Project with multiple buildings and varying storey heights

[Anonymous]

we are setting up the files for a project with a large site (5ha) with a 6 metre level change across it's length. There are four new buildings of varying height and use, thus requiring a variety of floor to ceiling heights. In order to view the whole development together we assumed we would be able to create individual building files and hotlink them into an overall project file (containing the terrain and surroundings). How does one prevent the story heights of the separate buildings adjusting themselves to the settings of the overall file?

[Anonymous]

Here is what I've had to do. I create the buildings in separate files and link them together onto a site plan to show the main level floor plans on a master site plan. I do this with all buildings at 0-0 level. Because if you step them on the site plan the cut plane shows differently on each building (not good). Back in the individual building files I save each building as a 3d object and place these objects on another file on which I've created a site mesh on for visualization purposes. Changes to the separate building means that I have to save another 3d object out. So I have 3d separate files.

Individual Building File
Site Plan File
3d Site file

It sounds for difficult than it is, but it works like a charm. However, I would definitely like to know if there is another more straight forward approach.

[Chazz]

My own approach on this is to do it all the modeling in one project if the size (in polygons) is not too outrageous. If you need different teams to work on different buildings this can also be done. Anyway, I work on the project with all the buildings next to each other, then on a separate "site story" I add them back into the same project as modules. This is also really nice if the buildings are oriented at weird angles on the site.

Once the buildings are added to the site plan story (where the terrain mesh is) the differing building elevation doesn't really matter because you are not doing any manipulation there, just placing to the correct height and updating. The new multistory modules in AC 11 should make this much easier than it was in AC 10. HTH. (and I hope it makes some sense).

[Anonymous]

Chazz,

How do you make the floor plan cut look right on your site plan at different elevations? On mine as they step down the site the plans show different based upon the cut height. And how does it work if each of the buildings have differing story heights?

[Chazz]

outpostarc wrote:
How do you make the floor plan cut look right on your site plan at different elevations?

Sorry, the last one of these I did was in a flat lot (6 mixed height retail buildings on 1.3 acres). It was also in version 9, before we had the power (and unpleasant complexity) of cut planes.

However, another possibility is to compose the site plan in a layout so that you could get each building to look exactly the way you want then save that as a view. In this way you might put a base drawing down that includes the site contours, notes and the building footprints (maybe the slabs). Then put the actual floor plans down on top of that. Just a thought.