stevesakiwi

Hi guys, I forgot to click follow topic, so not sure if anyone responded. Anyway, I think I have a workaround that is reasonably simple. 1 - Create the terrain on a separate pln 'Terrain' file....that terrain model can then be copy/pasted into the working plan as the normal Terrain perimeter layer....& modified with retaining etc. 2 - Create a 3ds symbol of the terrain in 'Terrain' file. 3 - Import back into 'Terrain' file.....set layer as Terrain Perimeter Existing. 4 - Resize symbol to match the modeled terrain in 'Terrain' file. 5 - Copy/paste into working plan & snap to overlay the Terrain Perimeter model. 6 - By switching layers, I can now simply alternate between the 2 different terrains & still show how the Terrain Existing lays against Elevations & Sections. Please see attached jpg showing the normal terrain with the 3ds symbol further back.....damn....wouldn't upload!!!! Cheers, Steve

Hi Jason, Thanks for this, but I'm not really sure if it solves the issue whereby a typical house plan has 40~50 CAD Details that I need to show for Council..... Each CAD Detail needs to show exactly where they reference - typically this is done on Sections...so the link between Layout Sht# & CAD Detail # is important for the end user navigation. Please understand that we work with A3 (11" x 17") sheets down-under & there simply isn't the room on each Section Layout sheets to show the callouts associated with each respective CAD Detail.....typically, I'll have 4 CAD Details per A3 sheet (Scaled @ 1:5) The example I attached on Tuesday's post sort of does what you're describing where layout Sheets are dedicated to Cladding, Roof, Openings etc, but I am showing the respective CAD Detail callouts on a 3D model, rather than in Section..... I used to show in Section the CAD callouts but it became a constant pain because you seem to be always adding/deleting Details and/or layout Sheets meaning that you had to constantly check that the Callout Labels were correct....this is where an intelligent callout will really make life easier. I have been a CA user for some 25years & love the program, but also did plans in REVIT & found that feature with Details/Section/Layout automatic association leaps ahead of CA. I have ditched REVIT as I couldn't afford it & the renderings where so-so, unless you paid for an online service.....also the 2D CAD detailing in CA is superior. Cheers, Steve

I would like to have the capability to alternate between be terrain with existing & proposed terrain models....with the same pln. house model. I have tried to have 2 different layers for Elevation data so I can switch one set of terrain heights on for existing & I have the other layer as elevation data proposed. This doesn't appear to work as there appears that there is only one terrain perimeter, & you can not generate another terrain perimeter on an other (proposed) layer. I don't want to have 2 separate pln. files as this would mean doubling up if an alteration is made to the working model. The purpose is I want to show how the existing terrain sits against the house to derive cut & fill heights & yet to be able to show how the terrain will look once landscaping & retaining recommendations are done. Does any one have a suggestion or how do you achieve this scenario. Cheers, Steve

This might better explain the issue I deal with & a work-around I am playing with. Firstly, my layout Sheets are A3 (ANSI B)....This is the typical sheet size Councils & contractors want in New Zealand & Australia....90% of residential plans will be on A3 sheets. Often there is no room on Layout sheets with cross sections & floor plans to show callouts associated with details on respective cross section & plans. These CAD details need to be shown on another layout Sheet as CAD detail scale is typically 1:5 For a reasonably complex house plan, I will have 4~6 cross sections & 40~50 CAD detail callouts......the need for the reader to navigate between Sheets is imperative - hence why having Details/Sections/Layouts referenced is important....I'm really looking forward to when CA has this feature ...already happening on other CAD platforms. Please refer attached - here's a work-around that I'm now using. 1 - There is no need to show a callout on sections as the locations are referenced on 3D views of the project.... in this case Sheet 27 2 - The attached pdf shows 36 callouts currently showing on other Layout sheets - this project will easily see over 40 CAD details at completion. 4 - If I add another callout, I only need to show the callout # on the 3D & on the Layout Sheet where it is located. 5- I try to keep different elements such as walls, roof, foundations with different looking callouts so if I'm adding another detail eg: Wall cladding, I use the next number in the sequence 3 - Downfall - I have a note in RED to remind myself not to change camera location - to do so, changes the 3D view & you have to shift all of the callouts located on that 3D view. Please feel free to provide suggestions how this systems can be simplified...or is there a better work-around? TIA.........Steve 10.5 Example Detail Legend.pdf

This might better explain the issue I deal with & a work-around I am playing with. Firstly, my layout Sheets are A3 (ANSI B)....This is the typical sheet size Councils & contractors want in New Zealand & Australia....90% of residential plans will be on A3 sheets. Often there is no room on Layout sheets with cross sections & floor plans to show callouts associated with details on respective cross section & plans. These CAD details need to be shown on another layout Sheet as CAD detail scale is typically 1:5 For a reasonably complex house plan, I will have 4~6 cross sections & 40~50 CAD detail callouts......the need for the reader to navigate between Sheets is imperative - hence why having Details/Sections/Layouts referenced is important....I'm really looking forward to when CA has this feature ...already happening on other CAD platforms. Please refer attached - here's a work-around that I'm now using. 1 - There is no need to show a callout on sections as the locations are referenced on 3D views of the project.... in this case Sheet 27 2 - The attached pdf shows 36 callouts currently showing on other Layout sheets - this project will easily see over 40 CAD details at completion. 4 - If I add another callout, I only need to show the callout # on the 3D & on the Layout Sheet where it is located. 5- I try to keep different elements such as walls, roof, foundations with different looking callouts so if I'm adding another detail eg: Wall cladding, I use the next number in the sequence 3 - Downfall - I have a note in RED to remind myself not to change camera location - to do so, changes the 3D view & you have to shift all of the callouts located on that 3D view. Please feel free to provide suggestions how this systems can be simplified...or is there a better work-around? TIA.........Steve 10.5 Example Detail Legend.pdf

In know.....I made queries on Chieftalk about 4~5 years ago. How do you now address this issue....what work-arounds do you use? The implementation of this will be a long awaited catchup to other CAD platforms Cheers, Steve

A3 is 297mm x 420mm (11.7" x 16") This is the typical standard required by Councils & by Contractors... so there is a space war on Layouts. Not sure your suggestion would solve the issue, just shifting the issue from 1 process to another with same outcome - maintaining reference between details/section/layout. Many thanks....Steve

Thanks Kbird1, I understand that principle.....I'm guessing you're from NZ too? The problem I have is with CAD details & their reference to cross sections & Layout.....same applies to Foundation plans & Roof plans. Refer attached of Grandview - the 'CAD details' are shown on the same sheet as it's applicable xsection....BUT....this is on an A1 sized sheet example....all of my work is done on A3 sheets as is typical in NZ & Aussie. Quite simply there is often enough space on the A3 xsection Sheet to display it's respective CAD detail callouts.....those callouts need to be placed on a separate sheet - hence the Callout link with Layout Sht# reference is more important for the reader to navigate. I would like to know how you handle this in NZ where Councils are more demanding for copious amounts of Details? CS does mention a work-around in his first post, but this seems cumbersome & a management issue....especially if you're got 30~40+ cad details in layout Cheers, Steve Grandview Sht9.pdf

Awesome....I'll look into this. Thanks so much for your time.....Steve

You're a legend.............

Thanx Chopsaw. I will look into this. I do hope someone can also point to a youtube video?....the CA produced ones don't have the info that you just shared. Cheers, Steve X13 Pro

To be honest Chopsaw, I did play with that but never got my head around it.....didn't seem to do what I wanted - I guess expecting the same result as Revit. I have only just re-valuated the info displayed in CA Layout to make it easier for the reader to navigate......hence the post. I have looked for youtube videos to help, but can't find any. Can anyone please point me to such aids??? TIA.....Steve

To clarify - X13 Pro...user since '96 Cheers, Steve

Thanks guys for your feedback. Yes, I got lazy, I no longer manually reference detail#/xsections/layout Shts as you are always making changes - adding details, sheets etc & it became too tedious to go back & check dozens of callouts - often missing some. It's a damn shame that CA has not adopted this 'intelligent' functionality as available on those other CAD platforms - this feature makes your plan sets look more professional & easy to navigate for the reader.

Thanks Chopsaw for your prompt reply. Back to the first part of the query, is there a macro where there can be an intelligent link between Layout Sheets? If not, is there a macro wizard who can write such code? Cheers, Steve

Hi Learned ones, Firstly, does anyone know of a macro whereby I can have an 'intelligent callout' on 2 separate Layout sheets...eg: I have a 3D image on Layout Sht2 that I'd like to highlight where various construction details are, those details being on Layout Sht9~12. So for detail 1, I have callout 1/9 on Sht2 & showing as callout 1/2 on Sht9......ie: where that detail is located on sheet. If I happen to add another Sheet at Sht7, then Sht9 becomes Sht10 so detail 1 on Sht2 would intelligently update to 1/10. Now, the next ask..... Revit & Archicad have the capability where details/sections/layouts are intelligently linked so when a cad detail window is sent to Layout, it intelligently shows in the associated xsections the layout Sht# & Detail#, the information is intelligent between all 3 drawings...& if you happen to add another layout sheet, as described above, all details intelligently update. I'm sure the out of the box X13 doesn't have this function....if so, I missed the memo being a user since '96. Is there a macro that can do the above? Cheers, to all.....Steve

Thanx….will do

Many thanks Mark for taking the time to respond. Due to your post, I have had a quick look at Bluebeam. I also see that there are quite a number of tutorials on YouTube so I will download a trial & see if it suits my purpose. I contract to other designers....I'm about to get fibre into my house/office so intend doing a lot of CA files in the cloud as this is what one of the main designers wants. Cheers, Steve

Hi tommy1 Thanks for your comments. I thought that it would be good to actually provide a real example of the realm us NZ designers must adhere to. The referenced product is a James Hardie cladding (siding)….we call Linea (Aus/NZ) or know as Artisan in US/Canad. Find attached 2 pdf's & a screenshot: 1 pdf) The NZ Linea weatherboard has 65 details (65 CAD files available) 2 pdf) The Australian Linea has 21 details (21 CAD files available) 3 png) The USA Artisan has 12 details (+ 12 details with furring) ….https://www.jameshardiepros.com/install-and-tech-docs/browsetechdocs You will note the NZ detail includes 'direct fix' & 'on cavity' (furring or rain screen). The aussies have no idea what a rain screen is & all siding is installed on a flexible wrap. For NZ projects, I may specify approx. 5% of projects with a Rigid Air Barrier (RAB) & if it involves the JH Linea siding, I would need to use the Linea on RAB + cavity (furring) pdf details...hence another 30+ details to source from JH. Now....often the Linea is combined with other siding types, so, for compliance, I need to supply those specified sidings details (eg: vertical corrugated steel) The steel siding company also has pdf details similar to the amount that the JH Linea has....so another 30 odd pdf details to choose from..For the cladding junctions, I will download & combine/adjust the JH/steel siding companies DWG drawings to demonstrate the junction. Here in NZ, we have approx. 3x the amount of JH siding options, all with the approx. 65 details for cladding siding....in addition, all the other products available in NZ have similar pdf detail quantities….& I haven't mentioned the subfloor/floor/roofing options etc...….my mention of 1000's of pdf details to choose from is not an exaggeration. The architectural resource of these pdf details helps me to produce drawings efficiently. Then there is the legal issue. Here in NZ, residential buildings must be built per plan, there's no option for as-built like in aussie. JH & all other suppliers will not honour liability if a product is not installed as per their detailed instructions....hence why I'd rather use the manufacturers pdf resources, speeding up my productivity & reducing my risk. In addition....there is a lot of other stuff that come to me as pdf's....bracing (e/quake) & thermal energy calcs etc. These could be included in the Project Specification, but this doco is often 130~150 A4 pages long & I like to include some info in the Layout for the builders ease of reference. I really look forward to comments, but it's looking as if keeping the pdf's in a separate Layout & then combing them with an online pdf merge app is the solution....but it invites another area of something being missed. Cheers, Steve Linea weather board. direct fix. cavity fix. horizontal.pdf JH australia-Linea Weatherboard_Installation Guide_May 2019 .pdf

I do that with most of the common manufacturers pdf's (already scaled for Layout). There are always changes as Council's challenge the information & clients keep making changes that require amendments that go back to Council etc.. I have had a play with the 2 layout idea & think I can live with it. Will change my current jobs to this idea & see how it goes.....BUT always keen to listen to any other ideas. Cheers, Steve

Thanks Chopsaw….on looking at this from a different angle, a typical layout will contain 40~50 sheets. The first 50% contains the info that I frequently have to make changes in layout...inserting/deleting stuff & text changes. The later 50% I do not make many changes. I'm thinking that I might have 2 Layouts for a project, configured with majority of pdf's on the 2nd layout. I'd then have to use an online app to merge the 2 pdf's......is it possible to merge 2 Layout's in Chief?..... Cheers, Steve

Thanks Chopsaw….looks like there is no work around or easy answer. The authorities here in NZ require almost all building elements to be manufacturer specified & therefore generic details are not generally accepted. Some manufactures have over 100+ details. Some of the Standards I refer to have >400 pages! The easiest way is to search the pdf (often indexed) & take note of the pdf page # required & then import that page # into Layout & crop to get specific details. Sure, the manufactures have dwg's, but I'd have to import them individually into my library & then I'd have to rename & file each to make it easier to find from my Products Library....the same issue is converting the pdf to jpegs.....I'd end up with many 1000's of dwgs or jpeg/png files....hence the ease of pdf's make it easier to source details/tables etc......but the price is too much wasted time in Layout. Cheers, Steve

I have an issue that the more pdf's I have in layout, the speed of changes that I do on the layout pages can get painfully slow....typically 5~10sec of the never ending circle. I can have >40 pdf details/tables in a single layout. I have tried putting the pdf's on a different layer & turned that off...but, the changes speed remains the same: slow....grrr. I don't want to convert the pdf's to jpegs as that takes time & would mean my Product/Technical/Standards library would contain many 1000's of files & would be time consuming to search ( & manage) for the details I need. I know others are having similar issues. I run X10 on a near new Asus gaming computer so it's no slug. I have also tried 'Backup entire project' from layout....but this doesn't make a difference. Cheers, Steve

Is there a text macro for Sheet Index that is linked to the title's on consecutive Layout pages? I typically have the Sheet index on page 1. When I insert a new page or change the location of info in Layout, I have to go back to the Index & manually change the Sheet # & Description. Callout Text macro's Simlarly, is there are macro that links the layout page number to the page number in a Callout....typically the bottom number in the Callout. Ideally, this should be linked to the Callouts placed not only in layout but in other views: eg Plan, Section, Elevation etc. Both Revit & Archicad have this feature....saves time & ENSURES continuity. TIA.....Steve

Thanks Alaskan_Son..Correct, your post didn't fully display so I didn't read all of it..the Hot Keys option will work with me. Cheers, Steve