HumbleChief

Alan, not really looking to update the elevation per se: but wanting to update the elevation after re-referencing to a new plan file. What method do you use for Layouts? Templates? Some version of SAM?

OK let's say I copy both plan and Layout to a new folder. I have an as built plan that I have now saved as a proposed plan and I have saved that plan multiple times and am on Jones Proposed Plan 17, all Save As's done outside of the Layout. How can that last plan, Jones 17, be re-referenced to the Layout and the Elevation be automatically updated? Is that a simple thing I'm missing?

I double click a couple time in the video and I think with Joe's explanation it's not strange at all. Those elevations have no reference unless the 'Save As' is done within the layout, which preserves the cameras and their associated path - maybe.

Interesting Joe. I can see that logic but I'll need to chew on it bit. That must be why doing a 'Save As' within the Layout works, as it preserves those camera names and paths? And doing a Save As in a simple plan file then re-referencing that plan to the Layout does not have the same camera paths?

I did click re-link and tried both plan names and the elevation didn't change or refresh correctly but maybe there's something there? I discovered that the re-link command is for plan views within the Layout not elevation, sections. And if you 'Save As' within the Layout, make plan changes, the elevations will update, if the new plan name is re-referenced within the Layout. I would always work on my plans outside of the Layout, re-reference the new plans and wondered why the elevations would not up date. They aren't intended to. I may still work on the files outside of the elevation and just re-send elevations sections as it's not that big a deal and working on a plan in the Layout is not very convenient - for me.

Here's what always confused me bout re-referencing a plan file within a Layout file. All of the plan views i.e. foundation, electrical, framing etc will be updated after re-referencing but the elevations and sections will not and have to be resent. If the plan file is "Saved As" within the Layout I believe the Elevations will be updated and preserved but not if the plan is worked on and 'Saved As' outside of the Layout. Gotta test that theory.

Yeah guess I should have said this forum is great - again.

...just sayin'.

That's the limitation I found with Layout Box Labels. I wanted to see the view name I was working on in i.e. elevation view and the Layout Label didn't let me see that, or was redundant.

Yeah don't let 'em get to you. There's probably a thousand commands I still don't know about after using this beast for 15 years and I pick up one tidbit every day, a lot of the time from your posts.

Interesting - Thanks Joe. I can see why you don't use %scale% in the plan. ...and using %view.name% in a plan text box will save me a lot of time.

Wow, really don't understand that scale macro.

I get some really bizarre behavior and can't spend any more time right now but here's what I get when I create a text box and insert %view.name% %scale%. This is after I got 53/194 in = 1 ft. Seems to work with Rich Text hmmm. Fail again. One says 1/4" good the other says 1/8" sigh

Nice Joe. What about Floor Plan Views? They can use a Layout Label no? Perhaps no macro, but label text correct? Follow up - When I specify %view.name% no label shows up. When I choose automatic label I get the project browser name.

Thanks P.

Another question; How do you label your Layout Views; with Layout Labels? Or custom, separate Text?

Thanks for the video Scott. I think you guys might be arguing the semantics of 'one fell swoop' and actually describing the same technique. All good stuff you guys appreciate the tips and comments.

Like first stated in the OP there's many ways to skin this cat and I think Bernie has described a similar method to what I've been using for far too long. It all works and we'll each develop our own methods but there are faster ways to use templates, the SAM etc. Why would you resend an elevation when you just don't have to? Why would you re-link all, page by page when the Layout can include all the relevant text, changed when needed with Anno Sets? Really just need to re-link the plan file and detail file if you choose. What I found in my own work flow was that I was doing many similar things and I think once we get into a routine there is much, much, good to be said about that routine but I recognized I was doing things over and over that didn't need to be done over and over. For me changing one's routine is not easy, and justifying it to ourselves is even easier but for me it's time for a change and I've literally been working every day trying to catch up until recently. Now with a little breather I'm trying to be all ears (eyes) and see what I might be missing. For example I'm intrigued by Bernie's external text file technique described above and will look into it to see if makes things better faster in my work flow. May integrate Joe's macros soon but it's Monday and time to get crackin'.

It won't work without your snaps turned on.

I'm pretty sure Chief does indeed want things in the same folder and will warn if the Layout or Plan is in a different folder. The only thing that seems tricky to me is that when doing a 'Save As' for a plan it looks like that new plan name is now referenced in the Layout and even shows up in all the Layout pages as if it has been 'replaced' or 're-referenced' but that reference is only temporary and goes away when you close and re-open the file, unless you actually reference the new file name. I think Perry hit on the most important warning from Chief re: Saving As old plans and it has to do with a newer version of Chief. If you bring an older plan and save as into the new version it might cause problems. I've never seen any of those problems and personally will choose either a template or the SAM despite those warnings.

Thanks Scott, Same here, just never saw a reference to the actual transformation of the As Built into the Proposed and how that interacted within the Layout. I think the system I've described above (video too) will work fine. I finally have some free time and have a couple new jobs coming up next week and will certainly try it out. Thanks so much for your helpful videos.

Appreciate your patience and find it a bit uncomfortable posting these simple questions but am struggling a bit. Just reviewed a SAM versus template video (Scott) and noticed for the first time each method appears to only have one plan in it. For the remodels I do I almost always have two plan files. An 'as built' or 'existing' plan and a 'proposed' plan. Let's say I have a Layout template with a Plan template referenced within that Layout. (Will probably use a modified SAM eventually but for now I've got a couple templates) It's all set and ready to go. The elevations, sections, foundation, framing plan etc. are all pulled from the Plan template and sent to a Layout Page. Got a new job. I go and measure a very simple 1500 SF older home in the San Diego suburbs. Arrive home and it's time to draw the new job. I click 'New Layout' and my Layout template pops up and I 'Save As' a file in the new Smith folder and call it 'Smith 24 x 36 Layout'. I then go to the plan template file that's in the Layout double click to open it and Save As back to the Smith folder as 'As Built 1'. Now all my elevations, sections, everything is being pulled from the As Built 1 plan. Still in my Layout working on the As Built. I finish the As Built model, all is good. I 'Save As' the As Built and call it 'Smith Proposed 1. Now all the sections, elevations etc. are being pulled from 'Smith Proposed 1'. The As Built plan no longer is visible in the Layout but is still referenced. If I close the Layout now and re-open the Proposed Plan is no longer visible because I didn't change the reference from the As Built to the Proposed. A little strange but can be dealt with. So now I've completed the proposed plan everyone is happy and sending me checks. The Layout shows all of the Proposed Plan's sections, elevations etc. and it looks pretty good. But, there's no longer an As Built plan. Neither referenced nor visible in the Layout. Simple enough to open the original Smith As Built floor plan and send it to Layout but there's no references to any elevations, sections etc. That's usually OK because the proposed sections and elevation can usually suffice to show smaller additions but there have been a couple times where the As Built Elevations were a must for plan check and clarity. I haven't seen or noticed two plan sets in the SAM or template methods and just wondered how it's handled with either method? Is the As Built (existing) sent to Layout separately? After the proposed is complete? If a user wants to pull elevations, sections etc. from the as built then that seems to be a separate, independent, operation - true? Hit stop instead of pause. 2ND Vid below

I never knew there was such a thing as ANNO Sets in Layout - Sheesh - it only took a few minutes to set up each builder Anno Set now I want to set up City and County Anno Sets.

I remember this being true as well but can't see any real difference now as compared to a previous version.

I think I'm seeing the wisdom here Perry. Let's say I have a special case Anno Set I feel like setting for a unique situation. That Anno Set (plus every other unique Anno Set) persists through every plan using the SAM but using a template that Anno Set never shows up again for future plans. It might be hard to imagine but I don't really mind having a bunch of Anno Sets around and I know my way around my set up, which should be easy to imagine, quite well. It might be junk but hey it's my junk