2. Understanding MOS: The Organizational Backbone
MOS stands for Model, Organization, Structure. It's Dietrich's system for organizing thousands of components across multiple dimensions. Think of it as a filing system for your building components.
Why MOS Matters
Without MOS:
You can't efficiently filter components
You can't organize outputs by supplier or phase
You can't generate targeted material lists
You can't track what goes where
With MOS:
✓ Filter by supplier with one click
✓ Generate material lists for specific packages
✓ Export machine files for specific work orders
✓ Track components through manufacturing and installation
MOS Default Settings
By Default the program organizes materials into some pre-configured MOS sets. A MOS set is created for every floor or roof in the model. Materials created in that floor are added to that MOS set.
The Key MOS Structures
Dietrich's offers multiple MOS types under option 6. Here are the essential ones:
1. Group MOS(Numerical Identifiers). Option 6-6.
What they are: Positive or negative integers you assign to components How they work: Completely flexible - you define what the numbers mean
Common uses:
By supplier: -1 = Supplier A, -2 = Supplier B, -3 = Supplier C
By phase: 1 = Phase 1, 2 = Phase 2, 3 = Phase 3
By type: 10 = Beams, 20 = Columns, 30 = Panels
Example from our expert Jens:
"We organize everything by supplier. MOS Group -1 is all the components going to our main CNC supplier, -2 is the glulam manufacturer, -3 is hand-cut components. This way I can filter and export everything for each supplier separately."
2. Building MOS
What they are: Vertical levels of your building How they work: Automatic assignment when you create components in Floor Plan, Wall Design, etc.
Standard hierarchy:
Foundation
Floor 1
Floor 2
Floor 3
Roof
Use this for:
Organizing by construction phase
Filtering what you're working on
Separating deliveries by floor
3. Packages vs. Elements: THE CRITICAL DISTINCTION
This is the most important concept in MOS, and the most commonly confused.
From Dietrich's V22.01 official documentation:
Packages: "grouped by process step: Machine, delivery ... / is not assembled from individual parts / often overlapping for several walls, ceilings ...."
Elements: "assembled from individual parts / position of individual part important, element plan / assembly before delivery to construction site / part of a wall, ceiling, roof surface"
Let's break this down clearly:
PACKAGES: Process Organization
Definition: A grouping of components for a MANUFACTURING or LOGISTICS purpose. Components in a package remain as individual pieces - they are NOT assembled together.
Think of a package as: A shipping container, work order, or delivery batch
Characteristics:
Grouped by how they're made or delivered
Components stay separate
Can contain parts from multiple walls, floors, or roofs
Used for manufacturing planning and logistics
Examples:
Package: "CNC-Batch-Tuesday" Contains 240 studs that will all be machined together on Tuesday's CNC run. These studs will later go into 15 different wall panels.
Package: "Delivery-Floor2" All Floor 2 components that fit on one truck. Includes beams, panels, and connectors from different elements.
Package: "Supplier-A-Glulam" All glulam beams being fabricated by Supplier A, regardless of which building or floor they go in.
When to use packages:
Organizing CNC machine runs
Planning truck deliveries
Coordinating supplier orders
Tracking manufacturing batches
ELEMENTS: Product Organization
Definition: A group of components that ARE physically assembled together into a unit BEFORE delivery to the construction site. Used for installation planning.
Think of an element as: A prefabricated panel or pre-built assembly
Characteristics:
Components are assembled together
Position of each part matters (assembly drawing needed)
Delivered as ONE complete unit
Installed as a single piece (one crane lift)
Examples:
Element: "Wall-Panel-W201" Assembled in shop from: top plate, bottom plate, 12 studs, sheathing, window frame. Arrives at site as one complete wall panel.
Element: "Floor-Cassette-F105" Pre-assembled floor section with: 8 joists, blocking, and decking. Delivered as complete unit, installed with one crane lift.
Element: "Truss-T14" Assembled truss with: top chord, bottom chord, 6 web members, gusset plates. Complete structural unit.
When to use elements:
Pre-fabricating wall panels
Creating floor cassettes
Building trusses
Planning crane lifts (one element = one lift)
Organizing installation sequence
The Dual Assignment: Why Components Can Belong to BOTH ***
From V22.01 documentation:
"Objects must be able to belong to an element and a package. Therefore, the elements and packages have now become separate structures..."
What this means: A single component can (and often should) be assigned to BOTH a package AND an element simultaneously. They serve different purposes at different stages of the workflow.
Example: The Journey of a Stud
Component: Stud S-042 (2x6 SPF, 8' long)
PACKAGE: "Supplier-B-CNC-Tuesday"
↓ Purpose: Manufacturing & Delivery
↓ Goes to Supplier B for CNC machining on Tuesday
↓ Machined together with 239 other studs
↓ Delivered as individual piece
ELEMENT: "Wall-Panel-W201"
↓ Purpose: Assembly & Installation
↓ Assembled into wall panel in staging area
↓ Position: 4th stud from left, 16" o.c.
↓ Installed as part of complete wall panelBoth assignments exist at the same time! The package tells us how it gets made and delivered. The element tells us what it gets built into and how it's installed.
Visual Comparison: Package vs. Element
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ PACKAGE │
│ "CNC-Batch-Tuesday-Supplier-B" │
│ │
│ Contains (as separate pieces): │
│ • Stud S-001 → will go in Wall W-201 │
│ • Stud S-002 → will go in Wall W-201 │
│ • Stud S-003 → will go in Wall W-202 │
│ • Stud S-004 → will go in Wall W-202 │
│ • ... 236 more studs ... │
│ │
│ ✓ Machined together │
│ ✓ Delivered on same truck │
│ ✗ NOT assembled together │
│ ✗ Installed separately in different walls │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────┘
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ ELEMENT │
│ "Wall-Panel-W201" │
│ │
│ Contains (assembled together): │
│ • Top plate (from Package A) │
│ • Bottom plate (from Package A) │
│ • Stud S-001 (from Package B) │
│ • Stud S-002 (from Package B) │
│ • ... 10 more studs (from Package B) │
│ • Sheathing (from Package C) │
│ • Window frame (from Package D) │
│ │
│ ✓ Pre-assembled in staging area │
│ ✓ Delivered as ONE unit │
│ ✓ Position of each part critical │
│ ✓ Installed as single piece │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────┘Quick Decision Guide: Package, Element, or Both?
Prefab wall panel
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
Parts machined separately (Package), then assembled (Element)
Large glulam beam
✓ Yes
✗ No
Manufactured and delivered (Package), but installed as-is
Individual studs
✓ Yes
✗ No
Machined in batch (Package), installed individually
Complex truss
✓ Yes
✓ Yes
Parts from multiple suppliers (Packages), assembled (Element)
4. Buildings, Rooms, Free MOS (Brief Overview)
Buildings: Separate multiple structures in one project file (e.g., Building A, Building B, Amenity Center)
Rooms: Organize by interior space (useful for residential, renovation work)
Free MOS: Create your own custom categories for project-specific needs
Note: These are less commonly used than Groups, Storeys, Packages, and Elements. Don't feel you need to use them unless you have a specific need.
Complete MOS Hierarchy Diagram
PROJECT
├── Building 1
│ ├── Storey: Foundation
│ ├── Storey: Floor 1
│ │ ├── MOS Groups: -1 (Supplier A), -2 (Supplier B), -3 (Supplier C)
│ │ ├── Packages: CNC-Batch-A, Delivery-Tuesday, Hand-Cut-Beams
│ │ └── Elements: Wall-W201, Wall-W202, Floor-F105
│ ├── Storey: Floor 2
│ │ └── [similar structure]
│ └── Storey: Roof
│ └── [similar structure]
└── Building 2
└── [similar structure]Real Example: How our Expert Use MOS
Expert's Approach (Design-Outsource Model):
"For every project, I know upfront who the suppliers will be. So I set up my MOS groups by supplier:
MOS Group -1: Main CNC supplier (Hundegger Robot)
MOS Group -2: Glulam manufacturer
MOS Group -3: Hand-cut components
MOS Group -4: Steel fabricator
Then I organize everything into packages:
Package: 'Supplier-A-CNC-Floor1'
Package: 'Supplier-A-CNC-Floor2'
Package: 'Supplier-B-Glulam'
Package: 'Supplier-C-HandCut'
This way, I can filter everything for each supplier with one click, export their machine files, generate their material lists, and create their 2D drawings. It's simple and it works."
Key insight: It's not essential to use complex ERP systems. He uses MOS groups, packages, spreadsheets, and PDFs. That's it.
End of Part 1: Foundation
You now understand:
✓ The two business models
✓ MOS and why it matters
✓ The critical difference between Packages and Elements
✓ How real practitioners use MOS
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