Cut Plane Height

[Blatter-DuBois]

Is there a way to change the cut plane of the floor plan? C.A. seems to default to around 4 feet, but can I change it? I would like to create a cut plane at 7 feet, avoiding all widow and door openings. That way I can avoid drawing in the openings... and saving a lot of time.

 

I'm a new user to CA and I'm use to Revit; where I can copy the floor plan with or without dependent details and if needed, change to view depth and cut plane.  

 

It seems that CA is more akin to AutoCad with layers/layer-sets being the only way to vary the drawing for different disciplines.

 

Thanks,

 

Nicholas 

 

[Jay_on_Cape]

Not that I'm aware of......... What is it you're trying to do where you don't want openings?

[Richard_Morrison]

No way to change height of cut plane, but you can turn off the windows layer. I'm not sure how you're saving drafting time, though.

[Alaskan_Son]

What exactly are you referring to when you say "cut plane"?  Are you talking about the height at which the plan view is generated?  If so, you're right...the only way I know of to control what you're looking for is via layers.

[Alaskan_Son]

Not sure exactly WHY you want to do what you want to do, but you can sort of do what you're talking about by creating a orthographic top view and then using the cross section slider.  Not very useful though in my opinion. 

[Blatter-DuBois]

That is what I was afraid of... I figured out that I could turn off the "doors" layer and turn on the "door headers" layer. Which kind-of solves the problem. But you cant do that with the windows layer. So Im left using the CAD tools to detail in the openings. That's not a huge deal if the project is limited to a few floors, but if anything moves or revisions are made, I would have to go back and remove the previous Cad details and add new details.

 

I had thought about "creating a orthographic top view" option as you suggested. But I agree that its not very useful and would require too much effort.

​I'm trying to create a Reflected Ceiling Plan. The office standard I'm using cuts the the floor plan for RCP's at 7 feet, missing all openings. 

So, I think i need to really focus on how the layers can be manipulated to achieve this masking effect. Maybe if I poche' the doors and windows white or some variant of that idea.   
 

[Alaskan_Son]

I have never needed to draw up RCP's for any of my jobs, and I'm sure others can chime in as to how they achieve what you're looking to do, however I messed around with it for a little while and it seems you can just about get what you're after by using the "Create Room Polyline" tool for every room in the plan then turning off the door, window, and wall layers until you get what you're looking for. It might at least get you a little closer.

[VisualDandD]

I just tried something and it may work for you.

 

Go to "orthographic overview"

 

Click

3D>view direction>top view.

 

Now you get a nice overview (you may have to turn off flooring patterns...etc). 

 

NOW here is what I did not know actually worked in this view.   You can now click:

 

CAD>cad detail from view.   

 

You now have that perfectly to scale in cad and can annotate/label/pattern in plan view.

 

Let me know if that works.  I am familiar with RCP's but dont use them for my smaller projects.   Hope it helps!!!

[VisualDandD]

To make cleaning up the floor plans really easy I just realized you can toggle off patterns" in the ortho view (and any other layers you dont want to show) and it will generate without pattern lines in the new CAD detail you create!

[Bill_Emery]

Use a pony wall set for 7 feet.  Show upper wall.

Turn off doors and windows if it gives you the effect you need.

 

You can control the cutting plane somewhat with the pony wall.

[Alaskan_Son]

I think the challenge is to create a situation that leaves the plan correct AND keeps everything live. 

[Bill_Emery]

Michael,

Perhaps I'm misunderstanding.

The original poster asked how to raise the cutting plane to seven feet. I just described how that can be accomplished.

[Alaskan_Son]

Sorry Bill, I wasn't aiming that last response at you. Jut pointing out that there are several possible methods to reach the desired outcome, however none really do the job quite right (at least not for the reasons the OP was after). For that matter one might as well just copy the plan and delete all the widows an doors...done.

[Blatter-DuBois]

Thanks for all the suggestions. You guys are a really great group!

Yes, it would be ideal to keep the model live and have all changes viewable throughout the model/plan. 
The orthographic view kind-of works, but there seems to be no way of showing the electrical connections. Which defeats the point of creating a RCP... at least the way I need to. 
I think both copying the plan or adding pony walls may solve the problem.. but but with their own set of issues.
Obviously copying the plan requires twice the work. Going back and forth between two plans. But could work, if that is part of the work flow you are use to, like one would be if using AutoCad. 
Maybe pony walls would work... if I can assign them to their own layer that can be disabled in 3d views as well as other plan views. I assume that would be an easy fix. But I'm sure I would have be aware of some other details like materials lists and other dependents.  

 

Anyway, Thank you.

[Richard_Morrison]

If you want a traditional RCP, you might consider turning off doors & windows, setting the walls to be single line and grayed out, and then using the Room Polyline magic wand to get some heavy lines around the perimeter of each room. Turn on crown molding layer, soffit layer, lighting layer/electrical layers, add a few notes, and you're done! You can quickly add a ceiling height with a macro, and then copy the text (i.e. the macro) to each room.

[joey_martin]

My 2 cents is..if your office is going to go with Chief, then the office standard needs to change or you get bogged down with masking doors and windows. Creating a RCP is a piece of cake, unless you make it harder by trying to work against the software you are using. 

[DecoratorsCorner]

@joey_martin Really liking how your RCP is looking. What layers do you have on/off for it to appear this way?

Specifically, the lighter grey lines of the cabinetry, fixtures, windows and doors.

Also, did you create separate "sets" to have the Electrical Plan and Reflected Ceiling Plan appear separately?

Thanks so much!

[joey_martin]

@DecoratorsCorner I have a RCP Anno set. Everything set to gray scale except my CAD_RCP, Text_RCP, Notes/Text_RCP....etc. Anno Sets are they only way I work with Chief. Nothing better.