Section/Elevation parity

[Geoff Briggs]

Howdy,
I'd like to start a discussion on making S/E windows more useful for working and editing (as opposed to just visualizing). This will require some feature parity with the plan window as well as a way to handle redraws and rebuilds. So here's my initial take on the matter:

• Edit as well as move. Why can't I stretch a wall up to meet a ceiling? Or mirror/copy/mulitply/trim to roof? Same with objects.

• Associative dimensions.

• Better redraw. If I do move something a rebuild is needed to fix fills and display order.

• Preference, like for 3D window, to both Auto-rebuild (or not) when window is activated and Keep zoomed detail on Rebuild. I'd like to work back and forth between two sections or plan and section, or have a section available as reference while working in plan and be free to change the layer combo while still being able to zoom into the section, take a measurement, etc. Having control of the rebuild makes all this possible.

[Aussie John]

Yes this is one of my pet peeves. Section_elevation is only half implemented.
Nothing worse than having to wait for a rebuilding then notice a ceiling not meeting a wall. Going back the plan - find the ceiling adjust then redraw the section again. Then again for some other glitch.

While we are at it how about a non redraw option. Just because you have changed the size of a window on the other side of the building your section doesnt need to be redrawn.

[Djordje]

Aussie wrote:
Yes this is one of my pet peeves. Section_elevation is only half implemented.
Nothing worse than having to wait for a rebuilding then notice a ceiling not meeting a wall. Going back the plan - find the ceiling adjust then redraw the section again. Then again for some other glitch.

While we are at it how about a non redraw option. Just because you have changed the size of a window on the other side of the building your section doesnt need to be redrawn.

While both of you have a point, let me ask you a question:

How much time do you spend in the 3D window?

Everything that you both wish for the S/E is easily done there, especially now with OpenGL etc. Marquee what you want to work on, shoot away.

John, don't check how things join in S/E - the 3D is the right place! It is only THERE that you really see what happens!

Geoff, you can multiply, edit, stretch, cut, use SEO in the 3D window to your heart's content.

What alleviates S/E woes in 8.1 is zero depth section, lightning fast, that works only on the cut plane. That on top of the general speed-up.

Hm? Let me repeat the question:

How much time do you spend in the 3D window?

During the design/development, never mind camera positioning!

[Geoff Briggs]

To answer Djordje's question, I spend plenty time in 3D as well as all the other views. I try to select the best place to complete the task at hand. One of the things I like about the 3D window, beside having the power to perform all the manipulations you mention, is that I'm not forced to rebuild and am able to rebuild zoomed in and stay there.

But that's not the whole story. We can talk all we want about a future ripe with the exchange of intelligent model data, but at present I'm in the business of producing documents. While these may be printed or electronic, and certainly we are all including more renderings and animations, the fact is the building industry still depends on lots of annotated, dimensioned 2D views.

We've all heard the claims of, "Build the model and get the 2D documents as a by-product." And we all know it's hogwash. You've got to get in there, make it right, and add your notes.

With any luck I've chosen the views that best explain the spaces and the structure. All I'm asking is the power to easily make changes wherever I see the need. The fact that the 3D window has added these capabilities draws even more attention to the deficiencies of the S/E environment.

[Djordje]

Geoff wrote:
But that's not the whole story. We can talk all we want about a future ripe with the exchange of intelligent model data, but at present I'm in the business of producing documents. While these may be printed or electronic, and certainly we are all including more renderings and animations, the fact is the building industry still depends on lots of annotated, dimensioned 2D views.

Geoff, don't get me wrong - I hurt in the same place you do.

My S/E views are NEVER opened without a proper layer combo active. I did not think about it, but I almost never generate a section or an elevation until it is time for documenting, and then treat them (albeit alive and linked) practically as 2D stuff. That is why I asked you whether you spend a lot of the time in 3D window - I made a habit of that instead of S/E, it seems ...

Thanks for the excellent topic,

[Geoff Briggs]

3D is good for the big picture and is also a good indicator of how things will look in elevation. But sections are such technical documents. I'm forever trying to get the joint lines and composites looking right. All with minimal drafting tricks of course.

[Djordje]

Geoff wrote:
3D is good for the big picture and is also a good indicator of how things will look in elevation. But sections are such technical documents. I'm forever trying to get the joint lines and composites looking right. All with minimal drafting tricks of course.

Of course! What is the point otherwise?

However - the clean 3D (all the joints in their place, no joints on the elevations, etc) means that your S/E will be clean (as possible?), too. Yes, I know about joining the composites ...

[Anonymous]

I set up navigator views for all of my elevations in the 3-d window using openGL. Really fast especially during design and part of construction documentation. I really don't use the section elevations to much until I have to. Hopefully hidden line openGL elevations will soon replace the section elevation window as we know it!

MG

[Anonymous]

If openGL were used for sections and elevations and the vectoral information could be calculated later, we could be working much faster in our daily work. The calculation would occur when we would choose to plot (this is what happens in Revit I think). Just a thought.

When I work on the elevations in the 3d window everything happens much faster and there is little to no waiting time.

MG

[Anonymous]

If openGL were used for sections and elevations and the vectoral information could be calculated later, we could be working much faster in our daily work. The calculation would occur when we would choose to plot. Just a thought.

When I work on the elevations in the 3d window everything happens much faster and there is little to no waiting time.

MG