purposes is that of a tree. A tree has a trunk that supports the entire tree.From there it has major branches and then smaller branches and leaves. If we diagrammed our project navigatorusing the tree as a model, the Constructs would be the tree’s trunk, the branches would be Views, and the leaveswould be Sheets.

Figure 7 – The interelationship of Constructs to Views to Sheets.




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Annotation and View Files

Let’s consider some of the rationale behind the organizational philosophy of the Drawing Management system. Itis intended that you make a separate View file for each unique type of drawing or document required in yourconstruction document sets and other project deliverables. Specifically, each type of drawing, change in scaleand/or change in discipline would require a separate View file with its own unique annotation. In this way, we caninclude completely unique annotation, dimensions and notes in each View and ultimately their associated Sheets

without the traditional morass of layer configurations and other issues inherit to housing data required by severaldrawing types within the same file. This approach solves many common problems inherit to process that hasevolved for most AutoCAD drawing files in production today. Consider the following common problems withconstruction document annotation in drawing files:

Various drawing types often have similar but not identical annotation needsSimilar or even identical annotation is often required at multiple scales in different drawingsProject requirements often require multiple user access to files

As a point of discussion, consider the simple matter of adding Room Tags to the Spaces of a project. While it istrue that this type of annotation would be required in nearly every type of plan (floor plan, reflected ceiling plan,MEP plans, etc.), each drawing type has its own unique and often incompatible needs and requirements for theselabels.

For instance, in the architectural floor plan, the best position for a Room Tag might be in the center of the room.However, when we switch to the reflected ceiling we notice that this position, while optimal for the floor plan,places the symbol directly on top of a light fixture or other notes making the RCP drawing difficult to read. If youmove the label for the reflected ceiling, when you return to the floor plan, you might now be obscuringinformation in the floor plan.

Furthermore, you may wish to have one type of symbol for the floor plan (including both the Room Name andRoom Number for instance), while in the reflected ceiling or the MEP plans you may wish to see the RoomNumber only. Traditionally, these would require a symbol with multiple embedded layers. While a workablesolution, the reliance on layer configurations often leads to improper settings in the Sheet files which ultimatelylead to wasted plots, wasted time and wasted money. Not to mention that each of these alternate tags is actuallya completely separate symbol that is placed on a unique layer, therefore the attribute data within those symbolsmust be duplicated across multiple versions of the symbol and manually coordinated as changes occur.

Another common annotation problem arises when a model file must be used at two different plotted scales; suchas an overall plan and an enlarged detail plan. In this case, annotation must be scaled differently for each plottedscale. Traditionally, this would again require several scale-dependent layers, symbols and dimension styles withredundant and manually coordinated data input.

With separate View files, the solution to both problems is simple. There is no conflict between multiple copies ofthe same symbol, because each drawing has one copy of its own unique annotation. With separate View files,you would have two completely separate symbols, each inserted within its own unique View file. In other words,one symbol is used by architectural for 1/8” plans and an entirely different symbol could be used by MEP for thesame or different scales. Only the discipline(s) that needed the View in question would reference it, otherdisciplines simply ignore the file.

At first, this seems to merely spread the redundancy across multiple files rather than within a single file acrossmultiple layers. However, this is where the intelligence of the ADT Project Management system comes into play. All tags throughout the project, regardless of the specific drawing into which they are inserted reference thesame Property Set Data at the Construct level. In other words, ADT tags merely reference the data that isattached to the objects. The data whether graphical or non-graphical, belongs to the object itself, which meansthat it always lives in the Construct. The tag simply reads this data and properly displays it in any View file. Inthis way, the Room Names and Numbers remain synchronized throughout the set, even though each drawing hasits own unique set of tag objects. Each of those tags can be in a different physical location relative to the




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associated Space (inside the room, outside the room, centered, not centered, it makes little difference). Each ofthose tags can use a different symbol which displays different properties and each of those tags can be insertedat their own unique scale. Therefore, when the View is dragged to the Sheet, all annotations will appear at thecorrect size for plotting without any further effort or layer mechanics required!

Figure 8 – Comparing different Views of the same Constructs.

Finally, if Views are maintained for each type of drawing, many personnel issues are resolved as well. It becomesvery easy to have two individuals working simultaneously on different annotation tasks at the same time. Oneperson can work in a floor plan View, while another works in the reflected ceiling. Both are able to annotate their

respective files independent of one another. MEP can work on their own view and freely move a room tag out ofthe way without requesting the change be performed by the architect in his or her background file. However,since both of their respective View files reference the same Constructs, if one should open one of thoseConstructs and move a partition, delete a Door or change the underlying annotation property data, the changewould be updated in all associated Views.

For all these reasons and many more, the Drawing Management system in ADT is designed around thephilosophy that each drawing type and scale requiring unique annotations should be configured within its ownseparate View file. One or more of these Views can be dragged to the same Sheet, so there will not necessarilybe a one-to-one correspondence between the Views and Sheets. For example, for a small scale project therewould likely be four separate floor plan View files (one for each floor), yet if space permitted, they all could beplaced upon the same Sheet.

Remember the tree analogy above. Constructs are close to the trunk, while the Views and Sheets branch outfrom them. The more people who need a piece of data, the closer it should be to the roots (like geometry andschedule data). The more specialized the item (like discipline specific annotation), the further out on the branchesit should be placed. Following this logic you can begin to make decisions about where certain project items oughtto be placed. We have already discussed Walls, Doors, Windows and other “real” pieces of the model. Theybelong to Constructs and are required by everyone. Room designations are really two separate components: thelabel or tag itself, and the data to which the tag refers. The fact that a particular room is named: “Office” is “real”(though admittedly not in a physical sense). While we cannot physically touch the notion of its being namedOffice, no one can dispute that its designation as such is as “real” as the Walls from which it is comprised.However, the label that indicates it as being “Office” is a component of a particular drawing, and is not “real” in

the sense that tags are not constructed with the building nor painted upon the office floor. Therefore, the tagbeing annotation only, is placed in a View but attaches to the data contained in the Construct which informs itthat the Space in question is in fact: “Office.” Further out on the branches would lay the Sheet which has the

unique purpose of composing on paper a certain subset of information for a particular documentation need.

Ease of UseWorking in Project Navigator makes project management very easy. All files associated with the project are listedin Project Navigator in one of the four folders (Constructs, Elements, Views and Sheets), or a sub-folder withinthese. Open files by simply double clicking their name on the palette. To XREF one file to another using ProjectNavigator, double click the host file to open it. Simply drag from the Project Navigator into the drawing window in




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ADT. XREFs will use Attach and write a complete path using the UNC naming convention. The exception isConstructs dragged to other Constructs. When this occurs, Overlay XREFs will be created instead. New files canbe created via the right click menu on the palette, or by dragging drawing data from the current drawing to thefolder in Project Navigator where you wish to create the new file.

Maintains a Project DatabaseSeveral bits of information are stored about your ADT projects. These data can be modified at any time. Some ofthe data are fixed pieces of information such as the project name and number. There are also plenty of user-definable fields such as address and phone information for the various parties with interest in the project. Thisdata is stored in a main project information file, which is a text file with an APJ extension. The APJ file lives at theroot of the project folder. It is the APJ file that the Project Browser in ADT shows when you browse projects. Inaddition, each drawing file added to the project has an associated data file with an XML extension.

Project data (saved in the APJ file) can be edited directly within ADT. An XML editor is not required, neither is anyknowledge of XML. If you wish to edit the fields in the project database, click the Project tab of the ProjectNavigator, then click the small “Edit Project” icon at the top right corner. There you can modify the basic projectsettings. If you want to edit, add or delete the extended data fields, click the “Edit Details” icon. In the ProjectDetails dialog are listed all data categories, fields, and the add and delete icons. (See Figure 9).

Figure 9 – Editing Project Information.

The other XML files (one for each drawing in the project) are created automatically by ADT when files are editedin Project Navigator. There is no UI (User Interface) for these files. These files are edited automatically whenchanges are made in Project Navigator. If you browse your project in Windows Explorer, you will see both the APJ (Autodesk Project Information) and the XML files. Never delete or move those files, it will have an adverseeffect on the project. In addition to the APJ and XML files, the AutoCAD Sheet Set file has a DST extension andwill be found in the same folder as the APJ. All of the Sheet Set data is stored in this compiled file. Unlike the APJand XML files, the DST is not a text file and cannot be edited outside of AutoCAD/ADT.

Figure 10 – APJ, DST and XML files as seens from Windows Explorer. Do NOT delete.

All of the data that is stored in the APJ file is easily accessed in ADT Schedule Tables via a Project Property Set.In addition, any Schedule Table can be created and printed in the drawing set, or exported directly to MicrosoftExcel. In this way, complete quantities, square footage calculations and project data can be extracted from your ADT Building Model and post processed to form reports of the critical data important to a project team. This

aspect of ADT projects is perhaps one of the most widely untapped areas of potential readily available to ADTusers.




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Automated View and Sheet creation Views are generated automatically based on the prompts in a wizard and the level structure of the project. Ifchanges occur in the project that affects a particular View, it can be regenerated with a single right-click.

Creating a new Sheet is a simple two-step process. Right click a Sheet Set or Subset and choose New>Sheet.

Open the new Sheet and then drag a View (or a Model Space View indented beneath it) from Project Navigator tothe drawing window of the new Sheet. This simple process will XREF the View file on an appropriate layer inModel Space, create an MView in Paper Space Layout, place the MView on a non-plotting layer, set it to theproper scale, Display Configuration and optionally restore a Layer Snapshot. The MView will automatically have itsviewport scale locked. If callouts and other field code references exist, these will all be updated to reflect thedrawing’s position upon the Sheet.

Figure 11 – The Re-path icon on the Project Navigator

When Views are dragged to Sheets, be sure open the Sheet with a Paper Space Layout active. Do not switch toModel Space first. Drag the View onto the Sheet Layout. All XREFs will be attached in Model Space on a uniquelayer. Use the grips to adjust the size of the viewport if necessary. Project Title Blocks by default use Field Codesthat link to the Project Data contained in the APJ and Sheet Set files. So this data should also input and updateautomatically simply by creating the Sheet.

Add Editing Sheets

Automatic Re-pathing and View RegenerationShould any changes to file names, folder names or locations take place, you will be prompted by ProjectNavigator to “Re-Path” the project to reflect these changes. Always answer yes if prompted. If you answer no,you will not be given another opportunity to re-path later. Therefore, you would have to edit all XREF pathsmanually—a very tedious process. In addition to re-pathing, the system will also prompt you to regenerate Views

should the level settings change. If you rather not wait to be prompted, you can re-path the project yourself atanytime by clicking the Re-Path icon on the Project Navigator and you can Regenerate a View by right-clicking on

it in Project Navigator. (See Figure 12).

Figure 12 – The Re-path icon on the Project Navigator

Working with Projects

Now that we have reviewed many of the features and benefits of the Drawing Management system, let’s take acloser look at a few important concepts and techniques.




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Project File NamingThere are almost as many ways to name files as there are firms using ADT. However, as different as the namingscheme in one firm might be from that of another down the block, there are many similarities from firm to firm.In most cases, you will easily be able to adapt your existing scheme into the use of Project Navigator without toomuch difficulty. While ADT imposes no “required” method for naming files, there are certain guidelines that canassist users in the naming of their files. The most important consideration when developing a file naming scheme

for ADT Projects is to be very careful not to choose names that contradict the intended use of a particular type offile. In other words, Constructs are not Plans or Elevations, therefore they should not have names like “Plan01,” “01 Floor Plan” or “A-FP01.” Constructs are actually models and are used generate Plans, Sections, Elevations,Details and 3D Views files. It is View files that are specific types of drawings like Plans, Elevations and Sections.Therefore, it is recommended that your file naming for Constructs not include any reference to a particular typeof drawing and rather be descriptive of the Construct’s contents. Use “drawing type” naming for View files. Inmost cases, your firm already has a model file and sheet file naming convention well established.

Typically, the existing model file naming convention will work well for View files, the sheet file naming will notrequire a change (although the default behavior of Sheet Sets may make you consider a change) and onlyConstruct naming will need consideration. Below is a summary of potential file names based on therecommendations of the US National CAD Standard as adapted to the Project Navigator and suggestions madehere. For complete information and to purchase a copy of NCS visit: http://www.nationalcadstandard.org/.

An NCS Model file name is composed of a Discipline, plus a drawing type Code, followed by an enumeration(which typically corresponds to the floor number), though not always. (Elevations for instance would just benumbered sequentially in any logical order).

For example:

o A-FP01 = Architectural First Floor Plan

o A-EL01 = Architectural Elevations (first group of elevations. There could be others named 02, 03, etc.)

The hyphen is used between discipline and code, but not between code and number.

NCS Recommends the following codes for “Model” files Use these designations for View file names:

o FP = Floor Plan

o SP = Site Plan

o DP = Demolition Plan

o QP = eQuipment Plan

o XP = e X isting Plan

o EL = ELevation

o SC = SeCtion

o DT = DeTail

o SH = ScHedules

o 3D = isometrics/3D

o DG = DiaGrams

Technically, “FP” would be used for any type of Plan and they would simply be enumerated. So, the first floorplan might be: A-FP01, while the first floor ceiling plan would be: A-FP02, or something. However, A-FP02 for a

ceiling plan on the first floor is confusing to most people and it is highly likely you would run out of codes withonly two digits. Therefore, the following abbreviations are used almost universally by most firms instead:

o CP = reflected Ceiling Plan

o RP = fuR niture Plan

o EP = Enlarged Plan

While “A-3D01” would technically be correct for the name of a composite model, I prefer this:

o CM = Composite Model (This one is my addition)

So the file would be named A-CM01 (You could also use A-CM00 for the first composite model in a set. It is not

that critical with which number you start).




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NCS knows nothing about Constructs. Since their names indicate drawing type and function, they are best suitedto use as View file names. Consider descriptive names for Constructs such as:

o 01 Walls

o 01 Shell and Core

o 01 Floor

o 01 Floor Plate (not “Plan”)

o Stair (for spanning Stairs)

o 00 Stair (alternative for stairs)

o Roof

o 01 Slab

For Sheets, the NCS system is fine. They recommend the number of the Sheet; which typically includes thediscipline code as well. The number is in two parts, the first digit is a code indicating drawing type, and theremaining two are an enumeration.

o 1 = Plans (Horizontal Views)

o 2 = Elevations (Vertical Views)

o 3 = Sections (Sectional Views)

o 4 = Large Scale Views (Plans, Sections &Elevations that are not Details)

o 5 = Details

o 6 = Schedules and Diagrams

o 7 = Used Defined

o 8 = User Defined

o 9 = 3D Representations (Isometrics, Perspectivesand Photographs)

Examples:

o A-101 – (Architectural First Floor Plan)

o A-102 – (Architectural Second Floor Plan)o A-103 – (Architectural First Floor Reflected Ceiling Plan)

o A-201 – (Architectural Building Elevations)

o A-301 – (Architectural Building Sections)

Here again, the codes are very broad, so it is certainly possible on a big job to run out of numbers. Many firmsdevelop similar systems of naming, but conceptually they are usually very consistent with these. One factor toconsider, while there is neither functional nor philosophical reason why existing sheet file naming in your firmcannot simply be adopted, the integration of the Sheet Set Manager within Project Navigator introduces somehard coded assumptions about Sheet file naming which may be different than your current system. When youname a new Sheet on Project Navigator’s Sheets tab, you input both the Sheet number and the Sheet Title.

These two values, which will ultimately feed two different fields on the title block are by default concatenatedtogether to form the Sheet File name. It is likely that this is in variance to how you name sheets today. Whether

or not it will prove problematic is another matter. In most cases it is arguable that this change in naming willhave little to no impact on your work flow or process. Considering the level of automation that Sheet Setmanager brings to the table. Do give this new approach some serious consideration before adopting a contrarypolicy that may actually prove harder to manage.

Project SetupWhen the time comes in a project cycle to begin thinking about how many sheets of drawings will be requiredand what those sheets will contain, it is time to build a “digital cartoon set.” Just like the traditional cartoon set,the digital version will help make good decisions about project documentation requirements and the impact onbudget and personnel considerations. One extra advantage of the digital cartoon set is that it will evolve into theactual CAD files of the project, which means that layout of a cartoon set is actually the layout of the real

document set! Don’t be concerned with the finality that this seems to imply. The documents remain completelyflexible and editable, making this approach consistent with the goal of progressive refinement predominant in theuse of ADT.

Caution: Please do not skip this step when setting up your own projects.Establishing the Building Information Model structure and the digital cartoon set at thebeginning of a project is critical to success in using ADT tools and methods with that

project.




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Now that we have taken a comprehensive look at the pieces of an ADT Project, the final thing remaining is a listof steps to perform at the start of a new project. The earlier you perform these steps in the life of a project thebetter for all persons involved. The value of developing a complete project structure early in the life of a projectcannot be overstated. Take the time to do this early, and you will be glad you did.

1. Open Project Browser, and create a New Project.

In Project Browser (File menu), browse to a location where you wish to save your project, andthen create a New Project.Configure the Name, Number and other Project Data. Verify all Template settings. **It is veryimportant to be certain that the desired Project Data and Sheet Set templates are chosen whenthe project is created. It is much more difficult to change these things later.Configure the Levels (and if using, Divisions).

o Start with the files that have no XREFs like site plans and base building conditions and work your way forward.

2. On Project Navigator, create a Site Conditions Construct.

Open any Site Conditions files (from outside sources, previous projects, clients, engineers, etc.)and run AUDIT and PURGE . Try to eliminate all extraneous data, geometry, annotations and

layers. (Be sure to keep a backup of all original files. If you want them easily accessible, createan “Existing Files” folder in the Elements folder and store them there).

Copy any existing geometry from this file to a New Construct and save it as “Site” or “Terrain” (ifit contains a 3D terrain model).You can build a simple 3D Terrain model suitable for (architectural visualization) using the DrapeTool on the Massing Tool Palette. To use Drape, you need a series of Polylines that representyour site’s contours.

3. Import any Existing drawings into Project Navigator.

Open any Existing Conditions files (from outside sources, previous projects, clients, engineers,etc.) and run AUDIT and PURGE . Try to eliminate all extraneous data, geometry, annotations and

layers. (Be sure to keep a backup of all original files. If you want them easily accessible, createan “Existing Files” folder in the Elements folder and store them there).For Interiors projects, separate the “permanent” items from the “non-permanent” ones. UsingCut and Paste to Original Coordinates or Drag and Drop to Project Navigator, move the permanent geometry into a “Base Building” Construct, and move the rest to an “ExistingConditions” and/or a “Demolition” Construct as appropriate.For other projects, simply right click the Constructs folder and choose Save Current DWG asConstruct or use Drag and Drop to Project Navigator. (If you use Save as Construct, your newConstruct will not use your office standard template. If you wish to “upgrade” existing drawingsto your firm’s template —which is desirable for maintaining Display Control consistency, Copy the

geometry out of the existing file and then Paste it to Original Coordinates in a new Construct).

4. Create any Typical Elements such as Cores, Toilet Room Layouts or Shell Conditions.

5. Create new Constructs for Column Grids , Core , Stairs , Enclosure or Shell , Spaces (andCeiling Grids ), and Partitions .

Create only those Constructs required by your project type. If you have “typical” layouts andconfigurations, create these as Elements first, and then drag them into the appropriateConstructs. Move, Copy, Mirror and Rotate Elements as required by the design. These are your“Base” files.

6. Open each Construct and establish cross-references.

Drag and Drop from Project Navigator the other Constructs that you wish to see underlain.(When dragging a Construct to another Construct XREF Overlay is used automatically). For




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example, the Partitions should reference the Grid, Stairs, Core and Enclosures if present. At an early stage in the project, simply add “dummy” geometry as a placeholder for majorbuilding elements that you will add and modify later. The goal is project setup. So wherever project specific design data is not available, place in dummy geometry based on your besteducated guess.

7. Create additional Base Files as Required.

Duplicate each of the Base files (Grid, Stairs, Core and Enclosures) as many times as required bythe quantity of floors and anticipated number of design variations and complexity in the project.(You can do this easily with the Copy Construct to Levels right click function). For instance,you may have five Core Plans, but only two Column Grids. (If you are unsure at this point in the project, make an educated guess, remember if two floors have the same Core, or Grid, use anElement for the Core or Grid geometry and then drag this into the Construct for each floor).

8. Double-check all settings in each floor. Re-path the XREFs as required.

For instance, if the Column Grid is the same as the First Floor, but the Core is different, the GridXREF will require no change, while the Core must be renamed and re-pathed. (Don’t forget, youcan simply detach the wrong XREF, and Drag and Drop the correct one easier than manually re- pathing).

When you choose the Copy Construct to Levels option, it is very likely that the default namesused by Project Navigator will be unsatisfactory. Be sure to rename them and then use the Re- Path icon to update all XREFs.

9. Follow similar steps to create any additional Constructs as necessary, (Constructs suchas Furniture , Equipment , etc).

For Constructs that are not similar to anything else in the project, simply create them fromscratch.

10. Create a Composite Model View.

Simply right click the Views folder on Project Navigator, and choose New View Dwg > GeneralView . Follow the wizard and chose all Levels, Divisions and Constructs.Open this Composite Model and check your progress. Open any Constructs and make

adjustments to the files as necessary based upon observations in the Composite Model.

11. Create additional Views for Floor Plans.

To create a Floor Plan View, use the same process as a Composite Model, but check only oneLevel in the Wizard. You can also chose to exclude certain Constructs from any View asappropriate for the type of View you are creating.Create as many Floor Plan Views as required —Floor Plans, Reflected Ceiling Plans, Furniture,

Equipment, etc.Create a Model Space View in each Floor Plan View file and name it whatever you desire the titleof the drawing on the Sheet file to be. Add Titlemark Callouts.

12. Create Section and Elevation View files.

Use the Callout routines to generate Section and Elevation View files.For Sections, choose all Constructs like the Composite Model.For Elevations, include only exterior Constructs like Shell conditions, Site and Roof. This willspeed 2D Section/Elevation Generation time.

13. Create Detail Views

Use the Callout routines and create detail Views. (It is not necessary to think of every single file




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required at this stage, but the more files that are set up at the begging the better).

14. Create Schedule Views

Again, it is not likely that you will have enough data to create meaningful schedules at this stage,but you can setup Composite Model Views that are specifically intended to generate ScheduleTables. Then you can even create the Schedule Table objects and select the XREFs that you willultimately schedule. In this way, the Schedules can be easily updated later when project data

begins to flesh out.

15. On the Sheets tab of the Project Navigator, create new Sheets.

Assuming that you are happy with the Sheet Set organization that is created with new projects,you can begin adding Sheets right away. Otherwise, you will need to spend some time creatingSubsets and organizing your Sheet Set. You must also determine the Sheet size you would like touse and assign template files to each Subset. Must of this can be saved in a Sheet Set templatethat can be assigned as the default for new ADT Projects on the AEC Project tab of the Optionsdialog.Once you have a Sheet created, open it and drag and drop the appropriate View from ProjectNavigator directly on top of the Layout (Paper Space) in the Sheet file. You can drag the entireView file, or any indented Model Space View beneath it. Resize the automatically created

viewport with grips as necessary and position it within the title block border as you require.You can drag more than one View to a single Sheet, and set up more than one Layout tab ifdesired and appropriate.

Double-check all settings in the Sheet file. Save all Sheets with the primary layout active.

16. Repeat for each required Sheet.

17. Check all files and settings.

All files should have some sort of geometry in them. Add “dummy” geometry to those that don’t.Delete the dummy objects once real project data is added. Run a test batch plot (Publish) on allSheets to see if everything is configured properly. Make any required adjustments.

18. Save and Back up all files.

The keys to success in this setup task are paying close attention to detail and being very methodical about eachstep. Depending on the size of the project, setting up all files can be a long process, but your efforts will begreatly rewarded as users reap the benefits of a well-conceived project file structure. Make sure to double-checkall settings at each critical step, particularly before saving a file or duplicating a file.

It is possible to create a “Master Project” that has many of these files already setup and ready to receive dataand geometry. The process is not necessarily fool-proof, nor does it eliminate all of the steps outlined above, butit can greatly reduce the steps and time required to create a new project. If you are planning to attend the BD41-2 Level and Project Management in Autodesk® Architectural Desktop and Autodesk® Building Systems 2005 – Advanced session, we will explore Master Projects in detail there. Otherwise, be sure to download the paper forthat session after the conference.

Other Items

Here are a few additional Project and Drawing Management related topics.

Global Cut Plane and Spanning ElementsWhen you create a spanning Construct (a spanning Construct occurs when you check more than one Level orDivision on the Construct Properties dialog). This makes the Construct appear in all Views that reference any ofthe Levels or Divisions to which the spanning Construct belongs. This is typically used for multi-storey Curtain




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Walls and Stair objects. The Display Configuration (or Global) Cut Plane is a setting in the Display Configurationthat works across all objects in a file, including spanning Constructs that are XREFed in. Therefore, if you have aConstruct that spans three floors, and the geometry is different on each floor of the design, global cut plane willdisplay the Curtain Wall correctly on each floor. (See Figure 13).

Figure 13 – Curtain Wall Style with different graphics represented at each level via global cut plane

To adjust your cut plane settings in a particular file, open the Display Manager onthe Format menu. Expand Display Configurations, and select the active (shown bold)Configuration. On the Cut Plan tab, you can change its settings. All objects will use

this value when determining the display of their plan graphics. Each DisplayConfiguration has its own setting. When a spanning element is introduced, like theone in Figure 13, it is inserted by Project Navigator at the correct height relative tothe lowest Level to which it is assigned. So on a third floor View, the Curtain WallConstruct ends up being inserted at a negative value. This means that the global cut

plane in the third floor View will cut the Curtain Wall correctly and show the thirdfloor graphics.

XREF CleanupWhen you separate objects into different Elements and Constructs, it is sometimesdesirable to have the Walls clean up across the two files. This is accomplished with a setting in the Wall Cleanup

Group Definition. When you want Walls to cleanup across XREFs, open the XREF file. Launch the Style Manager,and edit the Wall Cleanup Group definition to which the Walls you need cleaned up are assigned. If you areuncertain which Wall Cleanup Group this is, select the Wall(s) and look on the Properties Palette. You can alsocreate a new Cleanup Group in the Style Manager. Edit the Wall Cleanup Group and click the “Design Rules” tab.Place a check mark in the Allow Wall Cleanup between host and xref drawings box an then close alldialogs. Save the XREF and then reload it in other files to see the Walls Cleanup. In order for Walls to cleanup,they naturally must belong to a Wall Cleanup Group with the same name in their own file.




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Project Tool PalettesProject Navigator offers no way to globally control or enforce project standards. However, through goodprocedure, we can go a long way toward achieving standards goals. One such procedure is the use of project toolpalettes. Tool Palettes can be created and customized with an easy drag and drop process. If we build a ToolPalette that contains tools for all styles used in a project, we can publish this Tool Palette to all project teammembers to help ensure consistency across project files. To make this work, there are three important pieces that

must be built and configured:o Project Styles—Any object style that you want used throughout a project. This usually includes Wall, Door, Window,

Curtain Wall, and Schedule Styles, but can certainly include any ADT Style.

o Project Tool Palette—A Tool Palette that contains a Tool for each relevant Project Style. In large or complex projects,you may have several Project Tool Palettes.

o Project Catalog—The “holding place” for storing and accessing a Project Palette. All project team members use theProject Catalog to access the Project Tool Palette(s).

The first piece is easy. You will be developing styles for your project as you work. Making them easily accessibleto all team members is the important factor. As you begin to determine the various wall types, doors types andother styles that your project will require, create Project Styles Element (in Project Navigator). You can name it “Project Styles ” or “Library ” or whatever name suits you. The reason for putting it in the Elements folder ofProject Navigator is to provide quick and easy access when the file needs to be edited. Elements are part of the

project but do not appear in the model unless you drag them into Constructs. This particular Element is here forconvenience and will never actually be dragged to a Construct, but remains a simple double click away when

editing is required to add or update a project style. You can also store custom AEC Content in this file.

Your next task is to create a new Tool Palette. One person on the project team should be made responsible forthe Project Tool Palette creation and maintenance tasks. You can create a new Tool Palette in your workspaceand then “publish” it to your team. To create a new Tool Palette, right click the title bar of your Tool Palettes andchoose New Palette. You can name the Palette any way you wish. Many firms like to use the Project Number as

part of the name for a Project Tool Palette, but whatever the name, it should be easy to recognize by teammembers. To add tools to the Palette, be sure that the new Palette is active, open the Style Manager andnavigate to the Style type you need (like Wall Styles). Drag the Style from Style Manager directly onto thePalette. This will create a new Tool. You can edit any of the Properties of this tool to further customize it. You canget more information on the subject if you are planning to attend the session: BD31-3 The Autodesk®

Architectural Desktop Tool System Revealed. If you are not planning on attending the session, be sure todownload the paper after the conference.

So now you have a collection of Project Styles, and a Tool Palette containing them. To make them available toother members of your team, you need to drag the Tool Palette to a shared catalog. The best thing to do is tocreate an office standard catalog for storing all Project Tool Palettes. To do this, open the Content Browser(CTRL+4 in ADT or access from the Windows Start menu in the Autodesk group). In the lower left corner of thebrowser, click the “add or create new catalog” icon. In the Add Catalog dialog, choose the “Create a new catalog”option type in a name and browse to a location to save the catalog. Be sure to choose a server locationaccessible to all team members. You can right click the new catalog once created and change its properties andeven add an image. Leave the Catalog browser open, tile both the catalog window and ADT on screen, click anddrag the tab of your Tool Palette and drag it onto the catalog window. A Palette Icon will appear in the browser.

For users to access this Palette for the first time, they follow similar steps to open Content Browser, and add theOffice Standard Catalog. (They will choose the “Add an existing catalog or website” icon instead of creating a newone). Once they have added the catalog, they can simply use the small eyedropper icon to drag the Tool Paletteto their workspace. A back link will be maintained to the catalog. You can refresh a linked catalog anytime byclicking the small icon at the bottom corner of the Tool Palette in the ADT workspace.

Later, as you add or update tools within this Palette, simply browse to this palette in the Catalog Browser (clickone level deeper so that you see the tools displayed in the browser,) and using the same drag and drop




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technique, drag the new or modified tools into this Palette. If the tool already exists, you will be prompted toreplace it. Once you have updated the catalog, users can click their refresh icon and see the latest changes intheir workspaces.

When you wish to edit a project style, double click the Project Styles Element file in Project Navigator, make yourchanges and then save and close the Element file. Since a tool for the edited Style already exists in the user’sworkspace, there is no need to refresh the Palette. Refreshing simply updates the Palette itself. To update styles

in the various project files, open them from Project Navigator (probably most or all of your Constructs andElements) and then right click the Tool of the Style that changed. Choose the “Re-Import” Style option from thecontext menu. This will import the latest version of the style from the Project Styles library file and update theversion of the Style contained in the current drawing in a single click operation.

As stated above, there is no native way to update styles and other content automatically across all project files.However there is a third party tool that will achieve this (and much more). The application is called “Cadmin ADT2005 Standards Manager.” Visit www.cadmin.com to download a full working demo. Contact Cadmin for furtherdetails.

Additional Information

For additional information on ADT Drawing Management system refer to the online help:

Choose Help from the Help menu or press F1. On the Contents tab, browse to: Architectural Desktop 2005 Help > Architectural Desktop User's Guide > General Information > Drawing Management. There you can explore theseveral topics on the Drawing Management system.

A sample chapter (Chapter5) from Mastering Autodesk Architectural Desktop 2005 containing a complete tutorial

on the drawing management system is also available to you. You can download this chapter in PDF format free ofcharge from my web site. Visit http://www.paulaubin.com/mastering_arch_desktop_2005.php, andthen scroll down for the download link. (If you are using ADT 2004, visithttp://www.paulaubin.com/mastering_arch_desktop_2004.php instead).

For a “Brain Dump” on Drawing Management written by Paul McArdle (an Autodesk Developer) visit:http://www.paulaubin.com/mastering_arch_desktop_2004.php and click the “Online Companion” link on the right

side.

You can reach Paul F. Aubin at: [email protected]. Please visit: www.paulaubin.com for information onPaul’s books and service offerings.