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Best practice for renovation project using stories


billtheia

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Hi.

I've been using VW since v12.5 and am currently using V2013 (waiting for v2014 to become more stable.) Most of my projects are renovations so I have a need to be able to distinguish between new, existing, and demolition. Currently, I use separate design layers for new and existing (one per floor) and show new walls with a gray fill, existing walls with a white fill, and demolished walls with a dashed line (typical US convention.) I put new and existing walls in the same class and use wall types to show the desired fill. I put demolished walls in a separate class with it's line type set to dashed. My current setup is based on the Alexandria Lofts project that VW shows as a "BIM" example.

I have started looking at using stories (haven't used them yet) because VW says that they will make my workflow easier. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like stories were designed with renovation projects in mind and none of the example files that VW shows on their web site seem to use stories (at least none that I looked at.) It looks like you can only have one of each layer type (floor, ceiling, etc.) in each story so I can't figure out how I would set up a renovation project using stories.

Can anyone out there show me a best practice for using stories on a project that has new AND existing work? I'd love to see how some of you handle layer,class, and story definitions.

Thanks in advance for the help.

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I have found that stories can be useful in structuring a renovation project file, especially for template files and vertical additions, where automatic height adjustments can be beneficial. While only one level type is permitted in a story, one may create level types suitable to practice and project -- I.e. (E) floor and (N) floor default types may be appropriate for your projects -- or as many layers as desired. Several layer types may have the same "offset" elevation. Levels assigned to stories and their offsets can be easily edited. Objects can be bound to levels within a story and to levels of stories above and below.

Vectorworks 2014 doesn't change the story feature, but sure improves the 3D working experience and offers so many quicker ways of accomplishing things, I have been quite pleased to work with it for weeks now.

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The introduction of stories hasn't reduced the usability of VWs?! Stories have made it possible to increase bounding functionality otherwise there is no difference compared to before. The same limitation is still in place with regards to it not being possible for (Story) Layers to overlap, however you can have an unlimited amount of Layers anywhere in the program/model the only limitation is that not all will be able to use the new bounding functionality.......in this regard perhaps you should look at changing your workflow to using classes instead of layers for distinguishing between phases. This is how I do, it however building standards differ here from there.

I have also considered using different files and referencing for the different phases however haven't tried this workflow (I'm not so sure referencing is really that flexible yet....)

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Bill,

I'd be happy to share a recent sample file with you (and everyone else):

Dropbox: Vectorworks BIM Example file v2013

Dropbox: Vectorworks BIM Example file v2014

It is a work in progress and I use it to test workflows. Should give you an example of a relatively simple story setup.

As for renovations, I like Majic's approach. Couple that with Classes for demo objects and I think you've got a pretty good "best practice" set up.

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Thanks for the responses.

Majic, do you use custom layer types (E-Floor, N-Floor, etc.) or just set existing layer types to "none?"

Vincent, I have considered using classes instead of layers before. Using layers just seemed simpler because I didn't need to have new- and existing- classes for everything (walls, windows, doors, floors, ceilings, casework, lighting, etc.) Using layers allows everything to work with the same (smaller) set of classes.

Jeffrey, thanks for sharing your examples. It would be really useful, I think, if VW had example files for renovation projects too. When I first started using VW, in 2007, I found the Alexandria Lofts example file to be invaluable.

Anybody else out there willing to share an example file for their renovation project?

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Bill, personally I haven't found a reason to use the default layer type as I've really only found need for one, and want just one, of each type of layer in my models. But, I suppose that I could only have types as I haven't thought of a reason to filter a view of my model based on layer types.

I've found that a single EXISTING story default layer type and model layer affords me the level of control I require to display and quantify existing building features; for other story defaults, I do as have since I started using a pin-bar layer system, I have PLAN, STRUCTURE, CEILING layer types and layers. Also have found FLOORING, OVERHEAD, MEPS and ANNOTATION layers useful to easily control visibilities for groups of objects, as, even though they can be controlled by classes, the lack of hierarchical class control for SLVPs makes this a more cumbersome approach for me. Additionally, I have non-story model layers for the SITE, for instance, and maybe for alternative schemes before one is adopted and its objects are moved to my PLAN layer(s).

As far as classes, I generally start with a basic set and then, add more as I find need for, say, E-REMAIN, E-DEMO, E-REFINISH, WOOD-1, WOOD-2 ... As I generally have a lengthy list of classes in my files, I put A-, C-, M-, E-, P-, S-, etc. prefixes on my class names to more easily navigate and manage them by discipline, rather than just alpha-numerically. Alas, this is not as workable as I would like because of the many auto-generated classes the program creates outside of the Auto-Named list, but the best organization I've come up with.

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Thanks, Majic.

I hadn't thought of using a single, EXISTING, layer type. I think that could work for me too. I might also add an ORIGINAL layer - I generally keep an unmolested copy of the building's original state for existing elevations and for reference.

I also like the class prefixes. I think I'll look at incorporating something like that into my standard class list. I'm still going to avoid, though, creating separate classes for existing vs new. That results in really long class list and I don't think that I need it if I'm separating things by layer.

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  • 6 months later...

Jeffrey,

I see this is an old thread, but being a new user trying to learn everything in a short period of time I think I might benefit from viewing the example file you posted last year. Is it possible to re-post? Please.. (2013 VW)

Thanks much.

Edited by jmartinarch
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  • 2 years later...

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