Creating Gas, HVAC, and Plumbing Lines in a Plan View

The information in this article applies to:

QUESTION

I would like to show the location and routing of gas lines, HVAC runs, as well as hot water and cold water plumbing lines in a plan view. How can I do this?

ANSWER

You can use custom layers along with specific line styles to draw 2D gas, HVAC, and plumbing lines in your plans.

1. Switch to the Plan View that will be used to focus on HVAC and plumbing schematics.
   
   In this example, we will switch to the Mechanical Plan View, which is part of the default plan template in X14 and newer versions. If you're using an X13 or prior template, this was called the HVAC Plan View. Feel free to also create your own Plan View if you wish.
   
   
   Note: To learn more about Plan Views and how they work in Chief Architect, please see the "Understanding Saved Plan Views" resource in the Related Articles section.
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Select Tools> Layer Settings> Display Options from the menu.
   
   
   
3. In the Layer Display Options dialog that opens:
   
   
   
   
   • In the layer table, notice that the following layers already exist: "Mechanical" (or "HVAC" in X13 and prior versions) and "Plumbing". These can be used for HVAC and plumbing lines, but you may want more granular control for all of the various lines that will be created.
     
     
   • Click the New button to create a new layer.
     
     
   • In the New Layer dialog that opens next, type a name for your new layer.
     
     In this example, a layer called "Gas Lines" is created.
     
     
     
     
   • When you click OK, you are returned to the Layer Display Options dialog and the new layer's name is highlighted.
   
   
   
4. Under the Properties for Selected Layer section, click on the Color box and select the color you would like to use for the lines of this layer. 
   
   
   
5. Next, use the Line Style drop-down to select an appropriate line style from the list or click on the Library button to browse the Library for your desired line style.
   
   In this article, all of the line styles that are used are located in the Library by navigating to Chief Architect Core Catalogs> Line Styles.
   
   
   
6. Repeat Steps 2-5 for any remaining layers you would like.
   
   In this example, we have created and defined a total of 4 new layers:
   
   
   • Gas Lines
     
   • Plumbing Cold Water
     
   • Plumbing Hot Water
     
   • Plumbing Waste Water
     
   
   
   
   
   
7. Click OK once the layers have been defined to your liking.
   

To draw gas, HVAC, and plumbing lines

1. Navigate to CAD> Current CAD Layer  from the menu.
   
   
   
2. In the Select Layer dialog that opens, select a gas, HVAC, or plumbing layer, then click OK.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Now, objects that are drawn using Lines , Arcs  , Circles  , Boxes  , Spline  , and other various CAD tools will be placed onto the selected layer and will display the color and line style set for that layer.
   
   
   
4. After all of the objects that you'd like to be on that layer are created, change the Current CAD Layer to another layer of your choice, then repeat Step 3. Perform this procedure until all of the gas, HVAC, and plumbing lines are to your liking.
   
   
   Note: The layer for existing CAD objects can be changed at any time. There are a few ways to do this:
   
   

   • Use the Layer drop-down located on the Line Style panel of the CAD object's specification dialog.
     
     
   • Use the Layer Painter tool, which is accessed by navigating to Tools> Layer Settings> Layer Painter.