Different floor levels, same storey

[Christiaan]

How are people dealing with schemes that have different floor levels on the same storeys?

I'm about to start modelling my first construction phase drawing using Storeys. It's one building but with two cores, with a 1m height difference between two.

I'm wondering whether I might save myself some heartache by splitting the two cores into separate files? What are the negative implications of this I wonder? How would I deal with the party wall where I make the split? Draw it twice? I'd need to bind the slabs to something.

[Dieter @ DWorks]

It's not that different than a normal building.

* Start with making stories like you normally should, and this for the lowest part of the building.

* Make all key elevation (design layer) for the lowest part.

* Now you need to add other key elevations for the other part. They are the same, so you will have to name them differently, same for the elevation types. So you'll have for example 'Floor' and 'Half floor'.

* Depending on where your objects are, the are bound to either the normal elevation types or the half types.

* So you'll need to draw your walls for each part at different heights, and different design layers.

* Depending on how the building will be designed, you'll have to be carefull to join your walls correctly where the two halfs touch to get all the bounding working.

It's not that difficult, just a lot more drawing management. The key is really to define the elevation types you need. You will sometimes need to add an elevation type of one story to the story above, which is not 'normal' but required by VW because you can't overlap stories. It's not such a big deal.

You could draw them seperatly, but then you will not be able to bound stairs between them, and you could be in trouble with references. They still aren't that good. Had to remake all my references this week on a project with 5 houses.

You also can join walls on different layers and bound to walls on other layers. But I guess you already know this.

[Christiaan]

Thanks Dieter, I'll give this ago then.

[Christiaan]

Turns out it's a bit more complicated than I thought. Basically, from first floor up, there are three different sets of levels. And one those sets has a ground floor level that is split into four different ground floor levels (where it follows the slope of the street).

I guess your advice still stands. Just start with the lowest level for each set as the primary level for that set.

Attached are two cross sections, one through each direction of the building.

[Dieter @ DWorks]

I guess your advice still stands. Just start with the lowest level for each set as the primary level for that set.

Quite complex building you have there.

I still would go with my advice by choosing a main part where you define the levels first. Then define the rest, although some level types will go in stories where they normally don't belong, but need to be due to the limitation of stories not being able to overlap. I really think VW should correct this. This needs to be possible.

What you also can do to keep it less complex is using layer height instead of bounding to a level type. This can help you define the level types and the stories they go on.

[Christiaan]

Thanks Dieter.

This is pretty standard affair for the buildings we do in London.

[Christiaan]

Cripes I hope I don't get hit by a bus and someone else needs to edit the floor levels in this file.

I can't get the ceiling layers to work without overlapping (or the core 1 foundation layer for that matter). Am I doing something wrong?

[Dieter @ DWorks]

I can't get the ceiling layers to work without overlapping (or the core 1 foundation layer for that matter). Am I doing something wrong?

No, VW won't let you. You need to add those layers to the story above or below. I know it doesn't seem correct, but it's the elevation type that's important. And if you do this for all ceilings, the drawing will be more consistent. If you look at it in the way that the whole slab package belongs to the story where the structural floor belongs, it kind of seems correct. It's just how you look at it. (I also

What can help is draw a section, and draw horizontal lines to define the stories. Keep this in the project folder so that when others need to work on the file know what you did. I attach a quick example.

Tips:

- You don't have to define an extra story for the roof and foundation. Elevation types are the important things.

- You could shorten and make the elevation types more readable. It's clear now, but takes too long to read and know what they are. (Maybe same for the layer names?)

[Christiaan]

Top man Dieter, thanks.

[Christiaan]

What do you reckon Dieter, is it worth creating separate design layers and level types for the ground floor level of +7.10, +7.45, +7.70 and +7.90 in this section (note that all floors in this core above ground level are at the same level)? Or should I just stick with the one level type and design layer I've already created for +7.10 and then offset walls/stairs/slabs for the other ground floor levels?

http://techboard.vectorworks.net/ubbthreads.php?ubb=download&Number=7274&filename=along-street.png

[Christiaan]

Went for it. Didn't add too much complexity than already exists.

[Dieter @ DWorks]

Went for it. Didn't add too much complexity than already exists.

Doing so will let you easily place your symbols on the correct height. They will be at height 0 to the layer height. And if you want to change some height later one, you can do it more quickly.

[Christiaan]

One little 'gotcha' I've come across: when you need to change the height of one core of the building relative to the rest you have to adjust all the design layer Elevation heights for that core rather than being able to use automated Storey height adjustment.

[Lovish]

Same problem right now i'm going through, please help me with it,

I'm designing a retreat for an artist for my college project, and i took location at Cliff, there is a limitation that i've to work within a single story, but there is floor difference of -5 meter hanging outside cliff, this difference is enough that i could watch over roof of one part of retreat from other part.

Is it still single story or double story?