Best Way To Raise/Lower Entire 2 Story Building?

[HumbleChief]

I have 2 identical 2 story houses, on mono slab, on a sloping lot and will need to adjust floor heights a few times as we decide on final grades and was wondering what the easiest way would be to raise and or lower the entire 2 story house to grade ad terrain heights?

[Cheryl_C_Crane]

Larry, could you simply insert a floor below FLR 1?

 

[MarkMc]

Just tested one making a shell as simple as possible converted to a symbol (exterior fixture).  Performance was good-original model I used was not well developed, textures minimal, footprint 1600 s ft, terrain with a few slopes-YMMV.

[HumbleChief]

56 minutes ago, Cheryl_C_Crane said:

Larry, could you simply insert a floor below FLR 1?

 

Thanks Cheryl, question probably wasn't clear enough but the 2 story house is complete. Just need a quick way to alter the entire building's height. Sounds simple but each floor needs adjusting, maybe through defaults? Haven't had a chance to try it yet.

[Chrisb222]

Why not just move the terrain instead? Unless you need to show elevations relative to sea level...?

[HumbleChief]

18 minutes ago, MarkMc said:

Just tested one making a shell as simple as possible converted to a symbol (exterior fixture).  Performance was good-original model I used was not well developed, textures minimal, footprint 1600 s ft, terrain with a few slopes-YMMV.

Yeah thought of a symbol and may go that route and am curious, would you use that method no matter what? And what if you wanted to change the height of the entire house, each floor. Would you use defaults perhaps? Except that would change the heights of both houses. ....

[HumbleChief]

4 minutes ago, Chrisb222 said:

Why not just move the terrain instead? Unless you need to show elevations relative to sea level...?

Terrain will be fixed and each house occupy a section of the terrain, one high up on the lot and one down lower, probably a 4ft. diff in height. Should be easy to set the terrain then change floor heights but haven't tackled yet as the structure dbx always gives me fits.

[MarkMc]

6 minutes ago, HumbleChief said:

would you use that method no matter what? And what if you wanted to change the height of the entire house, each floor. Would you use defaults perhaps? Except that would change the heights of both houses. ....

I tried a couple of things the only thing that works on the existing is adjusting all floors. I'd think adjusting terrain individually is out of the question. TM move did not work for either the building or the terrain.

Thought you need to move it a few times to see where? Setting plan default snap distance to a foot or two allows raising and lowering the symbol in elevation quick, drag in or 3D.

 

I'd use the symbol to get and mark site location then move the building in plan-then the fun begins adjusting all the floor heights of each building. First one will you could likely do with defaults, second one could be interesting. Or take the short way out and use the plan with symbols where you need to show terrain and leave the buildings alone? New reference sets may help with that.

Edit- if you need good 3D with terrain and building then make a second symbol that has detail-and replace from library

[HumbleChief]

1 minute ago, MarkMc said:

I tried a couple of things the only thing that works on the existing is adjusting all floors. I'd think adjusting terrain individually is out of the question. TM move did not work for either the building or the terrain.

Thought you need to move it a few times to see where? Setting plan default snap distance to a foot or two allows raising and lowering the symbol in elevation quick, drag in or 3D.

 

I'd use the symbol to get and mark site location then move the building in plan-then the fun begins adjusting all the floor heights of each building. First one will you could likely do with defaults, second one could be interesting. Or take the short way out and use the plan with symbols where you need to show terrain and leave the buildings alone? New reference sets may help with that.

Yeah, good advice and am always surprised at how difficult changing a building height could become, and given enough thought may not be needed with symbols etc. I'm going to give it a go with one building set to '0', adjust terrain, and then raise/lower the other one in relation to the terrain.

 

[HumbleChief]

Wow, tried to adjust floors and simply failed. I worked my way down from the top by raising the roofs 36", then the floor below up the same 36" then when I got to the first floor over the slab it just went bonkers. Now I know why I posted the question, simply can't get it done with my pea sized brain...Will keep trying. Maybe the symbol is the way to go?

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/docxx2n09cpp9ga/KIAH 45TH STREET PROPOSED 2 SAME HOUSES 2_auto_save.plan?dl=0

[MarkMc]

Did not try your plan, not a lot of time so just made a simple 2 story with foundation. Insert new floor 36" high below first floor, went to top floor added 36, second floor added 36, first floor-no ceiling no floor, set floor below to minus 36 and ceiling to 0. Let it settle, then delete that floor. Worked on test.

[HumbleChief]

5 hours ago, Cheryl_C_Crane said:

Larry, could you simply insert a floor below FLR 1?

 

AHA, finally understand the logic here, may give it a go.

[HumbleChief]

2 hours ago, MarkMc said:

Did not try your plan, not a lot of time so just made a simple 2 story with foundation. Insert new floor 36" high below first floor, went to top floor added 36, second floor added 36, first floor-no ceiling no floor, set floor below to minus 36 and ceiling to 0. Let it settle, then delete that floor. Worked on test.

This might work and maybe what Cheryl was getting at. And wouldn't you know it the contractor decided not to add a second house on the property. Stll a good exercise.

[MarkMc]

Thought about it a bit. Floor 1 is always at 0", can't lower or raise the floor. You can however alter a room. So possibly make floor 1 a single room and move that in room DBX, then floor below in floor dbx?

[HumbleChief]

Figured it out. Floor 1 does not, turns out, have to be at 0". Most of my confusion comes from the nature of the structure dbx but if the floor and ceiling of the foundation room are both set to 36" it lowers the floor above by 36" to 61". Then moving up to the second floor and raising the floor 36" which raises the ceiling of the first floor, then moving up to the roof planes and raising them 36" completes the raising of the entire building.

 

All of this ignores the absolute insanity of the foundation dbx that assumes one is in the 'room' of a mono slab foundation (as if that were somehow possible in real life)  that shows a 96" high ceiling, again in the 'room' of a mono slab? That basic craziness within Chief will never end but it's possible to raise the entire height of a mono slab building with the proper order of things...

[kMoquin]

I have a layer set for operations like this - moving a house on the site or raising / lowering / rotating a house. I like to keep the building near the origin an the first subfloor at 0 elevation, so I move the terrain. The layerset makes visible all the terrain layers and hides all the building layers.

 

[dshall]

I suggest deciding which house has floor 1 at 0.0.  Then adjust the terrain for that building.

 

For the second building you have to change floor by floor RELATIVE to the 1st house.  

 

 

[HumbleChief]

9 minutes ago, dshall said:

I suggest deciding which house has floor 1 at 0.0.  Then adjust the terrain for that building.

 

For the second building you have to change floor by floor RELATIVE to the 1st house.  

 

 

Thanks Scott, and pretty much the formula I followed but always get tripped up by the structure dbx and in which order to change each floor. Tried from the top down and when I got to the foundation I was toast. Then went through the steps above and got 'er done.

[jcaffee]

Draw a polyline around the structure you need to change. Select the polyline, then: Edit Area>Edit Area (All Floors).  Then: Transform/Replicate>Move>Z Axis.  And, follow DSH's advice for maintaining zero.

[glennw]

2 hours ago, jcaffee said:

Draw a polyline around the structure you need to change. Select the polyline, then: Edit Area>Edit Area (All Floors).  Then: Transform/Replicate>Move>Z Axis.  And, follow DSH's advice for maintaining zero.

 

Jon,

That doesn't work for me.

[lbuttery]

the experts may be able to have two houses in the same plan on terrain that varies

 

I find it easier to have a separate plan for each building and then a master plan with the terrain etc

 

make a symbol of each building and then place the symbol in the master plan

then manipulate the symbol as needed to place on the terrain at the height(s) needed

 

this allows for making edits to roof and other features of building A without affecting building B 

 

Lew

[jcaffee]

My mistake.  I know I've done this recently--memory is fading fast.

[KellySantaRosa]

Am I correct that CA won't let you select all the rooms on one floor and edit their heights/properties with one dialog box?

[HumbleChief]

Just now, KellySantaRosa said:

Am I correct that CA won't let you select all the rooms on one floor and edit their heights/properties with one dialog box?

I believe you are correct, but you can change the default heights/properties and apply that default for every room on that floor.

[KellySantaRosa]

I'm trying to do the same thing you were struggling with-- two houses sloped terrain.  I don't really want to do the defaults route.