Saved Plan Views vs Floor Levels

[idag33]

I joined a new office as a drafter and they want me to revamp their plan template and chief standard practices. I am new to chief so I'm learning as I go. Until now, they have not been using saved plan views AT ALL. they just use Floor Levels and manipulate the Active Default Set Control (which is linked to the layer sets too), and they switch them around before sending to layout for each type of drawing. 

I want to start to use saved plan views since I know it is best practice and feels more organized to me to know how many different drawings I'm working on for each project. But old habits die hard, and since  (as far as I understand) the saved plan views are essentially just a shortcut to save a click from the way they were operating before, I don't know how to pitch this new standard operating procedure to the rest of the team. 

 

Also, if we do implement saved plan views, should they still be building models in the floor level modelspace? I don't want to tell them the wrong thing and confuse everyone. 

 

TLDR: what are the benefits of using saved plan views vs just toggling the different default/layer sets in Floor Levels? 

[GeneDavis]

You left out Chief version.

 

Find out how to do a signature script in your profile like almost all of us here have done.  You can get much better help when your info is up for all to see.

 

Are you aware of the tutorial videos Chief has available on SPV?  This feature totally revolutionized construction docs prep with Chief.

 

Here is a link for you.  https://www.chiefarchitect.com/videos/#playlist-100

 

That takes you to those that Chief produced.  Search YouTube for even more on SPVs uploaded by Chief users.

[PitMan71]

Welcome to the group. Where specifically are you located?

[idag33]

1 hour ago, GeneDavis said:

You left out Chief version.

 

Find out how to do a signature script in your profile like almost all of us here have done.  You can get much better help when your info is up for all to see.

 

Are you aware of the tutorial videos Chief has available on SPV?  This feature totally revolutionized construction docs prep with Chief.

 

Here is a link for you.  https://www.chiefarchitect.com/videos/#playlist-100

 

That takes you to those that Chief produced.  Search YouTube for even more on SPVs uploaded by Chief users.

x16

 

yes, i have watched all the videos about this and what ive gleaned is that the plan views are essentially a shortcut. not sure that is reason enough for my coworkers to uproot their current workflow. i was hoping people could provide insight from personal experience as to why or why not using plan views might be worthwhile. 

[PitMan71]

29 minutes ago, idag33 said:

i was hoping people could provide insight from personal experience as to why or why not using plan views might be worthwhile.

I get it..... Hard to appreciate the videos if you don't know what the views are for. Once I learned how plan views worked, I realized just how powerful they are.
 

Essentially, the views are for the particular ways you want to view the plan such as for presentation, layouts for construction drawings, for quick reference, etc. While the "Working Plan view" is your work space and can be manipulated layer wise however you want ... for me it's a hot mess because everything is on but it's how I work....  it doesn't affect any of your layer settings in your views.... Also, you can have your views set up with a default set drawing tools, text, etc. For instance, my mechanical drawings are all 1/8" scale so my settings in that view are set to draw in the standards (layers, text, scale, etc.) that I want for my mechanical views AND that doesn't affect any of my others views unless I turn those layers on or off. Once you get them set, you can send them to your layout to look the way you want.

 

I would be happy to talk to you more on the phone if you have the time.

[Renerabbitt]

1 hour ago, idag33 said:

yes, i have watched all the videos about this and what ive gleaned is that the plan views are essentially a shortcut. not sure that is reason enough for my coworkers to uproot their current workflow. i was hoping people could provide insight from personal experience as to why or why not using plan views might be worthwhile. 

Far more efficient, far more dynamic, list is a mile long and certainly too much to explain
An SVP does not need to be associated with a floor. Send an SPV to layout, then in layout you can copy paste hold position on the next page and change the floor reference. You could copy paste on the next floor and change the SPV reference...basically you only ever need to create SPV for each scope and only ever send one view to layout. The rest is just copy paste and change the reference

[SHCanada2]

I would say the SPV allows one to stay more organized as it is a collection of defaults, layerset. It is one button instead for 2 or more everytime you want to change to a different default set. I have most of the SPVs for instance to put text and dimensions on their own layer, and then the layerset for that SPV matches it

 

I still occasionally override the layout box to use a specific layerset if the one I want does not match the SPV.

 

If you are setting up SPVs you need to also decide how far to go. I do not have an SPV for every scale, nor do I have one for every floor level. I do have default sets for every scale, so in theory if I want to use different size fonts, when I first start a project, I will change the defaults in the SPV to be the scale I want and then save that SPV. A lot of time I am lazy and just change the font size of the default set (which then changes everything made with it)

 

 

I do not use the _working plan view.

 

I have the following...but the Elevations one is new for this project. it is the same as the plot plan view but with a different layer set. Basically if I am going to spend time going back and forth between a layerset, I will typically create an SPV for it(because that is my navigation between layersets) If it is a new layerset with just one layer turned on/off to differentiate itself from another, then I will typically just set that in the layout box

[ValleyGuy]

8 hours ago, idag33 said:

 

TLDR: what are the benefits of using saved plan views vs just toggling the different default/layer sets in Floor Levels? 

 

As everyone above has said above, SPV's are really useful.  Your team has already completed most of the heavy work by creating the different layer sets. SPV's just streamlines the process to maximize efficiency and organization with an extra hint of consistency, plus a measure of safety for errors and omissions. Here are just a few things to think about...
Efficiency: 

- one click to change a lot of things; floor level, active view defaults, active dimensions, active layer set .... also, reference display. This is a big one for me, ref. disp. has it's own floor, layer set (colour, line weight, displayed items, etc), and stacking order, is saved in a SPV, otherwise one ref disp layer set will have to do all floor levels.

- no time wasted sending any plan views to the layout. Each SPV is already saved on the layout and as soon as the layout is linked to the plan file, all plans views are updated instantly. Plus they remain active and current.

- save time deleting errors because you forgot to change the active view and now you have the wrong sized text or the wrong note symbol... populating the wrong note schedule. Ever forgot to change the active dimensions or the layer set and now it asks if you want to display that layer because it isn't turned on... just one more pop up window to deal with before you draw the exact same dimension for the second time.

Organized:

- not all SPV's are for the layout. Overwhelming the customer shouldn't come from them watching the mouse do multiple clicks just to check a measurement or put a note onto the proper schedule, adjust the text size, or scroll down the long list of Layer sets. Professionalism is sometimes viewed by flow, rhythm and being organized. 

- If you have saved camera views to help save time and keep you organized, SPV's are very similar and just need to be set up and saved.

 

This is my current SPV list, the "A" numbered ones are saved to the layout already and the ones w/o the "A" are for working / customer related reasons. Only the working / customer SPV's share the Active Defaults between floor levels and are arrowed up and down.