AutoCAD MEP

[#1]

I'm working on a 2 story building and before i export to navis i have to select the entire drawing and raise it 14'-0".  Is there a command or option i need to adjust?

FOR EXAMPLE:

Once i start drawing a piece of pipe or duct, i want the bottom of pip or duct to be 14"-0"

HELP?!

[#2]

You don't.  You do have a couple options though.

1.   Using the move command, move everthing in the project in the Z elevation by 14'-0"
2.  In the future, draw at the true elevation of the 2nd floor.  (In my opinion this is the worst option)
3.  Have whoever is running the navisworks coordination do a file transformation when they import your cad drawing up to the 2nd floor (14'-0")  This would be the preferred method.  They only need to do it once and that way your objects in Navisworks will report the correct elevation based on the floor it is installed on.  If your on the second floor in the model wouldnt you be more interested in the fact that your pipe/duct/cable tray/conduit  is 9' above the 2nd floor slab instead of it being 23' above the 1st floor slab?  It makes it easier to check elevations in model vs real world elevations.  On a two story building it might not be a big deal but think about it on a 30 story hi rise building with different slab to slab elevations for each floor.  The math would start to get stupid.

In addition, when you hover over the objects in MEP i think you would rather have it report the elevation based on the floor it was on for creating shop drawings and automatic tagging.  Sure you could create tags that subtract the 14' but why?  Again, just talk the coordinator into moving the drawing and explain the benefits to him. 

[#3]

yeah that's what i have been doing, selecting the entire drawing then (shift + @ 0,0,14'-0"). When I am in navis i also do the transform units. I just kinda thought there was a different solution............

[#4]

Can't you just use the ELEVATION command and set it to 14'-0"?

[#5]

Are you exporting from the 2nd floor dwg? if you xref the 2nd floor at 0,0,14' into the 1st floor does the problem happen?

to start duct / pipe at elevation you can set predefined elevations in options, MEP elevations tab. these are per drawing. if using Project navigator or not, i recommend creating an export drawing that contains all the xrefs relative to elevation 0. so if the building first floor is at elev. 10' xref the dwg at 0,0,10' and so on. once the file is setup and saved, no work is needed.

Gregg