This is the heart of how I use DataCAD. I use both MSP and XRef's -- I don't think that one replaces the other, nor could I get along without one or the other. Even if you only set up one MSP sheet in each file, and there is only one scale on that sheet; I still think that it is well worth doing!
You can easily do a Check Plot, and you can use Batch Plot to do multiple copies at once.
Here's the text of a DBUG meeting handout that I presented in September, with some additional notes to expand on the MSP use.
=============================
"Faux 3D"
(Orthographic Projection Taken Into 3 Dimensions)
In a nutshell, what I am going to talk about is the methods that I use to draw and coordinate a building, so that it is accurate in all dimensions. Hopefully, this is the function that any parametric 3D tools in a future version of DataCAD 11 will take on! But for now, we can use stacked plans and XRef's, and well disciplined drafting.
Quick Glossary:
Go To View (aka GTV) = An absolutely essential part of DataCAD especially when you are using a lot of XRef's.
XRef = external reference file which uses a GTV from one file, in another; with or without an X-Clip Cube and/or highlighting.
Self XRef = self-referencing XRef -- which is obviously an oxymoron, but it works in much the same way as an XRef.
Native entities = entities that are drawn in the file -- everything except the XRef's or the self-XRef.
Highlighting = is an option for each XRef to change either all the lines to one type and/or all the lines to one color; which you can use to wash or ghost the XRef.
X-Clip Cube (aka X-Clip or XCC) = a non-plotting 3-dimensional rectangular box, that excludes the display of, and plotting of, all the parts of the XRef that are outside of the box. These can show their boundaries on the screen, but the edges won't plot.
Control-Right Click (on an XRef) = is an indispensable menu of tools for working with XRef's.
MultiScale plotting (aka MSP) = another indispensable part of DataCAD, that allows you to efficiently plot everything that you need to produce a set of CD's -- and only draw any one thing once! You can always draw at full size, always use associative dims, and if you use Text Scale (which also works great for dim's) and GTV's now save the current plot scale -- MSP is an easy and wonderful thing!
The general list of drawings that I tend to use:
Border.AEC = all common border information like project title, and GTV's for all dates. I always draw this at full size, and then use it as an XRef in all the other files, and MSP to plot at the scale you need for each drawing. You only need one border for all scales, and MSP makes it possible!
ExistingConditions.AEC = an accurate and updatable drawing of existing plans. I use an XRef of the Border.AEC with additional layers for as many of the individual sheets that you need, and I use MSP to lay them out.
FloorPlans.AEC = contains all the construction floor plans (using MSP for each sheet), with XRef's of Border.AEC with native title information, and:
ExistingConditions.AEC -- the latter used with highlighting for the demolition plans.
Structural-Electrical = Uses highlighted XRef's of the FloorPlans.AEC, with native entities for information specific to each. Also uses the Border.AEC with native title information. Both these drawings require the same sort of information, so I try to make the most of the overlap.
Sections-Details.AEC = Uses plan XRef's for reference only, so you can accurately extend the the X and Y planes (as appropriate) into the Z plane. Details are done within this file, with self-XRef's using XCC's.
Elevations.AEC = this is the culmination drawing, where the plans are meshed with the sections, and where you can cross-check everything against the other things -- the roof plan being the most important of these. I use lots of XRef's for reference in this file: the floorplans and the sections in particular -- this is where the "Faux 3D" idea comes to fruition.
InteriorElevations.AEC = Uses XRef's of plans and sections for reference to generate the required interior elevations.
You can easily do a Check Plot, and you can use Batch Plot to do multiple copies at once.
Here's the text of a DBUG meeting handout that I presented in September, with some additional notes to expand on the MSP use.
=============================
"Faux 3D"
(Orthographic Projection Taken Into 3 Dimensions)
In a nutshell, what I am going to talk about is the methods that I use to draw and coordinate a building, so that it is accurate in all dimensions. Hopefully, this is the function that any parametric 3D tools in a future version of DataCAD 11 will take on! But for now, we can use stacked plans and XRef's, and well disciplined drafting.
Quick Glossary:
Go To View (aka GTV) = An absolutely essential part of DataCAD especially when you are using a lot of XRef's.
XRef = external reference file which uses a GTV from one file, in another; with or without an X-Clip Cube and/or highlighting.
Self XRef = self-referencing XRef -- which is obviously an oxymoron, but it works in much the same way as an XRef.
Native entities = entities that are drawn in the file -- everything except the XRef's or the self-XRef.
Highlighting = is an option for each XRef to change either all the lines to one type and/or all the lines to one color; which you can use to wash or ghost the XRef.
X-Clip Cube (aka X-Clip or XCC) = a non-plotting 3-dimensional rectangular box, that excludes the display of, and plotting of, all the parts of the XRef that are outside of the box. These can show their boundaries on the screen, but the edges won't plot.
Control-Right Click (on an XRef) = is an indispensable menu of tools for working with XRef's.
MultiScale plotting (aka MSP) = another indispensable part of DataCAD, that allows you to efficiently plot everything that you need to produce a set of CD's -- and only draw any one thing once! You can always draw at full size, always use associative dims, and if you use Text Scale (which also works great for dim's) and GTV's now save the current plot scale -- MSP is an easy and wonderful thing!
The general list of drawings that I tend to use:
Border.AEC = all common border information like project title, and GTV's for all dates. I always draw this at full size, and then use it as an XRef in all the other files, and MSP to plot at the scale you need for each drawing. You only need one border for all scales, and MSP makes it possible!
ExistingConditions.AEC = an accurate and updatable drawing of existing plans. I use an XRef of the Border.AEC with additional layers for as many of the individual sheets that you need, and I use MSP to lay them out.
FloorPlans.AEC = contains all the construction floor plans (using MSP for each sheet), with XRef's of Border.AEC with native title information, and:
ExistingConditions.AEC -- the latter used with highlighting for the demolition plans.
Structural-Electrical = Uses highlighted XRef's of the FloorPlans.AEC, with native entities for information specific to each. Also uses the Border.AEC with native title information. Both these drawings require the same sort of information, so I try to make the most of the overlap.
Sections-Details.AEC = Uses plan XRef's for reference only, so you can accurately extend the the X and Y planes (as appropriate) into the Z plane. Details are done within this file, with self-XRef's using XCC's.
Elevations.AEC = this is the culmination drawing, where the plans are meshed with the sections, and where you can cross-check everything against the other things -- the roof plan being the most important of these. I use lots of XRef's for reference in this file: the floorplans and the sections in particular -- this is where the "Faux 3D" idea comes to fruition.
InteriorElevations.AEC = Uses XRef's of plans and sections for reference to generate the required interior elevations.
Last edited by Neil Blanchard on Sat Jul 09, 2005 8:20 pm, edited 2 times in total.