Multi Story Building

[tinker]

We are new user to the DD3D and are involed in a 3 story building project. It would be nice to erect the 3 story building as one component then draw the mechanical system as one component from the first floor to the third floor. The only flaw is that all duct or piping hieghts are takken from 0. Which means if you have 3 floors and all floors are 12 feet and the third floor duct and piping is on the thrid floor is 10 feet above the third floor finish floor, the duct is listed at 34 feet.

Is there a way to have each floor list its height from the finish floor elevation?

[qpcadman]

Might not be the best idea to draw all of the duct for 3 floors in the same file. DD3D file sizes get big pretty quickly..(for us anyway). So what we've done is draw each floor as its own dwg.. then xferf them in2 a composite drawings and "stack them".

I'd be interested to hear what others are doing.

[tinker]

That is exactly how we are doing it so far. But how do you handle open end ductwork? Do you capp them?

Todd Boughan
Smith-Boughan Inc.
419-991-8040

[qpcadman]

Are you talking about riser ducts and pipes?... as in one floor to the other? ..if so then what we have done is draw everything but the risers on the plan drawings... and yes.. we leave them open ended.

Then create a separate riser drawing after stacking the xrefs. (keep in mind when stacking that you will need to include the floor slab thickness fo reach floor).

By doing this we can have
1. an accurate plan drawing for each floor..
2. a dedicated riser drawing of the entire building.
3. and then the final composite drawing that looks really cool in navis

By the way.. the drawing files that we send out will be the composite drawings

I'm sure there's a better way to do it... but this is how we do it this week

[tinker]

Well thanks, The only seem I am confused about is the open ends. I thought DD3D did not count any items that were open ended. Do you cap these? I cannot connect to xrefs

[qpcadman]

Is copunt supposed to be output?.
if so then thats something we havent experianced... yet... open ended duct output to our vulcan just fine.

[OCD]

...we have done is draw everything but the risers on the plan drawings... and yes.. we leave them open ended.

Then create a separate riser drawing after stacking the xrefs. (keep in mind when stacking that you will need to include the floor slab thickness fo reach floor).

By doing this we can have
1. an accurate plan drawing for each floor..
2. a dedicated riser drawing of the entire building.
3. and then the final composite drawing that looks really cool in navis

I'm sure there's a better way to do it... but this is how we do it this week

Wanted to see if anyone had other ideas on how to make a shaft drawing. We want to show the shaft for that floor on that floors drawing and have a shaft drawing for fabrication/seismic & support/coordination. figured two methods:

Method 1:
From the method quoted, xref the shaft drawing back in and xclip for that floor.

Method 2:
Draw the shaft duct for that floor on that floors drawing and just match the duct up on the next floors drawing, the lower floor will have the joint penetrating the next floor. In a separate file, Xref all the floors together and 3dclip to isolate that riser.

Any other suggestions or methods would be appreciated. I am favoring method 1 due to fabrication (number and export the duct all in one file).

[RedMan]

I like to think my way is very simple. I start on one floor (for example lets say 1st floor of 3 floors with 12' finish floor to finish floor) draw my mains and get the riser to be the way I want on that floor (1st Floor). I then go up to edit and select copy with base point put in 0,0,0 and push enter, then select the riser duct I just drew and right click to end the command. then you switch over or open if it is not already done the 2nd floor drawing. You go back up to edit and select paste then put in 0,0,-12' and push enter. There you go it is in the exact same spot left to right front to back as you drew it on 1st floor but 12' lower so you can continue to draw it up on 2nd floor. Hope this helps

Like was stated earlier it is best to keep the floors seperate having them all in one drawing will make the file huge and the computer will move very slow and probably crash alot.

You can use this same copy with base point idea to make a complete riser drawing. It works great and you are sure everything will line up the whole way. Here is one I did for one of our guys using the copy and paste method. I only up a line in for finish floor to finish floor but if you had steel you can put that in and also a slab thickness even roof.