Detail Management - Revisited

[Joe_Carrick]

I'm planning on revising my detail management.

What's your preference for handling details?

 

There are obvious pros and cons to various methods and I'm trying to decide which system works best.

 

If you have some other method that you like better than any of the poll choices - please explain what you do and why.

 

Thanks

[Gawdzira]

I have seen a detail book done very well for a large project. I like the idea but the majority of my projects have not needed something so extensive.

[DRAWZILLA]

I have all my usual details already on the layout but also keep the overflow in the lib. There are many more in the lib. as there are in the layout.

Of course, that way is not to scale but I never want anyone scaling details anyway

[Kiwideziner]

Not sure which choice to select so haven't selected any.

I use cad lines and boxes in a seperate plan file for each detail then send to layout as required. The main ones eg slab footing detail is already sent to my default layout.

[Joe_Carrick]

I am tending to favor using CAD Details in separate Plan File(s) since they can be named. The Plan File can be set up at the desired Scale and with appropriate Anno and Layersets.

That way I won't have to Block the Details and I can easily edit the CAD Detail to update any Layout with detail revisions.
By having a set of secondary Plans, I can segregate the details (Door, Window, Foundation, Framing, etc) and AFAIK, there's no limit on the number of CAD Details in a Plan File.

Using Floors to store details seems to be a problem because we can only have 30 floors and there's no way to name the Details something other than Floor 1, Floor 2, Floor 3, etc.

So I'm voting for CAD Details in separate Plan Files. I used to work on much larger commercial projects and needed a Spec Book and a Detail Book. Since most of my projects are now fairly small, I'm going to just put the details on the standard layout pages.

Initially, I was thinking the Library but making revisions is too cumbersome.

Standard Details can obviously be in the Default Layout but they still need to be created someplace and sent to layout, so CAD Details seems to make sense at least as a starting point and as a way of being able to make revisions easily.

[raltd9245]

I'm planning on revising my detail management.

What's your preference for handling details?

 

There are obvious pros and cons to various methods and I'm trying to decide which system works best.

 

If you have some other method that you like better than any of the poll choices - please explain what you do and why.

 

Thanks

Great idea and discussion Joe. I don't have a set plan and think I should. As many of you know I still do all my detail work in VCAD translate it to DWG and import to Chief. I can draw much faster in VCAD than in Chief for the work I do. I am very open to new ways of storing CAD Details though.

[raltd9245]

I am tending to favor using CAD Details in separate Plan File(s) since they can be named. The Plan File can be set up at the desired Scale and with appropriate Anno and Layersets.

That way I won't have to Block the Details and I can easily edit the CAD Detail to update any Layout with detail revisions.

By having a set of secondary Plans, I can segregate the details (Door, Window, Foundation, Framing, etc) and AFAIK, there's no limit on the number of CAD Details in a Plan File.

Using Floors to store details seems to be a problem because we can only have 30 floors and there's no way to name the Details something other than Floor 1, Floor 2, Floor 3, etc.

So I'm voting for CAD Details in separate Plan Files. I used to work on much larger commercial projects and needed a Spec Book and a Detail Book. Since most of my projects are now fairly small, I'm going to just put the details on the standard layout pages.

Initially, I was thinking the Library but making revisions is too cumbersome.

Standard Details can obviously be in the Default Layout but they still need to be created someplace and sent to layout, so CAD Details seems to make sense at least as a starting point and as a way of being able to make revisions easily.

I still wonder why the programmers can't figure out how to trace the location of layout stuff without it being in the same folder. Again it is a PITA.

[Joe_Carrick]

I still wonder why the programmers can't figure out how to trace the location of layout stuff without it being in the same folder. Again it is a PITA.

I'm not sure that's really true.  The problem is more likely one of the users not always copying everything when systems are upgraded.

[raltd9245]

I'm not sure that's really true.  The problem is more likely one of the users not always copying everything when systems are upgraded.

I thought it was automatic with the last couple of upgrades.

[Joe_Carrick]

I thought it was automatic with the last couple of upgrades.

Let me try to explain.

 

Layout Files reference to the Plan(s) based on relative location on Disk.  If the Layout and Project Plan are in the same folder it's simple.  OTOH, if a Plan such as a Detail Plan is located in the X5 path and the Layout and Project Plan are moved to the X6 path then the relative position is violated and things can get messy.  The Layout doesn't know where to find the Detail Plan.

 

That might not be the exact situation, but it's very likely something similar tht CA is trying to avoid.

[dshall]

.........

That way I won't have to Block the Details and I can easily edit the CAD Detail to update any Layout with detail revisions.

EXACTLY

By having a set of secondary Plans, I can segregate the details (Door, Window, Foundation, Framing, etc) and AFAIK, there's no limit on the number of CAD Details in a Plan File.

I GUESS I UNDERSTAND THIS

Using Floors to store details seems to be a problem because we can only have 30 floors and there's no way to name the Details something other than Floor 1, Floor 2, Floor 3, etc.

I USE A DIFFERENT FLOOR FOR EACH SET OF DERAILS SENT TO A DIFFERENT LAYOUT PAGE. WORKS WELL FOR ME BUT NO GREAT SHAKES.

So I'm voting for CAD Details in separate Plan Files.

ABSOLUTELY

.........

Initially, I was thinking the Library but making revisions is too cumbersome.

DISCOVERED THAT MANY YEARS AGO

Standard Details can obviously be in the Default Layout but they still need to be created someplace and sent to layout, so CAD Details seems to make sense at least as a starting point and as a way of being able to make revisions easily.

..........................

[DRAWZILLA]

Initially, I was thinking the Library but making revisions is too cumbersome.

DISCOVERED THAT MANY YEARS AGO

Standard Details can obviously be in the Default Layout but they still need to be created someplace and sent to layout, so CAD Details seems to make sense at least as a starting point and as a way of being able to make revisions easily.

 

I create my details in the layout and copy to the lib. very easy to change that way, no more than your way.

..........................

[Joe_Carrick]

I create my details in the layout and copy to the lib. very easy to change that way, no more than your way.

..........................

I don't do it that way because I prefer to work to scale (most of my details are 1"=1'-0") and then I send to layout at the scale of the drawing.

[DRAWZILLA]

I don't do it that way because I prefer to work to scale (most of my details are 1"=1'-0") and then I send to layout at the scale of the drawing.

 

You can still draw them in a layout page cad detail to scale, just set the page setup to whatever scale you want to for that detail

[Richard_Morrison]

I haven't seen much discussion of CAD details living in Layout CAD Detail Windows, which is where I think they should go, after being imported from the Library.

[dshall]

I haven't seen much discussion of CAD details living in Layout CAD Detail Windows, which is where I think they should go, after being imported from the Library.

Does this mean one detail per cad detail or all details in one cad detail.

[kMoquin]

I sometimes do a sheets worth of details in one cad detail

[Joe_Carrick]

You can still draw them in a layout page cad detail to scale, just set the page setup to whatever scale you want to for that detail

True enough.  I might do that for some layout pages that will be standard sheets in the default layout, but it means setting each CAD Detail to the appropriate scale.  With specific Detail Plan Files I just set that Plan to the scale I want and all new CAD Details inherit that scale.

[Joe_Carrick]

So here's my basic CAD Detail Plan.  The Text above the line contains a macro that gets updated when the CAD Detail is named.  I use the Plan (Floor 1) as the place to create a new detail.  Then I copy it to a new CAD Detail which I name.  The number or letter in the circle has to be manually edited - which I do after I send the detail to layout.

 

If I need to create a new detail similar to an existing, I can simply copy paste into the Plan (Floor 1), modify that and copy it to a new CAD Detail.  I use "Paste-Hold Position" a lot.

 

BTW, the Framing members are CAD Blocks that can be sized for whatever lumber size I need.  The perimeter is a heavier line than the cross lines and the box has a solid fill.

[Richard_Morrison]

Does this mean one detail per cad detail or all details in one cad detail.

One detail per CAD detail so that the automatic labeling works.

[DRAWZILLA]

Remember too many cad details will slow down Chief.

[Joe_Carrick]

Perry,

 

What's too many? 

 

I typically might have 120 Details in a Layout but only about 20 CAD Details in any single Plan File.

 

I rarely open the Plan Files with the CAD Details in them other than to specifically add / modify / or send to layout.  Once I'm thru with them I close the Plan File.

 

I have the following Detail Plan Files:

..Door

..Window

..Roof

..Foundation

..Framing

..Roof

..Railings

 

None of these has more than 20 CAD Details except Framing and it has about 35 CAD Details.

I basically violate one of Chief's recommendations because these Detail Plan Files are not in the Project Folder.  They are all in a separate common Folder so that they can be used on any and all projects.  As soon as I open a layout file, the latest version of all the details is accessed.

[Bill_Emery]

I don't see any advantage of cad detail from view; I generally get a lot of unwanted garbage.

 

My detail might start its life as a cross section in a working plan that I trace over and make appropriate notes.

 

I then copy the detail  to a indexed grid in my plan view of a file called details.

 

When a detail is needed I can copy and paste it into my working plan, or another blank plan in my working directory and adjust it as necessary..

 

I like copying the details into a live section so I can use the new automatic call out feature.  I can copy it to a blank part of the section view if I don't need to adjust it, or I can use point to point move to index it over my live section view.

[Joe_Carrick]

Bill,

 

I also like the automatic callout features of X6 - and I don't like cad detail from view except in a few cases.

I haven't quite gotten to the level of overlaying a CAD Detail into a camera view to get the automatic callout.

That will take some studying to figure out - maybe you could do a video

[Joe_Carrick]

I'm just trying to get to the point that my CD's are as fast or faster than dsh's.  I'll probably never catch up to him for the overall project because I spend too much time on the design - for which I almost never get fully compensated.  That's why I need to make my CD's basically just a matter of printing them.