Reversing Floor Plans

[bud]

I am sure this topic has come up before. I need to have a reverse floor plan for a client. (They call them garage right and garage left) I am looking for suggestions/tips/whatever on how other users are approaching this. I really don’t want to have to maintain two separate files since I have to develop the standard model then do lot specific plans showing the options as ordered along with the proper orientation (right or left) I convinced our client that Revit was far superior for development of the project but this is a major stumbling block right now. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

[PeterJ]

I assume that this is just modelling and not documentation work as that stage will follw once you have the layout agreed?

Linked files can be mirrored I think, so you would set up a site file and then link your building into it and mirror as required.

[SkiSouth]

No problem - you will have to change your sheet layout probably but here's how. You might want to work on a copy of your project to try this though.

Go to the fully documented floor plan. Draw a model line along the axis you wish to mirror about, outside the project walls. Change your view range to encompass the entire project, (foundation to roof), and turn on everything in visibility. Select the project with window or crossing. Select the mirror command, and then the model line you created. You now have a mirror of the project.

A few notes. Hosted objects will yield an error when mirrored. (Lights in lay in ceilings - the new host (the mirrored ceiling) will not take a light from the old host - so you will have to elect to delete these objects or the mirror will fail. Then you will have to place them back in the mirrored model. It also appears that reference planes do not mirror (which makes sense) - So you will have to replace those too :cry: , but at least the roof or wall will already be there, but whatever was in that reference plane might not mirror - (you know - is it in the same plane as the mirror axis- In the attached image, the girts of the roof mirrored about the short axis, but when mirrored about the long axis- (90 degrees to reference plane) they disappeared. Also as PeterJ noted - the other view documentation does not transfer as that documentation is VIEW specific, and you have created new views with the mirror command....

You have created all new windows, doors, rooms, grids,etc. All these tags will be new and updated with additional numbers. New elevations generated etc. (as everything is mirrored). But all dimensions etc. are there for this plan view, if it is documented.

Didn't go as far as grouping the new plan, and saving it out. But that you can try.

Oops - missed the part about two files in your post - Don't guess this helps. Ignore as required.... I do have a question though - Wouldn't you have two separate files in Acad? You could xref the plans, but you would still have to maintain the documentation. This way you can simply move the wall, cabinet, etc and all the dimensions, elevations, etc simply change - too cool... :D I think I'd keep it as one project, with two sets of sheet layouts (left and right) and keep two selected plot sets. Might be complicated in scheduling though - Perhaps you can do an If Left =True, then number with "this" if Right then number with "this.."

[bud]

Peter, right now i am doing this to the fully documented set, not to say that is the correct way, just the way i have been doing up till now.

Ski, i tried to do your suggestion, one problem i have is wall hosted families (ie light switches) are on the wrong side of the wall line. [/quote]

[tonyisenhoff]

Any thought on this last statement - Receptacles (wall hosted object) on the wrong side of the wall when mirrored???

Tony Isenhoff

[SkiSouth]

Any thought on this last statement - Receptacles (wall hosted object) on the wrong side of the wall when mirrored???

Tony Isenhoff

Tried adding control arrows to the default duplex component. It will get the outlet out of the wall but not on the opposite side of the wall.

Anyone else a suggestion...?

[tonyisenhoff]

Flippers were added and this works but this is an unwanted step and just extra unnecessary work...

Is this just the way it is for now?

Tony

[SkiSouth]

Flippers were added and this works but this is an unwanted step and just extra unnecessary work...

Is this just the way it is for now?

Tony

The only other thing I can think of is to create a new outlet that is a duplicate of the family you have, but just not have it as a wall based family (generic) and replace the outlets (hopefully they would flip then). If you are talking 25-30 outlets I wouldn't sweat it, just change them, as once changed you should be in good shape for your future changes. If there are 300 - Well more thought needs to be given....

[tonyisenhoff]

If you add the Double Horizontal flipper it seems to work - Go figure...

Tony

[SkiSouth]

Works with Mirror?, or with manually changing...

[tonyisenhoff]

Works with Mirror?, or with manually changing...

Manually changing (after mirroring messes them up...)
Tony

[Scott D Davis]

I think it was Greg Cashen that had one of the most elegant soultions to this "mirroring a project" problem. His idea was to have the abilty to mirror the views on a sheet. You could set up and document an entire project, and then have a set of sheets that are "Plan One R" for reverse. Mirroring these views would mirror the geometry and documentation, but the text would still read correctly. Views are just representations of the model. A mirrored view would just be a mirrored representation.

I would like to see the "reverse" view be a living representation of the original view. That means, if you add a note to the original, it would also add it to the reverse plan in the mirrored location.

[SkiSouth]

I would like to see the "reverse" view be a living representation of the original view. That means, if you add a note to the original, it would also add it to the reverse plan in the mirrored location.

Very Elegant. I agree if you can mirror the views, having a "live" update would be great.

[John K.]

I think it was Greg Cashen that had one of the most elegant soultions to this "mirroring a project" problem. His idea was to have the abilty to mirror the views on a sheet. You could set up and document an entire project, and then have a set of sheets that are "Plan One R" for reverse. Mirroring these views would mirror the geometry and documentation, but the text would still read correctly. Views are just representations of the model. A mirrored view would just be a mirrored representation.</snip>

Does this actually work in versions 6+ [Long story short: I still use 5.1 on an old project. Haven't yet started a new one under 6+]. If so, that alone would justify my scrapping my trusty Revit 5.1 midstream.

RSVP & thanks,

John K.

Information wants to be free.
Rent wants to be paid.
-- Author unknown

[Scott D Davis]

doesn't work yet.....hopefully on the wishlist for 7.0