Architectural Column issues

[ron.sanpedro]

We are having some strange Architectural Column issues. We have a group of columns, of which some where placed, and some copied. All seem to be identical in the Properties dialog. But some show with a nice thick line and a material hatch, and others show a thin line and no hatch. Also, the former do not inherit wall characteristics, while the latter do. And for the life of me I can't figure out the difference between the two. We have tried unjoining the wall and column, to no avail.

Also, is there any (non API) way to select a bunch of Architectural columns and replace them with matching structural columns? This is fundamentally a training issue, but a fast way to fix some broken models would be great.

Thanks,
Gordon

[twiceroadsfool]

If you search, youll find a few of us that have expereinced the exact same thing. I took an architectural column, anc copied it a few feet, and it displays completely different. Lighter lineweight, and a diff. color in perspective. Same family, same type, nothing joined with walls (same walls touching both, same floors touching both), and they display differently.

Ive copied the family, placed another instance of it, moved the original and placed another, etc. For whatever reason, something unexplained makes them display differently. It stunk having to explain that to the client, lol...

[lev.lipkin]

Most likely some of the columns got joined to walls automatically and used graphics from those walls.

To prevent automatic joining use parameter in the family ("Settings", "Family Category and Parameters", "Automatically joins geometry to walls"), uncheck it.

You can change family category to "Structural Columns" right there in "Family Category" selector, this would switch all instances of the family when you reload family into project.

[ron.sanpedro]

Most likely some of the columns got joined to walls automatically and used graphics from those walls.

To prevent automatic joining use parameter in the family ("Settings", "Family Category and Parameters", "Automatically joins geometry to walls"), uncheck it.

You can change family category to "Structural Columns" right there in "Family Category" selector, this would switch all instances of the family when you reload family into project.

Now THAT is some seriously useful arcana. Thanks Lev! On a related not, any thoughts on why two freestanding versions of seeming the same Architectural Column would display differently? See the attached for reference.

Thanks,
Gordon

P.s. I switched the columns in question to Structural and reloaded, and I still see the difference in lineweight and hatch. But wall cleanup is improved. Is there something else I should check, or should I perhaps start an SR?

Thanks!

[twiceroadsfool]

Most likely some of the columns got joined to walls automatically and used graphics from those walls.

To prevent automatic joining use parameter in the family ("Settings", "Family Category and Parameters", "Automatically joins geometry to walls"), uncheck it.

You can change family category to "Structural Columns" right there in "Family Category" selector, this would switch all instances of the family when you reload family into project.

Ive gone through and changed the columns to structural, and have also disallowed the autmoatic geometry join with walls. It has not made a difference.

I have even removed the offending columns and reinserted them after the fact. Also, as mentioned, both columns are touching all of the exact same items, so if it was an auto join id be surprised.

Its not a huge concern for us, so we didnt file a SR about it. Just interesting, is all...

[ron.sanpedro]

Ive gone through and changed the columns to structural, and have also disallowed the autmoatic geometry join with walls. It has not made a difference.

I have even removed the offending columns and reinserted them after the fact. Also, as mentioned, both columns are touching all of the exact same items, so if it was an auto join id be surprised.

Its not a huge concern for us, so we didnt file a SR about it. Just interesting, is all...

We are a little concerned, as the lineweight and hatch could very easily lead someone to believe that some are true structural columns and the others are gyp and stud boxes intended to fill in the rhythm. I can see the MEP easily thinking they can throw a switch or outlet in there and being a bit dismayed on the job site. ;)

Hopefully this gets addressed as a bug, as it can really cause some grief as it stands. We will probably have to address lineweight with the Linework tool, but doing that to half the columns on every floor in every view is going to be misserable, and it still won't give us the hatch that really says "This thing is a big chunk of stone, leave it alone!"

Best,
Gordon

[twiceroadsfool]

Tell me about it. This is a progress image i was sending to the client, and i had to keep reiterating that the columns were all the same, and that it was just the graphics. I dont know...

It looks like its joined to the wall there, but its not... Its set to not automatically join, etc...

[dbaldacchino]

Actually I ran into something quite peculiar with these columns today. We have some existing steel columns and we're encasing them in concrete. So I placed a bunch of the round concrete columns (architectural) around the structural steel columns, resulting in the steel columns showing up with concrete around them. The structural elments are linked through a RS project. Well, we placed a few more of these concrete-surround columns and they started masking the structural steel sections! You'd move the offending one away and move another one that works elsewhere in the view and it would be fine. Any other new columns that I created ended up masking the structural column. For the life of me, I cannot figure out why. All concrete-surround columns have the exact same properties (top and bottom levels/offsets) and are the same family and type.

Go figure!