Plan View Equipment Questions

[ACADuser]

I have a large building with some 80+ rooms that need the equipment, furniture etc. displayed in plan view.

The equipment does not need to be 3D. I was building 2D plan view of each in Autocad because it is much faster for me to create the blocks.

I was going to import them into Chief as a block & fill the rooms. In Autocad I can add info to the blocks as attributes "smart text" and hidden descriptions.

But Chief does not support extra info attached to the block. The goal is to have a room by room inventory list &  call outs like the attached picture.

If I used 3D objects I fear the plan would be overloaded (too slow) & besides I don't want to create or chase down all the 3D objects.

 

Any suggestions as to a strategy for this task?

 

 

[ACADuser]

I could create a simple object & make into a symbol & then assign my 2D block to it.
The symbol does support additional information.
Then perhaps a room material list or fixture list, just any report that can be dome room by room.

 

[ACADuser]

Looks like a Material list with "Furniture" will do but how to do a room by room material list?

I have not used material list yet. Still looking..

[ACADuser]

OK I see the "Room" has a schedule command. that can be used for furniture.

 

So maybe my idea to use symbols (like .5x.5x.5 p-solid) and my 2D blocks.

[Renerabbitt]

24 minutes ago, ACADuser said:

I could create a simple object & make into a symbol & then assign my 2D block to it.

This would be my approach, why not make it 3d so you can just use a fixture schedule and custom fields etc plus have the benefit of correct elevations etc. not to mention macro implementation/object info etc. Just use a library symbol that is similar and designate your cad block to that symbol

[Chrisb222]

You know what they say about talking to yourself.... 

[ACADuser]

Yea, I wonder about my sanity daily.

 

Rene, wouldn't 70 rooms full of 3D objects bring the plan to a crawl.

Besides this is due Monday.

 

[Kenoeightspot]

2D object with note will add description and qty. count to a schedule.

[ACADuser]

Thanks Bill,

So the notes will provide the info.

This project has 84 notes already & is a bit slow.

Adding another schedule with 26 notes per room (not all rooms) will surely slow the plan down.

So 25 notes in 50 rooms is 1250 notes!

Can you report notes "By Room"?

 

[Kenoeightspot]

Yes

[robdyck]

@ACADuser

If you want to avoid 3d  I like your idea of a 'simple symbol'. I recently did a timber component plan and I used notes to schedule it. I didn't like it because the note has no direct correlation to the object. However keep in mind that notes are really the only choice we have for compartmentalizing schedules. Your simple symbols will become 'fixtures' and I don't think you can pick and choose fixture types for schedule reporting. They're either in or out. They should be layer controlled along with their labels, or like notes, allow us to create our own types of fixtures. 

Not an easy decision! Let us know how you choose to proceed.

[ACADuser]

Just located 3D files for these objects but they are IFC files!

 

Looking into converting then now.

 

Will post back.

 

Thanks for the help & advice.

[ACADuser]

I was able to convert the IFC file to DAE but the file is the entire room in 3D.

So I can not see a way to separate the individual items from the room.

 

Attached is the DAE file for anyone who cares to look at it.

 

My guess is that you need RIVIT and use the Rivit file, not attached here.

 

EXW01-L.dae

EXW01-L.ifc

[wjmdes]

I do a lot of commercial work and try to get 3D symbols for as much as I can.  However, in a pinch, I have created squares and circles, convert to 3d, then make a symbol.  I have put them both in equipment and furniture categories.   Copy and paste, change size and modify the descriptions etc.  Works like a charm.

[ACADuser]

Thanks Bill.

 

Looking at the DAE inserted into Chief. I can put a camera into the room & see the equipment but can't get at it.

Very frustrating.

 

 

[ACADuser]

OK SketchUp will allow editing, although I'm not versed in it, it is doable.

 

[Chopsaw]

27 minutes ago, ACADuser said:

OK SketchUp will allow editing, although I'm not versed in it, it is doable.

 

You could use the Delete Surfaces tool in Chief but it could get tedious with the example you posted. Crank up the smoothing angle if you give it a try.

[ACADuser]

Thanks all.

I am able to use SketchUp Free version to separate the objects.

Saving each item to a SKP file & then importing into Chief.

I'm not very good at this process, yet. Just realized all should be imported as Fixtures, interior, not Furnishings.

 

Back to work.

 

 

 

[ACADuser]

I did find a source for the 3d objects.

http://seps2bim.org/revit-families.html