Finding Where Materials are used in a Plan

[basilbabaa]

Is there any way to quickly determine which objects  in a plan have a particular material applied?

[CharlesVolz]

Somebody will probably have a better way, but what I do is edit the material to be a unique bright color, turn on all layers and look for it in 2D and 3D.

[basilbabaa]

Thank you Charles.  That's what I was doing, but I still had a hard time finding some things.  It's like there are ghost items in this plan.

[glennw]

You could generate a material list, select the line item or the Description cell for the material and then from the edit menu use Find Object In Plan.

[Kbird1]

18 hours ago, basilbabaa said:

It's like there are ghost items in this plan

 

Not so much Ghost Items as hidden in things like Defaults for Stairs, (Auto) Dormers, Room Definitions, Wall Niches ,  etc etc....

 

but it can be an issue for sure, it's a pity that the Plan's Materials List , doesn't have the Find in Plan Option.....  I use the bright color technique too....

 

3D > Materials > Plan Materials

 

* Note there are 30-40 Materials in Every Plan by Default.

 

Mick.

[glennw]

8 hours ago, Kbird1 said:

but it can be an issue for sure, it's a pity that the Plan's Materials List , doesn't have the Find in Plan Option.....  I use the bright color technique too...

Find In Plan IS an option in the Material List - see my previous post.

If the material is assigned to an object contained in something like a dormer, bay window, mulled unit, architectural block, the parent object will be hi-lighted in the plan view.

[Kbird1]

On 7/31/2022 at 5:32 PM, glennw said:

Find In Plan IS an option in the Material List - see my previous post.

 

* I didn't say it wasn't but it not what I meant or wished for above...... ie I didn't mean the  THE ML list but in the ( List of ) Materials .... in   3D > Materials > Plan Materials   is where I meant.... I even mention it....

 

 

* wow a down-vote for pointing out what I meant............ 

 

M.

[Alaskan_Son]

On 7/31/2022 at 8:07 AM, Kbird1 said:

Not so much Ghost Items as hidden in things like Defaults for Stairs, (Auto) Dormers, Room Definitions, Wall Niches ,  etc etc....

 

but it can be an issue for sure, it's a pity that the Plan's Materials List , doesn't have the Find in Plan Option

 

Find in Plan would do nothing to find those materials used in Defaults.

[CharlesVolz]

On 7/30/2022 at 5:23 PM, glennw said:

You could generate a material list, select the line item or the Description cell for the material and then from the edit menu use Find Object In Plan.

 

Good idea Glenn! I will add it to my list, but it did not help me find a material on an ice maker. That detail was not in the material list. Also, is there not a way to search the material list without exporting or copy/pasting it to another program? Hand searching a large material list with the entire plan of materials is tedious.

[Kbird1]

12 hours ago, Alaskan_Son said:

 

Find in Plan would do nothing to find those materials used in Defaults.

 

I was simply expressing what I "wish for" nothing else .......... as in .....

 

On 7/31/2022 at 9:07 AM, Kbird1 said:

it's a pity that the Plan's Materials List , doesn't have the Find in Plan Option

 

[Alaskan_Son]

14 hours ago, CharlesVolz said:

Good idea Glenn! I will add it to my list, but it did not help me find a material on an ice maker. That detail was not in the material list.

 

Try this next time (a small upgrade to the brightly colored material idea you already suggested):

1. Open up Plan Materials and Select All.
2. De-select the material in question
3. Click the Merge button, click Edit, click on the Properties tab, change the Transparency to 100%, and click Okay.
4. Click on the material in question, click Edit, and set a very bright color for the Material Color on the Pattern tab.
5. Open a 3D view, set it to Vector View, and Rotate your model to you find what you're looking for. 
6. Click Undo a couple times to get things back to normal.

NOTE:  Using Vector View isn't necessary and actually won't work in older versions of Chief either, but I find it easier on the eyes than using a Standard View.

 

[CharlesVolz]

22 minutes ago, Alaskan_Son said:

 

Try this next time:

1. Open up Plan Materials and Select All.
2. De-select the material in question
3. Click the Merge button, click Edit, click on the Properties tab, change the Transparency to 100%, and click Okay.
4. Click on the material in question, click Edit, and set a very bright color for the Material Color on the Pattern tab.
5. Open a 3D view, set it to Vector View, and Rotate your model to you find what you're looking for. 
6. Click Undo a couple times to get things back to normal.

NOTE:  Using Vector View isn't necessary and actually won't work in older versions of Chief either, but I find it easier on the eyes than using a Standard View.

 

 

Thanks Michael! Added to my list.