Floor Plans with Ceiling Underlay - Help needed

[CADMunkee]

I know all the reasoning behind looking from the top down for floor plans and bottom up for RCP. I also know about the work-around of dragging an RCP view only and superimposing it onto the floor plan but...

It would be really nice if I could turn on the RCP in the Floor plan so I can locate sprinklers easily and also see changes as I work in the floor plan, rather than having to use an RCP for sprinklers, then going back to the floor plan to draw piping.

There is an underlay option that I can underlay an RCP, however I still can't get this to work right. No matter what I do with the view range, I either lose my ceiling or the doors/windows in the floor plan.
Currently my view depths are
Top 13'-6" which is what I need
Cut plan when I set to 9'-0" I can see the ceiling
Cut plane at 8'-0" I see the doors
Bottom depth/view range don't seem to matter in this no matter what.

Maybe the project is setup wrong..I have no idea but I'm getting very annoyed. Is there any way to do this...seeing both RCP and doors/windows/walls on a view, rather than a sheet??????

[bcaudill]

Couple things I do.

1. I use an "RCP Coordintation View" to place any and all ceiling mounted items and that's all that view is for, not plotting. Power, Systems, Lighting, etc. I also turn on everything ceiling mounted that may effect my design, IE: Diffusers, Sprinklers, etc. Then I go back to the necessary views I use for plotting to annotate if need be. This helps is coordinated everything accurately earlier.

2. Normally in RCP's I set my view templates from just above the floor (1/8") to (-6") from the floor above. This should allow you to see everything from the floor to deck.

(Keep in mind this opinion was electrically biased).

HTH,
~BMC~

[abulla]

Yeah that view won't work for HVAC, as your ductwork will be shown under the lights. For my HVAC views, I set the cut plane to be above the ceiling height (high enough to show my mechanical equipment), top view above that, and bottom view wherever. I can't see the windows in this view, but it's the best option I've found for HVAC,

[bcaudill]

Not sure what you mean by "your ductwork will be shown under the lights"?

It should show true and accurate to elevation. Or you can toggle "off" the Lighting fixture category per your templates if you don't want to see them.

[abulla]

I mean if you use a Ceiling Plan view, it's looking up at the ceiling from the floor, so the lights will be shown on top of the ductwork, you have to use a Floor Plan view.

[bcaudill]

Right, I agree with that point.

I'm just thinking you probably want to do all your duckwork in floor plans, as you mentioned, then create a RCP view to simply place your ceiling mounted objects (Sprinklers, diffusers, etc). Unltimately, they will show and plot from your floor plan ductwork plan through your template controls.

It's quirky, but necessary when you need ceiling mounted objects to appear on a floor plan view.

[abulla]

That's weird, I've never had a problem with ceiling mounted objects showing up on my mechanical plans. (see attached)

[bcaudill]

Not showing up per say, just hosted properly. If you want to host a sprinkler or diffuser to a ceiling, it needs to be done in an RCP then it'll appear correctly on your Mech Plans.

All I'm saying is that this is the approach I use electrically. We have alot of stuff that needs to be place in a ceiling but show up on a floor plan (power and systems) plan (IE: Speakers, Cameras, Smoke Detectors, etc). I host them in view i've set up for ceiling mounted coordination only.

[Elvis_DDA]

If you don't mind me asking, how did you get those ceilings to show in floor plan? I need to show the ceiling tiles in my drawings, but have had no joy so far.

[bcaudill]

You can't. You can only see the ceilings in ceiling plan views. That's been my point in this thread.

You need to place ceiling hosted elements on a ceiling plan view. They will still have the ability to show on your floor plans at proper elevations. If you actually need to see/plot the ceiling, you either need to use a ceiling plan, or super impose the ceiling plan view into the floor plan.

[abulla]

Well, there is a kind of workaround. It's probably not perfect, but if you set the cut plane in your mechanical plan to be above the ceiling, the grid will show up. The only drawback to this is that your door swings and most windows go away, but at least the ceiling grid is visible. (I had to invert my screen colors on this one because the damn grid is so light I can't see it on a white background. Separate issue.)