Better workflow for dimensioning co-ordinates

[Christiaan]

We're increasingly going to be in the position of dimensioning our buildings with co-ordinates.

With this is mind we'd like NNA to design and build in a decent workflow and relevant tools for doing this.

I'm reluctant to prescribe any particular feature or workflow method because doing so sometimes leads to a situation where we get a tool or particular feature but no one appears to be looking at the big picture so it ultimately doesn't work because there's a little piece of the puzzle missing.

[Christiaan]

I'm reluctant to prescribe any particular feature or workflow because doing so sometimes leads to a situation where we get a tool or particular feature but no one appears to be looking at the big picture so it ultimately doesn't work because there's a little piece of the puzzle missing.

Speak of the devil (Steven Frank commenting on a similar thing in relation to Google's Android):

http://stevenf.com/2007/11/try_again.php

[Petri]

With this is mind we'd like NNA to design and build in a decent workflow and relevant tools for doing this.

I'm reluctant to prescribe any particular feature or workflow method because doing so sometimes leads to a situation where we get a tool or particular feature but no one appears to be looking at the big picture so it ultimately doesn't work because there's a little piece of the puzzle missing.

You are contradicting yourself. Of the many shortcomings of NNA's recent development, the total disregard to the big picture is the most alarming and obvious one.

If a window frame is pushed into the wall or door trims are flush with the frame (at the door leaf side), I don't care if I can choose between Colonial and Ranch style.

Having said that, a coordinate-based set-out object needs quite a few features to be actually useful. Surely the surveyor would want a data file that he can download into his instruments. Something like this may well be the piece that is missing from freeware. You gets what you pays for.

[Christiaan]

What I mean is that I don't want to describe exactly how such a problem should be solved (which is often what we get asked to do when requesting changes). The problem I want solved is that of dimensioning effectively with co-ordinates. NNA are the software designers so I want to leave to them how they solve that problem.

[Guest]

Christiaan,

Sometimes, a proposed workflow is important to ensure you get what you are looking for.

With this wish specifically, are you looking for world coordinates, or drawing coordinates?

[Guest]

Christiaan,

Sometimes, a proposed workflow is important to ensure you get what you are looking for.

With this wish specifically, are you looking for world coordinates, or drawing coordinates?

[Christiaan]

Sometimes, a proposed workflow is important to ensure you get what you are looking for.

But, equally, a proposed workflow might not cover everything. Which is why I think it's better to define the problem than the solution.

For instance, when we requested the ability to class wall components we got it, but what most of us really wanted was to be able to show wall linings and turn them on and off. So we got the ability to class wall components but when you try to use it to show wall linings the ends of walls are not capped with a wall lining. If we'd defined the problem rather than the solution we might have been more likely to get exactly what we wanted.

With this wish specifically, are you looking for world coordinates, or drawing coordinates?

Aren't they one and the same?

I'm looking to dimension Easting (x-coordinate) and Northing (y-coordinate) co-ordinates. These would typically be in relation to either a local or national datum.

[Guest]

No it's not the same.

In VW , you can draw something at (10,7) but that has no relation to a project on a job site.

[Christiaan]

What I meant is 510 East 510 North is the same as x510 y510.

I can't see why anybody would want to annotate a set of plans with local drawing co-ordinates (that relate to nothing on a building site) and I can't imagine how you'd annotate plans with easting and northings without first placing the plan correctly in relation to the relevant datum, so it just seemed like an moot question to me.