Multiple drawing sets and visibility settings

[damon.sidel]

I've been encountering this problem a lot in the past year or two: we like to have multiple sets of drawings for different reasons. For example, let's say we're working towards a Schematic Design submission in two months. I set up all the sheets and the views and we work, work, work. However, we are submitting a weekly set of drawings to the consultants (PDF and DWG), which include only a cover sheet, the plans, and building sections. On the plans, we only want to show the building section annotations, not the extra callouts, wall sections, elevations, etc.

What I'd like is to find a way to use filters and view templates (or something else) to hide all annotations that shouldn't show on the weekly submission. Then come the SD submission, I apply a different view template that turns everything back on.

I can't use "Hide unreferenced view tags" in the print dialog, because all the views are referenced.

Thoughts?

[Steve_Stafford]

The easiest way to use a Filter is probably to ensure that each annotation type is uniquely identified as SD, probably in the name. You can create a "duplicate" view template (at least initially) that applies different filters, or at least additional ones.

To challenge your assumptions, if I'm the consultant I can't help wonder why you are restricting information from me. You can't know what might help me that I can't know because you've decided I shouldn't see it. I'd be inclined to avoid the risk of missing things while trying to hide stuff every week. Just add a disclaimer that certain sheets are in progress toward SD etc. Shouldn't confuse a consultant, that's the nature of consulting.

[damon.sidel]

Ah, just a naming convention. That could work... for now I created a Project Parameter called "Submission Set" and set it to "Weekly" for those views that need to show up on the plans.

Thanks for your feedback on my assumptions (that's one of the great parts of this forum, it isn't just for troubleshooting) and I hear you. These are basically the plan backgrounds for the consultants with two building sections for reference. I think the project manager's thinking is that we're simplifying things and avoiding confusion: if a view tag shows up, but you can't find the sheet, wouldn't that be confusing? I guess the flip side of "hiding" information is trying to avoid misrepresentation... incomplete or half-baked drawings. Just the plans with two building sections for reference.

What do you think? Do you usually send out drawings on a weekly basis? Does it include all the drawings in the works at whatever stage they are at? What kind of "cleanup" do you do to make these drawings presentable for periodic review rather than a final/major submission?

[Steve_Stafford]

Well backgrounds don't necessarily require sheet organization, just print from duplicated views and hide what you don't want them to see. Or you just print/export everything with the declaration that they are progress prints and as such not complete. It shouldn't come as any surprise to a consultant. For trade backgrounds I've exported from regular views only just so they have a background floor plan, limiting what gets exported by setting up the view for just what we want in the backgrounds.