Augi World - July/August 2008 - (Page 24) AutoCAD ARCHITECTURE Multi-View Blocks Ever wonder what multi-view blocks are? And, more importantly, are they really that useful? This article tries to demystify this understated AutoCAD® Architecture object type. First, we will briefly review the multi-view block concept and creation process. The body of the article, however, will be spent on illustrating an approach for using multi-view blocks in your project phasing and workflow. • Using the Insert menu> Multi-View Block command. • Typing _AecMvBlockAdd on the command line. • Using a multi-view block found on the Design Tool Palette (FF+E tab) or the Document Tool Palette (Tags tab). • Using a multi-view block found in Design Center (ctrl+2) under the AEC Content tab. 2. Brainstorm and outline other types of conditions that might be well-suited to using multi-view blocks with project phasing. 3. Map out the progression of the block as it relates to the design phases your office uses. 4. Draw the objects and convert them into AutoCAD blocks. 5. Create the multi-view block. 6. Test the block. Step 1: Create a Display Configuration and Display Representation setup. Out of the box, AutoCAD Architecture uses a rather basic Display Configuration and Display Representation. By changing the default Display Configuration and Display Representation to more closely align with a project’s conventional phasing, the views of a multi-view block not only correlate to the view orientation, but also to the project’s phase. My more useful naming system is shown in Table 1. Existing AutoCAD Architecture Display Configuration and Display Representation it Most Closely Relates to Low Detail Medium Detail High Detail Multi-view blocks are made up of one or more AutoCAD blocks. They are Autodesk’s answer to producing plan, elevation, and 3D views of furniture, appliances, and fixtures in AutoCAD Architecture by changing the View Rotation. There really is no magic to how multi-view blocks are created. They just associate an AutoCAD block to a specific view direction (see Figure 1). So what are multi-view blocks? Create your own Steps 4 though 6 below illustrate how to create a multi-view block. Creating multi-view blocks that change as a project develops If you were to integrate multi-view blocks with your project’s phases, you might create a block that changes in detail level and information. I’ll use AutoCAD Architecture’s wall object to illustrate the concept. Draw a “Stud-4 GWB-0.625 2 Layers Each Side” wall. Now switch the Display Configuration between Low Detail, Medium Detail, and High Detail. See how the detail changes? Design Phase Custom Display Configuration and Rep. (Carolyn’s more useful naming system) 01 Programming 02 Schematic 03 DesignDevel 04 ConstructionDocs Programming Concept Development (Schematic Design) Design Development Construction Documentation (Contract Documents) Table 1 Figure 1 AutoCAD Architecture comes packed with a large assortment of furniture and fixture symbols. When you open Design Center and use the library of symbols there, you are actually using multi-view blocks. The tags available on the Document Tool Palette are also multi-view blocks. To use an existing multi-view block, simply insert it (similar to how you might insert a block). You can insert multi-view blocks by: 24 Using multi-view blocks Now, let’s look at how this idea might materialize using AutoCAD Architecture’s multi-view blocks. Summary of the workflow process 1. Create an understandable Display Configuration and Display Representation setup. (No offense to the Autodesk team, but Low Detail, Medium Detail, and High Detail tends to be a bit confusing.) If you’d like to set up my more useful Display Configuration, here are the steps to minimize future display problems. • Open the Display Manager [Format menu>Display Manager]. • Expand the Representations by Object folder on left. • Find the Multi-View Block Definitions row and left-click to select. • Create new Display Representations by duplicating existing ones. To create “01 Plan Programming” and “02 Plan w w w. A U G I . c o m http://www.augi.com
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