What Classes do you put text on?

[Christiaan]

As a general strategy how do people tend to deal with text and Classes?

For instance say you have a floor plan with windows. Do you put text on the window Class, or do you have a general text Class, or do you have special window text Class? Or something else?

[Dieter @ DWorks]

i use:

tekst - algemeen {for all text that doesn't need to be in a class apart}

tekst - schrijnwerk {for all text from windows, doors, etc.}

tekst - ruimtes {for all text from spaces like bathroom etc.}

tekst - niveaus {for text from levels etc.}

i use these because i need to disable them in a vp.

[jfmarch]

we tend to keep it simple. since we are influenced by AIA standards, we use A-ANNO for all drawing notes, and control them using layers. we use the VW standard for dimensions. any other text info such as relating to symbols we use X-DATA and hide it in the final sheet views. for example in a door symbol, we allow the door type size and model by using A-DATA for that text class. E-DATA would be for electric, P-DATA for plumbing, etc. it works fairly well so far, and our DWG exports to consultants are usually understood.

[Jim Smith]

Our standards are similar, a set of CLASSES called Notes-A-100, 101, 102 etc. as well as sets of CLASSES called Notes-F, Notes- L, Notes- M, Notes-S-. We generally only have one layer per floor or roof; Structural information for example will be drawn on the same layer as Architectural so

Our Title Blocks are on separate layers (our Template includes several sizes of Title Blocks) and we have a set of Class called Notes-TITLE Notes-STAMP, & Notes Logo-1, 2, 3 etc. (for joint ventures). We also have a set of CLASSES on our Title Blocks called Notes-Scale-1:1000, 1:500, 1:100, 1:50, 1:25, 1:10 etc.

Hope this helps

[Donald Wardlaw]

There is simple and there is simple.

I hate the AIA standards. For text I use "none". Why does it need to be in a unique class? It remains very selectable via custom selection without that.

Regards,

Donald

[Dieter @ DWorks]

There is simple and there is simple.

I hate the AIA standards. For text I use "none". Why does it need to be in a unique class? It remains very selectable via custom selection without that.

Regards,

Donald

But what if you need to turn of some kind of text in your vp? The only way to do that is via classes.

[Jonathan Pickup]

I put my text and dimensions on the same class, and I have a series of classes for the text and dims for different drawings:

Notes-Foundation

Notes-Framing

Notes-RCP

Notes-General

Notes-Electrical

and so on...

[Donald Wardlaw]

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I've only started using viewports this year. So far this is not a problem. The reason is that I do not put text on the design layer, so text is a viewport annotation. So the text in a viewport is intentional and needed for that viewport, so I don't need to turn it off.

So, for example, foundation, ceiling, electrical and framing plans are separate viewports with their own text. I see no need to have separate classes for the text in each viewport.

Regards,

Donald

[Jim Smith]

Donald,

What happens when you make changes and these notes need to be reflected on several different plans? For example the Kitchen & WC swap locations, now you must remember to re-type this information on Arch, Furnishing, Struct, & M&E.

If you have a dimension on Ach do you re-dimension it on Struct? What if they are out of sync by a mm or two? Better to do it once.

In some cases I may want to see all the dimensions from Arch on Struct or vise versa, but sometimes I don't want to see them all - fine if done in annotations, however; what if the plan changes?

[Donald Wardlaw]

I guess it all depends on how much work this involves and whether it is more work than managing the additional classes. In my case, I find it easier to keep the drawing structure simple and make the revisions as necessary. (I've been on computer for 18 years but I worked in pencil for more than a dozen years before that, so keeping track of coordination issues is pretty ingrained.) I think the simpler drawing structure works faster and the time saved is greater than the time lost. There are also fewer assignment errors. Most of the time I get autocad files, a good example of an overly complex drawing structure which for reasons I'll never understand the AIA adopted, when I go through and look at the file on a class by class basis I see stuff in the wrong place.

Also, most of the notes on plans are unique to the particular plans. What else is there? Room names, targets. How often do they change and how hard is it to deal with? In my experience they don't change a great deal, but maybe it is just the buildings I work on.

As to dimensions, remember they are already in a class apart from text. So there are options for custom selection and viewports. Everybody has different habits about dimensioning and maybe what works with one building type and one locale is not the best way in other situations.

I wouldn't be opposed to adding a class when I think the drawings will benefit. So maybe I'll have one project with a special need in that regard. I'd rather be flexible on this.

I guess the redimension question applies to a dimensioned building grid. I might put the grid in a group which can be copied and pasted from one annotation zone to another---that way if a revision or revisions are needed you do them once which seems like the minimum no matter how you structure things.

But normally, I don't dimension the grid system on the structural drawings and I show the major structural elements on the architectural drawings. In fact I only add dimensions to the structural plans for very special situations, things that require a special alert to the builder or detailer. The architectural drawings will be dimensioned in such a way to locate structural elements which must be positioned by dimension.

Interesting to hear your thoughts Jim.

Regards,

Donald