DougDM Posted June 21, 2021 Share Posted June 21, 2021 Would love to hear how others are dealing with/creating dashed/ hidden line type lines for below grade elevation views. Since version 8 or 9, whenever I started with CA I have probably tried more ways to do this and yet to find something I can say works flawlessly or without a ton of time doing it. Here it is X13, and still nothing. No I’m not complaining, just can’t believe we can’t do it, or can we and I missed the boat. From using boxes with hatch patterns to double dipping the send to layout, stacking the two view ports, rolling one up and the other down, dealing with alignment, just to reveal dashed lines. Like I said, not complaining just frustrated. Thanks for any suggestions. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robdyck Posted June 21, 2021 Share Posted June 21, 2021 59 minutes ago, DougDM said: From using boxes with hatch patterns to double dipping the send to layout, stacking the two view ports, rolling one up and the other down, dealing with alignment, just to reveal dashed lines. Like I said, not complaining just frustrated. Thanks for any suggestions. That pretty much covers it. You've missed nothing new. It's still a nuisance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisb222 Posted June 21, 2021 Share Posted June 21, 2021 One thing that makes it a little less painful is having your polyline with hatch pattern already in place in your template plan, in your saved elevations I also have a heavy black line at the "Grade" level already in place, sloping away from the foundation wall I have to adjust the location of the slope but that's pretty easy with point-to-point move If you always have the same approx foundation exposure, then that is already set and ready to go Sloping lots / walk-out basements require a little more tweaking, but having this stuff in place in the template plan has made it bearable I would however support a Suggestion to add auto dashed lines below grade, if you made it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DougDM Posted June 21, 2021 Author Share Posted June 21, 2021 Thanks, I’ve done the same, along with several other methods. I do believe I’ve sent in suggestions to CA years ago to no avail. Hoping they read these q&a’s. Amazing that more haven’t suggested it. I found that cad boxes with dashed lines to be the quickest after sending a section to cad from view. But it was always an absolute last thing I’d do so as not to lose the live views. Once I knew there is no returning to a live view I’d group select all foundation lines and make them dashed, then just trace over the verticals from grade up. It goes pretty quick unless last minute changes need to be made. If it’s a real big job, I’ll make a copy of my plan file before sending views to cad. That way if there are last minute changes, I have the copy just prior to converting. If I send in another request, I’ll let you know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richoffan Posted June 21, 2021 Share Posted June 21, 2021 In the elevation view I usually go to the associated layer set and change the layer - walls, foundation to dashed lines. Then if need be clean up any dashed lines above grade by overdrawing with a solid CAD line. It helps, if the design permits, to make the wall a pony wall and split at or near grade. Also, you can selectively put walls on new layers with dashed lines if that helps, Formally from Jersey. Bergen County. Exit 159 off da GSP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joey_martin Posted June 22, 2021 Share Posted June 22, 2021 Easy peasy....just a layer set with the WALL, FOUNDATION layer set to gray and dashed. I'm not sure why people struggle with this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DougDM Posted June 22, 2021 Author Share Posted June 22, 2021 8 hours ago, joey_martin said: Joey, I understand that process, but if your foundation is for example half below and half above grade, how does that keep the foundation wall line type solid above grade? If you make a layer set specifically with dashed lines for the foundation layer, they’ll be dashed above grade as well. Not all foundation walls (pony walls) have cultured stone to hide the dashed lines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshall Posted June 22, 2021 Share Posted June 22, 2021 57 minutes ago, DougDM said: 9 hours ago, joey_martin said: ...... Not all foundation walls (pony walls) have cultured stone to hide the dashed lines. Fair point Doug. Also, if the grade is sloped, how does that change the look of the cultured stone? Does the cultured stone also need to be sloped by additional manipulation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robdyck Posted June 22, 2021 Share Posted June 22, 2021 12 hours ago, joey_martin said: Easy peasy....just a layer set with the WALL, FOUNDATION layer set to gray and dashed. I'm not sure why people struggle with this. 3 hours ago, DougDM said: Not all foundation walls (pony walls) have cultured stone to hide the dashed lines. This isn't helpful for walkout foundations using pony walls because all portions of the foundation wall will have dashed lines including the framed portion. I think it ends up looking pretty dumb. On a flat lot, even the shorter portion of the foundation above grade that ends up dashed looks bad. So, the reason people "struggle" is because it's a fair amount of work to show the dashed lines below grade ONLY. It's not the "how" that is the problem, it's how to make it really simple and have the drawing 'perfect'...that's the issue. As @Chrisb222 mentioned, I've settled on a CAD mask that's already in each plan, and I only show / adjust it for the final plan set. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe_Carrick Posted June 22, 2021 Share Posted June 22, 2021 I just use a "Mask" with a semi transparent fill. It's not perfect but it works for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard_Morrison Posted June 22, 2021 Share Posted June 22, 2021 An oldie but goodie: http://www.chieftalk.com/showthread.php?26332-Foundations-below-grade Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DougDM Posted June 22, 2021 Author Share Posted June 22, 2021 6 hours ago, robdyck said: This isn't helpful for walkout foundations using pony walls because all portions of the foundation wall will have dashed lines including the framed portion. I think it ends up looking pretty dumb. On a flat lot, even the shorter portion of the foundation above grade that ends up dashed looks bad. So, the reason people "struggle" is because it's a fair amount of work to show the dashed lines below grade ONLY. It's not the "how" that is the problem, it's how to make it really simple and have the drawing 'perfect'...that's the issue. As @Chrisb222 mentioned, I've settled on a CAD mask that's already in each plan, and I only show / adjust it for the final plan set. Thanks Rob for understanding the issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DougDM Posted June 22, 2021 Author Share Posted June 22, 2021 6 hours ago, Richard_Morrison said: An oldie but goodie: http://www.chieftalk.com/showthread.php?26332-Foundations-below-grade Thanks Rich, aside from that work around which I’ve used many times, and the request to CA was probably me 10 yrs ago. It just seems to be a programming thing being the terrain is a real diving line. Where the building can clear or break the building pad, I don’t see why it wouldn’t work in reverse where the terrain breaks the foundation, sets the line type and or layer set. When a roof plane is created, the roof outline is dashed. I can’t believe there is something to that , that would clue a programmer. With today’s technology, I just don’t see it as not being possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gawdzira Posted June 22, 2021 Share Posted June 22, 2021 My set up is almost automatic. I have a hot key called "Delete Facebook off your phone and get back to work". Yeah, cad lines brought forward. That way I don't have to get my foundation correct. Big time saver in doing things "good enough for camera". 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robdyck Posted June 22, 2021 Share Posted June 22, 2021 44 minutes ago, Gawdzira said: My set up is almost automatic. I have a hot key called "Delete Facebook off your phone and get back to work". Yeah, cad lines brought forward. That way I don't have to get my foundation correct. Big time saver in doing things "good enough for camera". 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joey_martin Posted June 23, 2021 Share Posted June 23, 2021 For walkout foundations you simply fix that lines above grade. Any of the methods above require some manual manipulation, choose the one that saves the most time. This saves me the most time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agenoarch Posted June 23, 2021 Share Posted June 23, 2021 I'm glad not the only one that has this issue, I hope the Big Wigs at Chief are listening... X14? maybe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SH_Canada Posted June 23, 2021 Share Posted June 23, 2021 22 hours ago, Gawdzira said: My set up is almost automatic. I have a hot key called "Delete Facebook off your phone and get back to work". Yeah, cad lines brought forward. That way I don't have to get my foundation correct. Big time saver in doing things "good enough for camera". what is the red line? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SH_Canada Posted June 23, 2021 Share Posted June 23, 2021 @joey_martin Are the areas in red below because of the terrain? I have a problem with walkouts in that I cannot get a clean terrain line, there are these "flairs" that show, similar to what you have, and then I have to create a white box over top Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gawdzira Posted June 23, 2021 Share Posted June 23, 2021 @jasonN, the red line is for an existing grade line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridge_Runner Posted June 23, 2021 Share Posted June 23, 2021 54 minutes ago, jasonN said: and then I have to create a white box over top I do this so often I have created a layer for them to go on. I also have them already in my template file for new plans; adjust as needed. I like "clean" sections and elevations, but it does take some work to get there. But, to CA's credit, it is not as much as it used to be - for that I am grateful. Being OCD is not always a blessing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joey_martin Posted June 23, 2021 Share Posted June 23, 2021 2 hours ago, jasonN said: Are the areas in red below because of the terrain? Yes. That plan I left the terrain turned on rather than draw the fake terrain line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DougDM Posted June 24, 2021 Author Share Posted June 24, 2021 Thanks all for your comments. I do appreciate everyone’s suggestions, especially about having a hot key to delete FB. LOL. Seriously though, this is something so basic in the world of drafting, it’s amazing it’s never really been solved. Heck, even it the world of Rivet it can’t be done, not easily that is. What amazes me is it can be done in Inventor. Hidden lines that is. If I were a programmer, “if grade is present” true| set layer to Below Grade| set line type dashed| color set to white| follow grade. See how easy that is, come on ladies and gents, you can do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DougDM Posted June 24, 2021 Author Share Posted June 24, 2021 Whoops, I forgot the hot key,” Control - “ should work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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