1. Open the exercise file and make sure the Project Browser is open – remember that it may be in a tabbed palette with Properties. Expand the Views tree and then expand Elevations. Double-click on South to activate that view in the drawing area.
You will see two levels that are usually present when you create a new project using the default template.
2. From the Architecture tab in the ribbon, find the Datum panel and click the Level tool. In the Options bar, ensure that the Make Plan View option is selected.
3. From left to right, draw a new level exactly 10'-0" (3000 mm) above Level 2.
When you hover the mouse pointer anywhere near either endpoint of the existing levels, you will see alignment guides (dashed lines) that help keep the extents of the datum objects consistent.
4. Click the Modify button or press the Esc key, and you will notice that the new level has a blue target. Double-click the target for Level 3, and the Level 3 floor plan will open.
5. Return to the South elevation view and select Level 3. From the Modify tab in the ribbon, click the Copy tool. In the Options bar, select the Multiple option.
6. Create two copies of Level 3: one that is 2'-0" (600 mm) above Level 3 and one that is 8'-0" (2400 mm) above that one, as shown in Figure 2.24.
7. You can change the names and elevations of levels by selecting a level and then clicking the name or the elevation value. Rename Level 3 to Level 2B, Level 4 to Level 3, and Level 5 to Roof. If you are prompted to rename the corresponding views, click Yes.
Figure 2.24 Create multiple copies of levels.
As we stated previously, plan views are not created for levels that are copied or arrayed. This gives you the flexibility to quickly generate levels for taller buildings without all the associated views that may increase your project file size unnecessarily. Although this workflow may be beneficial for you in early design phases, what do you do when you need all those floor plans and ceiling plans for that high-rise design?
Figure 2.25 Adding views to levels
You can also use this command to create duplicate views of existing levels. Clear the Do Not Duplicate Existing Views option at the bottom of the dialog box to see all the levels in your project.
Select the Roof level and click OK. A floor plan will be created for the Roof level, and that floor plan will be opened. It is important to note that every plan you create with this method will be opened as you complete the command. Remember to use the Close Hidden Windows tool (available in the Quick Access toolbar) to avoid slower performance in your work session.
Datum objects – specifically grids and levels – have two types of extents: 3D (analytic) and 2D (graphic). These extents are expressed as grips that are shown at the endpoints of the grids and levels in plans, sections, and elevations. The analytic grips control the extents of the datum across the entire project and all views. The analytic grip is shown as an open circle and the indicator displays as 3D, as shown in Figure 2.26.
Figure 2.26 Controlling the 3D (analytic) extents of the datum
If you want to adjust the 2D extents of your datum in only the current view, click the 3D icon and it will change to 2D. You can then modify the 2D extents of the datum object without affecting the 3D extents. We will explore this further in an exercise later in this section.
Datum objects are visible only in views that intersect their 3D extents. The elevation in Figure 2.27 shows four grids and four levels. Grid lines 3 and 4 are not visible on Levels 3 and 4 because their 3D extents are not intersecting those levels.
Figure 2.27 3D (analytic) extents affect visibility of datum objects.
You can use the 3D and 2D extents to your liking in any view. In Figure 2.28, for example, the 3D extents of the grid lines extend through Level 1 and Level 2, but the 2D extents are set above Level 2. This means that the grid datum would still be visible in both levels, even though it looks like they don’t intersect the levels.
Figure 2.28 Customizing 3D and 2D extents of datum objects
When you move a datum object, one way or another, content is going to respond. If you move a level, walls and furniture are going to move accordingly. If you move a grid, structural elements associated to the grid are going to relocate. And if you move references, the elements associated with them will update. As a matter of fact, you’ll often constrain or pin datum objects in order to restrict their movement as your project is starting to develop.
Let’s continue with the exercise from the section “Creating and Duplicating Levels” and edit the 2D extents for one of the levels you copied. Remember that although this exercise uses levels, these methods can be applied to grids as well. Here are the steps:
1. Open the South elevation view again, and you’ll notice that the label for Level 3 is slightly overlapping the label for Level 2B because they are relatively close. You’ll need to adjust the 2D extent of Level 3.
2. Select Level 3, and you’ll see two items at the right endpoint with which you’ll need to interact: the 3D indicator and the lock symbol. First, click the lock symbol to unlock the right endpoint. This will allow you to move the endpoint for the selected level without affecting all the other levels.
3. Click the 3D indicator so that it changes to 2D. Now you are ready to modify the 2D extents of the level.
4. Drag the 2D extents grip (the solid circle) to the right. The result should look like the image shown in Figure 2.29.
5. As a final option, you can choose to break the end of a level or grid line so that the tag or label will clearly display. Click the Add Elbow symbol near the label at the right endpoint of Level 3. We have indicated the location of this symbol in Figure 2.29.
6. Use the additional line grips to adjust the level endpoint so that it resembles the image shown in Figure 2.30.
Figure 2.29 Adjusting the graphic extents of a level