Xref workflow suggestions

[alcohen]

I've just started working with Xrefs and looking for general guidance on what others use as a work flow so I don't head down the wrong path.

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My specific need is to drawing existing or future buildings on our campus which will in the end contain all mechanical systems, data, furniture etc.  These drawings are not for construction purposes, but rather a broad overview.

For example, I just drew all 8 buildings with only walls, doors and windows.  Each building being it's own drawing.

I then Xref'd them all into a master drawing that contains all the layout pages.  Any updates to the individual files, updates in the master drawing which is great.

But now I want to add the various mechanical systems,  Do they get added to the original 8 files?  Wouldn't that create files with so many layers in the model space that it's just a mess?  There has to be proven workflows so I don't have to reinvent the wheel.

Any guidance is appreciated

[imadHabash]

Hi,

Since you have your own original plans, start attach them as an xrefs and put all of your new data ( mechanical systems ) over those attachments.

This is the best way.

[Kent1Cooper]

You can certainly put all that stuff in the building plans, with some Layer States to manage the "mess."  You can use Layouts with Viewport Layer management to have separate plans for each discipline.  The advantage I see is that if you change something like a wall gets moved, or a ceiling register gets moved and a sprinkler has to move as a result, you can do it all in one drawing, and you can see that register and that sprinkler all present, to be sure you get the relationship right.  If you have building base drawings Xref'd into other sheets with the systems information, then you need to fix the systems stuff in a separate place from where you change the building plan information, and you may have no way of seeing different systems' elements in relation to each other.

[pkolarik]

As a multi-discipline firm we do this on all our autocad projects. Layer management is the key here. We put all our geometry in one master xref file for each building, and can have several floor levels in each master xref file.

Our layering system is loosely based on the AIA system whereas we have "Discipline-Status-Description-?".

A couple typical layers may be "A-Wall" and "A-Ex-Wall". "E-Equip" and "E-Ex-Equip". Doing it this way enables you to not only turn things on and off that you do/don't want to see in various sheets, but it also allows you to make the important things darker lineweights and the less important lighter on a sheet-by-sheet basis. (i.e. - on an archi sheet, the electrical is faded back, etc)

The single biggest drawback to this is then all your geometry for every discipline is in one dwg file;  so when it's crunch time and 4 people all need to be working in the xref at the same time, they simply can't. If you're a one-person shop, that's not a big deal.

There are a few instances where one discipline doesn't put everything in the xref (usually electrical). The rule of thumb we stick to is if it's something other disciplines need to see on their drawings it goes into the xref.

[jreidKVSUZ · Accepted solution]

This is a great link to follow on how to name drawings:

https://www.archtoolbox.com/construction-document-sheet-numbers/

With that said, we have always made XREFs for each floor and their needed disciplines.

You will end up with a lot of files with a multi-story building, but in the end I think controlling the working drawing and printed drawing will be a lot easier to handle.

X-A-1, X-A-2, etc for Architectural Floors.   

X-E-1, X-E-2, etc. for Electrical Plans.

X-M-1, X-M-2, etc for Mechanical Plans.

X-T-1, X-T-2, etc for Telecommunication Plans.

X-I-1, X-I-2, etc for Interior Plans (furniture, etc)

Look at the chart for Discipline Designators for the rest if needed.

Most of the plans will have the A sheets XREF’d in. You can then change the A sheets to a lighter color by your layer control. Always draw anything in AutoCAD using Bylayer. If you don’t, trying to change the colors later down the line will not happen.

The Master Drawing for printing with your cover sheet will have the needed disciplines XREFd into there and printed as needed. A sheets, no color changes but for the other sheets the As will get lighter just line the disciplines did when working in those.

I don’t agree with the Example Sheet Numbers for the plotted drawings. We did A-101, A-202, etc.

But you can decide how you want to name your printed master drawings.

I agree with pkolarik with drawings like they do with one having all inside. We could assign floors and save them out. Have others work at the same time and then Copy the updates back into the master file.  But this is another reason to have separate XREFs for all floors, and all floor disciplines. 

Hope this helps!

JRR!

[RSomppi]

Depending on the size and complexity of the buildings and workflows of the people involved, each building could have a number of XREFs. One each for interiors, furniture, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, etc. That could solve the issues with layer management for each single file but it's going to get complex as you XREF all those files into the master. Layering is an important consideration no matter what you do. Using XREFs helps automate some of the process for you as opposed to having everything reside in a single file for each building but without a good solid standard, it can still get messy with XREFs.

[alcohen]

Thank you this was great info and helps reaffirm some of my thoughts!

Al

[alcohen]

Thank you this was great info and helps reaffirm some of my thoughts!  I think this is a great guide and appreciate it!

Al

[RSomppi]

You're welcome.

[jreidKVSUZ]

Your welcome and if you run across any issues, please post again to this ticket.
Thanks for the green check!!
Enjoy!
JRR!