"Rubber Stamping" a typical apartment into a hi-rise?

[Charles]

I tried checking the forum, but no luck finding the answer!

My goal is to create a standard apartment design and then duplicate it throughout a floor plan with actual walls, windows, doors, and such. I initially considered using reference plans, but it's not working as expected.

Any suggestions on the best way to tackle this, or point me to a prior post that I may have missed?

Thanks in Advance!

-Charles

[imodel]

Kind of unclear what trouble you are having.  I think "edit area" is what you are looking for but I can't be sure.  Can you be more specific? 

[VHampton]

I could be wrong, but you could draw just one "apartment" plan.

 

Walls, windows, doors etc.

 

Convert the sum total into a symbol.  

 

Import the new symbol back to the primary plan.

 

Then it would be possible to duplicate that one apartment many times over, but as a symbol only. 

 

It could be placed side by side with other "clones", in addition to being stacked on top of another module. 

 

Not sure if that answers, but it's a plausible option rather than having to draw the same apartment umpteen times. 

 

What's great about Chief however is that the build floor tool can repeat the floor below as each new level is created. 

 

 

[Charles]

20 hours ago, imodel said:

Kind of unclear what trouble you are having.  I think "edit area" is what you are looking for but I can't be sure.  Can you be more specific? 

I want to design a typical unit plan in one file and in another floor plan be able to clone the unit plan over and over again using a reference.

This is so if there are changes by the client it can be done once on the typical and automatically show up on the entire floor plan.

[Charles]

20 hours ago, VHampton said:

I could be wrong, but you could draw just one "apartment" plan.

 

Walls, windows, doors etc.

 

Convert the sum total into a symbol.  

 

Import the new symbol back to the primary plan.

 

Then it would be possible to duplicate that one apartment many times over, but as a symbol only. 

 

It could be placed side by side with other "clones", in addition to being stacked on top of another module. 

 

Not sure if that answers, but it's a plausible option rather than having to draw the same apartment umpteen times. 

 

What's great about Chief however is that the build floor tool can repeat the floor below as each new level is created. 

 

 

Thanks for the idea, but this would not would add another step.    I was hoping for a live change in the unit plan that would reflect right away in the floor plan.

[glennw]

Sounds like a reference plan is the way to go.

What troubles are you having?

[Charles]

52 minutes ago, glennw said:

Sounds like a reference plan is the way to go.

What troubles are you having?

if I place the single apartment reference multiple times and then move one of them, they all move along with it.    I would like control over each instance independently so I can line them up next to each other.

[glennw]

Charles,

Ah,

You are referencing the same plan multiple times.

I think you will need to reference a different plan each time - same plan, different name.

Just in case you don't know - you can select Edit Offset and the whole referenced plan will hi-light.

You can then locate it roughly by dragging and then use Point To Point move from the Edit toolbar to snap it accurately - good if you include a known snap point in your main plan.

 

 

[VHampton]

5 hours ago, Charles said:

I want to design a typical unit plan in one file and in another floor plan be able to clone the unit plan over and over again using a reference.

This is so if there are changes by the client it can be done once on the typical and automatically show up on the entire floor plan

 

This is tricky.

 

If every apartment were fit neatly together on a layout sheet to create the sum total, that could work. 

 

So lets say there were apartments A,B,C,D, E etc...

 

Each .plan file has a viewport which is cropped tight to the outside walls and then joined together on the layout sheet. 

The groupings of the individual plan files on one sheet will essentially show the sum total floor plan of the entire complex. 

 

Each apartment can be stored in the layout file as an individual plan file on some other page. 

(The plans for each unit can then be modified independently).

 

When going back to the primary layout page, the "overall" apartment plan would illustrate the modifications. 

 

Not sure if that helps, but it's a unique way of being able to alter each unit. 

[glennw]

That is sort of what using reference plans is doing without resorting to a layout file.

When using reference plans it is all contained within the main plan. 

[VHampton]

Thanks Glenn. Very interesting. 

 

Residential work doesn't always require this intricacy.

 

Meaning that that the average user most likely draws one plan only.  One and done so to speak.

 

The benefits of this however are quite interesting, particularly when dealing with possible multiple iterations (options) to show the client. 

 

...it's always great to keep learning. Thank you! 

[Charles]

Thanks everyone!!

It appears that the first suggestion of saving the apartment plan, creating a symbol, placing the symbol multiple times on the floor and then when/if the apartment changes... resave the symbol and it will update automagically. 

Aloha, Charles

[VHampton]

Interesting.

 

For what it's worth, the symbol method has always been the 'go-to' in terms of multiple structures within a single plan file. 

 

I believe that it frees up the program in terms of speed as well. Auto-rebuilding of walls etc. is minimized. 

 

Anyway... glad that this thread was started. Glenn's post is quite insightful.  ~ All the best!