Anyone else go back to not using “saved plan views” anymore?

[Michael_Gia]

Maybe I’ve just gotten lazy, but I’ve gone back to plain old anno sets. 

[tommy1]

I normally use anno sets. Once in a while I use saved plan views but don't need them very often.

[Joe_Carrick]

I always use "Saved Plan Views" but in conjunction with Annosets and Layer Sets.

[parkwest]

No, I would never go back to not using saved plan views.

[javatom]

I have gone back to anno sets as well.

[Michael_Gia]

I know I should be using them. I almost wish Chief wouldn’t give us any other option but to use them.  Just seems like a chore to me. 

[Ridge_Runner]

5 hours ago, parkwest said:

No, I would never go back to not using saved plan views.

Same here. SPV's are so versatile I wouldn't want to go back. They have streamlined my workflow greatly.

[Alaskan_Son]

Seems like a person would be hard pressed to give a logical reason for "going back".  Not setting them up in the first place is one thing, or not fully understanding how they work or how to set them up maybe, but going back just sounds bonkers to me.  For all intents and purposes Saved Plan Views are no more difficult to set them than a group of Active Defaults (Annotation Sets) are but they carry with them a lot more benefits.

[SNestor]

It would have been smart for Chief to make a series of videos on Plan Views. Videos that go from basic to power user...and why you’d want to move toward using them.  But - Chief has done a poor job explaining Plan Views IMHO.  
 

Seems to me most users give them a try but don’t notice much benefit to using them - so they give up.  
 

If you’ve spent years learning and creating anno sets/layersets...hard to justify starting over with a new learning curve.  

[Joe_Carrick]

7 hours ago, SNestor said:

If you’ve spent years learning and creating anno sets/layersets...hard to justify starting over with a new learning curve.  

I took the following approach:

• Kept my Layer Sets
• Kept my Annosets that specified which Layer Set to use
• When I have a Plan View that I want using the above I simply save it as a new "Saved Plan View" and set it to "Remember Zoom"
• I send that "Saved Plan View" to Layout

It's really that simple.  Whenever you open a Layout Box View it will open the "Saved Plan View" in the same state as last saved.  If you make any changes to the Active Defaults, Referenced Floor Levels, or the Layer Sets you can "Save" the plan view and it will update those settings. 

 

I never have to worry about my Layouts displaying the wrong things.

 

[Michael_Gia]

I wish Chief would pay a guy like Joe Carrick to make a video on how he uses Saved Plan Views and how he incorporates them in his workflow to go from Plan to Layout. 
 

I understand them from an organizational point of view but I fail to see how they can improve efficiency. 

[Ridge_Runner]

3 hours ago, Michael_Gia said:

but I fail to see how they can improve efficiency. 

For me, it's pretty simple. The SPV "remembers" the things I want to save for a layout view, like Joe states. I set everything (defaults) I want for that view:
- annoset (if you still use those), which sets the layerset, which sets the text defaults
- zoom level

- floor level

- multiple reference layersets (if needed)

These are just off the top of my head and not an exhaustive list. The last three - zoom level, floor level, multiple ref sets, are a tremendous time saver, especially over a period of time. I can't tell you how many times, when only using annosets, I would edit a plan view, change floors to double check something, and then, in a hurry, close the view and just hit the "save" in the dbx that comes up for the layout. When I go back to check my layout views, I complain that CA changed my layout view without me knowing it. When, in fact, it was me in a hurry. SPV's have almost eliminated those types of errors. And this is just one example; I could come up with others if I took the time to think about my new workflow.

[javatom]

If you have anno sets and layer sets that work for your layout, the plan views are a redundant feature.  One downside I can think of is a layer being turned off and you want it turned off for every level.  With anno sets, you just turn it off and the images are gone from each layout page that features that type of view.  With plan view sets, you have to alter multiple pvs to accomplish the same thing.  I use the plan view sets but I do not rejoice over its development the way some users do.

[Alaskan_Son]

13 minutes ago, javatom said:

One downside I can think of is a layer being turned off and you want it turned off for every level.  With anno sets, you just turn it off and the images are gone from each layout page that features that type of view.  With plan view sets, you have to alter multiple pvs to accomplish the same thing.

 

This would only be true if you were unnecessarily creating a different Layer Set for each and every Plan View. 

[javatom]

I understand that and I do not use it that way but many people might think that is how it works.

[Alaskan_Son]

2 hours ago, javatom said:

If you have anno sets and layer sets that work for your layout, the plan views are a redundant feature. 

 

I could sort of agree with this statement up to a certain point.  The truth is though that there were things people could never do with Annotation Sets before so they made them work.  And there were a handful of things that you actually had to use the Layout Box for that the Annotation Set couldn't provide (Floor, Zoom, Reference Display, etc.).  You might know all this, but for anyone that doesn't, take a quick look at this graphic.  Note what the Annotation Set remembers in blue and all that the Saved Plan Views remember in red with notes for the added functionality. 

 

Do you really think its accurate to say Saved Plan Views are the redundant feature?

 

 

[parkwest]

An easy way to set up your saved plan views is to open a finished layout from a previous project and go to each view on that layout that was sent from your plan and save it as a new saved plan view.  Then, all your settings are what you want.  Then import your "new" saved plan views into your new plan, and save it to your plan template.

[joey_martin]

I'm just too hard headed I guess. I have my workflow down pat so I have never even bothered to look at a saved plan view. All of my needed info is in my Anno Sets.

 

[Alaskan_Son]

7 minutes ago, joey_martin said:

I'm just too hard headed I guess. I have my workflow down pat so I have never even bothered to look at a saved plan view. All of my needed info is in my Anno Sets.

 

You had your workflow down pat when you were working on a drafting table with pencils, erasers, protractors, compasses, squares and rulers though too I bet .

[SNestor]

If given a choice between SPV and a much improved stair tool....I’d choose the stair tool.  
 

Not saying SPV are bad...but tell me why they were needed?

[joey_martin]

Yep. Difference is I was interested in moving to CAD, I'm not the least bit interested in moving away from Anno Sets.

[SNestor]

3 minutes ago, joey_martin said:

I'm just too hard headed I guess. I have my workflow down pat so I have never even bothered to look at a saved plan view. All of my needed info is in my Anno Sets.

 

I think most users feel the same as Joey.  SPV just don’t provide enough value to take the time to change years of perfected workflow.  

[Alaskan_Son]

6 minutes ago, SNestor said:

I think most users feel the same as Joey.  SPV just don’t provide enough value to take the time to change years of perfected workflow.

 

Honestly, that's totally fine.  If you don't want/need to take advantage of the new capabilities then don't, but what started this conversation was the idea of "going back", which is utter silliness IMO.  There have been no logical reasons given to go back.  Only reason I can even think of is a person not learning to use the tools correctly and just getting frustrated...for example, making themselves set up a unique Plan View up for every single floor--something that is entirely unnecessary. 

[parkwest]

Can you imagine not having to send a drawing to your layout again... because your layout template is tied to your saved plan views?  You work on your 3D model while CA does the tedious work automatically.

[glennw]

2 hours ago, javatom said:

If you have anno sets and layer sets that work for your layout, the plan views are a redundant feature.

 

Most of this discussion has revolved around the relationship between the Plan View and the Layout.

But Plan Views have another benefit that go beyond this function.

They provide a very efficient way to navigate around your drawing.

eg, a Saved Plan View can navigate to a specific part of your drawing like a kitchen or bathroom area and include parameters (as Michael points out) like floor, zoom level, color on/off, watermark, link to layout, reference display, etc.

You don't even have to use the Saved Plan Views linked to your layout if you don't want to, you can use them to only navigate around your floor plans.

A bit like Aerial View on steroids.