Chapter 12 Building Information Modeling 291
key heights of the building. Each level is
assigned a name and an elevation height. For
example, a level named First Floor can be used to
establish the elevation of the fi rst fl oor. Levels are
assigned to plan views and are usually created
in an elevation view, as discussed later in this
chapter.
Once the model fi le is set up with the appro-
priate views and levels, modeling can begin.
Creating views is discussed in the following
sections.
Creating Plan Views
In a residential design project, model con-
struction typically starts with creating the fl oor
plan view. See Figure 12-14. Often, the fl oor
plan view serves as a basis for other views. This
section introduces basic processes for creating
a fl oor plan and other typical plan views for a
residential home. Procedures with specifi c steps
for creating plan views, section views, and ele-
vations in parametric modeling are presented in
later chapters. These procedures address mod-
eling processes in greater depth. For example,
creating a fl oor plan is covered in Chapter 14,
Floor Plans.
Normally, the fi rst step in creating the fl oor
plan is to create the exterior and interior walls.
Walls are created using the
WALL
command.
After accessing the command, a wall type rep-
resenting the materials used in construction is
selected and the wall is drawn by picking start
and end points. If one of the default wall types
in the program does not include the necessary
materials, a new wall type can be created. This
is usually done by duplicating a default wall
type and editing it to defi ne the required mate-
rials. This is a common process that can be used
with other object types when a default object
does not meet the design requirements.
After the exterior and interior walls are
created, additional features used on the fl oor
plan are modeled. Doors and windows are
added by selecting the appropriate components
and inserting them in the exterior walls. It may
be necessary to load a family containing the
required door or window types if they are not
available in the model. A family is a collection
of components that represent variations of the
same item in different sizes and orientations.
Families containing items such as doors, windows,
The organization of views in a BIM model
helps the designer manage content in other ways.
For example, object visibility can be controlled
within each view by adjusting the view’s visi-
bility settings. In a fl oor plan view, objects that
are normally set to display include walls, fl oors,
casework, doors, and windows. Objects that are
turned off include topographic components used
in site plan development. The visibility settings
for a view can be saved to a view template.
View templates are typically built into a project
template. In addition to visibility settings, a
view template can include settings such as the
view scale, graphic display style, and view range.
The view range defi nes the range of visibility
for objects in a plan view.
The most common views that are used
in new projects are usually saved in a project
template. Any additional views that are needed
can be created after starting a new project or
during the modeling process.
Another common step during model setup
is to create the levels that will be used in the
project. Levels are assigned elevations that defi ne
Double-click to open a view
Views
in model
Sheets
in model
Model courtesy of Autodesk
Figure 12-13. The views in a parametric model file
are logically organized and grouped under named
categories. Sheets are organized in the same manner.
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.