Layers Vs. Building Options

Hi Genius Bar!

I wanted to make sure I'm understanding this correctly, as I think I have the desired results, but wanted to get confirmation. From what I can tell, a Layer is tied to a specific "function" (i.e. drawing, site plan, roof, etc) while a Building Option is universal. That means if I want to show a customer two different options for their project, I should use Building Options, as whichever they decide can be shown and that will carry across all drawings, layouts, and the rest of the project. If I want to highlight, for instance, an addition vs existing structures, though, I should use layers so that I can show only the new construction on my Floor Plan Layout while showing the entire property on the Site Plan Layout. Is this all correct?

The part that I'm still struggling with is Elevation Layout. In this specific use case, I'm trying to display the elevations of a detached garage addition, but the only way I can successfully hide the main home is to define it with a Building Option, and disabling that option then hides it on my Site Plan Layout. Is there an option that I'm missing to only show a specific layer in an elevation drawing? I can uncheck "visible" on any layer, but in those modes, nothing disappears. Thanks all!

Building options control not only visibility on the drawing mode screens, but also in the 3D and 2D windows (Model, Elevations, Sections). Layers only control view in the Drawing Modes. If you do not want to see the existing home in the elevations and sections you can use a building option for all that portion of the house, but keep it turned on in your drawing modes. When working with your "live" elevations and sections, you can choose custom visibility in the plan set layout for each elevation and section shown. Go into the edit menu for those drawings on the plan set page. Then go to custom visibility. Uncheck the building option for the existing portions of the home that you set up in the drawing modes. Then, you will only see the parts that are not in that particular building option.

Thanks Mark - I had just stumbled across the custom visibilities and was writing an update as your notification came in.

Hi Jason. When you turn a layer off, you are just turning off the visibility of whatever is drawn on that layer. Everything on that layer will still extract in the model as well as be counted in softlist. When you turn off a building option, those items will not be visible but they also will not extract in the model.  The only way I know to accomplish what you want is on the actual plan set page. Once that drawing is imported to the plan set page, edit the drawing and under Building Options check "Use Custom Visibilities" and then click "Edit Visibilities".  Then you would uncheck the option that the main home is drawn on for it to not display.  Also both these options would be in a "checkbox" group instead of a "radio" group.  If you have 5 options in a checkbox group, you can turn them on or off as you want. If you have 5 options in a radio group, only 1 option can ever be active at a time. Building Options takes a while to get the hang of but I think it is one of the most powerful components of Softplan. There may be another way to do what you want but this is how I do it.  Hope this helps.