Doors in an Element

[jim.155208]

I'm using ACA 2008, and am new to using Project Navigator.

The way I've understood the organization of things is that generally, Constructs are "unique" objects in your model and Elements are "repeatable" elements. So I've got this building, with a repeatable heat pump closet. So I made the Construct of the main, unique portions of the building. I drag and drop the Heat Pump closet Element a dozen times to the appropriate locations. All is good to this point.

I then use the Auto Generate space tool and place spaces in the rooms and inside each heat pump closet. I then create a view drawing. I go to the view drawing and start tagging the room names and numbers. All is good to this point.

Then I tag the door numbers. Here's where the issue is. I always want the door number associated with the closet. But, depending on which way the door swings (into the room, or out of the room) it may pick up the other room's room number. If I go back to the original element, the door does not have a property set attached to it and therefore I can't move the location property "tail". Do I have to manually add my door property set to the door in the element drawing? If not, how do I tell the door where to get it's location from?

Thanks.

[dkoch]

Do I have to manually add my door property set to the door in the element drawing?
No, you do not, but since you do have to attach an object-based Property Set that includes at least one Location property, to generate the Location grip, you may as well use the door property set to do so (assuming that it is an object-based Property Set and has a Location property in it, which seems likely, since you are using the room number as part of your door number).

[jim.155208]

So, does adding that property set to the door mess anything up in the grand Project Navigator scheme of things? I've asked other questions about property sets, and seems like in PN that the property set is "added" via the tag.

[dkoch]

So, does adding that property set to the door mess anything up in the grand Project Navigator scheme of things? I've asked other questions about property sets, and seems like in PN that the property set is "added" via the tag.
It should not do so. If you are tagging in a view in the Project Navigator environment, the scheduled data will live in the Construct file, whether directly on an object, if that object is drawn in the Construct file, or as a property data override, if the object is drawn in an Element and then externally referenced into the Construct. That is how one Element file can be used multiple times and have each time count as a unique instance in a schedule.