Design Options modifications to existing walls

[Garn]

I just had to have a play with Design options. What is the best way to add a door to an existing wall as part of a design option?

When I inserted it I got this message>

"An insert in a Design Option cannot be hosted by an element in the Main Model."

So I:

1) assigned the existing wall to the existing phase split the wall on either side of the door
2) replaced the segment to be marked for demolition,
3) then in a option view showing new work and previous in the phase filters I replaced the wall segment with the New work property.

It all seemed a bit messy ... I must be missing something here :roll:

[beegee]

Garn, I think you take out the Zoog award for the first technical question about sixoh.

The method you used seems to a cross between the old phases and the new design options.

The wall is in the main model, so you cannot add an hosted element that is not part of the main model.

My approach would be to:-

a) Leave that wall out of the main model
b) Make Option 1 just the wall with no door
c) Make Option 2 the wall with the door.

[Garn]

And you take out the zoog award for the 1st answer Beegee! I can see that your method is simpler but if I need to show an existing conditions view then I'll either need to add the missing wall as linework or revert to my last method ...

[beegee]

So, to clarify :-

Option 1- Existing wall. No demolition. No door.

Option 2- Existing wall. Part demo for new door.

I think you would do that the same way I outlined.

The Primary option would be option 1. You would set this up so that the wall in question was placed during the Edit mode for Option 1, with the view properties set for Existing phase.

Then do Option 2 - place the wall in the existing phase, then change the phase to new construction and place the door.

Then set up the various views, together with the phases and filters that you want to show the client. This is done by duplicating views, renaming and setting the Design Options display under Vis Graphics.

The possibilities are endless.

This may sound complicated, but its just difficult to describe the process in words.

[irwin]

So, to clarify :-

Option 1- Existing wall. No demolition. No door.

Option 2- Existing wall. Part demo for new door.

I think you would do that the same way I outlined.

The Primary option would be option 1. You would set this up so that the wall in question was placed during the Edit mode for Option 1, with the view properties set for Existing phase.

Then do Option 2 - place the wall in the existing phase, then change the phase to new construction and place the door.
As beegee said, you need to have a wall in each option; however, you don't have to place the wall twice. Instead, you can do any of the following:
1) Create the existing wall in Main Model. Create both options. Select the wall. Pick Add to Option Set in the Design Options toolbar. This will add the wall to both options and remove it from Main Model.
2) Create the wall in Option 1 before creating Option 2. In the Design Options dialog, create Option 2 by Duplicating Option 1. This will create a copy of the wall in Option 2.
3) If you've already created the wall in Option 1, and you've alreay created Option 2 without the wall, then select the wall in Option 1, Copy to Clipboard, start editing Option 2, Paste Aligned | Same Place. This will create a copy of the wall in the same place, but in Option 2.

There are two advantages of using these techniques.:
A) Since you aren't creating the wall twice, there's less chance of making a mistake and introducing unintended differences.
B) If you use any of the techniques I listed then the software knows that these two walls are related. It can use that information to be smarter about maintaining relationships when you Make Primary.

[Garn]

Thanks for your detailed help Irwin and and Beegee. I hadn't realised the Add to Options tool added it to all the options - makes sense really!

Would you say the on the whole then that option 1 always would be the exisiting conditions but contain the elements that will be changing in the other options?

Also can you tell me when is the best time to set up the different option views -

ie just after creating the main model and before creating the options
then assign the options in Visibility Graphics after setting up options

or

from the main view set up for a particular option and after you've done some work on the option?


:idea: Here's a wish list item already - a check box to create an automatic view in the design options dialogue box.

[Garn]

I think I've got Design Options humming along nicely now! :D Thanks again Beegee and Irwin. Here are the steps I think I'll use. I've attached a model for anyone who is interested.

Setting Up Design Options - use design options toolbar
1) Draw Main Model
2) Create Design Options - option 1 to be existing conditions
3) Select parts of main model which are shared (and modified) in the different options and click the Add to Options Set tool
4) Duplicate views for each option and rename accordingly.
5) In each view go to visibility graphics (VG) > design options tab and select appropriate option to display

Using Design Options
1) Go to appropriate option view.
2) If necessary clear Exclude Options in the options toolbar to make non main model objects editable then make changes, additions etc
3) If necessary the different options in the view can be swapped using the Edit Option tool. One click to select the different option to edit. Click again and it reverts to the Main Model. This only works if the Design Options in Visibility Graphics is set to Automatic

[irwin]

Sounds like you've got it. Here are two further refinements.


2) Create Design Options - option 1 to be existing conditions
This is only necessary if one of the options you are considering is not changing anything at all. If each of the options you are considering actually changes things then there is no need to reserve an option for existing conditions. You can use phase settings to show existing conditions.


Using Design Options
1) Go to appropriate option view.
2) If necessary clear Exclude Options in the options toolbar to make non main model objects editable then make changes, additions etc

The recommended procedure would be to start editing the option, rather than clearing Exclude Options. That way, additions become part of the option. Otherwise, they'll go into the main model and appear even when you are looking at the other options. Also, it protects against accidentally changing an element in main model, which would affect all the options instead of just the one you are working on.