ORTHO VIEW CREATION ISSUE WITH FROZEN LAYERS

[TRdesigner82]

While trying to create an Ortho plan view, I had to go in and freeze the layer that the floor steel was on so I could see the equipment/piping that was under it. When I do this the steel goes away but the equipment/piping behind it isn't drawn. Am I doing something wrong or is it just that Plant3D 2013 can't do this?

[martinTstewart_Adsk]

It sounds like you need to adjust the OrthoCube to be below the steel, rather than turning the steel layer off. Use the top grip of the OrthoCube to adjust the height/location of the top of the cube to exactly where you need it in order to get the ortho view you want. Leave the relevant layers, xrefs and models turned on.

See this online help article:

http://docs.autodesk.com/PLNT3D/2013/ENU/filesPUG/GUID-EE937090-10B1-4414-B21E-F306E88F5D50.htm

(If this answers your question, please mark it as an Accepted Solution.)

[TRdesigner82]

There has to be another solution than that. What if I have pipe running in between the steel, or making a jog there? It wouldn't show up in any of the Ortho drawings...

My 3D background comes from working with PDMS, there you would just remove what you didn't want to see from the drawlist. I was assuming that you'd be able to do the same type of thing by manipulating the layers.

Any other options? If not, I'd consider this to be a real problem with the program...

[martinTstewart_Adsk]

Maybe I'm not understanding exactly what you're trying to do. I'm sure you'll find many differences between PDMS and Plant 3D. I recommend experimenting further with the capabilities of ortho generation in Plant 3D. And as an FYI, there are further Ortho capabilities in our 2014 product such as creating jogged, irregular views.

http://docs.autodesk.com/PLNT3D/2014/ENU/filesPLNT3D/GUID-B06611B9-57E1-4EEF-BA1F-A7ACA4CB0120.htm

But hopefully others here in the Forum community will pipe in (pardon the pun) with other ideas.

[TRdesigner82]

I'm not trying to compare PDMS to Plant3D, just trying to let you know what I'm used to being able to do so you can help me figure out a way to obtain the same outcome.

In some of our buildings, we could have steel beams that are 2 to 3 feet tall. If I cut one view below the steel, and then cut the next view, for the next floor up, above the steel, there are 2 to 3 feet where we can't show what is going on with the piping. A lot of things can happen with the pipe in an area of 2 to 3 feet. I need to be able to show this area so that nothing is lost or not shown on the drawings. I assumed tuning the layer off would get it done but that is obvioulsy not the case. We certainly can't be the first people that want to show ALL of our pipe in the drawings, so what has been done by others in the past?

[sbandlamudi]

Have you tried using the "All Hidden lines" option during the ortho creation? There are 3 options. 1. "No Hidden Lines" 2. "Hidden Line Piping" 3. "All Hidden lines"

Hope this will help.

[EricNyh]

---

@sbandlamudi wrote:

Have you tried using the "All Hidden lines" option during the ortho creation? There are 3 options. 1. "No Hidden Lines" 2. "Hidden Line Piping" 3. "All Hidden lines"

Hope this will help.

---

The hidden lines feature sounded like a good idea, but for me, they don't really execute well.  There's just WAY to many hidden lines that show up.  Looking at a flange in plan view, I don't really want to see the bore through the flange.  That's just one example of overkill.

Sorry for the hijack.

[TRdesigner82]

Does Autodesk have no other solution than "don't show that part of the model"? There's got to be a way to remove something from a view and then be able to see what what hidden behind it...

[martinTstewart_Adsk]

In your post on 8/30 you clarified that you have piping in the space between large beams (2  - 3 feet tall).  So it seems that the trick is careful, precise placement of the OrthoCube not 'above' the beams or 'below', but cutting through the beams in plan view.

When setting the OrthoCube, and if you like -using Dynamic Input, you can precisely place the top view just below the top flange but cutting thru the web of the beam. Note that it may help to switch to a front or side view for precise placement (see attached Image1). This then captures that plan view of the piping within that zone, within the depth of that beam (see attached Image2).

I hope that helps. If this does resolve your question, please check this as “Solved” so others can find the answer as well.