Design Options and Wall Joins

[craig.donison]

Hey all!

I've done a few searches on this subject, but wasn't able to find specifically what I'm trying to accomplish. I have not used Design Options at all for projects and so I'm still at the very novice stages of understanding how it works. I'm trying to use them currently to create differing building elevations and I'm having a lot of trouble with wall joins where the design option walls directly interract with the main model walls.

I've posted the example file that I'm testing with for reference. The views in the file have been manipulated to display each of the three elevation options. The 3D views for each display the behavior I'm trying to fix with the wall joins. When I try to edit the wall joins, I'm not given any options to adjust these joins at all.

You'll notice that I have a "Null" Design Option that I'm using for primary. I did this because when I used one of the elevations as my primary option, I was able to get -that- elevation to interract correctly with the main model, but it made the interraction of the other options with the main model even worse.

I also tried splitting up each option into its own design option set. Doing it this way, I was able to clean the joins up properly for each one (Sort of), but I'm essentially drawing three sets of walls directly on top of each other, which created all kinds of other issues.

I need to be able to present all elevation options cleanly. Any hint at where I'm going wrong with all of this?

Thanks in Advance!

[wmullett]

A design option wall will clean up with walls in the main model but they will not clean up with walls in any other option.

[craig.donison]

I suppose I'm seeing different behavior then. The side walls of the building are part of the main model. The design option wall will not clean up with them correctly. =\ I have no need for the design option walls belonging to each design option to clean up with each other, only to the main model.

[harrisbrett]

Only walls in the Primary Option clean up with the Main Model. Try it out. Set your Primary Option to Elevation C and that bay window thing you have will clean up at the corner. Walls in secondary options aren't going to clean up with the Main Model.

[harrisbrett]

Have a read of this thread.

http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?t=61341&highlight=design+option+stub

Adding stub walls to your DO's may work out for you.

[wmullett]

Here is a main model the square with interior walls in two different options. As you can see, they clean up with the exterior wall.

[craig.donison]

Thanks for the link to the other thread, harrisbrett, it was informative. Not sure why that one didn't show up in my search.

For display and presentation purposes, I'm going to need the exteriors of each elevation to clean up properly. So it sounds like when dealing with exterior walls I'm simply not going to be able to do this. The 6" "Stubbing" method talked about in the linked thread is an interesting idea, but when I tried this, you still get a material seam between the two walls. I don't want to have to clean that up with linework in every related view. They also can't be joined, because secondary options can't be joined with the main model. *sigh*.

I think what I'm going to have to do is make the entire exterior as part of the option, that way the exterior walls will interract correctly as I would like, and it would clean up correctly with the interior walls as wmullett illustrated.

Appreciate the help guys!

[wmullett]

craig.... I don't understand....

My exterior walls are in the main model - not the option. Only the interior walls are in options.

Option walls DO clean up with the main model !

[craig.donison]

Right, I think that the disconnect is that my optional walls are not interior walls. I have three sides of exterior walls that are part of the main model. The fourth exterior wall is what is part of the design option. If I have multiple versions (Three in this case) of that exterior wall, it doesn't seem like I can have all three versions of that wall option interract correctly with the main model simultaneously.

Probably what's adding to the confusion is that these design options will exist with the model indefinately. There will never be a time in the design process for this where one of the options will be selected and the others discarded. All three need to function as stand-alone designs that will feed final construction documents. Printing one set, and then swapping which option is primary to print the next set isn't a workflow my managers are going to sign off on, so the better solution for my situation is probably going to be to model the entire exterior as part of the option, so each can stand-alone as needed.

I hope that makes sense, this is all for production work and not one-off designing, which is what the software seems to be intended for. I'm just trying work around its design to make it work for us :)

[wmullett]

It doesn't matter - interior or exterior, option walls will clean up with the base model walls.

Will they react "simultaneously" .... never.... Design options ar either or/or... Base model with option 1 or base model with option 2 or.... but never simultaneously.

We use design options in prototype hotels that we maintain and they never go away. They also clean up correctly in each view with the option controled by VG.

Are you sure you understand this process? Do you have multiple desin sets or are you placing base walls in a design option?

[harrisbrett]

Sorry, Secondary cannot have relationships with Main Model, whereas the Primary does, that's what I was trying to say. You may want to try adding the east wall to each DO so it cleans up nicely with each variation.

[wmullett]

Sorry, Secondary cannot have relationships with Main Model, whereas the Primary does, that's what I was trying to say.

Not True ... Design options are either or... either option when shown will clean up correctly with the base model.


You may want to try adding the east wall to each DO so it cleans up nicely with each variation.

No need to do this. Only objects that change physical size, properties, location or will host secondary objects need to be included in a secondary option.

[harrisbrett]

wmullet - directly from the help menu:

Elements in the main model cannot reference elements in a secondary option. Therefore, elements in the main model do not change their shape or properties when you are editing a secondary option. For example, if you sketch 4 walls in the main model and then sketch a roof in a secondary option, the walls do not regenerate and attach to the roof.

AND

If main model elements need to update with and reference elements in secondary options, move the main model elements into each design option (or selected options) in the design option set. Then edit each design option to modify those elements as desired for each design. See Moving Elements from the Main Model to a Design Option Set.

[wmullett]

harrisbrett....Please note that I said "Only objects that change physical size, properties, location or will host secondary objects need to be included in a secondary option."

So obviously a wall cannot be redifined in shape by connecting it to a design option roof. It will not connect - period.

But we were not talking about changing the size shape or physical properties... just the wall clean up. Base walls clean up to design option walls - and if you don't believe me - just rry it.

[harrisbrett]

Did you even open the OPs file?

He needs the Main Model to update with Secondary Options. Hence why he should add the east wall (one example) so it meets up with 'Elevation C' walls.

[wmullett]

harrisbrett - Open the attached file. You will see that only the east wall has to be added to the design sets because it changes length. The west wall joins correctly.

[harrisbrett]

As I have previously said.....


Hence why he should add the east wall (one example) so it meets up with 'Elevation C' walls.



You may want to try adding the east wall to each DO so it cleans up nicely with each variation.

On that note, I'm leaving this thread.