SHCanada2

not entirely sure what you want. There are generally two ways to do this. both have two .plan files as Rookie65 states. one as built, then one with the changes. Then if you still just want the two to be on layout, either beside each other on a layout page or on two pages in the same layout. You send each of those to layout. Done If you want to show the original, and/or you want to show the original superimposed on the proposed, then you need to use the reference display set. This is typically where hatched lines are shown as you can control which plan is "on top" via the XOR. In this case you have a different layerset for the original that you can use in which the walls are different fill or color, but once you use the reference display set for the proposed, you specify the original plan with the different layerset, along with the proposed. Below the walls in white are to be removed. This is the advantage of the reference display way of doing it. You can see exactly what is being removed. I find this way is the way to do it when evaluating where the structural walls are and what needs to be done to accommodate new walls in different locations The other way is you can assign walls different layers and create a different layer set, and then show the walls to be removed. but then you have to start breaking up walls if not entire walls are being removed. This doesnt work when walls are close together, and will just frustrate. I do not recommend it. I've tried The other way is to use the wall hatching tool, and turn that layer on and off The last way is you just create a polyline the width of the wall you are going to remove with a hatch fill and put them on their own layer. It's easy, and quick for just a wall or two

you could post your project to freelancer.com. You need to tell them what the CA backup looks like, how often it creates one, that there are multiples, and that you want a service that extracts them from the zip file and then, I assume, you want them placed into a directory structure based on the name of the CA project. or if just one big directory, then tell them that. But that will be the key piece of the puzzle. And then tell them if you want it triggered by a newly created CA backup within x minutes of it being created And then you will need to tell them what to do if the plan file is already there, do you want it overwritten or a new one generated. Do you want them to compare the two first to see if they are different before making that decision

You(or someone) could probably write a script or windows service that makes just the plan and/or layout backup to a directory. The simplest way would be to extract from the CA backup automatically

I can see why if you do this seperate folders between plan and layout, the new PM is not making it any easier. I always had mine in the same folder, so I see no real difference in the PM project view today. A PM project is just what I used to have for a folder. But it would be easier to navigate if there were folders within the project that I could move off copies of the plan that I use as a versioned plan, to I sent in some improvements on the naming. I find the options on the right click confusing as to what they will do.

good point, yes even I will likely clean house every once in awhile, and may do it by project export, but in pondering it now, I will more likely I will just take a copy of the CA backup and store if off on disk, and then delete them out of PM. If I ever need a plan from 5 years ago, I will probably then go in and unzip it. For me when I am "looking" for a plan I did, I typically look at the PDFs because it is faster, and those are already in a directory. so in the future I will find the PDF, see the timestamp and then find the CA backup that I copied off, which is newer than that timestamp. I do about 40 plans per year, so maybe every December copy off a backup and delete files out of PM that are older than 4 or 5 years Currently I am not bringing X16 files into X17. If I need to make changes I am doing in X16. So for me, this copy off and delete process will not happen until probably 4 or 5 years from now. but never know maybe next year at this time there will be too much clutter Currently I have 8 projects, so it is not cluttered enough to have filed them via the folder tags. So it will be interesting to see how I am doing next year, but half my work is doing variations of existing, so that will all be in X16

I'm not sure I am understanding, why are you exporting a project if you want to work on it? why not just make a backup copy of the plan file in the project? For me I think my workflow will be: 1.keep all projects in PM. Let CA backup in the format CA chooses (zip file of everything). This backup is for the sole purposes of disaster recover, i.e. disk failure 2. if I need to checkpoint, I will do what I did before, which is make a copy. And I will let it stay in the project as copy(x). CA now lets you make a copy while the file is open, so that is a nice improvement. I do not anticipate ever needing to look at a CA backup file, except in a disaster. And I do not anticipate to ever need to export. For those with multi computer environments, then an export would be required

not a CA problem then? maybe it is looking for a network printer that does not exist

right click rename?

in the grand scheme of things, of how many R/W are done constantly by windows and others, I would think doing an export is of negligible impact to the lifespan

this is how it always worked. if you want a permanent backup everytime you save, you have to make a copy. the good news is the new PM allows you to make a copy even though the file is open I think you are looking for more of a checkpoint functionality where you state that you want a copy at a specific moment that you have done a bunch of work, where backups have tradionally run at certain times of the day

i dunno, add a plant, a fruit bowl, atoaster and a book like they did, swap out the charis and you would be pretty close

cheaper than the $20k leica. I will look into that, thanks. sometimes I spend an entire day trying to get the elevations correct, so that actually might be worth it for me for the complicated ones, although complicated ones are probably only 15% of the houses I do. I'm curious as to how these exterior ones deal with bushes where half the window or something else might be behind. Here the side property lines are typically only 2-4ft from the house. Ideally if matterport used the interior data like window locations in order to create the proper exterior elevation...well then there would not be much work for me to do

I would concur, less going to windows explorer, saving a few clicks here and there

I bring my laptop and do it in CA, so I can reconcile any discrepancies on the spot. So in about 2 hours(because I use cubicasa for the not important floor levels) I am done the required portions of the floor plan in CA at the customer's location, then I go back to the office and trace the cubicasa (which is about 30 min) for the other floor level(s). And then I do the elevations, which then take additional time regardless of using a scanning tool or not. I actually find its the elevations(because of roof lines, posts, porches, cantilevers, window wells, etc) that take the most time. I've tried out a couple elevations apps, but cant find anything decent. But if I do have a discrepancy found after the fact, I have to rely on a video I take of the inside/outside. It works, but it would be nicer to have a scanned model I can point and zoom in and move around in. In general then for me to do a full house floor plans without elevations its 1 hr drive, 2 hrs at the customers, call it an hour to put it together back at the office.

yeah thats not cheap, if I do 2 as builts a month, thats $100 a month, plus the 3k amortized over 5 years is another $50 a month, or $75 per scan. I guess not too bad.a cost.