Workflow Question - Best way to reference VW files

[rudybeuc@gmail.com]

I have a project which involves several separate small structures in a larger complex on a single site.

 

For simplicities sake my idea is to do each small structure in it's own file, 3D Bim and details, and then reference those files somehow into a larger central project file.

 

The larger  file will contain the site plan which will be all 2d at this point.

 

Is there a way to do this? 

 

Mabey it would be reference sheet layers, but I don't know if that's possible with out the 3d info referenced into a design layer. 

 

I'll be diving down other rabbit holes today. Meanwhile, any insights would be appreciated.

 

Thanks,

Rudy Beuc 

[Pat Stanford]

Sheet Layers can't be referenced.  

 

You can do either Referenced Design Layer Viewports or Reference Layers.  Both have benefits depending on your needs.

 

I will let the proponents of each method tell you why they do what they do.

[michaelk]

Design Layer Viewports are the way to go if you want to place multiple buildings on a unified site plan.

 

BUT you can also publish from more than one file at a time.

 

So you can have the Sheet Layers for each building in their own files and still be included in the published set of the "unified" file.

[rudybeuc@gmail.com]

3 hours ago, michaelk said:

Design Layer Viewports are the way to go if you want to place multiple buildings on a unified site plan.

 

BUT you can also publish from more than one file at a time.

 

So you can have the Sheet Layers for each building in their own files and still be included in the published set of the "unified" file.

 

 

This might be the way I go....

 

 

Thanks,

Rudy Beuc

 

 

[Tom W.]

The only thing with referenced DLVPs is that if you need to generate lots of SLVPs with different visibilities/attributes you have to create a new DLVP each time so can quickly end up with lots of different layers for those different versions of the DLVPs + I personally find this a bit of a pain to manage in SLVPs. You are looking at the geometry in the SLVP trying to remember what is coming from the active file + what is coming from the DLVPs + control the visibility/attributes accordingly. If you use Layer Import Referencing then all the geometry whether referenced or not is controlled the same way.

 

I tend to use referenced DLVPs where the geometry is part of the backdrop to the overall model + just exists in one form, and Layer Import Referencing where I want full control over the geometry.

 

The other advantage of DLVPs is that you can model everything at 0 elevation in the source files then adjust the height of the DLVP in the site file. This is not a big deal for me but for others it is.

[zoomer]

Another Problem of DLVP References is that the Crop does not work in 3D Views.

 

E.G. some of my clients draw their design versions or stories of one building

in a row side by side in a single file.

So for my Reference I would add e.g. 4 DLVPs, for 4 Stories Story.

Each with a unique Crop for its Story.

 

But if you show such a DLVP and switch to an isometric you may see another

Story or half of both instead ....
 

[Cookie_NZ]

5 hours ago, Tom W. said:

The only thing with referenced DLVPs is that if you need to generate lots of SLVPs with different visibilities/attributes you have to create a new DLVP each time

 

Hi @Tom W. & @rudybeuc@gmail.com, you can bring in specific classes from a DLVP into the active document for visibility control.  This saves needing to create multiple copies of DLVPs

 

Shout out to @markdd for showing me this.  It's been a game-changer for my workflow.

 

With the DLVP selected, click 'Classes...' in the OIP to bring up the Viewport Classes Properties

In the 4th column, select the classes you want to bring into the active document

Select 'Use current document class visibilities' 

 

These classes will now be available in the navigation palette/SLVP class settings:

 

Cheers,

 

Cookie

[Tom W.]

4 minutes ago, Cookie_NZ said:

 

Hi @Tom W. & @rudybeuc@gmail.com, you can bring in specific classes from a DLVP into the active document for visibility control.  This saves needing to create multiple copies of DLVPs

 

Shout out to @markdd for showing me this.  It's been a game-changer for my workflow.

 

With the DLVP selected, click 'Classes...' in the OIP to bring up the Viewport Classes Properties

In the 4th column, select the classes you want to bring into the active document

Select 'Use current document class visibilities' 

 

These classes will now be available in the navigation palette/SLVP class settings:

 

Cheers,

 

Cookie

 

You're right + I do keep forgetting this so thank you! But I don't think it applies to Layers as well...?

[Cookie_NZ]

I just checked.  You're correct @Tom W., it only works with Classes.  Oh well... that's a shame.

[rudybeuc@gmail.com]

I wish I had taken more time writing that last message.

 

I'm going to be using the publish route and not be using DL viewports. This is a small project and wouldn't benefit from modeling the whole site. I'm going to do a 2d site plan. this is not going to be a purely BIM project.

 

Thanks,

Rudy Beuc

 

 

 

On 10/18/2024 at 5:14 PM, michaelk said:

Design Layer Viewports are the way to go if you want to place multiple buildings on a unified site plan.

 

BUT you can also publish from more than one file at a time.

 

So you can have the Sheet Layers for each building in their own files and still be included in the published set of the "unified" file.

 

[Tom W.]

6 minutes ago, rudybeuc@gmail.com said:

I'm going to be using the publish route and not be using DL viewports.

 

You will still need to reference-in the building files into the site file if you want to show an overall site plan. I think what @michaelk was saying was that when it comes to publishing you can do it all from the target file, you don't need to go back open up all the source files to publish those sheets.

[rudybeuc@gmail.com]

9 hours ago, Tom W. said:

 

You will still need to reference-in the building files into the site file if you want to show an overall site plan. I think what @michaelk was saying was that when it comes to publishing you can do it all from the target file, you don't need to go back open up all the source files to publish those sheets.

 

Thing is, I don't need any of the other models for my site plan. Any modeling will be for each structure only.

 

Because of the particularities of this project there's going to be a fair amount of 2d only stuff.

 

Thanks,

Rudy Beuc

 

 

[Tom W.]

7 hours ago, rudybeuc@gmail.com said:

 

Thing is, I don't need any of the other models for my site plan.

 

Although presumably you want to show the buildings in the site plan...? Are you saying you're just going to draw in the buildings manually in 2D? It would be quicker/easier to reference them in instead, plus then if you make any changes to how the buildings look in Top/Plan in the source files their representation in the site file will update automatically. Perhaps I'm completely misunderstanding what you're saying but if you are modelling the buildings in individual files + have 2D (Top/Plan) representations of those buildings in those files then you should reference those files into the site file in order to display those buildings in 2D (Top/Plan) in that file.

[rudybeuc@gmail.com]

It's a deck repair/replacement for a condo complex. None of the original documentation has been passed on from any of the previous management companies. It's alot of existing conditions. I will be using photographs, some modeling of the decks, and an aerial photograph with markup for the site plan. 

 

Thanks,

Rudy Beuc

6 hours ago, Tom W. said:

 

Although presumably you want to show the buildings in the site plan...? Are you saying you're just going to draw in the buildings manually in 2D? It would be quicker/easier to reference them in instead, plus then if you make any changes to how the buildings look in Top/Plan in the source files their representation in the site file will update automatically. Perhaps I'm completely misunderstanding what you're saying but if you are modelling the buildings in individual files + have 2D (Top/Plan) representations of those buildings in those files then you should reference those files into the site file in order to display those buildings in 2D (Top/Plan) in that file.