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SoftPlan's default offset

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#1 Thomas Davis

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Posted 26 October 2017 - 07:39 AM

Good morning,

Over the many years of using SoftPlan, I have just come to accept SoftPlan's default zero elevation offset. By default SoftPlan determines that zero elevation (bench mark if you will) is the bottom of the slab.

This has never made sense to me as a builder, because in my mind, zero elevation should reference the top of slab, not the bottom. I cannot even use a transit to shoot the underside of the slab, because the foundation would be in the way.

 

In constructing a home, if I have a step down or step up in the home, it is always referenced from the top of the main slab (zero benchmark), so my step would be plus 4" or minus 4". On paper and in the field the terminology matches, but within SoftPlan, it does not match field or paper.

When drawing in SoftPlan and you have multiple stories with multiple floor levels, (and even just setting beams for that matter) it becomes a challenge at times to do accurate math. You always have to "add" that 4" that the slab has defaulted the wall  heights to. It also becomes a problem sometimes if you delete or modify a slab, because your walls have automatically jumped up 4".

 

I say all this to ask this question....

 

Wouldn't it make more sense if the top of slab was SoftPlan's default ZERO position?

 

I may be the only one that thinks this way, but I bet I am not.

 



#2 Keith Almond

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Posted 26 October 2017 - 08:17 AM

This is only an issue with slab on grade construction. Anywhere with a basement, the top of the footing, underside of the slab and bottom of the wall at "0" does make sense to me.

 

Why don't you just offset the slab 4" down and work from there, so that the top of the slab becomes "0"?


Keith

There are 10 types of people in this world ....... Those who understand binary, and those who don't.

Softplan user since version 5.5.2.5

www.homehardwarekingston.ca

#3 Thomas Davis

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Posted 26 October 2017 - 08:51 AM

This is only an issue with slab on grade construction. Anywhere with a basement, the top of the footing, underside of the slab and bottom of the wall at "0" does make sense to me.

 

Why don't you just offset the slab 4" down and work from there, so that the top of the slab becomes "0"?

 

So you agree it is an issue with slab construction, perfect!

 

I have tried lowering slab 4" down on several occasions and it always seems to cause more issues and takes more time. I have found if you deviate from certain SoftPlan defaults, it is not good.

 

As an example, as soon as you draw the slab, the walls offset up. If I change the slab to be 4" down, I have to go clean up all my walls because they have offset 4" up.



#4 Keith Almond

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Posted 26 October 2017 - 10:17 AM

As an example, as soon as you draw the slab, the walls offset up. If I change the slab to be 4" down, I have to go clean up all my walls because they have offset 4" up.

 

Yes, I've seen (and been annoyed by) that phenomenon many times when changing joist sizes. If walls move up automatically when you add a floor, shouldn't they also move down automatically when the joists are resized?


Keith

There are 10 types of people in this world ....... Those who understand binary, and those who don't.

Softplan user since version 5.5.2.5

www.homehardwarekingston.ca

#5 Yvon Gonthier

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Posted 26 October 2017 - 11:28 AM

Same principle with roofs, baseboards, etc... when using building options and you have to go through the different modes to cleanup.



#6 randolph cohn

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Posted 26 October 2017 - 12:08 PM

someone from softplan tech mentioned to me a long time ago

 

to "NEVER" offset any wall or footing on a plan DOWN below the "0" baseline.

 

not sure if that's written in stone but when i used to do it, i had issues at times

 

but sticking to that rule usually kept me out of trouble and it made figuring out

 

offsets much easier.

 

not sure if this is a hard and fast rule.  if anyone knows when you can offset things

down below the baseline of "0", please let us know.

and why you would do it.


  • Rick Kingsbury likes this

randy

v10 to future 2016+ ;)


#7 Keith Almond

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Posted 26 October 2017 - 01:20 PM

I offset things down regularly. I find it easier to calculate everything based on the zero level being the top of the major foundation. I therefore have dropped area's of foundation for items like split entries dropped down rather than having the majority of the structure raised up. I've never noticed it causing any issues. Having items dropped doesn't caused any more problems than having them raised ... or at least not that I've noticed.


Keith

There are 10 types of people in this world ....... Those who understand binary, and those who don't.

Softplan user since version 5.5.2.5

www.homehardwarekingston.ca

#8 randolph cohn

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Posted 26 October 2017 - 01:24 PM

like i said it was a long long time ago.

 

maybe they fixed something .

 

i'll stick with my method for now.


randy

v10 to future 2016+ ;)


#9 ed sloot

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Posted 20 July 2022 - 02:08 PM

its all nice to read the zero point comments but i havnt read where that option is to change it. I cant get a wraparound stair coming off a deck to go below the top of the foundation and cant for the life of me find where to or what to change so the stairs will go down to the finished grade 28" below



#10 Wendall Hilty

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Posted 20 July 2022 - 03:04 PM

Edit the stairs and go to the common tab. Turn off cleanup and you can adjust the elevation offset as neccessary. You will probably have to  adjust the stair rise too to get everything just right.



#11 Don Gibbons

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Posted 21 July 2022 - 04:55 AM

The 0 point is not configurable.

 

Since SoftPlan changes the offsets automatically, do a cleanup if you've changed the floor system and the walls will find their new reference if they haven't already. They won't change if you've taken them out of cleanup though, you'll have to change the offset manually. If you offset a wall down, you should be taking it out of cleanup. CTRL+N is an easy way to do that when you need to. 

 

Ed, when you draw the stair, the top of the stair should reference the top of the deck automatically. If you edit the stairs to change the total rise, do a cleanup, that will drop the stairs to the to the top of the deck. (just tested it here).


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#12 Bill Wimberley

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Posted 22 July 2022 - 09:42 AM

I have Default to Structural Slab turned off so that when I draw a slab it will initially be a Non-Structural slab. After drawing the slab I edit it and set the Offset to 4" down. Then I change it to a Structural slab. This eliminates all the problems associated with drawing the slab and having everything jump up 4" to get on top of it.
 

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#13 Warren Ducote

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Posted 22 July 2022 - 03:05 PM

This is only an issue with slab on grade construction. Anywhere with a basement, the top of the footing, underside of the slab and bottom of the wall at "0" does make sense to me.

 

Why don't you just offset the slab 4" down and work from there, so that the top of the slab becomes "0"?

That is exactly what I do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


  • Rick Kingsbury likes this





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