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project navigator

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Message 1 of 4
xxdabroxx
309 Views, 3 Replies

project navigator

i am trying to implement the project navigator at the firm i work for, and it is proving to be nearly impossible. i have read a lot about it, but it is still over my head. i have searched the groups, and found nothing about starting out with it. it seems to be quite complicated and i dont know where to start. any help with the subject would be greatly appreciated, as i dont know where to go next to start using this feature. from everything i have read it seems to be a useful tool. also, all of the example templates that are shown are for commercial projects, and our primary use for this in the beginning will be residential. if anyone can direct me to some residential templates, or tutorials, or anything like that it would be much appreciated.

D. Brownson
TAE Inc.
dbrownson@taeinc.com

feel free to email me if you can/ would help me out with this.
3 REPLIES 3
Message 2 of 4
Anonymous
in reply to: xxdabroxx

D.,

Two of the best books I bought way back when was by Paul Aubin and Scott
Onstott.....both can be had from Amazon. They both give a really good,
indepth approach to using Navigator. Trust me, it looks intimidating at
first, but once you get the templates setup, and go thru your 1st
"Project", it's very addictive.........I'll never go back to the "OLD" ways.
If you need help, contact me off-line at my home office email:
mike@virtualworlddesigns.com

Mike

--
Mike Maloney
Virtual World Designs


wrote in message news:5679682@discussion.autodesk.com...
i am trying to implement the project navigator at the firm i work for, and
it is proving to be nearly impossible. i have read a lot about it, but it
is still over my head. i have searched the groups, and found nothing about
starting out with it. it seems to be quite complicated and i dont know
where to start. any help with the subject would be greatly appreciated, as
i dont know where to go next to start using this feature. from everything i
have read it seems to be a useful tool. also, all of the example templates
that are shown are for commercial projects, and our primary use for this in
the beginning will be residential. if anyone can direct me to some
residential templates, or tutorials, or anything like that it would be much
appreciated.

D. Brownson
TAE Inc.
dbrownson@taeinc.com

feel free to email me if you can/ would help me out with this.
Message 3 of 4
Anonymous
in reply to: xxdabroxx

My first real go on the PN was a 4storey addition to a 3 storey building
with make up stairs and lift in the middle. Quite an effort and I was
really surprised at how PN pulled it all together really well. It was easy
to set up and the flow really sorted all the different drawings out well.
My present experience on a simple project - 6 two storey units has been a
nightmare with files going awol (as x-ref's from the PN), real slow
operation etc. I wish I could work in the one file.
Having said that, the PN is great for larger projects being abe to work with
a team, being able to work on parts at a time. The PC is was using first
was slower than what I have now and it worked well to only have to work on
bits at a time.

Look at the help menu and work through the tutorials. They are decent this
time around. Having said that I think I worked through Paul Aubins
Mastering ADT2004 which got me into the PN.

Post specific queries and I'm sure someone will help.

ps. My issues this time around were to do with not having my ADT templates
set up properly and ????


wrote in message news:5679682@discussion.autodesk.com...
i am trying to implement the project navigator at the firm i work for, and
it is proving to be nearly impossible. i have read a lot about it, but it
is still over my head. i have searched the groups, and found nothing about
starting out with it. it seems to be quite complicated and i dont know
where to start. any help with the subject would be greatly appreciated, as
i dont know where to go next to start using this feature. from everything i
have read it seems to be a useful tool. also, all of the example templates
that are shown are for commercial projects, and our primary use for this in
the beginning will be residential. if anyone can direct me to some
residential templates, or tutorials, or anything like that it would be much
appreciated.

D. Brownson
TAE Inc.
dbrownson@taeinc.com

feel free to email me if you can/ would help me out with this.
Message 4 of 4
Bill.Knittle
in reply to: xxdabroxx

Here goes... The short version.

One thing I do to help firms implement Projects in ADT or ACA is to create a new project (In Project Browser) using an out-of-the-box Project Template.

First I make copies of the out-of-the-box Model Template and Sheet Template. I load up the Model Template with consistant content and settings. I load up the Sheet Template with the companies titleblock and page formats. I also add or redirect fieldcodes in the titleblocks to the necessary information (Project Details, Sheet Custom Properties, Sheet Set Custom Properties, etc....) I then save them to a shared location.

Then, I create a new Project Template based on an out-of-the-box project template found at:C:\Docs & Settings\All Users\App Data\Autodesk\ADT 2007 or ACD-A 2008\enu\Template in the Project Browser.

Name the project your new company's Project Template.

Click OK to create the new Company Project Template.

Next, right-click on the bold project (apj) file that appears in the Explorer Window of the Project Browser.

Select Project Properties in the Context Menu.

Set up the necessary pathing for items such as, Default Construct, Element, Model View, Section/Elevation View, and Detail View Templates. (This is the Model Template you copied and tailored as your own) Add or Remove any Project Details to tailor them to your company's needs. I usually create field codes in Cover Sheet layouts and the titleblocks of Sheets in the Sheet Template to link to the Project Details for automation.

Select the Constructs and Views tabs. Create any necessary categories and sub-categories you may need to help organize the variety of drawing files of a project. I sometimes implement discipline specific categories with each having a variety of sub-categories for storing the drawing files.

Select the Sheets tab. Right-click on the Sheet Set at the top of the list and go to Properties. Here I is where I map the correct paths for the Page Setup Override file and Sheet creation template. Sometimes I add additional Sheet Custom Properties (Revision Date and Revision Description) and Sheet Set Custom Properties (Bid or Issue Date).

Each new project can utilize the new Company Project Template. The process of working with Project Navigator then becomes easy. Each new Construct, Element, View, and Sheet are created based on the Project Template's default properties.

Begin by creating Levels for each floor. Create any Divisions necessary.

Create a Construct for each Level by assigning it to the Level it describes in the Building. (There are a variety of options on how to do this.) Constructs usually include walls, doors, windows, or any other MODEL (not annotation) objects that span from the assigned Level to the Level above and are specific and unique to the layout of that Level only. Redundant layouts (bathrooms, elevator cores, etc...) can be saved as Elements and then attached (Xrefed in PN) to multiple Constructs via right-clicking on them in PN and attaching them with the options in the Context Menu. Stairs or Curtain Walls (objects seen in multiple Levels) can be Constructs on to their own because they span multiple Levels. The difference with them is that they are assigned to multiple Levels making them Spanning Constructs. Constructs and Elements can be overlayed on one another via drag and drop. This helps to maintain relative relationships of one drawing to another. (The inherent problems of manual xrefs).

Create the Plan Views of the Building. Floor Plans are "Live" views of the Building. Simply create them based on the General View type and have the View Wizard attach the correct Constructs and nested Elements based on the Level you designate. Right-click on each view and create a MSV (Model Space View) for each by giving it the name you wish the viewport to be called, the scale factor for annotation, and window the plan Double-click on the new MSV in the PN. Add the Titlemark callout to the MSV.

Create the Section/Elevation Views of the Building. These are 2D "Reports" of the Building. Open a floor plan MSV and add Elevation or Section callouts via the Tool Palette Set. Follow the pompts!!! In the Callout wizard, enter your MSV name(s) and set the scale. Select the button New View Drawing under Create in. In the View wizard, enter a name for the new View drawing and select a Category to store it in. Click Next. Verify that the Level assignments are correct. Click Next. Verify that the correct checkboxes of possible Constructs are correct. Click Finish. Pick an insertion point(s) for the results. Explore the new Views and their MSV's in PN.

Create Detail Views of the Building. Detail Views can be both "Live" or "Reports".
For "Live" Detail Views (ex. Enlarged Plan" open a Floor Plan' MSV View where the detail occurs and add detail boundary callouts via the Tool Palette Set. In the Callout wizard, uncheck the Generate Section/Elevation box. (This will allow you to create a cropped plan of the parent plan) Select the button New View Drawing under Create in. In the View wizard, enter a name for the new View drawing and select a Category to store it in. Click Next. Verify that the Level assignments are correct. Click Next. Verify that the correct checkboxes of possible Constructs are correct. Click Finish. Specify the extents for the MSV viewport. (preferrably larger than the detail boundary) Explore the new Views and their MSV's in PN.
For 2D "Reports" Detail Views in which you use Detail Components (ex. Wall Section or Enlarged Detail) Open the Plan, Section, or Elevation MSV and add Detail callouts via the Tool Palette Set. Follow the pompts!!! In the Callout wizard, enter your MSV name(s) and set the scale. Select the button New View Drawing under Create in. In the View wizard, enter a name for the new View drawing and select a Category to store it in. Click Next. Verify that the Level assignments are correct. Click Next. Verify that the correct checkboxes of possible Constructs are correct. Click Finish. Pick an insertion point(s) for the results. Explore the new Views and their MSV's in PN.

Create Sheets. Right-click on the correct Subset and create a new Sheet. Give the Sheet a Number and Title. Switch back to the Views tab. Expand all the View drawings to see the MSVs. Drag and drop them on to the correct sheet. The callouts will be coordinated by Project via fieldcodes. Titleblock data should be automated as well via the Company Sheet Template and its fieldcodes in the titleblocks. Sheet specific fields in the titleblock may need attention. Simply right-cclick on the Sheet in PN and go to Properties in the Context Menu.

Wheeewww. Give it a try. Try testing it with the OTB Project Template to help you reverse engineer your own project template. Matt Dillon and Paul Aubin are the kings of tailoring and utilizing the program. I would invest in their books. Message was edited by: Bill.Knittle

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