showing different options

[KyleJantz]

This has probably been discussed before, but I wasnt sure how to search for it. 

I'm working on a remodel project that includes a lot of interior design. The customer would like to see several different options in the same room. I was wondering how people handle these situations. Do you create new plans for each different option you show? Is there a way you can just copy the room make the changes and then paste it into the plan? 

So to clarify what I want is a way to have the same room dimensions but be able to switch between multiple different interior designs. If this makes any sense? 

 

[DG1949]

Possibly search for "Using Style Palettes".  Maybe a good place to start. 

[Alaskan_Son]

The best approach really depends on a lot of different specific details; for example:

• Certain objects like light fixtures, interior furnishing, wall hangings, and various other symbols can just be placed on different layers and then layers can be toggled on and off.
• Architectural objects like walls, windows, doors, roof/ceiling planes, etc. cannot reasonably be toggled using layers.  There are a few minor exceptions, but for all intents and purposes, these kinds of changes need to be done either in multiple plans, on multiple floors, or in multiple instances on the same floor...
• You can keep everything in a single plan and on a single floor even by just copying and pasting any given portion of your plan (can be done rather quickly using edit area).
• If your different options involve multiple cabinetry configurations you can sometimes use layers to display multiple options, but this really only works of cabinets aren't occupying the same space.  For all intents and purposes this almost never works.  You can however convert any group of cabinets to a symbol and then you can use layers again.  You can even save your cabinet configurations for later use by either saving as an architectural block to your library, dragging off to the side in your plan view, or cutting and pasting to a different floor. 
• If your various options only involve changing cabinetry styles, then you may be able to use Style Palletes to both store and toggle your various options.
• For quick material changes, you may not even need to create multiple anything.  Sometimes I find it faster to just make changes and export picture 1, make changes and export picture 2, make changes and export picture 3.  Undo as necessary to get back to previous iteration if desired.  Yes you may have to redo the changes later, but some quick changes are a lot more efficient to manage this way. 

 

For anything beyond real simple symbols and quick changes that can be made on the fly, I think its almost always easiest to use multiple plans or multiple floors.  These 2 methods allow for the easiest transfer of options from one iteration to another using Cut/Copy and Paste Hold Position. 

 

[ericepv]

Putting each option into it's own layer is one way to do it. If it's a single floor project, you could just create a separate floor for each option.

[DzinEye]

11 hours ago, Alaskan_Son said:

You can keep everything in a single plan and on a single floor even by just copying and pasting any given portion of your plan (can be done rather quickly using edit area).

Great run down on the different methods for options.  This ^^^ is my usual go-to method when walls and windows/doors are involved.  Reminds me too of another benefit to that manual floor area polyline we discussed elsewhere... if you copy that off to the side with the walls you want to use in the alternative option(s) you can use the polyline to precisely point-to-point move things back into the main plan you want to keep.  Of course with the floor level alternative you can do copy-hold position which is nice but if you want to work with exterior 3D views at the same time then it's not very suitable

[glennw]

Are you talking about a single room or a multi-room house?

You could duplicate the room/s as many times as you want in the one floor plan and use the Remember Zoom Rotation setting to quickly auto zoom to the appropriate Saved Plan View.

And then maybe use a Style Palette.

[parkwest]

How about saving each option as a group symbol to your user catalog and then use the “Replace” command to show the customer her choices?

[KyleJantz]

On 7/31/2021 at 12:34 AM, glennw said:

Are you talking about a single room or a multi-room house?

You could duplicate the room/s as many times as you want in the one floor plan and use the Remember Zoom Rotation setting to quickly auto zoom to the appropriate Saved Plan View.

And then maybe use a Style Palette.

It's a multi-room house, The Kitchen and the bathroom are the rooms they want to see alternate styles.

Thanks everyone for the response! Now I just have to try them and see which ones work best for me.

[parkwest]

To be honest, this is how I handle the situation you have…

 

 

 

[Renerabbitt]

Not really sure what the benefit would be for having multiple design options in one plan. Have your iterations up on tabs. Ctrl+tab, boom, there's your next design iteration. Want to copy an element over from one to the other, easy. Far more efficient to have design iterations in individual plan files. No special layering or work-arounds needed. Easier to transition to design development, no need to delete anything.
Best part of separating design iterations=organization. Iterations are clearly labelled and presented with separate naming conventions. No possible mix-up on which one you are presenting. Have a client that is renting the software and you're okay sharing your work...easier still. 
Have a draftsperson that you collaborate with..easier still. 
 

[HumbleChief]

10 hours ago, parkwest said:

To be honest, this is how I handle the situation you have…

 

 

 

Pretty slick...

[parkwest]

2 hours ago, HumbleChief said:

Pretty slick...

Here, I found a short video of using building options: