Project Navigator for MEP firms

[stearnskl]

I've read thru some (not all) threads about project navigator: do you use it, how to use it, and issues with it. It seems that most of the threads are from architectural firms, but there doesn't seem to be much if anything about MEP firms using it. It seems that the PN is useful for architectural firms but not for MEP firms (my 2 cents). We are currently using PN for a project and the architect has sent us there PN information. We orginally set our project up in views and sheets (ABS 2007.1), but found that when we bring a mechanical drawing into an electrical drawing and turned off layers in modelspace (Views) they weren't off in paperspace. So we would turn off the layers in paperspace and thought well this kindof sucks but we'll live with it. But, when we go to the Sheets we would have to turn the same layers off again. So each valve, damper, or any additional piece of equipment/layer that was added to the drawing would have to get changed in the views and sheets. (Visretain doesn't seem to work with PN). This was our first expierence with PN and we figured that we were doing it wrong so we just dumped everything in Sheets and went on with life. Well now that we have 2008 were taking a better look at things and want to use PN (for some reason we believe in it) but have been told by our provider not to use it because Autodesk told them that it was unstable. So after I have given my life story I wondering a couple of things.

1. Should we use PN for an MEP firm, or just use SSM like we have done in the past?

2. Is PN really unstable?

3. Is there really more to PN that I'm just missing the boat on? (I'm thinking that constructs and elements aren't that useful for us, but don't know enough.)

Thanks for any input.

K

[dzatto]

Well, that's the first time I've heard anyone say PN is unstable. I hope that's not true since I'm starting to get used to it.

Anyway, I do all of our plans, including MEP (but no way near the detail you do it). I created constructs for my building exterior, interior, then one for mechanical, one for electrical, and one for plumbing. All I do is drag whichever one I need into that particular view. So I'll have a view for mech, elec, and plumbing. It seems to work fine. Then I drag the view into the sheet.

As far as the layer situation, I just started using PN in 2008 and they have a setting in the project properties called"match sheet view layers to view". Set it to Yes and your layers states are retained in the sheet. That should solve at least one problem you're having!
Hope my 2 cents helps. The others know way more about it than I do, but I'm really starting to like it now that I'm getting the hang of it.

[stearnskl]

Thanks for the feedback.

Well I hope its not unstable.

Just wondering can you get files (constructs, elements, etc.) from the architect put them in my Project Navigator and do my MEP work in the views, and then plot from the sheets?

I can understand using the constructs for architectural items but not for MEP items. I'm thinking that it would be nice to keep the systems together in the views. Typically we don't have systems that are xrefed throughout the project.

Thanks,
K

[dzatto]

Thanks for the feedback.

Well I hope its not unstable.

Just wondering can you get files (constructs, elements, etc.) from the architect put them in my Project Navigator and do my MEP work in the views, and then plot from the sheets?

I can understand using the constructs for architectural items but not for MEP items. I'm thinking that it would be nice to keep the systems together in the views. Typically we don't have systems that are xrefed throughout the project.

Thanks,
K
Yes, you can do that. Just opent the drawing, go to your contsructs tab and right click. There should be an option for "save current drawing as construct". Once you create the construct, then you create the view, do your linework, create your sheet, etc. etc.