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Organisation of Symbol folders in Resource Browser


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Historically we've organised the root level of our Symbol Folders in the Resource Browser roughly into object-based categories:

Detail components

Draughting graphics

Elevation components

Feasibility

Furniture and fittings

Groundworks

Layouts

Openings external

Openings internal

Presentation graphics

Section components

Services

Shell components

Structural Engineer

Services Engineer

Survey data

The problem I found with this is that it doesn't gel well with the way we actually work: i.e. generally in Plan, Elevation, or Section. When the symbols are organised roughly by object-based category, as above, the organisation of new symbols as they're created created in plans, elevations and sections can quickly become chaotic. And when you're working on an elevation, for instance, you're not concerned about the window plan symbols, you're only concerned with elevation symbols.

So my thought was to reorganise the main folders into groups based on our main workflows:

3D

Annotation

Detail

Elevation

Plan

Section

The problem with this, however, is, say you're working on some large scale bathroom plans and elevations. You're now faced with the plan symbols being in one section and the elevation symbols being in another, whereas in our previous organisation we had all such symbols in one root-level folder (Furniture and fittings).

So I'm curious how others organise their symbol folders? Maybe I need a mixture of both methods of organisation? While I'm sure there's no magic formula I'm sure there're others out there doing it better than I am.

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A third option is to organize the components by the sheet where they are used - which is a little more CAD oriented than BIM oriented.

Any system will be somewhat arbitrary, but the development of projects often correlates with the production of sheets and sheets are ultimately how the project requirements are communicated in most cases.

Your milage may vary, of course.

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This is indeed interesting. The UK-based dissidents seem to have a very clear and relevant view on The Structure of the CAD Model, but the Home Team has, once again, dropped the ball.

Apart from CAD-operator point of view and unless one is into Heavy Scripting, symbol folders are pointless. Purely a cosmetic feature: in a report of symbols, you can't have a column for the folder in which their definitions reside. Now, someone like yours truly could use symbol folders in reporting and such, but...

(I'll reveal all my Trade Secrets immediately after NNA releases its objects and commands without encryption.)

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