What is wrong with those story levels?!

[Dieter @ DWorks]

It's been some time that I actually had to draw much in VW, but the 'new' way story levels work is driving me crazy? How could someone get away with this? He who designed this should be fired! It is way to restrictive and you end up with lots of stuff you don't want. Let me explain in more detail some points of this:

- Why have the default levels in a drawing the same height offset? It's nice to have an initial default offset so that you can go with that at first, but not all building will have the same height offset for some type of level. Now when you edit the level, you end up with two levels of the same type but with different offset Heights. This is crazy, I just want to use that default level type, but have it at a different height offset.

- The same counts for the layer you can add to the default level. This should only serve as an initial setup when you add that type of layer, but if you don't want it, then let us remove it for that story.

- Let us bind existing level types to existing layers. Why can't we? It's crazy. Do I really have to create a new layer through a level type and then move all objects to that new layer and delete the old one?

- And the list goes on....

I thought that they had all this story stuff worked out after the previous disaster, but it's just got worse. So please revision this so that it just works and is user friendly!

[Dieter @ DWorks]

@ Dieter - the intent is to ALWAYS have a level with a type. (in fact, in my version, I don't have the option to NOT have a type) For example, you can have as many "Ceiling" levels as you want (all with different elevations). You'll then be able to choose which one is appropriate when you create your stories. You can also create levels "on the fly" that will be associated with JUST THAT ONE STORY...

@Wes, thx for that! Now I get it, though I think it's implemented way to complicated, but I see the reason behind it:

- In the layers dialog, you can set the level types, which are the names of all the level types you want to use, each name can only be used once in a story. So it's a unique list of level types, check.

- In the story dialog, you can set default levels, which in fact are levels, which have a level type and a certain height, so it's that combination that's unique and those level will appear in the level list of all stories to be used in them.

- You can then also add levels for a specific story if you want, and that will only show up in that story, though it has to be used, or it will disappear automagically.

So it is:

- Level types to set the names to be used.

- Default levels, which can be used by each story

- Levels, which are story specific.

Still think it can be simpler:

- Level types to set the names to be used.

- Levels, which can be turned on and a height set for each story.

Much simples, and if good implemented, editing a level for multiple stories should be easy... I get it that a level type can only be once in a story, which is normal, but the height can be different (but isn't Always) That's why I want to see to just check the level type and set it's level for each story, and make sure we can select a certain type on multiple stories to edit the height for all of the selected. Much more straightforward and simpler.

[Guest Wes Gardner]

@ Dieter - can't argue with making it simpler...:-) I will continue to post up the "how to's" and "where for's" such as mezzanines, split levels, etc.

[rDesign]

Other than being way too complicated as previously stated, the main problem I have with Stories & Levels as implemented is how are they intended to work when looking at different design options.

1. To study different design options for remodeling a single-story building, for example, I create multiple Design Layers 'Mod-FL1-Opt A', 'Mod-FL1-Opt B', 'Mod-FL1-Opt C', etc that all have the same Floor elevation of +0'-0".

2. Because a Story can only have one Floor level type, only DL 'Mod-FL1-Opt A' can be part of that Story.

3. Subsequent 'Opt B & C' DL's cannot be part of a Story (because Stories cannot overlap) and therefore they cannot have Levels.

4. When you copy a Walltype referencing Levels to a DL outside of a Story it completely breaks down and all of the Wall Components collapse to zero height.

[... writing all that made me feel like I was trying to explain the plot of the movie 'Inception'...]

Walltypes could be so much simpler if Wall Component Levels were defined INSIDE the Walltype, completely separate from Stories.

[Christiaan]

Still think it can be simpler:

- Level types to set the names to be used.

- Levels, which can be turned on and a height set for each story.

Much simples, and if good implemented, editing a level for multiple stories should be easy... I get it that a level type can only be once in a story, which is normal, but the height can be different (but isn't Always) That's why I want to see to just check the level type and set it's level for each story, and make sure we can select a certain type on multiple stories to edit the height for all of the selected. Much more straightforward and simpler.

Has someone posted this is enhancement request? Wes?

[line-weight]

Having moved from VW2011 to 2016 I've been trying to get my head around levels and stories.

I'm finding them as confusing as most contributions to this thread suggest they are for most people.

I see this thread is from a year ago.

Is there any plan to try and implement any of the changes proposed above?

[zoomer]

Bump ...

[AlanW]

Hi, Storeys are no more difficult than classes and design layers once you get your head around them and I am finding them more useful all the time. We need a good video about this because it can control the stairs also. I will look for a good one or do one myself because it can be very confusing when you first start.

[zoomer]

Hi Alan,

no problems here with Stories and Levels, I use them intensively.
I just bumped it because of the Feature Upgrade Wishes included.
Like :
- Linking of Default Levels when assigned to a Story
- "Defaults" of Default levels and its editing user interface

and those things ....