best way to work typical floors

[Anonymous]

Though this is the repeat question I did not get a precise answer. I am working on 3star hotel apartment that has several typical floors. I am wondering what is the best way to organize the building model?

currently, I made a large group of all the floors, walls, doors, toilets, etc and copied the group to the typical levels. I am wondering if anyone could tell me if this is the most efficient way to work. 

[ToanDN]

This is a big question and there is no one answer can fit all.

There are two approaches: using groups and using links.  Each come with pros and cons so choosing which one is largely depending on how you would like to document the project.  Do you create drawings and schedules for a typical level or do you create drawings for every level?

[Corsten.Au · Accepted solution]

Yes.. as @ToanDN said , its a big question...

Organising the Groups is most important..

One way to keep things coordinated, Consider this.

1. Group 1 : CORE :  Elements - Lift, Lift Core

2. Group 2 : Intertenancy Walls - Walls between Units/ Hotel Room and any shaft walls , Main Entry door to units / Rooms

3. Group 3 - EXTERNAL Walls - These will have Building Envelope , Walls, External Windows, External Doors

                    a. Ground Level - External Wall ( this one not required to be in Group cause it wont by typical )

                    b. Repeated Level - External Walls

                    c. Topmost Floor, Roof Level ( this one not required to be in Group )

4. Group 4 : Balcony / Railing and any element outside Building Envelope which is repeating. Balcony floors, partition between balcony.

5 Group 5 - UNITS / HOTEL ROOM INTERNAL - This will include walls, furniture, plumbing, door,

              ( if you can manage then include false ceiling, floor finish )

Note : Keep all the walls unconnected, and give unconnected heights.. this will help in copy / pasting groups on various levels.

if you keep walls connected to levels above then you will face lots of issues related to wall heights..

also, if the Level to Level distance ( Floor Heights ) are varying , then try to use different group ..Use repeat groups only if Floor heights are same.

NON GROUP ELEMETNS

1. Stairs : This can go Level to Level... no need to put in any group..

2. Shaft : Try not to keep shafts in group... so that you can control the lower and upper limits..

3. Ground Floor Elements

4. Roof

5. Rooms and Room tag ( try to keep ROOMs and Room tag separate and not in any group...this is critical.

If you work in workset then you can create worksets named in above Groups ex: Core, Intertenancy walls, Units / Hotel Room...

Workset will help in graphics later when you are creating other drawings..

Ex : Location plan : you can have floor plan, and Switch off workset: UNITS and you will get clean Floor Layout.. etc..

Let us know how you go..

Cheers !!

[Sahay_R · Accepted solution]

Agreed - this is a million dollar question. You can organize models as Shell, Fit-Out, Furniture in addition to Structure and MEP.

The other way could be to have a typical floor modeled, linked into the main model and copied to each level. 

It all depends upon the type of workflow that goes best with the model.

The beauty of groups is that you change one group, all of its copies will update. The same goes for links - you change the linked file and all of its copies will update.

[Anonymous]

Wonderfull! thanks for the detailed information.

[Viveka_CD]

Good workflow @Corsten.Au

[Anonymous]

A few notes:

• We've put our rooms in groups with no problems. The rooms can changes names even if in groups.
• We prefer groups to links. Links will be on the netwrok, so slower for performance and you need to close files to work on them. Annoying with no real advantage.
• We learned that you are better to work with TYPE parameters than INSTANCE parameters for things that are in groups. Example, if we need to change a single instance parameter on a door, we need to open all groups and edit that door property, it is not possible to select all doors and change it like we would usually do. If the properties were TYPES, we could easily modify the whole model in one quick swoop, assuming the doors have the right groups.
• Place a giant note on the front page for newbies to not ungroup groups...... Our newb employee ungrouped half the groups by not reading or understanding the error messages while trying to edit multiple elements at once. It caused a lot of problems...

[guysmithB4853]

How do you go about asset tagging individual items when they all have to have different information?

[Corsten.Au]

One of the following should work for tagging 

1. Category tag ( can be customised and to show any parameter of the element )

2. Multi category tag - custom what parameter to tag.. you can have multiple tags customise to your requirements  

ex 

a. Mark 

b. Comments .

c.Type mark

d. Type comments 

e. Any Instance oarsmen

f. New parameter which is not available I. Default ( shared parameter) 

3 keynote 

a. User note

b. Number 

c. Etc

[Anonymous]

grouped rooms can't change names. 😞 how did you change yours?

[Anonymous]

What wrong with keep Links?