GeneDavis Posted January 20 Share Posted January 20 There have been discussions of the SAVE AS method, and the TEMPLATE method for organizing work, and I've been terrible about organization and efficiency, and do neither. I want to get better. Isn't good TEMPLATE practice the same as SAVE AS, if the template has all the settings, defaults, SPVs, etc., as a good SAVE AS? I've a bunch of good CAD details that are in plan files, and want a recommendation for how to bring them into a file to be used as a template. What is best? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeLayDesign Posted January 20 Share Posted January 20 If I'm understanding you correctly, you have a few items in a template you'd like to create a standard for? Firstly you could save your plan file as your template, so when you hit 'new plan' it automatically loads up your template. Save As template, I believe, will also ask if you'd like to make it your default. If not you can adjust this in your preferences. Edit>Preferences>General>New Plans Second If you have a plan that holds all your CAD details, why not block them together, then 'add to library'. You can create a subfolder in your 'custom user catalog' to house them, meaning they will be available to you without you having to first open your 'CAD detail plan file' each time. I hope I answered your question correctly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneDavis Posted January 20 Author Share Posted January 20 Not exactly. I have dozens of CAD details in dozens of completed project plans, and would like to bring all or most of these into a file I'll build as a new template. I have been opening the CAD details, then copying and pasting into new CAD details in this new file. I was wondering if there was a way to click and drag or drop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robdyck Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 On 1/20/2024 at 2:34 PM, GeneDavis said: I have been opening the CAD details, then copying and pasting into new CAD details in this new file. It would be my recommendation that you organize your CAD details into plan files used only for CAD details. Over time, this can simplify the use and unnecessary editing of these details while keeping your plan file sizes smaller. There may be times where it's helpful to have more than one plan file dedicated to particular types of CAD details, just for the purposes of organization. Add your links in layout and this can make detail 'switching' quick and easy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinWaldron Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 I made a suggestion in the "Suggestion Forum" a while ago to allow for an external file reference / links for Chief File, Layout and/or Project Browser or both so as a master file of Details might be added as needed to a Chief file or layout. Our company has an external file that is called "Other Details" that is in a totally different directory and under this root directory there are other directors with all kinds of things both as PDF's, JPG;s, Chief Files, DWG Files, SKP, 3DS, etc. As an example files called Elevator, Swimming Pool, Electrical Panel, Bath Grab Bars, Radon etc. and under this possibly all other kinds of different files with sub-directory for brand specific companies or items etc.. We can now import or export items but if you need a lot of reference items in a plan the current setup is extremely poor if you don't throw everything in the file and you change your physical computer or location. In our case we use Dropbox as our master file location with a number of other people working and adding / using various details as needed to the a multitude of plans. My current project has over 55 pages in the layout with many of these being external reference files not including the various other paper documents. ( House has over 15 thousand feet ) Please suggest that this be added in the suggestion box. Thx kw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHCanada2 Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 I just put them in my library...always there...can easily duplicate..can easily edit 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneDavis Posted January 22 Author Share Posted January 22 1 hour ago, SHCanada2 said: I just put them in my library...always there...can easily duplicate..can easily edit How do you create folders in your library to organize all these 40 or 400 CAD details? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
para-CAD Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 Right-click / New / Folder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renerabbitt Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 3 hours ago, GeneDavis said: How do you create folders in your library to organize all these 40 or 400 CAD details? I would seriously consider waiting just a bit longer for X16 beta as we might get a feature for import and export of CAD details, which would just save a #%^&$ load of tiome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHCanada2 Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 This is how I have them. But I would concur with Rene. although the new callout linking feature was very good, there is still, IMHO, an improvement which could be done around efficient CAD detail management. And if X16 ends up with a certain way being better, I would hate to spend a bunch of time on a way which does not use any new capabilities that may come Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renerabbitt Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 6 hours ago, GeneDavis said: How do you create folders in your library to organize all these 40 or 400 CAD details? An FYI: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robdyck Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 16 hours ago, GeneDavis said: How do you create folders in your library to organize all these 40 or 400 CAD details? Gene, have you examined how Chief has organized the CAD details they provide? The libraries provide a good example of how you could organize your own details. It's worth keeping in mind that CAD details from the library are open to potential problems. For example, a CAD detail may require a specific scale for correct line weight printing. Each time you place the cad detail from the library into a new CAD Detail, you may need to resize the page scale. This just causes a repetition of tasks that can be eliminated by keeping the detail in a plan file. Of course, as we update our software frequently, it's quite possible that a cad block created in a previous versions doesn't have layer properties that suit the plan file we are currently working on. This can lead to editing of the cad block that would otherwise be unneeded. When our cad details are in their own plan file, the updating of a particular detail will now be universal across any plan referencing that detail. This is great for when you need to re-use a stock plan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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