As-built cadd detail

[keysersoze]

Hi everyone, i am doing a reno design and did a asbuilt plan and then converted it to a cadd detail.

When this is done the fixtures change from my initial colour i have chosen as orange to black.

If i explode the fixtures then i can change some lines back to orange but some i cant and some

like the sinks show all the areas as triangles that turn the fixture a solid colour.

 

Any ideas on the best way to keep these one colour.

I want to load this cadd file in background to show existing plan while i revise for reno.

 

David

[joey_martin]

When you choose them, are they blocks? If so, select the check box for assigning color and type from BY BLOCK to BY LAYER and see if that helps.

[dshall]

When you choose them, are they blocks? If so, select the check box for assigning color and type from BY BLOCK to BY LAYER and see if that helps.

 

 

I must be getting old.  I know the program and I do not understand how to do what you just described.

 

If they are blocks,  open up the block and either select BY BLOCK or BY LAYER,  essentially what Joey was trying to say.

 

But that is cumbersome,  get rid of the blocks, IOW  don't block them,  take the cad to view detail,  copy,  and paste in the working plan and p lace on their own layer,  the layer will now define the line weight and the line style.......  fixtures in cabs need to be deleted and a cad line needs to be used,  i.e. sinks.

 

 I think there have been dozens of vids on the methods to do as built plans.

[rlackore]

When you create a Detail From View something perverse happens with 3D symbols: instead of using only the 2D Cad Block that is assigned to the symbol, Chief includes the symbol's 3D geometry in the new block.

 

For instance, here is a chair symbol's assigned 2D CAD block. I've selected it so you can see the CAD lines that have been used to define it.

 

Here is the block that Chief created when I created a Detail From View:

 

Notice all the extra lines - this the result of Chief including the 3D symbol's actual geometry within the new block. Why? Maybe because sometimes we assign 2D CAD Blocks to 3D symbols that aren't fully representational of their actual geometry. I often used "cleaned up" CAD Blocks because I prefer my floor plans to appear less busy. Here's an example of a gas cooktop with Chief's block on the left, and my cleaned up block on the right:

 

Anyway, when you explode the block in the Detail From View, you end up with a bunch of extra geometry that you'll have to select/modify/delete, etc. Or, don't explode them - they should continue to display as they did in your Floor Plan. Joey's suggestion is good, but it doesn't always work, because the geometry in the new block may be different colors, styles, weights, etc., and you'll get a dbx that has those options grayed out:

[joey_martin]

He is talking about the individual fixtures. Back in the day...before Chief "updated" the fixtures (especially plumbing fixtures) you could use the CAD from View feature and the plumbing fixtures would simply work. Some of the new 3D fixtures will do some whacky stuff when they are converted to CAD and exploded, therefore.....leave them as blocks and change the layer association.

 

Hope that helps.

[dshall]

He is talking about the individual fixtures. Back in the day...before Chief "updated" the fixtures (especially plumbing fixtures) you could use the CAD from View feature and the plumbing fixtures would simply work. Some of the new 3D fixtures will do some whacky stuff when they are converted to CAD and exploded, therefore.....leave them as blocks and change the layer association.

 

Hope that helps.

 

That is a great point.  I suppose what I started doing years ago is when I do a DETAIL FROM VIEW,  it is a detail only of walls and windows and doors etc.

 

So I take that detail,  copy and paste in plan,  put on it's own layer.........  AND THEN........   I take the as built and start doing some save as's to create the DEMO FILE and the PROPOSED FILE.........  the point is...... now if the toilet per your example is going to be removed,  I select and put on THE DEMO LAYER which is a dashed line layer........   I DO NOT DELETE THE TOILET ANYMORE,  I SIMPLE PUT IT ON THE DEMO LAYER, which is a dashed layer,  if the client changes their mind and wants to keep toilet,  I then put on default layer.

 

Thanks for bringing this up Joey,  I know what you are talking about in regards to the "funky toilet lines",  but as I just stated,  my toilets are no longer part of a CAD DETAIL.

 

WOW,  I forgot that somehow I stumbled into the method I just described.......

 

If anybody does not understand the method,  let me know and I will do a vid.

[joey_martin]

I do the same as you, but inherited a project a while back, and found this issue with the fixtures. I generally only want the walls and openings for as-builts.

[dshall]

..... I generally only want the walls and openings for as-builts.

 

 

Yep,  that is the key.

[keysersoze]

I want to thank all who responded, I cant believe this community helps everyone so much, its awesome.

All good points and i just redrew some of the items ie a square instead of shower, etc.

 

David

[Dennis_Gavin]

"I cant believe this community helps everyone so much, its awesome"

 

yes, amazing isn't it!

[Alaskan_Son]

I went ahead and wrote up a report to tech support on this issue.  I'm including a copy of that report here just so everyone knows what the issue is and because I wanted to make a quick As-Built CAD Mask video to address the problem.  I just think that video might be a lot more helpful though if you first recognize what the problems are...

 

Hi guys,

We have some pretty strange issues with CAD Blocks that I'd appreciate of you looked into.

1. When we create a CAD Detail From View, Chief automatically creates copies of any CAD Blocks associated with that view. When it does that, the copies of those blocks are often times faulty (especially when there is any complex curvature). See first attached image. The problem becomes apparent when trying to change the line style or color without exploding and manually editing the block in in great detail.

2. If we try to replace those faulty instances by dropping the original version of the CAD Block into the plan and renaming it using the name of the faulty copy, what happens is that the original block is deleted entirely. This happens whether or not Automatically Purge CAD Blocks is checked. This leaves the original symbol to which that CAD Block was assigned orphaned (without a CAD Block). See second image.

3. The symbol will remain orphaned until a new CAD Block is created. It doesn't matter what that CAD Block is, where it is created, or when it is created. Fact is that the next CAD Block created will be assigned to that symbol. See third image.

I've found a workaround for issue #1 as I mentioned above, but that brings up issue #2. I also found a solution to issue #2 and that is to drop an instance of the original CAD Block into the plan and then to explode and reblock it BEFORE renaming it. This leaves the original CAD block untouched. Its an extra couple steps though and only adds to the hassle of having to workaround another issue in the first place.

Anyway, its not my greatest work but here's a quick video going over the issues so you can more clearly see what I'm talking about. I think I went over just about everything except that workaround that deals with the last 2 issues...

https://youtu.be/gW75hvJMtGg

I'd really appreciate if you looked into this. There's no telling when and where these problems might rise up and cause a problem with some other task too. Thanks as always for your time : )

 

I'll try to get around to making that next video in just a bit here.

[Alaskan_Son]

Here's that video for anyone who can make use of it.  It goes over not only how to deal with the issue in question but also includes a few tips on how to make and clean up an As-Built Mask in general...

 

 

Also, one additional note that I didn't include in the video...  When you're done getting your mask to exactly how you want it, simply select all, cut, and paste/hold position back into your main plan.  Then you can turn that AS-Built layer and and off as you wish.  Hopefully someone can take a little something from all that.  Have a great rest of your weekend fellas : )