Drawing a detached M-n-L suite to Existing Home

[Evolution]

Setting up my template plan for the next project to start as soon as I complete the CD's on the current job.  The client wants to add a two bed home for his dad and mom to live on his property in their own home.  I don't need to model the interior of the Existing home, in order to draw the new home, however; both code and the HOA want to see the new home in relationship to the Existing home, roof plan, side walks, drives, minimum 4 exterior elevations to show (architectural integrity etc.) so the new home is in keeping with the existing homes exterior architecture.  I know of course to set up all my defaults for this project before I draw the first wall.  I need to set up (the terrain I think in this case) any new wall type that I don't already have available in my wall type menu. The HOA wants the roof line, fascia design and elevation to match the existing as close as possible. The short story is I need to get the terrain elevations correct, and  draw the existing home's exterior and once that is all in good order, design the new home.

 

After reading the help files on this particular operation,  the implication is (I should draw this as if it were being placed in a subdivision?) 

I need to then export the existing home out of X11 as a 3D symbol, and then import it into the terrain / plan of the new home in order to show the proper relationship. The client wants the elevation of the slab of the new home set at the same elevation as that of the existing home. There is an approx. 3 to 4 foot slope down hill from the existing to the new home (the new will have to be on a raised foundation). So importing the existing home  into the new plan as a 3D symbol, doesn't really help me understand how to show the plan of the Existing Home (Roof plan / exterior walls) drives and walks without actually drawing it in the same plan as the new home. Am I wrong here?  Won't what ever I draw or change if I draw the existing home in the same plan as the new, won't  the changes I make drawing the new home affect the Existing Home as well?  I have other questions I will post in a new thread. 

[Joe_Carrick]

Just create a CAD Block of the existing Site Plan [ CAD Detail From View ] and place that in the plan for the new home.

- or -

Go the opposite and just superimpose a CAD Block of the new home on the existing's Site Plan.

 

Either of these will work - I would personally opt for the second.

[Evolution]

8 minutes ago, Joe_Carrick said:

Just create a CAD Block of the existing Site Plan [ CAD Detail From View ] and place that in the plan for the new home.

- or -

Go the opposite and just superimpose a CAD Block of the new home on the existing's Site Plan.

 

Either of these will work - I would personally opt for the second.

I think I understand this Joe, but I need to show the Elevations of the New home (minimum of 4) with the Existing home. I guess I do the same thing, create CAD blocks of each of the Elevations of the Existing home, and superimpose them in the Elevations of the New Home? 

[Evolution]

13 minutes ago, solver said:

Why not draw them both in the same plan? Think house and detached garage ...

I haven't tried it since X9, but I was helping a church with design of a new sanctuary, and they had an existing building they had used as a life center / temp church. Code wanted to see it so I attempted drawing the new on the same plan as the existing. The problem there is there was about a 5' diff in floor elevations (they were about 150' between the two building, (less experience then than I have now)  and when setting the floor elevations every time I set the one, the other changed to the same elevation.  Similar issues with other issues.  I didn't understand anno sets / Layer sets, then, as well (no expert now by any means) as I do now so you know how hard it was for me to get it all done. That's why I was nervous about trying it on this one. 

[Ridge_Runner]

Bob, I do an as-built "shell" of the existing house and save it as a symbol. I then import it into the new plan on it's own layer and lock it. I then position it as necessary in relation to the new construction. All of the elevations will show correctly and you don't have to fiddle with things changing on the existing structure.

[Evolution]

1 hour ago, Ridge_Runner said:

Bob, I do an as-built "shell" of the existing house and save it as a symbol. I then import it into the new plan on it's own layer and lock it. I then position it as necessary in relation to the new construction. All of the elevations will show correctly and you don't have to fiddle with things changing on the existing structure.

Mike, I'll have to give it try when I get started.  You don't have to save the Elevations of the Existing house as separate Symbols too? I guess I don't understand how saving the as built as a symbol will give the software what it needs to produce the elevations, too? 

Thanks for the input.

[Ridge_Runner]

Just now, Evolution said:

You don't have to save the Elevations of the Existing house as separate Symbols too?

No, you don't have to go to the trouble of saving CAD views of the elevations. The as-built symbol will show just fine. With it on its own layer, you can changed the line weight to something thinner, or a grayscale, etc. so the new construction will stand out better.

[Evolution]

1 minute ago, Ridge_Runner said:

No, you don't have to go to the trouble of saving CAD views of the elevations. The as-built symbol will show just fine. With it on its own layer, you can changed the line weight to something thinner, or a grayscale, etc. so the new construction will stand out better.

Good info!