Layin ceiling and grid

[Evolution]

I feel dumb as a box of rocks (affirmations are not required)  I'm wanting to place acoustical ceiling with  wall and "T" mold in all rooms. I set the default for room / floor and edited the ceiling to have the lay in tile and grid.  I selected each room, used make room poly line, and converted to a 3-D molding poly line set the molding to be the Ceiling Tile wall Mold and set the height same as my finish ceiling height is supposed to be.  I then set up my "T" grid using first center lines (drawn with the "W" line tool) placing only one, converted it to a molding polyline, (using the "T" mold from my library) then selected it, set the Height to be the same as the Room 3-D MPL, did multiple copies, set my offset to 24" (as I am using 24X24 tile and LED light fixtures). The Problem? When I do a Full camera view of a room, two obvious issues show up. When setting up my lowered ceiling, (per the KB article) and edited the structure for the ceiling, I selected the ceiling tile from the library (using the 24X24 square tile). First issue the selected ceiling tile and the grid do not line up but I see no way to adjusted the material definition (offset "X" or "Z" axis) in order to line it up with the grid.  I am trying to set the tile up so there are few small slivers at the walls and of course we as contractor will actually adjust the grid in the field to accommodate, but for now I need the grid for placing lights and grilles for my HVAC and Elec subs to do their estimates. Funny thing, if I set the height for the WM and "T' mold to zero it then sets on the 2nd floor.

 

Issue  two, when I use the lay in ceiling height of the lowered ceiling (it is intended to be 9') the grid and wall mold shoot above the roof.  Apparently the software wants me to use the AFF starting from the first floor (not the actual 2nd floor to ceiling height of).  I've toiled for quite a while adjusting the Wall mold height trying to match it with the ceiling height, then just open the "T" and set it to the same height but there must be an easier way? I found a thread or two addressing lay in ceiling etc., but as fait would have it they don't actually address my dilemma. I watched the video on doing ceiling grid and thought I had followed it well? Surely I don't have to use the 24X24 tile from the library and place each one? I thought about (haven't tried it) doing a Rectangular cad, converting it to a PL solid, setting it to the ceiling tile from the library, and do the multi-copy as I did the grid? That too seems like a lot of extra work that is not needed? 

 

Perhaps those of you that actually model lay in ceiling for your commercial projects can offer simpler methods to achieve what I am trying to achieve? I tried to post the updated plan without zipping, but the forum message indicated the file was too large. I am a nit wit (again no affirmations are necessary) when it comes to reducing the file size without zipping it? 

(EFIT) well I tried making a poly line solid and placing it in the grid etc but that didn’t work either. 

 

 

 

[MarkMc]

I placed the lights before drawing the ceiling grid. I altered the CAD block of the lights to have a fill. You only need to get a couple correct for control once you work out the location.

For this one renders were important so after placing the lights I offset the ceiling material until it matched the lights. Note if you need that you need a new mateial per room with correct offset.

Once your control lights are in make a room polyline, fill style grid 24 x 24, offset until it matches the lights (note my 24 x 48 are off). The fill for the CAD block was for the 24 x 48 lights to cover the grid.

Then add any other lights.

I don't bother with the edge molding unless needed for hi def rendering (in a smaller space...even then, seriously?) add it to the room DBX. or worst case a room molding pline.

If you have to dimension to more than the lights a cad line or point here an there should do it, or a cad detail from view  copied back in place hold position, lock layer.

 

[Evolution]

10 hours ago, MarkMc said:

I placed the lights before drawing the ceiling grid. I altered the CAD block of the lights to have a fill. You only need to get a couple correct for control once you work out the location.

For this one renders were important so after placing the lights I offset the ceiling material until it matched the lights. Note if you need that you need a new mateial per room with correct offset.

Once your control lights are in make a room polyline, fill style grid 24 x 24, offset until it matches the lights (note my 24 x 48 are off). The fill for the CAD block was for the 24 x 48 lights to cover the grid.

Then add any other lights.

I don't bother with the edge molding unless needed for hi def rendering (in a smaller space...even then, seriously?) add it to the room DBX. or worst case a room molding pline.

If you have to dimension to more than the lights a cad line or point here an there should do it, or a cad detail from view  copied back in place hold position, lock layer.

 

Thanks Mark. Not sure I can explain this question, but when you open the plan materials to edit, there are two places to adjust the offset, for material pattern and texture.  I suppose I need to adjust the offset in both places? Or just texture?  Like you I wouldn't bother with something like this but the renderings are important to the Client and I'd like for them to be as accurate as possible. I place my lights first as well. (EDIT) I had to adjust the Texture too before it actually moved. I think it looks close enough now.  I still can't figure out how to get the grid and molding at the same exact elevation as the ceiling?  It should only be a matter of setting the height of the grid at the same 9' as the ceiling? So far that hasn't worked. Maybe it is because I have two materials trying to occupy the same space?  

[MarkMc]

27 minutes ago, Evolution said:

Not sure I can explain this question, but when you open the plan materials to edit, there are two places to adjust the offset, for material pattern and texture.  I suppose I need to adjust the offset in both places? Or just texture?  Like you I wouldn't bother with something like this but the renderings are important to the Client and I'd like for them to be as accurate as possible. I place my lights first as well. 

Since X11 you no longer need to edit the pattern and texture offset separately. In the pattern tab just check off the sync option.

 

IF you have already messed with the sync on one it's best to replace the texture from the library. I've had trouble when I forgot to start fresh with sync checked. BUT I've also had issue with some textures that had different setting to begin with.

You want to start with both pattern and texture at 0, 0 AND both the same size (24, 24 or whatever) It might be possible to reset both to the original but again I"ve had trouble so just replace and check.

I always toggle between standard and vector view to check before I start messing with the offsets (a lot of ID clients who want tile renders AND layouts).

[Evolution]

18 minutes ago, MarkMc said:

Since X11 you no longer need to edit the pattern and texture offset separately. In the pattern tab just check off the sync option.

 

IF you have already messed with the sync on one it's best to replace the texture from the library. I've had trouble when I forgot to start fresh with sync checked. BUT I've also had issue with some textures that had different setting to begin with.

You want to start with both pattern and texture at 0, 0 AND both the same size (24, 24 or whatever) It might be possible to reset both to the original but again I"ve had trouble so just replace and check.

I always toggle between standard and vector view to check before I start messing with the offsets (a lot of ID clients who want tile renders AND layouts).

Thanks again Mark. This is helpful info to know and I had read the new features info didn't remember seeing that, or maybe it just didn't connect with what issue I ran into.   I'm working on updating now and let you know later how its working out!

[MarkMc]

22 minutes ago, Evolution said:

I had read the new features info

Tip- what I do. A, print out the list of new features, keep handy. Check off, make notes as you get to them. B- download current reference manual, go to bookmark for what's new, a few pages in after migration information (useful) starts the list of features (I add a bookmark to that). For every new feature there is a hyperlink to that section of the manual to get more detail. Very useful 

[Evolution]

1 hour ago, MarkMc said:

Tip- what I do. A, print out the list of new features, keep handy. Check off, make notes as you get to them. B- download current reference manual, go to bookmark for what's new, a few pages in after migration information (useful) starts the list of features (I add a bookmark to that). For every new feature there is a hyperlink to that section of the manual to get more detail. Very useful 

Got it!