Standardize drawings & construction details?

[Z♟️]

namaste everyone,

im wondering what is the best way to templatize or well standardize my drawings..

i currently have 1 file.. that file has my titleblock, notes and wall styles. I copy and paste this file for every project and work on it

this is a habit from my acad days

currently i look up to nick sonder and his way of managing 3d files

creats one drawing for site drawings... one drawing for floor plans and so on..

i would like to do something like that but where it gets tricky is in the form of details.. in sketchup you can create a detail and save it in a sketchbook for layout.. you can then drag and drop this detail and use it... so he would have seperate files were he models the project.. and seperate files where he models details however he can reuse the same details over and over.. in vectorworks im having a hard time using the same detail for every drawing as i only know about using the create section detail tool.. (currently making 3d details not 2d)

 

so what is the most cleanest and efficeint way to standardize drawings?

 

[Jeff Prince]

You can work in the same way as depicted in that video.  The guy isn’t doing anything magical… each typical detail is a separate Sketchup file that he copies from his library into his project folder using the same organizational scheme.  Once in the specific project folder, he customizes them to the project.  Same thing can be done in Vectorworks, AutoCAD, etc.

 

You just have to decide if you prefer to have the details as separate files referenced in to you sheeted set or if you just want to place them in the same file as your overall project.  Houses and light commercial work can easily be done with everything in a single file and using design layers to keep it all organized.  Big projects or ones requiring multiple people working on them usually benefit from the separate file approach or using project sharing.  I do most of my current work in a single file to simplify sheet organization and management due to the size of the projects.  If your computer is slow, there is an advantage to using separate files.

 

organizing the typical details library can be done in separate files or by grouping details with similar content.  Personally, I like grouping details because it is easier to keep thing like classes, materials, and styles consistent quickly.  Everyone has their own preferences and there are dozens of ways to do it 🙂

 

I would suggest rather than copying and pasting your template content that you just set up an actual Vectorworks template file.  When it’s go time, you just create a new document and tell Vectorworks what template you want to use.  You can have an entire project set up with design layers, sheets, and a titleblock instantly.  Then you just fill out the project info in the titleblock manager and you are rolling.

[Z♟️]

@jeff prince

would it make sense to model different details in different vw files and then bring them in later? it would be great to bring them in but i tried to group a viewport and wasnt able too.. im currenlty doing a foundation detal and created a section and used a detail viewport on that section and then inserted rebar and such.. how do you group yours?

i wouldnt mind having them referenced but just wondering how to do so?

it would be a great idea for me to use a template file lol it seems like a better way to do it.. i wonder if you can template viewports so i dont have to setup elevations each time , that would be awesome

[Jeff Prince]

14 minutes ago, Z♟️ said:

@jeff prince

would it make sense to model different details in different vw files and then bring them in later? it would be great to bring them in but i tried to group a viewport and wasnt able too.. im currenlty doing a foundation detal and created a section and used a detail viewport on that section and then inserted rebar and such.. how do you group yours?

i wouldnt mind having them referenced but just wondering how to do so?

it would be a great idea for me to use a template file lol it seems like a better way to do it.. i wonder if you can template viewports so i dont have to setup elevations each time , that would be awesome

 

The approach with details varies, depending on how you want to manage things and your utilization of smart markers tying them to their reference and backreferences.

For my typical 3D details, I just make a PDF of them and drop them into a design layer rather than try to mange them in the file.  If you could copy/paste model and viewport annotations in a single move, maybe I would consider that.

For one off project specific details, I put them on unique design layers and annotate them in a viewport.

 

You can have all your sheets with sections and elevations set up in a template file.  Then you just drop the building in, adjust your smart markers, and update your viewports to quickly get things going.

[Mitchell (the other one)]

2 hours ago, jeff prince said:

 

For my typical 3D details, I just make a PDF of them and drop them into a design layer rather than try to mange them in the file.  

I do this as well.  I have a master file with all of my details.  As details change / evolve, I duplicate the original to leave it unchanged, then revise the duplicate.  Then a note or two off to the side to myself on why the detail changed.  Early meetings with structural on a new project, I print copies of the details I think are needed and bring them to a review meeting for discussion and mark up.  Midway on a project, both structural and I are fairly clear on the project detailing.  And then of course the client or contractor changes something fundamental.  (smile)

[Z♟️]

@jeff prince

yes something like that was my plan but as i research more i'm starting to see about people referencing viewports... have you tried anything like that? i have only tried to reference design layers.. i will try later this week to reference viewports because if so then i can have one master file theoretically and reference each viewport that i have created... all theory though ahhahaha i hope it works as i find it weird that a BIM software would need us to create PDF's and drop them in

 

quick question,.,. is it possible to make the 3d detail viewort into a symbol?

 

@Mitchell (the other one) nice, do you have a typical workflow i can maybe implement ? when i do a pdf i insert the pdf of the detail into the sheet layer however cant edit it unfortunately ... i'm trying new things but would love to know your workflow with these things

 

this is my template so far.. each of these are separate files and the sheet layers in them

a100

-cover render

-project info

-city forms

a200

-site plan

-bmp plan

-landscape plan

-bmp details

a300

-floor plans

-schedules

-rcp

-mep

a400

-sections

-elevations

a500

-details

-specs

 

i then have 3 models that are referenced

-site

-building

-building with site

 

i reference the building with site on the a200 drawings

and only building on the a300

 

currently trying to see how it it could be better...