Generic Forms - Walls, Wall Assemblies and DG Walls

FIRST:  the terminology of this product is lacking as you can build a wall with a Generic WALL (it is a wall not a form as it has top- bottom and 4 side), An Assembly (Which is a group of Generic Walls) and DG Wall (Which adds Date we don't even use yet)(CONFUSING as this is called the wall tool not the DG Wall tool, when the old wall tool is really the Generic form whcih is actually a Generic wall as a form has 6 sides and ignores top and bottom)  Well enough for the confusion. 

I need a better way to use these tools.  My first question to ALL is do you use the DGWall tool???  Do you take advantage of taggin the wall in a section with DG Data?

I WANT 2 (TWO ) tools.  One for the Power USe and one for single instance and sometime users.

The POWER TOOLS

  1. A way to quickly import old parts and assemblies into DGWalls.  Allow import into specific DGWall Catecories.
  2. A Spreadsheet like Approach (similar to parts) so that I can perform mass editing on those DGWalls
  3. Maintain spreadsheets for Parts and Assemblies but include the Datagroup info so I can make mass changes and adjustments.  (ie, apply spec number (mark) to all my CMU block at once)

The SINGULAR instance Approach.:

  1. When I crate a part I want it to ask if it is for a Wal, Roof, Floor, Generic, etc.
  2. Then if Generic - It shows a singular Dialog (NO XML SPREDSHEET) for all things I change to that wall.  Thsi does include some gerneric DG information
  3. Then if Once of the other groups:  ONE dialog - (NO TABS) and all the DG idata,  The top would say what type fo assembly it is (WALL or Floor, etc.)

Right NOW there is no reason to use or upgrade to DGWalls.  I question if anyone is using them.
You can build an entire project with Generic Walls and it looks the SAME.
The UNIFORMAT walls provided to not have any descriptive infomraiton that can be pulled into a keynote for sections
The Uniformat Names if used in a keynote would be unrecognizable to anyone in the construction profession
The Uniformat numbers would not match anyone's specifications in the industy.
NOTHIGN from the DGWalls Data is utilized yet (Though the potential exists)  You canot toggle for 4-hour walls YET.  You cannot have it generate graphics for Fire WALLS YET - You cannot view drawings for Existing - Demo - New - YET.

AND it takes so much extra time to duplicate your work by create a Part - then Assembly - Then DGWall  - before you can even place that wall that won't even use the date YET.

 

 

 

  • actually with ABD we cant

    We created a Wall assembly from Parts

    Now note that I can place each part and it creates a note for each part

    But when I place an assembly I cannot label the part but only the Assembly Marker

    And then I must have a centerline for that to occur.  I cannot get a centerline to occur on all assemblies.

    I want to use the marker on my Plan and the Part Lavels on the section

    And I don't understand what you;ve said above.  this DG stuff is so confusing adn time eating.

    Ustn since 1988
    SS4 - i7-3.45Ghz-16 Gb-250/1Tb/1Tb-Win8.1-64b

    Eric D. Milberger
    Architect + Master Planner + BIM

    Senior  Master Planner NASA - Marshall Space Flight Center

    The Milberger Architectural Group, llc

  • I do agree with you Eric. There is alot of repetition of data going on, especially when you are using compound walls.

    Maybe the Parts themselves need to be simplified a bit more and then more data assigned using the DGS?

    Seems to me the DG overwrites the width and height factors of the parts nowadays anyways.

    Maybe parts need to be turned into palletes like in rendering. It just controls display of items,
    And then the Compound walls assembly tool should be intergrated into the DG area.

    Then it only becomes 2 places that you need to edit to make a wall in the first place.
    If you only want a  single part in your wall you just assign a single part in it.
    But it will also allow you to combine parts to make a wall type.

    Damon

  • Exactly - I don't have the time to populate each and every wall.  It makes no sense and is in no way automatic as it should be.  The infomration I need is already in the part but not available in the Datagroup editor.

    I think this gap between parts and DGParts or DGWalls needs to disappear.

    Ustn since 1988
    SS4 - i7-3.45Ghz-16 Gb-250/1Tb/1Tb-Win8.1-64b

    Eric D. Milberger
    Architect + Master Planner + BIM

    Senior  Master Planner NASA - Marshall Space Flight Center

    The Milberger Architectural Group, llc

  • Emilberger,

    Expanding on the Datagroup information for the wall leaf

    does seem to be the only way to add a specification number

    and description.

    I can associate a custom datagroup to my wall leafs to get additional

    information to display in the annotation cell Manager.

    However, even though the information is available their isn't any way

    to preset the data for the leafs.

    In order for my custom wall leafs to contain preset information is for

    the wall leafs to show up in the datagroup editor. So far I have been

    unable to get wall leafs to populate with any information.

    I can however, after placing a compound wall in a drawing go to Datagroup Explorer

    to see my compound wall under the "Wall" catalog and the associated wall leafs

    under the "Wall Leaf" catalog. The wall leaf data contains the 5 default items plus

    my 'blank' custom data items. These custom items can be manually filled in on

    a case by case base.

    To make a long story short, If I could get the wall leafs to populate in

    datagroup catalog editor I could get the additional items to work.

    Would be pretty functional to embed specification and keynote info into

    to compound wall leafs instead of only the compound parent wall.

    Tom