Show Existing Ceilings Grayed Out, New New Ceilings Bold?

[RafeRedmond]

Is it possible to create a visibility filter that uses phasing to filter elements (if element is in existing phase, override its patterns to gray)? For example, on my RCP, I need to show my existing ceiling grid grayed out, but I still need to show any new ceilings in bold. I realize that the phase filter and its overrides were designed for this, but unfortunately it only applies to the perimeter line of the ceilings - not the pattern (the 2x2 grid). Please help if you have a suggestion on how I can gray out my existing ceiling grid, while keeping my new ceilings bold!

[SCShell]

Hey there,
Unfortunately, surface pattern do not support phasing; however, what I have done for years now..is to duplicate the ceiling, cut it up as needed for the existing to remain, or demo'd portion, and the copy is for the new ceiling. Then, I set up different ceilings in my materials folder. One is for new ceilings, which has all of the bold line work. The existing ceiling grid material has a surface pattern of light gray and the demo'd ceiling is cross hatched.

This gives me the look that I am after.

If I only have a really small piece of ceiling (*or slab) which I am removing, then I just use a drafting fill transparent pattern and drafted dashed linework rather than all of the modeling work described above.

The nice part of modeling everything is that the existing and demo and new plans all look correct, right from the beginning.

Good luck and hope this helps.
Steve

[RafeRedmond]

Yeah, that is what I was afraid of. I already have a separate ceiling type that I use for my demoed ceilings. Do you create your own .pat files? How did you get the pattern lines for your exist to remain clgs to be gray?

[patricks]

You can easily do this with graphic overrides. If you have lots of RCP views that may not be the best answer, but if you only have 1 or 2 RCP views, it works pretty well. Just select a ceiling, temporarily isolate the category, maybe turn off new ceilings in the view, and then just window select all your existing ceilings to remain and override their graphics in that view to show the model surface pattern with gray lines.

[SCShell]

You can easily do this with graphic overrides. If you have lots of RCP views that may not be the best answer, but if you only have 1 or 2 RCP views, it works pretty well. Just select a ceiling, temporarily isolate the category, maybe turn off new ceilings in the view, and then just window select all your existing ceilings to remain and override their graphics in that view to show the model surface pattern with gray lines.

Hey there,
That is another good option; however, if you have a room ceiling area in which only 1/2 of the ceiling is to be demolished, then this method would not work for you.
Thank you
Steve

[patricks]

Hey there,
That is another good option; however, if you have a room ceiling area in which only 1/2 of the ceiling is to be demolished, then this method would not work for you.
Thank you
Steve

Why is that? You still have to create 2 ceilings, with one piece demolished and the other piece to remain. So just select the piece to remain and override the pattern to have gray lines.

The method I described above would work for either new construction or demo ceiling plans with existing-to-remain ceilings showing. In both cases, after you isolate the Ceiling category, then change the view phase filter to Show Previous only (new and demo objects turned off).

The purpose for doing that is just to make it easier to select many existing ceilings. If you only have a few, obviously you don't have to change the phase filter. Just select objects individually.

[muttlieb]

Hey there,
Unfortunately, surface pattern do not support phasing...

FYI, surface/cut pattern graphic overrides was added to phasing in 2009.

[patricks]

FYI, surface/cut pattern graphic overrides was added to phasing in 2009.

ah ha! duhhh you're right, you can override the surface pattern color of existing objects.

*runs to change office template*

Dang I wish I had known that on my last renovation project!

Now if only surface patterns used actual line types, then we could override demolished objects to show even the surface patterns as dashed lines.

[SCShell]

Hey there,

In the word of Rosanna Danna.....NEVERMIND!

[sthedens]

FYI, surface/cut pattern graphic overrides was added to phasing in 2009.

Does this mean you have to print "Grayscale" and not "Black Line", which then precludes the use of colored elements since they will not print full tone?