Cleanup Priority Confusion

[Anonymous]

The Help, in describing wall component priorities, reads: "The component priority determines how each wall component cleans up with the components of an intersecting wall. The lower the component index number, the higher the priority of the component when it intersects other walls".  Aren't those two sentences contradictory?  The first says that it's component priority number that governs, the second sentence says it's component index number.  So what's the deal?  Does the Index number have anything to do with cleanups, or is it completely controlled by the Priority number?

The 1/2" sheathing wall component (display turned off in this Display Config) in my exterior wall is preventing the studs from cleaning up- see attached image.  If the studs component is set to Priority 100, and all other components are set to Priority 200, shouldn't the studs run through all the other components and clean up to each other?  Why the 1/2" gap from the hidden sheathing?

Dan

[KathyMoffa]

Standards exist for applying wall cleanup priorities.   Paul Aubin furnishes a chart in his book that he highly recommends adopting as an office standard.   If you don't have this chart, however, you can still easily figure out what the priorities are by inserting a few different wall styles from the Content Browser and examining each wall style's components.  For example, brick is 800, studs are 500, GWB (first layer) is 1200, Air Gap Brick is 805.     I've understood index as simply being the order in which the components are stacked.

[David_W_Koch]

Not sure where in the Help you found that quote (or what version you are using).  I found this in the 2010 Help:

Walls with multiple components clean up based on the priority assigned to each component and the location of each component within the wall. Matching component edges with the same priority are extended or trimmed to their intersection points. Components with a higher priority (a low priority number) cut through components with a lower priority (a high priority number).

In any event, the index of a Wall Component has nothing to do with the cleanup priority, just the priority number.  If the numbers are the same, then the components will cleanup.  If they are different, then the component with the lower number will cut through the component with the higher number.

I can not tell exactly what is going on from your image.  The Wall that is running vertically would appear to be a different Wall Style from that of the Wall running horizontally.  Does the vertical Wall run through the horizontal Wall?  I am assuming the horizontal Wall is the exterior wall whose components are depicted in the image.  Does the other Wall have the same stud component priority (100)?  I would also be concerned about using the same number (200) for all of your other components.  Have you tried adjusting those to see if that has any effect?

Posting a sample file with just those two Walls (provided the sample reproduces the effect) may allow someone here to have a poke or two at it and perhaps come up with a reason/solution.  It would also be helpful to note what version you are using.

[Anonymous]

Thanks David,

>The Wall that is running vertically would appear to be a different Wall Style from that of the Wall running horizontally.

Yes, the vertical wall is an interior wall, just studs and GWB each side.

>Does the vertical Wall run through the horizontal Wall?

Yes.

>I am assuming the horizontal Wall is the exterior wall whose components are depicted in the image.

Yes.

>Does the other Wall have the same stud component priority (100)?

Yes, I gave all stud components in all Wall Styles a priority of 100.

>I would also be concerned about using the same number (200) for all of your other components.  Have you tried adjusting those to see if that has any effect?

Yeah, I figured that assigning priority 200 to all other components in all Wall Styles wasn't going to be a proper solution, but I thought if as a starting point studs were 100 and everything else was 200, at least the studs would be continuous through all other components and clean up to each other, even if other components acted a little screwy, and I would sort the other components out next.  I'll try assigning discreet priority numbers to each component in every Wall Style.

The Acad 2008 file is attached.

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

The reason for the gap is not that the sheathing priority setting.  It is the stud in the INT-4-01 wall style that is turned off.  Since both the stud and the sheathing are off, there is nothing to display at that point. 

Also, as other have suggested, it would be best to adjust your wall styles with different priority numbers for the components.  Using the mentioned standards works well.  Having the sheathing and gwb the same number can and will cause cleanup problems.  It use to for me anyway. 

[Anonymous]

Thanks, you're right- should've caught that one myself.  Seems to work correctly now.  I've assigned unique priorities to each component.

Dan