Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Stacking Views on Sheets

Why the hate I wonder? It seems like anytime I read about or suggest stacking views on a sheet to get a specific result people respond with "Oh that's yucky!" or "Ew, an awful workaround". Maybe they are too young to remember pin bar mylar drafting techniques where a series of mylar sheets would be stacked to produce a final. Lot's of things are built by adding layers of information, tee-shirts and silk screening for example.

Views are "cheap", easy to make and alter. When one view looks down and another looks up I can combine them on a sheet to get a bit of both worlds and tell a better story. Having to see more views in the project browser might be annoying but I find using drafting detail lines to show a feature above more annoying. Even using the Linework tool for that purpose is view specific and more labor to replicate when necessary.

If we think about it a bit, it's not all that different than using external references and showing them under our own work. In this case we are able to "xref" our own views by putting them on a sheet. We just need to have a special viewport type that doesn't show a view title. This way we don't have to worry about competing graphics and information on the sheet. Combined with the new bossy view templates it get be pretty efficient too.

Don't be too hasty to rule out stacking views.

4 comments:

bullsnbears1 said...

I use this often. Until Revit has more powerful view order tools, this is absolutely necessary to get the results I want.

One can align the views using the snaps. It would be nice if you could lock align.

Maciek&Agata said...

I completely agree.
It's a must for adding Flat/Unit areas to GA's and getting that 'extra' level of detail in drawings.

Unknown said...

I like this technique also. We use it to show ceiling light fixtures on the floor plan. Underlay doesn't work for linked models and they are usually in a linked model. Instead of doing crazy filters and adding invisible lines to the fixtures.

Tannar said...

I agree that stacking Views can be a huge benefit. Using this technique is basically required for the MEP designers if you want to show HVAC plans where light fixtures don't override ceiling diffusers with the Hidden Lines tool, or the RCP grid lines show overtop diffusers and duct. Probably the reason people gripe is because we shouldn't "have to". MEP Views should have 100% priority over all other Revit objects, and the sad truth is it doesn't. So, stacked Views to the rescue!! :-)