How do you handle changes?


cjanderson66
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I currently have a client that I have been on their home for 3 years now and it is finally under construction.  The entry was changed numerous times during the design process and then finally approved.  Now that construction is moving forward and they are finally seeing the reality and the size of the project, they are making changes again.  How do you maintain the the layout or the construction set of plans when the client has decided to make numerous changes and then goes back to the original design.  I find that I am having to go back to archives and open up a previous plan and then send that back to the layout but it gets so convoluted.  Is there a better way or a more effective way to make these changes or should I just get rid of the Client.  I know I just opened up a can of worms saying that.  Great client, never not paid a bill and have referred me to many others as well.

SMITH FRONT ELEVATIONS 102919.pdf

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9 minutes ago, cjanderson66 said:

I find that I am having to go back to archives

My personal folder structure as follows:

19/Jobname/CAD/190927-AB/filename

where 190927 is the date Sep, 27, 2019 ab representing the stage of drawings. For each working session I create a new folder. If you only wanted to do this for design revisions it would make sense as well. Duplicate the entire folder, rename and THEN open the CA file. Layout linking will maintain. When you need to incorporate a design you can go back to that dates revision. ..which I also keep up to date in layout..add revisions for milestones/revisions

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Before I begin any changes to a plan, I copy the contents of the entire folder and save it with the date it was last modified.  I ALWAYS only work in a folder labeled Current.

 

Example:

Smith Residence 9-02-19

Smith Residence 9-12-19

Smith Residence 9-13-19

Smith Residence Current

 

It might be excessive, but it works.  And I've been in the same position, having to abandon hours of changes and revert back to a prior version.

 

Good Luck!

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1 hour ago, GeneDavis said:

What is the top level folder called 19 about?

 

19 = 2019  I assume

   

1 hour ago, GeneDavis said:

So for plans, FILENAME never changes, but the folder structure does as revisions keep happening.  Right?

 

Looks correct to me

 

M.

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Yes, I have a parent folder that would be Smith Residence, and inside I would start with only one folder called Smith Current.  I'd save my template inside that folder and start working.  On day two, I create a folder dated yesterday and proceed working in Current.  Back when Chief was young, I found myself taking these steps to preserve the layout links.  I honestly don't know if you still need to, but I've never had an issue!

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Oh, also:  I save my files very close to the hard drive, not in the Chief directory.  I have a folder labeled Plans at C:Plans.  Once you edit your preferences about where to look for and save files, you never need to think about this again.  I have a shortcut to "Plans" in My Documents and on the Desktop.

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So in Rene's setup, using "Smith" as jobname, and "Lot2ElmSt" for both a .plan and .layout file, we would have folders within "Smith/CAD" for each session of revision, right?

 

Thus there are multiple plan files, each with a linked layout, each set stored in a folder ID'd with date and progress level?

 

 

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1 hour ago, GeneDavis said:

So in Rene's setup, using "Smith" as jobname, and "Lot2ElmSt" for both a .plan and .layout file, we would have folders within "Smith/CAD" for each session of revision, right?

 

Thus there are multiple plan files, each with a linked layout, each set stored in a folder ID'd with date and progress level?

 

 

Sorry guys, was migrating my computers from a friends house back to my office since power has finally been restored!

 

Anywho, I do sometimes skip creating a new folder within CAD but for the most part I dupe the folder which includes layout, AB drawing and new drawing as well as any supporting PDFs/Site maps/AP maps etc.(maybe not necessary but still my preference.)

I use this naming convention for a shared office...live syncing on a cloud service.

 

In my own personal file structure I put the job name in with the CAD folder: CURRENT JOBS(OR 19)/SMITH/CAD-SMITH/191030-DRVA

Since I'm on windows I pin the SMITH-CAD folder to my quick access in file explorer. That way all my active jobs are in quick access

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19 hours ago, dshall said:

this is what I do....  and they are in chronological order.......  

 

986731935_ScreenShot2019-10-30at1_47_10PM.thumb.png.a5cf7e207fa4b6782e3aedcc47f510e6.png

Good God Jim!  Your telling me you have that many files for a single job.  I mean I make revisions and have changes but that must bog down your hard drive.  I have found that I have several files but I am going back to backup Archive files and saving them into the folder.  In this type of situation that I am working on, the entry is currently being built but the client wants to see several reiterations of the entry.  Where I have noticed the problem is that when I save the plan as a new plan, the layout then saves that as the new plan.  If the client changes their mind and goes back to the original design then I have to go back and change the layout to match the plan.

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1 hour ago, Rpadge said:

Those are really clean looking perspectives, what is your process?

 

Thank you Robert.  The process is not complicated but what I do is send them a standard perspective view (like the one attached).  Then I usually, in my plan view, give them a Technical perspective which is more like a line drawing.  For this specific situation I sent the entire perspective view to the layout and then cropped it to show only the entry.

Smith front 102219-REV.jpg

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25 minutes ago, cjanderson66 said:

........  Where I have noticed the problem is that when I save the plan as a new plan, the layout then saves that as the new plan.  If the client changes their mind and goes back to the original design then I have to go back and change the layout to match the plan.

 

......  oops,  I do not understand your argument,  my layout has only one file,  the latest and greatest,  I do not keep all the files in the layout..... 

 

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When beginning a new plan, I just rename the plan every few hours with consecutive numbers and an occasional note. 

 

517825124___CAtemp1.thumb.JPG.44316610823d1fbf169ed767cc2da8d7.JPG

 

After I link the plan to a layout, the plan and layout names stay the same and I use File> BackUp while in layout to backup the plan, layout and all associated files to Dropbox. The backup folders are named consecutively with an occasional note.  

 

477095886___CAtemp2.thumb.JPG.ca579b54d320960b2b84ecc0d535063c.JPG

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 10/31/2019 at 10:55 AM, dshall said:

 

Hourly mi amigo.

 

 

Good God Man.  I hope you go back and delete all those files one the project is complete.  Your disc drive must be overloaded and need to be optimized!

 

And to Charles V, How do you name them every few hours or so?  I have a hard time just remembering to even hit the save file and have become to dependent on the file Archive system backup...

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Great looking house and drawings!  Do you place each individual piece of lattice or is it a repeating molding?  I've got a similar situation coming up and could use some advice on getting this material.  Thanks.

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20 hours ago, cjanderson66 said:

.... I hope you go back and delete all those files one the project is complete. .....

 

Nope,  too much trouble.  I have a TB of memory on computer.  When I get close to being full I put older files on the drop box cloud.

 

Files stay on the drop box cloud and I have only the icon on by hard drive for access should I ever need the file again.

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22 hours ago, cjanderson66 said:

And to Charles V, How do you name them every few hours or so?  I have a hard time just remembering to even hit the save file and have become to dependent on the file Archive system backup...

 

I try to remember before refilling every cup of coffee. ;)

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6 hours ago, kwhitt said:

Great looking house and drawings!  Do you place each individual piece of lattice or is it a repeating molding?  I've got a similar situation coming up and could use some advice on getting this material.  Thanks.

 

There is Lattice Materials ( apply to P-Solid for eg)  in the the Bonus Wire and Lattice Library --- for White? lattice blend the needed colour with the Texture. Not true 3D but looks ok if you aren't up close.

 

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Mick - thanks for the reply.  Yes, I found that, but want something 3D for my technical illustrations to show the footings.  I was able to create a repeating molding and it does a fairly good job.  File is attached is anyone wants it.  Sorry to hi-jack the thread!

lattice.jpg

lattice.calibz

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