Filters wish list

[ron.sanpedro]

Two wish list items that I have come up with as I prepare a filters class for the office.

Add OR and NOR to the Filter relationships, instead of just AND. Right now, if I want to make filters for 20 MIN doors and 1-HR walls, I need two filters, one with Fire Rating equals 20 MIN, and one with Fire Rating equals 1-HR, then apply both in the view, then set Visibility or Line Style for both. LOTS of clicks! Better would be a single Filter, with Fire Rating equals 20 MIN OR Fire Rating equals 1-HR. Then I apply it once. Ideally I could connect types to filters, so it would be Doors w/ Fire Rating equals 20 MIN OR Walls w/ Fire Rating equals 1-HR.

Default visibility settings for filters. If I am going to apply the same filter in the same way 20 times, I would like it to default to the same settings. You would still be able to change the settings if need be, but there should also be a toggle to lock the visibility settings, so you can't change them in individual views. And of course, if you change the default settings for a filter, it should change every view where the default was applied, especially when the default is locked.

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As far as I can tell, there is no way to filter anything in a linked file. Ideally, you should be able to place the linked file in a workset, then filter by that whole workset. You should also be able to filter across multiple linked files using the usual criteria. In other words, three files linked in to the master, and each file has doors with a Fire Rating of 20 MIN. A single filter in the master should work across all the linked files, showing all 20 minute rated doors as desired. Unless I am doing something wrong, none of that is now possible.

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It seems when you filter by Curtain System, nothing happens. For example, if you create a filter that includes all the different Curtain Wall categories, and filter by Comments equals Walls, and add Walls to the Comments for a whole curtain wall, nothing happens. This in spite of the fact that I can select the whole system, and it has a Comments property. To make it work you have to go thru and select every subcomponent and add the Comment. It really should work with just the Curtain Wall commented.

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It would also be nice to see Phase added to the things you can filter by. I can think of situations where I want a Phase Filter of Previous + New, but I want to filter all Existing Walls, or all New Doors, etc.

(ADDED)
Pure fantasy here, but what about Filtering by Selection Set? You have a two tower model. You create named Selection Sets for North Tower and South Tower. You create Filters based on those selection sets. Now you can have a North Elevation where the South Tower is screened, and a South Elevation where the North Tower is screened. Just add to the Selection Sets as needed to keep them up to date. Slick.


I also think that Fill Pattern should not be limited to Course detail, and it should be controllable via Filters. I imagine a solid red fill for rated walls in my working view. And while we are at it, doors, stair tread and landings in section, etc. All should have Fill Pattern options, different for each detail level, controllable in View Properties and in Filters. This is more than just a filter wish, so I mention it here in passing.

Just some thoughts, anyway.

Gordon