Paste In Place - In Absolute Z-Elevation

[cberg]

 

Is there a good way to move objects between layers with different Layer Elevations (Default Z Values) without having to manually adjust the objects in the z axis? 

 

For example, if my layer 1 elevation is 10' and layer 2 elevation is 20' reassigning an object from Layer 1 to Layer 2 requires me to go through the added step of moving it back down by the difference of the two layer elevations.  This is confusing to most users and a potential source for modeling errors. 

 

Ideally, there would be a script or command to Paste in place to the absolute z value of the object, irrespective of the layer elevation.  

 

Does anybody know of any tricks or tips?

 

Edited October 15, 2018 by cberg

[cberg]

Okay.  This may not be intended.  However, if you group the objects with the layer you want to move everything to activated, and then ungroup them, the objects are reassigned to the desired layer without being adjusted in 3d. 

 

 

Edited October 15, 2018 by cberg

[Guest Wes Gardner]

All I do is dup in place the object on layer 1, then change its layer in the OIP to layer 2 - a move of ten feet...am I missing something?  Since the object in this example has a Z=0 when it's on layer 1, it'll have a value of Z=0 (relative to layer 2's Layer elevation) when it's moved to layer 2.... but overall, the object on layer 2 will be 10' higher.

 

Layer Elevs.vwx

[cberg]

While it sounds simple, in the example listed above, it requires constant math when working with multiple sets of layers. It is very easy to make mistakes when there is not a global Z coordinate system. 

 

 

[P Retondo]

I have been asking for years for this, but might as well do it again.  When pasting between layers with different Z values, an option should pop up asking whether Z should be assigned relative to the source layer, or relative to the target layer.

[zoomer]

14 hours ago, Wes Gardner said:

All I do is dup in place the object on layer 1, then change its layer in the OIP to layer 2 - a move of ten feet...am I missing something?  Since the object in this example has a Z=0 when it's on layer 1, it'll have a value of Z=0 (relative to layer 2's Layer elevation) when it's moved to layer 2.... but overall, the object on layer 2 will be 10' higher.

 

Layer Elevs.vwx

 

 

Wes, yes in 99% the default behavior is very welcome.

 

The easiest example that comes into my mind when there is another option

needed would be when just drawing accidentally on a wrong active Layer.

Like you have 5th floor Layer active but draw some custom 3D Geometry

on 3rd floor.

By isolating Layers at one point you may notice that parts of 5th Layer would

belong to other Stories - for organizational reasons only.

And you want to quickly change their Layer membership without losing their

already correct Z positions.

 

Another situation may be when copy/paste geometry from other files with

different or no Story/Layer settings or 3D imports like DWG or IFC,

which you want to adapt, separate or transfer.... to a (new) Story Layer Setup.

 

Whatever reasons it may be, as it is now it looks like I have a help construction

from layer plane Lines for each Story in nearly every project.

Just to do such Layer transfers Z-Clean Up movements without the need to do

much math.

Nevertheless, for complex geometry, this is very prone to errors.

(Visibilities, Selections, Story recognition, ...)

 

 

So an additional Option to change objects Layer membership without reacting

to Layer's Z differences would be very nice.

Like when holding "ALT" while changing Layer in OIP dropdown.

(Or may be even SHIFT+ALT to bring a extra Palette for Z to choose from any

Layer's Z as "export" base height ?)

 

But basically it is only about an option to keep Objects Z based on VW origin

(="world height"), instead of Z based on Layer Z, when changing Objects

Layer assignments.

 

Edited October 16, 2018 by zoomer

[kinglevel]

This is driving me nuts, why is there no option to ignore elevation when moving objects? makes no sense