Wall types library? Is it useful?

[pfaudler]

Do people find it useful to have a Wall master file and have most of the company specific wall types stored in that master file so that if someone needs that wall type, they can do transfer project standard?

Or Should designers create new wall types in every project as in most of the cases wall types are not going to be similar from project to project?

What is your take on this?

In our company, we are setting up Revit standards and this one of the many things that is confuses me as a bim manager. Should we have wall master file or not? If yes then what are the benefits? Personally, i thought it is useful to have a masterfile form where you can copy wall types when you start project and then alter them in your project at later stage if you need to. Atleast this saves some time of creating wall from scratch and backtracking with what is been used in previous projects etc.

regards

[twiceroadsfool]

I keep them in a file in different model groups, by wall type. That way i can embed a detail group for the partition legend, so that the users dont have to draft/recreate the partition schedule on every project.

[pfaudler]

Thanks Aaron.
Can you please ellaborate it bit more? Do you mean you keep wall masterfile and have partition legends created in that wall masterfile?

Thanks very much

[Scott Womack]

Our Firm has a master wall file, that stores the INTERIOR stadard wall styles, along with drawfting views of the wall styles/types, and the schedules that refer to wall styles as well. We are in the prosess for creating master Roof, Floor, etc files with the same types of information in it as well,.

[twiceroadsfool]

Just as Scott said. We keep Model Groups of the Interior Parititons, by catagory, per se.

I have a model group with CMU interior walls, another with Wd framing, another with Mtl framing, etc.

Then, in those model groups, i have an embedded detail group at 1"=1', or something. I use the Previous Phase Legends, so then when i import the model group, i simply place it in the "Floor plan- Parititon types" and place the detail group, and the partition schedule is done.

[pfaudler]

Thanks Scott.

Is it possible to see a sample wall masterfile to get an idea of how things are structured?
I mean views, legends, and schedules etc.
We also intend to have master file for Roofs, Floors, Ceilings etc.

Thansk in anticipation of your help.

regards

[azmz3]

our wall types are stored in our standards template, with the OOTB wall styles purged out. that way when a new project is started, and you load the template, all the wall styles are there already. if we make a change to the template, have people transfer project standards so it updated the project they are currently working on to make sure they are up to date with the standard.

[Scott Womack]

I've attached it here.

[Scott Womack]

our wall types are stored in our standards template, with the OOTB wall styles purged out. that way when a new project is started, and you load the template, all the wall styles are there already. if we make a change to the template, have people transfer project standards so it updated the project they are currently working on to make sure they are up to date with the standard.

We have taken the opposite approach. We only have Generic walls in our template, since when someone starts a file, the majority of the time they are beginning schematic design. We want them to concentrate on design and layout, not the actual types of walls to be used. Once the plan begins to settle down, then they can transfer project standards and bring in the "standard walls" for moving on into DD work.

[twiceroadsfool]

We do it exactly the way Scott is suggesting as well. It helps keep people in the right frame of mind during design. ive watched people blow hours and hours shifting walls 3/8" this way and that because they had specific wall types, allthewhile after the next meeting the walls were all moving anyway.

There are 7 wall types in our template.

Generic Exterior
Generic Interior
Generic Interior- 1hr
Generic Interior- 2hr
Generic Interior- 3hr
Generic Curtain Wall
Generic Stacked Wall

I wouldnt even have that many, but i need the fire ratings for the Filter and Legend on the egress plan...

[pfaudler]

I've attached it here.

Thanks very much Scott for sending this.
I will study this file and get back to you if i have any further questions.

[DaveP]

I'm with Scott and Aaron on this.
We have a separate _BWBR_WallTypes.rte file that has not only our Wall (Exterior) and Partition (Interior) Revit Wall Types, but also has Legend Views of the Wall Section Details.

When someone wants a Wall Type, they start a New Project and use the Wall Types template, which has noting but the Walls and their Details. They go to the proper Legend and Copy the Detail to the clipboard, then back to their project and Paste it. This brings in not only the Wall Type, but the Detail as well.

We started out with a lot of Wall Types in our main Template, but found two problems:

If we needed to make any changes to the Wall Type or the Detail, we needed to change it in both the main Template and the Wall Types. Someone would invariably forget to change one and then months later, we had a hard time figuring out which one was right.
Like Aaron said, we want people to focus on the design, not the construction early on, so they should use Generics. Also, if you place specific walls during SD, then by the time to get to CDs, you don't know if a wall was intentionally created as 1-hour, or if was just there from SDs. If everything starts as Generic then (theoretically) someone has thought about it when they changed it to a specific type.

[twiceroadsfool]

Also, if you place specific walls during SD, then by the time to get to CDs, you don't know if a wall was intentionally created as 1-hour, or if was just there from SDs. If everything starts as Generic then (theoretically) someone has thought about it when they changed it to a specific type.[/LIST]

THAT is the number one reason i operate the way i do.

I come in the job for CD's and spot a 4-7/8" gyp/mtl stud wall. Is it a defined decision? Or just what someone used? Now im wasting time asking, dimensioning, and reworking.

Waste waste waste. If its generic, i KNOW its not defined.

[Errolowl]

We have a separate _BWBR_WallTypes.rte file that has not only our Wall (Exterior) and Partition (Interior) Revit Wall Types, but also has Legend Views of the Wall Section Details.[/LIST]

We tried this route, but are limited by the fact the you cannot asign detail numbers to the legend view when placed on a sheet. So the wall section "details" aka legends need manual text on a sheet to identify them. And it doesn't look like they enabled that option in 2010 either.

Aaron, how do you embed a detail in a model group? If I draw a set of walls in a plan view, do I draft the detail in that plan view as well? I don't see how you would attach a drafting view to a set of walls ?

Thanks.

[DaveP]

The Wall Types are just placed on a Sheet and aren't specifically called out anywhere on the plans. Walls are Tagged on the plans (A3, B6, XN3, etc.) and the Type is identified on the Partition Types Sheet.

Yes, the Tag on the Legend is dumb Text and it would be really nice to be able to ensure that it's accurate with a smart Tag, but they really don't change much, so it hasn't caused problems.

Each individual detail is Grouped and all of the Groups are placed on one Legend View.

[twiceroadsfool]

Ours isnt dumb text, its a floor plan, not a Revit "Legend."

To include a detail group in a model group, simply use the "Attach detail" button while youre in the model group, and select dimensions, annotations, intelligent tags, etc.

If you do a little extra set up in your template, none of it has to be dumb text, and its all importable from an Office Standard Library.

http://www.aaronmaller.com/partitionschedule.mp4

[rutt45]

Ours isnt dumb text, its a floor plan, not a Revit "Legend."

To include a detail group in a model group, simply use the "Attach detail" button while youre in the model group, and select dimensions, annotations, intelligent tags, etc.

If you do a little extra set up in your template, none of it has to be dumb text, and its all importable from an Office Standard Library.

http://www.aaronmaller.com/partitionschedule.mp4
I've watched tis video several times, and I'm afraid I'm too much of a newbie to understand it.
I'm in the process of setting up our office's first templates and standards, and I'd like to get it right: and chance of expanding a little on the process of creating this?
Thanks