Adding Details to a Project
Quick video
- Adding Details with the Detail Explorer
- Adding Details with the Detail Manager
- Adding Details Using Reference Notes
- Adding Details with the Plant or Irrigation Manager
- Listing Your Project Details in a Schedule
- Saving Details to a Folder that Has Already Been Associated With a Project
- Related Webinars
- Troubleshooting
We offer several ways to add details to a Land F/X project.
Adding Details with the Detail Explorer
The Detail Explorer allows you to drag and drop other details to a project file location, thus automatically adding them to that project. This capability can be useful for several reasons:
- A detail that is Copied or Moved, or is Saved to this file location, is automatically added to the project – saving you a step.
- Some firms like the idea of organizing all details that relate to a specific project in one location.
- You may have saved previous "prototype" details that need some finishing touches specific to the needs of a project. Copy the prototype detail to the project folder, where it becomes a unique detail. Then edit and finalize that detail just for this project. The detail will be saved with the project.
Step 1: Assign a Detail File Location to a Project
Before you use Detail Explorer to add details to a project, you'll need to assign a detail file location to your project.
Once you've assigned this folder location, its path will appear in the Detail Folder field in the Project Manager, as shown to the right.
You can always click Browse to change this folder setting as needed.
The organizational structure of your detail categories and the corresponding folders will depend on your preferences or office standards. For more information on detail categories, see our Creating a New Category documentation.
Step 2: Drag and Drop Details Within the Detail Explorer
You can use the Detail Explorer to add details to a project by "dragging and dropping" details from one detail file location to your project's detail file location.
For information on accessing the Detail Explorer, see our Detail Explorer documentation.
Searching for Details in the Detail Explorer
We've made it easy to search for details in the Detail Explorer. You can search for keywords in the detail category names, the detail titles, or both.
Adding Details with the Detail Manager
You can also add details to your project by using the Detail Manager. Open the Detail Manager:
F/X Details ribbon, Detail Manager flyout
F/X Details menu, Detail Manager option
Or type FX_DetailManager in the Command line
Within the Detail Manager for your project, you can click New to view the Detail Categories and then select a detail to add to your project.
Adding a detail to a project is like placing a paper version of a detail into a manila folder. When you're ready, you look through your manila folder and find your detail, and then paste it onto a drawing. The Detail Manager is your “manila folder,” and when you place the detail, you're putting it into a CAD drawing.
You'll then see an Add Details to Project dialog box.
To add a detail to your project, select it and click Add to Project.
Searching for Details While Adding Them from the Detail Manager
At the top left corner of the Detail Manager, you'll see a search field where you can type in your search terms to look for details.
Click the button with the three dots to choose whether you want to search for a keyword in the detail categories, in the titles of details, or both.
You'll now see two options for searching for your keywords:
- Category titles
- Detail titles
Select one or both of these options to refine your search, and click OK.
Type your keyword in the search field (example: Wall), then click Search.
All detail categories and/or detail titles that do not include your search term will be filtered out of the list.
Note that the detail folders will all be collapsed at this point, so you'll need to expand them to locate the specific detail you're looking for.
In our example, we've expanded the CONCRETE category and then the SITE CONCRETE subcategory to get to all the details in that subcategory whose title include the keyword Wall.
Select a detail and click Add to Project to add it to your project.
To reset the search results, just delete the keyword from the search field.
Adding a Photo to a Detail
You can add preview photos to your details when adding them to a project or editing them. See our Assigning a Photo to a Detail documentation for information and instructions.
Adding Details Using Reference Notes
When you add a Reference Note (RefNote) to a project, you can also associate a detail with that RefNote and add that detail to your project.
In the New Reference Note dialog box, click the ... (Set Detail) button to open the Detail Manager for the current project.
In the Detail Manager for your project, you can now either:
- Highlight a detail already added to the project, or
- Add a new detail to the project and associate it with the specific note in question
When you place that detail into a drawing, the detail number and sheet number will be displayed in the Reference Notes Schedule.
For more information on adding RefNotes to your project, including accessing the Reference Notes Manager and the New Reference Note dialog box, see our Add Reference Notes to a Project documentation section.
Adding Details with the Plant or Irrigation Manager
Plant Manager
Within the Plant Manager for your project, click Detail while a particular category of plant is selected.
In this example, we'll set a default detail for trees in this project. (Of course, you can also apply these steps to shrubs, Shrub Areas, and groundcovers in your project.)
The Add Details to Project dialog box will open. There, you can select a "default" detail for the selected plant category that will apply to most or all plants you add to your project from that category.
In this example, we'll select the detail TREE SINGLE STAKE PLANTING, which will then apply to all trees in the current Land F/X project. Click OK to associate the detail.
The system will automatically associate this detail with all trees and add the detail to the Detail Manager for the current project.
In the Plant Info dialog box, click the ... (Set Detail) button.
You'll now be able to assign – and thus add to your project – a different detail that will be assigned to this plant.
You can also click the Remove Detail button to remove the detail from the plant.
In the Plant Manager, highlight and Edit each plant that you want to associate with a detail other than the default detail. You can then assign the detail of your choice to the selected plant. Of course, several plants can have the same detail that deviates from the default detail.
The associated details will have "smart" associations with the plants they're assigned to. Therefore, when you place the added details to sheets in your drawing set and run a Plant Schedule, you can have that schedule list the detail number and sheet number for each plant’s detail.
Irrigation Manager
In the Irrigation Manager, highlight a piece of irrigation equipment. Then click Detail.
The Add Details to Project dialog box will open. Select the detail you'd like to add to the selected piece of equipment, then click OK.
You also have the option to copy the detail to the current project's detail folder.
To do so, select the Copy to Project Detail Folder option before clicking OK.
Once you add the detail to your project, it will also have a "smart" association with the selected equipment. As a result, when you place the added details to sheets in your drawing set and run an Irrigation Schedule, you can set that schedule to list the detail number and sheet number for each type of equipment
Listing Your Project Details in a Schedule
Want to list your project details in a schedule? No problem! Just assign each detail to a Reference Note, then use the Reference Notes Schedule to list your details. Here's how (and why) >
Related Webinars
- Details for Beginners: Take a full tour of our detail system, where you’ll learn how to navigate our detail library, find the details you need, and use them in your drawing set. (1 hr 1 min)
- Design F/X Setup: Join us for a complete demonstration on how our software helps you manage and use construction details. We’ll provide an overview of our entire system, including instructions for placing a detail. (53 min)
- Getting Started with the Detail Tools: We'll show you the basic tools you need to familiarize yourself with on the F/X Details ribbon, including our tools for placing details on your drawings. (58 min)
- Detail Tips And Tricks: Learn some advanced techniques and best practices to create details that communicate your design intent clearly, including how to place a detail template. (59 min)
Troubleshooting
Issue: The Details folder structure seems to have changed with recent updates.
Issue: Change in sheet numbering disassociates placed details
Issue: Error: "Not a Record of detail (DETAIL NUMBER) in Master Detail Database" when placing a detail
Issue: Details are missing from the Detail Manager but are visible in the Detail Explorer
Issue: You are experiencing a significant delay when attempting to add or place details
Issue: Disassociate or remove a detail folder from a project or detail category
Issue: You are unable to create a project-specific folder when adding a detail
Contact
- Land F/X
Our software tailors AutoCAD® to the needs of landscape architects, irrigation designers, and other professionals. We automate your most tedious tasks and ensure accuracy, giving you more time to design.