BIM Question about how to setup Stories+Levels/PIO Styles ... in a small but "complex" Project ?

[zoomer]

I have a small residential building.

Planned in the late 60ies, only "structural" kind of design Plans 1:100 available.

While the design is thought very minimal and has its architectural qualities,

the actual realization offers a lot of surprises. Still.

 

The building(s) where already remeasured by an architectlater. But mostly

based on existing Plans and do not really correspond to reality at all.
I build a 3D Model from similar superficial own measurements and confiding on

these preliminary plans in 2010 in Archicad. Which IFC is still used as my today's

model base.

 

The intention is to build a BIM Model that is quite detailed

(about 1:50 - 1:20 LOD)

to recreate a Model that resembles what was really built and what could be potentially

possible to realistically improve, in terms of Insulation etc. and to have a model to estimate

all necessities and possibilities and effort,Areas, Volumes, ....

therefore the LOD detail.

 

(OK, I already created such a BIM Model to my liking in Bricscad, by its Direct Solid

Modeling and Modeling on Component Level and such)

 

But I also want to try in my current Real Work App VW.

 

 

And, (previous VW experience makes you hinder)

Maybe there are some other unbiased ideas (?)

[zoomer]

Problems to set Story/Levels and PIO Levels are.

(This more like an intellectual approach/task)

 

(Roof Level is OK, Sub Level is (mostly) OK)

 

- Entrance Level has two Slab Thicknesses and Heights ! (Wall Levels ?)

  so it is basically just like a Split Level - but only 6 cm apart ....

 

- Outer Insulation Layer, containing of 3 Plies, should have different

  bottom heights because of rising terrain and touching buildings

 

- Sub Story has (mostly) concrete Walls, while Entrance Story has

  (mostly) Masonry Walls

 

- OK, I have two Structural Slabs in Sub Level,

  three Structural Slab Sizes and Positions in Main Story,

  while flat Roof's Slab bottom is level - yeah !

 

- Wall Cores bottoms should sit on top and Wall tops under Structural

  Slab's height.

[E|FA]

For single family residential work (especially with split levels) I find it much easier NOT to use Stories.  I used @Wes Gardner's approach to get me started:

 

[zoomer]

Thanks @E|FA

 

I thought about using only Story heights.

But I am not sure if it really helps. Without Stories no Levels.

And I think Levels could be useful for overwriting Walls, especially

on Component Level in OIP.

 

But I will look into Wes and the other File Setup Examples again.

Maybe just doing each Wall manually is faster.

Not sure about Component Level though.

 

I also thought about a simplified single Wall Z Level and instead use

bound Slabs, as they can cut into Wall Components and this way

automatically correct Wall Zs at Component Level.
Until I realized that will only work for the upper Wall, but can't also

cut the Wall from the lower story.

So that idea is out now.

 

There is another idea of renouncing of overwriting Walls Components,

and add another (Insulation package) Wall at Slab thickness Level.

 

The other Idea is to renounce of "Default" Levels but insert Levels

of same name manually to my Stories.

This way I should be able to assign different Heights per Story,

without getting the redundant distorting Doublet from that "Default"

Level.