Getting Started with RefNotes
February 3, 2023
Presented by: Paul Houchin
Our Reference Notes (RefNotes) tool provides a quick way to spec and place site furniture, play structures, hardscaping materials, retaining walls, and pretty much any other item you need in your landscape plan. Even better, you can easily assign data to these RefNote objects for automated calculations, as well as keep track of them in callouts and schedules. We'll go over the basics of our powerful RefNote system and give you the scoop on how to use it to its fullest.
Webinar Contents:
Note: The following catalog of content covered in this webinar is time stamped to allow you to follow along or skip to sections of the video that are relevant to your questions. You can also search for content on this page using the FIND command in your browser (CTRL + F in Windows, Command + F in Mac OS.)
- Intro/TOC
- Reference Note (RefNote) System Overview
- What Are RefNotes?
- Why Use RefNotes?
- Demonstration
- Exploring the RefNote Manager
- Adding RefNotes
- Editing RefNote Data
- Placing RefNotes
- Callouts and Schedules
0:00 – 5:17: Intro/TOC
5:18 – 12:26: Reference Note (RefNote) System Overview
What Are RefNotes? (5:18)
Reference Notes (RefNotes) are used to specify objects in your site plan. They allow you to organize and place site amenities, fill materials, hardscape, and any other non-plant/irrigation objects.
RefNotes are organized in the RefNote Manager
- Similar in design to the Plant and Irrigation Managers.
- The button for this tool is located in the F/X Site tab.
- F/X Site tools are available with a Planting F/X license.
We offer 5 categories for RefNotes, each with its own way of representing the RefNote type within a plan.
RefNotes can be represented on a plan as:
- Simple notation callouts
- Blocks for site amenities
- Lines for linear objects such as walls, fences, and curbs
- Hatch areas for area or volume objects like paving, surfacing, and fill materials
Why Use RefNotes? (8:52)
Manufacturer Connection: Browse supporting manufacturer catalogs and choose real products for Site Amenities and Area/ Volume RefNotes. (8:52)
Edit RefNote information dialog box (9:43):
- Notes
- RefNote number
- CSI or custom divisions
- Cost
- Assign a construction detail
- User Fields for extra notes
- Symbol association
- Callout style
Use callouts to indicate RefNotes (11:33):
- Notations are already callouts
- Click an amenity block, length item, or area/ volume hatch
- Multileader (MLeader) object
- Displays RefNote number
Run automated schedules to quantify RefNotes and display specifications on your sheet. (11:50)
Use Color Render to colorize site amenities and area/volume hatches.
12:27 – end: Demonstration
Initial drawing setup, including:
- Attaching any necessary Xrefs (12:27)
- Creating boundaries for any Area or Volume RefNote hatches (12:58)
- Checking the drawing units (13:44)
- Setting the plot scale (14:13)
Creating a Land F/X project (14:36)
Exploring the RefNote Manager (15:30)
Organizing RefNotes by division (16:18)
Adding RefNotes (16:43)
Notation RefNotes (16:57)
Editing RefNote Data (17:29)
Adding a note (17:29)
Changing the callout style for a RefNote (18:05)
Placing RefNotes (18:48)
Placing a Notation RefNote (18:48)
Amenity RefNotes (19:40)
Choosing a manufacturer's product (20:40)
Assigning a division to a RefNote (22:03)
User fields (23:04)
Placing an Amenity RefNote (24:03)
Length RefNotes (24:43)
Assigning a layer to a Length RefNote (25:35)
Assigning a railing type to a Length RefNote using our Railing tool (27:28)
Turning a railing back into a polyline to make edits to it, then turning it back into a railing (28:42)
Area RefNotes (29:22)
Placing an Area RefNote hatch (31:00)
Excluding interior areas from a RefNote hatch by using the Multiple option (32:14)
Volume RefNotes (33:24)
Customizing the divisions and subdivisions (33:57)
Placing a Volume RefNote hatch (34:45)
Importing RefNotes from another project (35:11)
Callouts and Schedules (37:12)
Calling out RefNotes (37:12)
Placing a RefNotes Schedule (38:28)
Entire Pallet option for placing a schedule (39:43)
Column widths and other schedule options (40:16)
Adding color to RefNote blocks and hatches using our Color Render and Site Color tools (42:12)
Setting up RefNote divisions and subdivisions (46:16)
Question: Is the Multiple option for excluding interior objects from hatches available for planting and irrigation? (52:47)
Answer: Yes it is!
Renumbering RefNotes (53:05)
Warning for those who choose to use 2-character codes: Some of your RefNotes may be kicked into a different subdivision. (53:37)
Adding your own custom blocks to our system (54:54)
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.