1. Add instance data to elements.
2. Generate Compound Cell.
3. Place Compound Cell.
4. Right-click and edit with Building Element Info tool.
Case.2: This results in an immediate crash with no warning with No.2 (Misc1.bxc with MEP instance data)
Case.3: Building Element Info throws an error message or crashes after the second nested element is selected.
Case.4: Normal Cell: Building Element Info can access all nested elements for editing
Case 2+3: should work. Bug is with Building Element Info tool? The BEI tool does not crash with normal Cell containing instance data.
Case 2+3+4: should recognise nested elements with instance data. Enhancement requirement for the Schedule tool.
Nested elements are commonly used for all kinds situations For example, cladding panels where the components will need separate classification (Datagroup instance data), rendering materials (Family&Part) etc.
C-Cell Bug.dgn
I an not seeing any crashes, however I'm currently using an internal Update 7 build with the US dataset so I don't know which is one is making the difference. Can you try with the US (or non-UK) dataset just to check?
Hi Steve,
Thanks for looking into this. I don't have the US dataset installed. I may wait for U7 before trying again.
Does the Schedule tool schedule the components in the C-Cell in Update 7?
Hi Dominic,
While the new assembly tool stores the elements in a single cell, during placement it actually removes the cell header so you get the original number of elements used to create that cell. A simple storage method that allows standard DataGroup modification and reporting. Of course, if you wanted to manipulate them together, you could always add them to a Named Group.
Not sure if this can be helped, but using Named Groups can be a problem for a lot of things that require substitution later using something like Replace Cell.
If would be great if the DataGroup scheduling tool could recognise the nested objects in future.
The Family and Parts info seems to be OK when nested. I think the structural quantification tool would still work? Or would it also ignore anything in a Cell?
I suppose that is a trade-off, since while single cells can be replaced their sub-components wont' display in schedules
In regards to he Structural Spreadsheet Report - good question. Unfortunately I can't test it at the moment as I have an interim Update 7 build installed.
Steve Cocchi said:I suppose that is a trade-off, since while single cells can be replaced their sub-components wont' display in schedules
It is a 'trade off' currently due to the way OBD works at the moment. I am suggesting that this should be fixed..
Grouping sub-components in assemblies is a pretty common requirement. And so is replacing the assemblies to update them. As mentioned above you can't do this with Named Groups because they do not preserve the insertion point or orientation of the grouped components.
As with most things in AEC, things are designed in a 'top-down' way that will always require updating / LOD incrementing as the design moves through the design-construct-operate lifecycle. BTW: Editing Cells in place continues to be a top 'idea' in the Mstn forum. ACAD users have had this ability since ACAD 2000.
As the number of components grow, the need to group them while maintaining the ability to tunnel into them for editing and quantification will only increase.
Yes, this is the way that the DataGroup System was designed, so to change that would require an Enhancement request. If you can file a Service Request for this then support can link it to the applicable Enhancement (the more SRs linked the better!).