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Refresh Auto Annotations Per Selection Set : ABD 593

Jeff D
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"Fear of the Refresh Button"

I'm finding on larger projects, where each floor breaks into multiple sheets, that refreshing auto annotations can/will undo much more work than it updates.

Workflow, as standard, is create ductwork/piping/plumbing, then dynamic view, then drawing model and sheets.  (Presently the only auto annos employed in drawing-model are Top, Bottom, Centerline, and Invert-Level start/stop elevations).  After the drawing model is created, It's necessary to do some custodial work for presentation and re-arrange auto-annos, delete unnecessary auto-annos, and add DG anno cells.  Now if a small group of components change elevation in the design model (e.g. a 15' run of 8x6 duct lowered 2" toward the floor), refresh auto annotations will reflect that change in the drawing model, but will also undo 60-70% of the custodial work throughout the whole floor.  Depending on the size of the floor, redoing the custodial stuff can be extremely time consuming.

The items that are undone are all the deleted auto-annos, some of the re-arranged auto-annos, and the DG anno cells that were placed that indicate vertical components (like duct that passes thru to the floor above or below). The later just disappear, the former reappear.  (Oddly, only 40% of the re-arranged items are reset to default locations, the rest stay where I put them).

The only workaround I've discovered applies only to the DG anno cells mentioned above. If I drop them once then they will survive a refresh, but the drop forces them to lose their association with the component.

...and here's the request:

1. Please allow the Drawing Composition Task "Refresh Automatic Annotations" to present a tool-settings option: "Refresh Per Selection Set".


This would actually eliminate two issues I've experienced with "Refresh":  ...As noted above, and the "Visibility Calculator took longer than expected!" thingy.

Thanks,

Jeff

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  • 0

    Cutodial work being overwritten....

    communities.bentley.com/.../81233.aspx

    communities.bentley.com/.../68191.aspx

    communities.bentley.com/.../192412.aspx

    communities.bentley.com/.../91409.aspx

    .... I think that the moved annotations only retain their 'custodial' manipulations when they are generated with rules then manipulated.

    It would be good if Bentley would address how to 'persist' custodial work more effectively/easily, soon.

  • 0 Offline in reply to dominic SEAH

    The more I think about it, the more I see that "refresh per Selection Set" is The way.  Very logical.   It's similar to changing properties;  If you need to "change level" of a single line amongst 10,000, you can select that single line and do it without affecting the other lines.  Why is there a Selection Window?  Why is there a Fence??

    Well here's my work-around (as copied from my personal notes):

     Select and Group everything desired to be untouched by "refresh".  "Locking" the Selected will not work.  Perform the refresh.  As well as the area that needed the Refresh, everything will be regenerated to default (as defined by drawing Rules).  The grouped items will remain as they were (unaffected), and you'll now have tons of duplicates that need to be deleted; Just don't use a crossing window to select stuff to delete, cause you don't want to delete the big "group".  Also be sure to not delete the new stuff that even made you do the refresh.  Now, after the delete step, ungroup the big "group", and you'll have effected a localized refresh with annos retaining associations.

    Again, ...must see function for localized refresh: "Refresh Per Selection Set".

  • 0 Offline in reply to Steve Cocchi

    ...auto anno already disabled...  Thanks tho.

    ...

    Mechanical elevations: Duct, Piping, and Plumbing. Top, Centerline, Bottom, and Invert.

    The elevations (auto-annos) will move along with their component when there is X and Y movement in the Design Model.  But the annotation disappears when the component moves in the Z.  In this case, only "Refresh" will display the updated elevation.

    The core issue involves the global effect of "Refresh Auto-Annotations".  Ie, the lack of ability to Refresh just one piece of annotation at a time.  Too, the issue is that "Refresh" encompasses all aspects of the Drawing-Rule in one shot; Value, Location, and Hidden.  Because...

    After initial auto-anno generation, much time is spent rearranging them from their default drawing-rule locations (moving them), or deleting (or hiding) the unnecessary ones.  Days later a single duct changes elevation in the design model, and "Refresh" is needed to display the updated elevation text.  Since "Refresh" only functions globally and with all drawing-rule aspects, everything is regenerated from scratch and all the rearranging and deleting needs to be done again.

    The request is the ability to apply "Refresh Auto-Annotations" globally or locally (to the whole file, or just to selected components), as a Tool-Settings option.

    Thanks again

  • 0 Offline in reply to Jeff D

    Ah...   gotcha.   Would you mind filing an SR with support so that an official request can be logged?



  • 0 in reply to Steve Cocchi

    I placed an SR but better if more people send an SR. My last ones didn't get answered at all.....

    Your request has been received and a Technical Support Analyst will contact you as soon as possible. Please note your Service Request number 7000108723

    My SR is mentioning that all DG annotations disappear after the element got modified in the model.

    Thanks

    Wolfgang

  • 0 Offline in reply to Wolfgang Kopp

    Wolfgang, I've picked up your SR as well since it seems to be part of the same issue.



  • 0 Offline in reply to Jeff D
    Creating auto-annotation for a selected component is possible using the "bbannotate byrightclick" key-in. (Don't know why it is named this way.)
    First select the component in the drawing and then use this key-in. (Doesn't seem to work with a selection of multiple components unfortunately.)
    I have "Enable Auto Annotations" turned off and BB_AUTOANNOTATION_ONCREATE = 0
    Then I can use the "bbannotate byrightclick" key-in for annotating components individually or the "bbannotate byvisibility" key-in for annotating all components at once and then hiding some.
    When ductwork is added to an already annotated and cleaned up drawing, I can use the key-in to annotate the added components. Modified components are updated automatically apparently.
    This way I don't have to use the "Refresh Automatic Annotations" button which causes hidden or moved auto-annotation to reset back to it's original position.
    I am using AECOsim Building Designer V8i (SELECTseries 5) (v08.11.09.747).

    Ive.
    Codraft, Belgium.
Reply
  • 0 Offline in reply to Jeff D
    Creating auto-annotation for a selected component is possible using the "bbannotate byrightclick" key-in. (Don't know why it is named this way.)
    First select the component in the drawing and then use this key-in. (Doesn't seem to work with a selection of multiple components unfortunately.)
    I have "Enable Auto Annotations" turned off and BB_AUTOANNOTATION_ONCREATE = 0
    Then I can use the "bbannotate byrightclick" key-in for annotating components individually or the "bbannotate byvisibility" key-in for annotating all components at once and then hiding some.
    When ductwork is added to an already annotated and cleaned up drawing, I can use the key-in to annotate the added components. Modified components are updated automatically apparently.
    This way I don't have to use the "Refresh Automatic Annotations" button which causes hidden or moved auto-annotation to reset back to it's original position.
    I am using AECOsim Building Designer V8i (SELECTseries 5) (v08.11.09.747).

    Ive.
    Codraft, Belgium.
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