Best Practices for Storing and Applying Keynotes and Notes

[skoz44]

I'm looking for some suggestions in a more efficient method of creating/entering Keynotes and general notes.  I currently have a Word Document which contains a large collection of notes I've used over the past years.  When I'm creating my Floor Plan Keynotes schedule, I go through all the notes in in my Word Doc and copy and paste to the Note Specification box.  I then do the same multiple more times, opening the spec box, copy/paste, close, etc.

 

Does anybody have a suggestion to make this process more efficient?  Ideally, would be a way to create a Floor Plan Keynote schedule along with all the numbered markers, then add all of this to the Library.  I then simply grab that library object and place it, move the numbered callouts around and delete the items that are not relevant.  That all sounds great; however, the many iterations I've tried for this, do not work.

 

Thanks for any suggestions.

[tinadelllic]

So my solution has evolved for things like this but now I have essentially two categories of .plan template files I use for new projects or for later phases of construction documentation;

 

1) Drawing Template, blank but with all my settings so I don’t have slow down from clutter from the below file type (2)

 

2) My Grab & Go - I have wall types drawn for easy copy/paste, basic furniture arrangements like dining room table/chairs, bed with side tables, etc. on the drawing sheet, recessed can lights in sets of 4 or 6, etc. so I don’t have to dig it out of my user library. These are all sectioned out with “Work Area boxes labeled “Electrical”, etc. 

 

I use this same thing with Note Types. I place all my note schedules in a row and right underneath I have all “Notes” stamped out below so I can skim through the schedule and copy over the keynotes that apply to that project. As long as you have the labels set to “simple schedule numbering” you just click “renumber schedule” once in your new plan and it’s done!

 

Does that make sense? Someone may blow me out of the water with a more efficient way but it works for me!
 

[Gawdzira]

Here is a file with a note table that I have been cutting and pasting into files. The current version is copied from more recent projects but the notes and the order seem to change on each file. It makes it easy to delete a note or change the order in the table. Click on the "note" (the circle with number to the left of the table and open it up. Look at the Object Information tab to see how the table is organized. Just make sure to not accidentally paste multiple note tables into the same file.

 

 

NOTE TABLE FILE.plan

[NRST8TRKR]

 Thanks Alan,

 

       Much appreciated,  Ken

[ValleyGuy]

For General Notes:

I have a text box in my plan template on a CAD sheet - all the stuff that shoves some of the legal responsibilities back onto the General Contractor, things like verification / changes / dewatering monitoring and documenting / engineering... general code compliant designer responsibilities that are usually beyond our control. This is embedded into the Layout Template and is always present. It rarely changes and basically spells out that the general contractor is responsible to know, understand, and follow all of the local governing compliances. 

 

For Key Notes: 

I just use Note schedules like Alan has above. However, I drive all the note information from the Saved Plan View. I don't arrow up and down between floor plans, each floor plan has it's own Saved Plan View. This creates independent Active View Defaults, to which I can use the Edit Active View button and have made Note Defaults for each SPV. I make a Note Schedule for each floor and leave all the schedules on one common saved CAD sheet. I leave each schedule populated with the common items and when I drop a note on a particular floor - because I'm on that specific saved plan view, it automatically picks up the appropriate note number and populates the appropriate schedule. I may have 10 notes on the main floor and only 6 on the upper floor. 

The common things like 'Grab bar blocking required' (as was requested by the building officials to be on the plans) doesn't need to be typed in as it is already saved in the schedule. Items like ' In-floor electrical heating mat under ceramic tile' only takes a minute to type - usually less time than searching for a cut and paste.

 

Saved CAD sheets also have their own Active Defaults that I have also made specific note defaults and specific note schedules for, just like SPV's. Drop a note on the CAD sheet and it will populate that schedule to then be sent to the layout.

 

Driving the Note Defaults from the Saved Plan View works well for me with revisions too. I have a SPV for Revisions that also has it's own Note Defaults and Note Schedule. When I'm with a customer and they want to change something, I switch to the Revisions SPV and drop a note, the note has it's own shape and is coloured red, it automatically populates the red coloured Schedule I have saved in the plan under the drawing for easy review.

 

One thing I try to do is not over think the key notes and draw a line at what information needs to be relayed. I tend to include code items requested by the building officials, customer selections, and items To Be Determined. For example, I don't put stair code in a note schedule as the specific plan rise and run are noted in the stair detailed drawing. Code stair min and max sizes are just as important as the size and length of the nails used to secure the studs to the plate, or the bolt size and throw for a deadbolt lock. With thousands of pages of code and endless manufacturer installation requirements, one has to decide how much information are you going to include before your construction drawings become adequate enough to meet your "Designer / Architect Responsibilities" as stated in the code.