I learned that using pads has some inconviences, but also understand what pads specific purpose is intended. Pads are for cutting the toposurface (although the reverse will pull the toposurface up). The cutting of the toposurface is a pad's main function, not substitution of a floor slab or fill.
What I do is create a pad for each level or space using a unique pad name for scheduling if necessary and for fill cut volumes. But in every instance I make the pad hidden in view, since it continues to cut the toposurface whether visible or hidden in the view. In prior releases a pad to efectively cut the toposurface and not show toposurface planes on foundation walls you must extend the pad into the foundation walls, otherwise both the foundation wall and toposruface hatch patterns try to display in the view on the foundation wall surface plane.
To show a fill layer under my slab, I use the Region Fill tool in any section or callout viewto show the area under or around the foundation and slab components.
Mel Persin, AIA
AEC Technology Consultant
Technology to Visualize and Realize Solutions
Modeling the Future/Drafting the Past
