I am having a “senior moment.” I am preparing plans for a small boathouse. So far I have Scenes 1-4 which are the elevation views with the style that has no section cut. Then I create a scene for the floor plan by putting a section plane 4 feet off the deck using a different style that includes the section cut. So far everything works as it should. Now, how do I create a building section - the section plane perpendicular to the other section plane - so that I am cutting vertically through the boathouse and not have the section cut show up in the elevations and floor plan? What am I missing?
The Section Cut visibility is part of a Style’s set up.
A Section Cut’s state is also saved with each Scene-tab.
Make duplicates of your Styles - with Section Cuts visible/hidden etc - and update the Scene-tab using the appropriate Style and then its Section Cut on/off as desired…
Thanks TIG. That is what I did for the floor plan section plane. If I have two building section cuts, do I make a separate style for each? Also, I read an earlier post from the library that the section plane could be put on it’s own layer and accomplish the proper visibility. I tried that and it did not have any affect on the section cut. It did not work. Did I read that old post correctly? Thanks again.
Let us step back to some basics of section planes.
Section planes are a Drawingelement entity, that are added to Entities collections. This means any object that holds an Entities collection, can have a sub-collection of SectionPlane instances.
So, the model level entities can contain any number of section planes. The same for each group or component definition.
But only ONE section plane can be the active section plane, within IT’S entities collection.
So more than one section plane can be active but those that are active are in different entities contexts.
Lastly, it may make more sense, to think of hiding the context that “owns” the section plane, rather than hiding the section plane itself. (Because hiding the plane, does not stop it from cutting through it’s entities collection, it only hides the visual plane border and it’s arrows used for manipulation.)
This can mean assigning the context (group or component) that “owns” the section plane, to a visibility control layer.
That layer can be specifically visible or hidden per scene page, without regard to styles.
Thanks Dan - Excellent explanation. However, I am still trying to wrap my brain around how to create a vertical building section that does not cancel out my horizontal section plan used for the floor plan. I had everything working fine - I used a different style for the floor plan section cut (section cut on) and a separate style for the elevation views (section cut off). I tried to create another style for the vertical building section cut (section cut on) but after saving the Building Section Scene, the floor plan lost its section cut. I know it must be simple, but the light has yet to come on. I need a section cut for the floor plan and a section cut (perpendicular) for the building section. Thanks
I believe the “light just came on”. It seems that in saving and updating the scenes I had neglected to check off “active section plane”. So in each scene I have the different style and then I made each section plan active before updating. So far it works like I expected. Hope I am on the right track.
Sounds like you’ve got it! Each scene can have one section cut active in each entities collection (aka context). With the active section plane checked in the scenes window, when updated the scene will remember which cuts were active.
(EDIT: OK, I see you solved it. Lost net for a few moments,… summer afternoon thunderstorms.)
Do they both need to be active in the same scene ?
If so, put one inside a group.
If not, active the horizontal section plane in the plan view scene, and update the scene. Switch to the elevation scene, and activate the vertical section plane, then update the scene.
P.S.: Forget about Styles, it just complicates the issue.
No, they are only active in their respective scene. Yes. Your advice is spot on. I am getting closer. Thanks.
[quote=“DanRathbun, post:8, topic:14538”]
P.S.: Forget about Styles, it just complicates the issue.
[/quote] NOT if they have Section Cuts set ‘OFF’ - then confusion reigns…
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TIG & DAN
Consider this. I have a model of the boathouse with two section planes, each one not active. I create the four elevation scenes. Then I activate the floor plan section plane and create the floor plan scene. Finally, I deactivate the floor plan plane and activate the building section plane and save the building section scene. All done without styles. Does that make sense?
Yes, BUT… as TIG says there is at least one generic style loaded, and it must have “Section Cuts” checked.