New Grid System Tool in AECOsim SS6

Does anybody use the new Grid System Tool in AECOsim SS6?

What is your experience with the new Grid System?

I have never used the old Grid System Tool up to SS5. We are used to draw different Grid Models and reference it to 3D Models and 2D Drawings.

So I tested the new Grid System to find out its possibilities and if it's easier to use than our method with references.

But my experience is that there are a lot of missing and unconvenient/impractical issues.

1. To Create/Change the Settings of a Grid you have to open the ElementTemplate.dgnlib and change some settings. To check the settings you have to open a Drawing Model with an Dynamic View and if the changes  aren't correct you have to go back to the dgnlib changes the settings again. Go back once more to the Dynamic View and check the results of the changes again and so on and so on... This is painfull!
   
   You should have the possibilitiy to do all Settings in the Drawing Model and get immediately the result of the changes.
2. When I switch on/off "Show Grid System" in Reference Presentation, nothing happened. Additionally I always  have to open the Grid System Tool, activate a cell in row StartFloor or EndFloor to trigger the recalculation of the Grids. Only these two actions in this special "one after the other combination" let the grid switch on or off !
   
   
3. I didn't find a way to add dimensions to Sketch Grids. This should be possible.
   
   
4. If I have created different Grids for the same area and create an Elevation/Section view in this area I always get all Grids in this view.
   I should be able to choose which Grid I want to use and which I don't.
   
   
5. I don't know why, but all Grids in Elevation/Section Views I have tried, don't use the Settings in the Element Templates for Elevation Annotation.
   
   
6. Grid System Settings > Minimum grid Line Extensions: I would prefer to be able to set the Minimum Grid Line Extension for each side on its own. In some situation I need more distance to the geometry only on one side. Now I have to extend each Grid line separate in every View.
   
   
7. In Sketch Grids I can use special characters like a slash but not in Orthogonal Grids. Why?
   
   
8. Displayed Grids in 3D Models. They should visible also in an Elevation View (Front, Back and Side views) of the 3D Model. Dimensions of Grids should be also vislible in 3D Models.

My result in testing the New Grid System is that it's much better than the previous Grid System. Especially the Sketch Grid Tool is a big improvement.
But there are still some enhancements to do. Grids in Elevation/Section Views as it is, is not usable for us.

Regards

Christian Mittermeier

We use the following Software:

WIN7-64bit (German)
ProjectWise SS4 08.11.11.590 English
MicroStation SS3 08.11.09.459 English
AECOsim SS6 08.11.09.829 English
Dataset NM 08.11.09.822 customized