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03 AC 12 Reference Guide
03 AC 12 Reference Guide
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Trademarks
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Introduction
INTRODUCTION
The ArchiCAD 12 Reference Guide contains six main chapters, providing a concise overview about ArchiCAD features and functions. This material is also available through the electronic Help system. The User Interface Reference section of this Reference Guide, providing more detailed descriptions of each setting and dialog box, is available in the electronic Help system only.
Introduction
CONTENTS
Introduction_______________________________________________ 3 Configuration _____________________________________________15 Managing Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Start ArchiCAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Create New Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Close a Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 File Types Recognized by ArchiCAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 File Compression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Template Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Backup Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Archive Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Opening Projects through a Network. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Merging Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Add-Ons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Project Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Working Units & Levels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Dimension Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 Layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 About Layers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Quick Layers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Create and Use Layer Combinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Use Layers to Prevent Wall/Column/Beam Intersections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Use Separate Layer Settings for the Layout Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Place All Elements on a Single Active Layer (Simulate Autocad Work Methods). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Line Types. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Fill Types. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Available Fill Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Composite Structures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Assign a Composite Structure to a Wall, Roof or Slab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Define a Custom Composite Structure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 Components of Composite Structures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 Pens & Colors/Pen Sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 Apply a Pen Set. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
ArchiCAD 12 Reference Guide
Redefine a Pen Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 Transfer a Pen Set to Another Project. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 Automatic Pen Color Visibility Adjustment for Model Views. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 Predefined Pen Sets for Specific Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 About Materials. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 Display of Materials and Textures in 3D Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Display of Materials in Section/Elevation/IE Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Display of Materials in the 3D Document. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 Display of Materials in Renderings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 Create or Modify a Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Attribute Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Custom Attributes of GDL Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Libraries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 About Libraries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 Startup Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 Library Updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 Library Management Workflow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 About Library Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 Identifying Duplicates Among Library Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 Missing Library Parts and the Library Loading Report Palette . . . . . . . . . . .45 Favorites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 About Favorites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 Storing and Applying Favorites in Tool Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 The ArchiCAD User Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Toolbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 Info Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 About Menus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 Toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 About Toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 Palettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 Pet Palettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 Customizing your Work Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 About the Work Environment Dialog Box. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
Saving Your Customized Work Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 How to Use Your Personalized Work Environment Settings on Another Computer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Interaction________________________________________________ 59 Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 How to Navigate Among ArchiCAD Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Navigation Inside the Active Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Zoom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Fit in Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Pan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Navigator Preview (2D) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Navigation in the 3D Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Accessing 3D Navigation Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Explore Model (3D Navigation). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Orbit (3D Navigation) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Navigator Preview (3D) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 3Dconnexion Enabler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 The Navigator Palette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 About the Navigator Palette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Using the Navigator to Open Project Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Project Workflow in the Navigator. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Organizer Palette (Special Navigator View) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Navigator Color Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Navigator Project Map. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Navigator View Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Setting up a View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Saving a View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Modifying View Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Quick Options Palette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Navigator Layout Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Navigator Publisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 External Projects in the Navigator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Editing Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Selecting Elements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Quick Selection of Surface Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Select Multiple Elements Using a Selection Rectangle/Polygon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Selection of Overlapping Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Selection Feedback. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Selection Dots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Selection Highlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Element Information Highlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Element Information Pop-up (Info Tags) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 The Intelligent Cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Deselecting Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Find and Select Elements by Criteria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Edit Selection Set. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Store and Access Selection Sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 Marquee Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 About Marquee Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 Marquee Area Definition Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 View Marquee Area in 3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 Removing a Marquee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 Copy/Paste Marquee Area from Project Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 Copy Cropped Image File with Marquee Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 Drag or Stretch Multiple Elements Using Marquee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 Other Editing Operations within the Marquee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 Origins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 About Origins in ArchiCAD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Create a User Origin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 User Origin in the 3D Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 Use Tracker to Display and Input Coordinates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 About the Tracker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 Parameters Shown in Tracker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 Defining Tracker Coordinates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 Coordinate Input in Tracker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 Coordinate Input Logic: Expert Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 The Measure Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 The Grid System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 Grid Snap Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 Guide Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 About Guide Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 Turn Guide Lines on or off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 Types of Guide Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98 Defining Your Preferred Guide Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 Placing Guide Lines During Input. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 Removing Guide Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 Examples for Using Guide Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
ArchiCAD 12 Reference Guide
Mouse Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101 Using Mouse Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101 Projection Mode of Cursor with Mouse Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102 Coordinate Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102 Relative Construction Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103 Parallel and Perpendicular Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103 Angle Bisector Constraint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103 Offset and Multiple Offset (Relative Construction Methods) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104 Aligning Elements to a Surface in 3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105 Snapping to Existing Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106 Special Snap Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106 Special Snap Points on Temporary Vector. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107 Cursor Snap Range. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108 Elevation and Gravity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108 About Elevation of Elements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108 Elevation Values in the Tracker. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109 Gravity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110 Reference Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110 Elevation and Stories in the 3D Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111 Cancel Operations with Esc and Backspace Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111 Pet Palettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111 Techniques. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111 Basic Editing Techniques. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111 Moving Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113 Nudging Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114 Dragging Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115 Rotating Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116 Mirroring Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116 Elevating Elements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117 Align Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118 About the Align function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118 How to Align Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118 Special Align . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120 Distribute Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121 Special Distribute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122 Modifying Element Sizes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123 Overview of Modifying Element Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123 Stretching Walls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123 Modifying Slanted Walls and Columns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124
ArchiCAD 12 Reference Guide
Modifying Beams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125 Modifying Complex Profile Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126 Reshaping Polygons and Chained Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126 Stretching with the Marquee Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .128 Stretch Height . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129 Resize (Enlarge or Reduce) Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129 Splitting Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .130 Adjusting Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131 Intersect Two Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131 Create a Fillet or Chamfer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .132 Trimming Elements to Intersection Point(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133 Adding Element Nodes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133 Editing Element Nodes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .134 Curve/Straighten Element Edge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .134 Explode into Current View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .135 Creating Element Duplicates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .135 Drag, Rotate, Mirror Element Copies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .136 Multiplying Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .136 Drag & Drop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .138 Parameter Transfer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .139 Grouping Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .140 Lock/Unlock Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .141 Display Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .141 Magic Wand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143 About the Magic Wand. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143 How to Create an Element with the Magic Wand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .144 Using the Magic Wand in 3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145 Using the Magic Wand to Add/Subtract Polygon Shapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145 Virtual Trace: Using References to Edit and Compare Model Views and Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145 About Trace References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145 Access Trace Reference Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147 Show/Hide Trace Reference. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147 Choosing a Trace Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .148 Set Color/Visibility Options for Trace Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149 Move Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149 Switch Reference with Active: How to Access Elements within the Reference for Editing or Copying. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150 Rebuild Trace Reference. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150 Compare Reference with Active . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .151
Consolidating Lines and Fills in Drawing Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153 Why Consolidate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153 Linework Consolidation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153 Fill Consolidation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154 Virtual Building __________________________________________ 155 ArchiCAD Model Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155 About Model Views in ArchiCAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155 Floor Plan Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156 Stories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157 About Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157 Navigate Among Stories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157 Defining Story Display in 3D. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158 Defining Story Display in Section/Elevation/IE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158 Manage Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158 Story Level Lines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159 Floor Plan Cut Plane (Global Setting) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160 How to Display Individual Elements on the Floor Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161 Set Home Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161 Control Element Display by Story (Show On Stories) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162 Define Elements Floor Plan Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163 Define Range of Elements Projected Display (Show Projection). . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164 Examples of Floor Plan Display Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165 3D Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167 Show All in 3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168 Show Selection in 3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168 Show Marquee Area in 3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168 Default Display in 3D. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169 Filter Elements to Show in 3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169 Save Contents of 3D Window as a View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170 3D Engines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170 3D View Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172 3D Projections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172 3D Navigation Extras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174 3D Cutaway Sections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174 Sections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175 About Sections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175 Create a Section Viewpoint. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176 Define Horizontal/Vertical Range of Section Viewpoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177 Define Marker Reference for Source Marker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Assign Section Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178 Display of Elements in Section Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179 Open a Section Viewpoint. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179 Place a Linked Section Marker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180 Define Marker Reference for Linked Marker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181 Place an Unlinked Marker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181 Create an Independent Section Viewpoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182 Updating Sections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182 Summary of Rebuild Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183 Display of Section Lines and Markers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184 Adjusting or Breaking Section Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184 Elevations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184 Interior Elevations (IE) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185 About Interior Elevations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185 Create Single Interior Elevation Viewpoint. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186 Create Multiple IE Viewpoints. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187 Interior Elevation IDs and Names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188 Editing Interior Elevation Viewpoints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189 Editing the Interior Elevation Limit Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190 Vertical and Horizontal Range of the Interior Elevation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190 Interior Elevations and Zone Shape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191 Display of Elements in Interior Elevation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192 3D Document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192 About the 3D Document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192 Create a 3D Document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193 The 3D Document and its 3D Window Source. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194 Redefine the 3D Document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194 Model Display of the 3D Document. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198 Details. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198 About Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198 Create a Detail Drawing Viewpoint with Model Source. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199 Contents of the Detail Viewpoint. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199 Place a Linked Detail Marker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200 Place an Unlinked Detail Marker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200 Create an Independent Detail Viewpoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200 Display of Detail/Worksheet Boundary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201 Update Detail/Worksheet Marker Boundary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201 Display of Detail Drawing Icons in the Navigator. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201 Updating the Detail Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
ArchiCAD 12 Reference Guide
Worksheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .202 About Worksheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .202 Worksheet vs. Detail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .202 Create a Worksheet Drawing with Model Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .202 Contents of the Worksheet Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .203 Editing in the Worksheet Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .204 Create an Independent Worksheet Viewpoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .204 Place a Linked Worksheet Marker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .204 Place an Unlinked Worksheet Marker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .204 Managing Markers in ArchiCAD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .204 About Markers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .204 Display of Marker Range Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .205 Source Marker Highlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .205 Changing Marker Type. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .205 Transfer Marker Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .206 Copying a Marker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .206 Navigation Using Markers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .206 Find Linked Markers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .207 Check Markers Palette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .207 Deleting a Viewpoint/View/Drawing with a Marker. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .208 Deleting a Marker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .209 Interactive Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .209 About Schedules. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .209 Open a Schedule. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .210 Show Schedule Data for Selected Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .211 Editing and Updating Schedules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .211 Define a Schedule Using Scheme Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .212 Sort Schedule Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .213 Format a Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .214 Schedule Headers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .215 Restructure Schedule to Fit Layout. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .215 Split Schedule into Multiple Layouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216 Project Indexes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .217 About Project Indexes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .217 Index of Published Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .218 Construction Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218 How to Place a Construction Element in ArchiCAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .218 Walls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .219 About Walls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .219 Create a Straight Wall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .220
ArchiCAD 12 Reference Guide
Create a Curved Wall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .220 Create a Chain of Walls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .222 Create a Rectangle of Walls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .223 Create a Trapezoid Wall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .223 Create a Composite Wall. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .224 Create a Polygon Wall (PolyWall) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .224 Create a Slanted or Double-Slanted Wall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .225 Create a Log Wall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .225 Create a Gable Wall. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .226 Wall-Wall Intersections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .226 Modify Wall Geometry (Add-On) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .229 Walls and Other Elements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .229 Columns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .230 Column Display on Floor Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .230 Column Display in 3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .231 Creating Columns. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .232 Create a Slanted Column . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .233 Columns and Other Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .233 Beams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .233 Beam Reference Axis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .233 Beam Display on the Floor Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .233 Create a Beam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .234 Create a Hole in a Beam. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .235 How to Change Angle of Beam End Faces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .235 Beams and Other Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .236 Place a Wall/Column/Beam with a Complex Profile. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .237 About Complex Profile Elements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .237 Creating or Editing a Complex Profile Element. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .238 Store or Apply a Modified Complex Profile. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .239 Create Complex Profile from Parallel Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .240 Roofs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .240 About Roofs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .240 Create a Simple Roof on the Floor Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .241 Create a Simple Roof in 3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .242 Create a Polyroof or Curved Roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .242 Create a Dome-Shaped Roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .243 Create a Barrel-Vaulted Roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .243 Create a Hole in a Roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .246 Modify the Roof Slant Angle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .246 Create Roof Level Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .247
Set Custom Roof Edge Angle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248 Intersect Roof Planes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248 Trim Element to Roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248 Create Special Roof Objects with RoofMaker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251 Slabs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255 Creating Slabs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256 Placing Holes in Slabs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256 Meshes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257 Display of Meshes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257 Create a Mesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257 Edit Elevation of a Mesh Point. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258 Add New Points to the Mesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258 Create a Hole in the Mesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259 Zones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259 Zone Categories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259 2D Display of Zone Fills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259 Zone Stamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260 3D Display of Zone Spaces. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261 Creating Zones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261 Trim Zone to Another Element. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263 Calculating Zone Area and Zone Volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264 Updating Zones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265 Update Zones Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265 Curtain Wall: A System Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266 Working with Curtain Walls: Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266 Curtain Wall Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268 Create a Curtain Wall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270 System-Level Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284 Curtain Wall Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285 Curtain Wall Edit Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285 Edit Grid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289 Edit Curtain Wall Boundary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291 Edit Curtain Wall Boundary in Section. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292 Add Additional Curtain Wall Boundary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293 Edit Curtain Wall Reference Line. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295 Curtain Wall Frames . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295 Curtain Wall Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299 Curtain Wall Junctions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302 Curtain Wall Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Curtain Walls and Other Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306 Free-Rotate Curtain Wall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310 Attach Labels to Curtain Wall Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311 Parametric Objects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311 About Parametric Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311 Object Settings of Library Part Elements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312 Where to Find Objects for Use in ArchiCAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313 Locating a Library Part . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313 Placing an Object. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315 Selecting a Placed Object. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316 Stretching Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316 Customizing Object Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317 Parameter Transfer Between Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318 Graphical Editing Using Editable Hotspots. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318 Create Patch Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319 Graphic Creation of Custom Objects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319 Saving Library Parts from the Project File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320 Saving 2D Symbols as Library Parts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320 Saving 3D Models as Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320 Saving Rectangular Doors and Windows from the Project File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321 Saving Custom Shape Doors and Windows from the Project File . . . . . . . . . . . . 322 Scripting Custom Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323 Custom Components. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324 Dedicated Object Tools: Doors, Windows, Skylights, Wall Ends, Stairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .326 Doors/Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326 Floor Plan Display of Doors/Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327 Setting the Window/Door Plane in Slanted or Complex Walls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327 Anchoring Sill or Header Heights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328 Placing Doors or Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329 Creating an Empty Opening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330 Moving Wall Openings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330 Corner Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332 Skylights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332 Wall Ends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333 Stairs (Predefined Stair Objects) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333 Displaying Stairs on the Floor Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334 Custom Stairs with StairMaker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .335 StairMaker Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335
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Custom Stair Based on a Standard Stair Type. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .336 Geometry and Flight Settings (StairMaker). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .337 Structure and Landing (StairMaker) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .341 Tread Settings (StairMaker) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .343 Railings (StairMaker) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .344 Symbol Settings (StairMaker) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .346 Listing Settings (StairMaker) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .347 Check and Save Stair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .348 Custom Stair Based on Manually Drawn Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .348 Element Extras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349 TrussMaker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .350 Creating Trusses in the Floor Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .350 Editing Trusses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .350 Creating Trusses in Section/Elevation/IE Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .351 Solid Element Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .352 About Solid Element Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .352 Solid Operation Types. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .353 Solid Operations: Element Display and Calculation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .353 Solid Operation Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .353 Model View Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355 Set Model View Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .355 Model View Options Combinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .356 On-Screen View Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357 Partial Structure Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358 About Partial Structure Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .358 Choose Partial Structure Display Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .358 Partial Structure Display Settings in ArchiCAD Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .359 Save Partial Structure Settings by View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .360 How to Define Skins of a Composite Structure as Core or Finish. . . . . . . . .360 How to Define Components of Complex (Profile) Elements as Core or Finish. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .361 Visualizing the Entire Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .361 Columns In Partial Structure Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .362 Zones and Partial Structure Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .363 Floor Plan Cover Fills in Partial Structure Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .363 Dimensions in Partial Structure Display. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .363 Partial Structure Display Settings in Windows Based on a Source Marker. . . . . .364 Intersections of Partially Displayed Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .365 Doors and Windows in Partial Structure Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .365
ArchiCAD 12 Reference Guide
Documentation __________________________________________ 367 Drafting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367 Fills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .368 About Fills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .368 Fill Categories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .368 Assign a Fill to a Construction Element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .369 Draw a Freehand Fill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .370 Defining Fill Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .370 Fill Display Mode: Vectorial vs. Bitmap. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .372 Display of Vectorial Hatching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .372 Set Orientation of Vectorial Hatching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .372 Model View Options: Global Settings for Fill Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .375 Create New Symbol Fill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .375 Adding Area Text to a Fill. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .375 Gradient Fills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .376 Image Fills. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .376 Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .378 Line Categories in ArchiCAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .378 Drawing a Single Straight Line Segment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .379 Stretching or Shrinking Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .379 Drawing Circular Arcs and Full Circles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .379 Stretching Curves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .380 Editing an Arc Using its Tangent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .381 Drawing Elliptical Arcs and Full Ellipses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .381 Convert Ellipse to Circle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .382 Drawing Splines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .382 Editing Splines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .383 Drawing Freehand Curves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .383 Drawing Polylines and Chained Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .383 Decompose a Polyline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .384 Unify Drafting Elements into Polyline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .384 Hotspots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .385 Figures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .386 Drawings in Model Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .386 Placing Drawings into a Model window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .387 Annotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 388 Dimensioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .388 Placing Dimensions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .388 Glossary of Dimensioning Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .389
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Static Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390 Linear Dimensions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390 Linear Dimensions in the 3D Document Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393 Dimensioning Overlapping Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 394 Elevation Dimensions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 394 Dimensioning Wall Thickness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395 Radial Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 396 Level Dimensions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 396 Angle Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 397 Editing a Dimension Chain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398 Modify the Witness Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401 Dimension Text Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401 Move or Edit Dimension Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402 Associative Dimensions in Sections/Elevations/IE and 3D Document. . . . . . . . 402 Secondary Dimensions (Add-On) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403 Automatic Exterior Dimensioning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403 Automatic Interior Dimensioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 404 The Grid Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 404 About the Grid Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 404 Components of a Grid Element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405 Visibility of a Grid Element. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406 Creating a Straight Grid Element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407 Creating a Curved Grid Element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407 Editing a Grid Element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408 Place a Grid System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408 Text Blocks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410 Placing Text Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 411 Formatting Text Blocks As a Whole . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 412 Resizing Text Graphically . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 412 Applying Favorite Text Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 412 Formatting Individual Components of Text Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 412 Autotext . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413 How to Insert Autotext . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413 Autotext Reference Drawing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414 Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 417 Placing Independent Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 417 Placing Associative Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 418 Tool-Specific Default Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 418 Placing Member Labels on Curtain Walls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 419 Define Default Text Content of Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 420
Symbol Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 420 Text Editing in ArchiCAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 420 Search and Replace Text. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 420 Spell Checker. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 421 Editing Commands in Text-Type Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 421 The Layout Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .422 Layouting Work Environment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 422 Layout Book Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 423 About the Layout Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 423 Layouts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425 Master Layouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425 Subsets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 426 Drawings in the Layout Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 427 Placing Drawings Onto the Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 427 Arranging Multiple Drawings on the Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 429 Importing PDF Files As Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 429 Modifying Drawings on the Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 430 Drawing Titles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 431 Managing and Updating Placed Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 433 Deleting a Drawing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 434 Layout and Drawing IDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 434 Simple Layout Numbering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 435 Automatic Layout ID Assignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 435 Custom Layout/Subset IDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 436 Drawing IDs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 436 Layouting Workflow Schemes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 437 Smaller Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 437 Mid-Size Projects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 437 Larger Projects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 438 Layouting in Teamwork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 439 Publishing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .440 Print . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 440 Plot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 441 Publisher Function. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 442 Planning to Publish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 443 Defining a Publisher Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 443 Defining Output Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 444 Defining Output Format. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 444 Viewing and Redlining DWF Files. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 445
ArchiCAD 12 Reference Guide
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Publishing Process. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .445 PDF Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .446 Create PDF Output Using the Publisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .446 Save Document in PDF Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .447 3D Content in PDF (WIN only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .448 Calculation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 449 Calculation Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .449 Calculation Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .451 List Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .451 Displaying Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .453 Element Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .454 ID Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .455 Collaboration _____________________________________________459 Teamwork. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 459 Project Setup in Teamwork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .459 Team Roles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .459 Sharing the Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .460 Reservation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .461 Changing Workspace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .462 Working Inside the Reserved Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .463 View Maps and Publisher Sets in Teamwork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .464 Workflow in Teamwork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 Sending and Receiving Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 Working on a Local Copy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 Teamwork Techniques. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .466 Working Off-Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .470 Library Management in Teamwork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .470 Teamwork Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .473 Troubleshooting in Teamwork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .473 Teamwork Strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .477 Small Firms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .477 Medium Size Firms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .478 Large Practices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .479 Hotlinked Modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 482 About Hotlinked Modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .482 Create Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .484 Place Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .484 Modules Involving Multiple Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .486
Editing Module Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .486 Edit Hotlink Source in Separate ArchiCAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .486 Edit Module: Break Link, Edit Elements, Replace Hotlink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .487 Managing Hotlinks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .488 Modules: Multiplatform Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .492 Hotlinked Modules and Teamwork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .492 XREFs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 494 XREFs and the Layer Structure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .494 Using XREFs in Round-Trip Communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .495 Data Exchange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 496 Opening DWG/DXF Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .496 Saving DWG/DXF Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .498 Merge a DXF/DWG File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .500 Round-Trip Conversion (Smart Merge). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .500 Consultation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 503 Project Reviewer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .503 Project Reviewer Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .503 Project Mark-Up. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .508 About Project Mark-Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .508 Version Management with Mark-Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .509 Mark-Up Concepts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .510 Publishing and Retrieving Mark-Up Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .510 Teamwork and Project Mark-Up. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .510 Mark-Up Example in Teamwork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .511 Visualization_____________________________________________ 513 Cameras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 513 PhotoRendering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 514 Basic LightWorks Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .515 Expert LightWorks Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .517 Exterior LightWorks Example. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .520 Interior LightWorks Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .523 Visualization Extras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 525 Fly-Through . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .525 VR Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .526 VR Scenes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .527 Sun Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .529 Align View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .529 Index___________________________________________________ 533
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CONFIGURATION
The first section of this chapter, Managing Projects, contains information about creating, opening and saving projects. Next, the Project Preferences section describes how to set up a project by defining preferences, for example, the units of measure used in the project. You will set a scale for your project window by using the Document > Scale command. Then, by looking through the Options > Element Attributes submenu, view the Attributes that are loaded by default - these include Layer Settings, Line Types, Fill Types, Composites, Pens & Colors, Materials, Zone Categories, and Mark-Up Styles. If you plan to edit an existing project, make sure you have loaded all the object libraries needed to be able to display and edit all placed objects. The next section describes an easy way to re-use preferred settings, by defining and using Favorites. After an overview of the ArchiCAD User Interface, the section on Customizing your Work Environment shows you how to save your personal working preferences on your computer, and how to export and import them to other machines if necessary.
Start ArchiCAD
Double-click on the ArchiCAD icon in your program folder to start the program. The Start ArchiCAD dialog box appears. For more information, see Start ArchiCAD Dialog Box in ArchiCAD Help.
Managing Projects
ArchiCADs main native document type is the .pln file, the solo Project. It includes all model and Layout Book data, the views generated for the project, as well as project preferences, attributes and library references. The following sections include information on managing projects in ArchiCAD.
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At the top of the list is the default template shipped together with the current version of ArchiCAD. (It is saved to the Defaults folder when you install ArchiCAD.) Defaults folder locations: On PC: C:\Program Files\Graphisoft\ArchiCAD 12\Defaults\ArchiCAD On MacOS: \Applications\Graphisoft\ArchiCAD 12\Defaults\ArchiCAD The next section contains any additional template files saved to the Templates folder, located here: On PC: Documents and Settings\user\Graphisoft\ArchiCAD Templates. On MacOS: Library\Application Support\Graphisoft\ArchiCAD Templates. In the bottom section of the pop-up list, you will find up to three of the last template files chosen. Select Browse Template to choose a template file from any other location. Use Latest Project Settings: You will continue working with all the project-specific options, and a few general preferences, that were in effect when you last quit ArchiCAD. This can be the perfect solution for you, if you always work with the same standard definitions. However, if you last opened and worked on a project that was created by another person, you may find that your preferred settings are off. If you do not wish to return to the programs default settings, open a project that you are familiar with, then close it and start the new project again: this time, Latest Project Settings will mean the settings you are familiar with. If you press Alt (Opt) key when choosing the New command, its name changes to New and Reset All and ArchiCAD will automatically use the default project settings.
Close a Project
If you use File > Close to close the Floor Plan, you close the entire Project. You will be prompted to save recent changes, if any. External files (GDL Object windows, pictures) will remain open. When you save and close a project with many windows open simultaneously, ArchiCAD will reopen these windows the next time you open the project. Re-opening all these windows may take time, especially if they must be rebuilt. If the number of windows to be re-opened exceeds 20 (not including PhotoRendering windows, which are not saved with the project), then ArchiCAD will show a warning dialog in which you can opt to re-open just the frontmost window (plus the Floor Plan), instead of all of the previously open windows.
Launch a new instance of ArchiCAD: Check this box if you want to open an additional ArchiCAD in addition to the currently running program, if any.
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File Compression
When saving certain file types from ArchiCAD (.pln, .plp, .tpl, .pla, .mod), the Options button in the Save dialog box presents you with the option to Compress file. This option is enabled by default, and is recommended in most cases, since file compression reduces file size considerably (by 60-70%). Using this option also increases download speed if you are working from a slow network, because the files are smaller. However, note that using the Compress file option means increased file saving time (about 30% longer), as a consequence of increased calculation needs. If the saving procedure takes too long, try turning this option off. Note: If you are using a computer with dual processors, file saving time should increase by only 5-10%.
Template Files
A template is a read-only project file with extension tpl. It contains all project preferences settings, placed elements and tool default settings of the project. ArchiCAD 12 is shipped with a default template file together with the default library. Upon installation, the default template is located in the Defaults folder. When you create a new project in ArchiCAD using a template file, this default template is at the top of the pop-up list when you choose a template:
See also Create New Project on page 15. To create a customized template, open a new empty project file. Edit your project preferences, set up the project structure and/or place elements. Save this project file as a template: use File > Save as, and choose ArchiCAD Project Template (*.tpl) as the file type. To open a copy of the template, choose the New command and select the Template option, then select the desired template file. When starting a new project based on a template, you are in fact opening a copy of this template file as Untitled. Note: Settings of the Work Environment Profile used to open your project will override Template file settings.
ArchiCAD 12 Reference Guide
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Backup Files
Opening a Backup Project file (.bpn) allows you to recover the latest backup copy of a damaged project file, provided that the Make Backup Copy checkbox is active in Options > Work Environment > Data Safety. See also Data Safety in ArchiCAD Help.
Archive Files
Archive (.pla) files are similar to Solo Projects, but may also include the following: Library parts, background images and linked textures used in the Project, not just references to them Properties in loaded libraries Placed Drawings
For more information on Library Containers, see Startup Library on page 42. Warning: If any Library Parts are missing from your Project at the time you save the Project as an Archive, these missing parts will not be included in the Archive document either. If you choose the Archive format in the directory dialog box when saving the project, an Options button appears. Clicking it opens a dialog box, in which you can specify which types of library parts should be included in the archive. Because of the larger volume of information it stores, an Archive file is somewhat larger than the corresponding Project document. Important: Archives store the font information used in the project, but not the fonts themselves. This means that if you wish to display textual information the same way as it appears in the original environment, you have to install the appropriate fonts.
ArchiCAD 12 Reference Guide
To save a Project in the Archive format, use the Save as command. The Archive format is recommended for: Moving a Project to another computer Storing a completed Project
ArchiCAD Projects may refer to Library Parts, stored as outside files in Library folders or directories. If you want to ensure that all files referenced in the Project are included, you should save the project as an Archive. Documents saved as Archives are stored together with all the Library Parts (in a library container file, with extension lcf) and properties contained in and defined with the Project. Note: If you add a .pla file to your Active Libraries using Library Manager, make sure you add the explicit .pla file itself, not a folder that contains the .pla. Otherwise the parts located within the .pla will not be read.
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Archive files do not store Add-Ons. Therefore, if your project contains elements affected by Add-Ons, these elements may lose certain features or behavior if these Add-Ons are not present. When you open an Archive type document, the Open Archive Project dialog box appears.
You have the following choices: Choose one of the three options: Read elements directly from archive: this means that the library parts will not be extracted from the archive file. You can place Objects referring to the embedded elements in the Archive file, but you cannot edit the embedded Library parts themselves (unlike the elements in an .lcf file). This also applies to list schemes used in calculations. This method saves a lot of disk space, but limits the modification possibilities. Extract elements to a new folder: the external library parts required for the project will be extracted from the archive and placed in a new folder that you can name. This solution is recommended if you need to actually work on the GDL Objects of the Project. Select a library: instead of extracting the library parts saved with the project, you can indicate a folder that houses the required elements. This solution is recommended if you wish to update the Projects GDL Objects with their latest versions. Open the file with exclusive access Cancel opening the file Open the file as read-only
If you choose to open the file as read-only, you can see and modify the whole file, but you can only save it under a different name or into another location. If you try to overwrite the original file, you will again be notified that it is in use and that you cannot replace it with your modified Project. You can also choose to open the file with exclusive access. However, you should be very careful about using this option. There are a number of reasons why ArchiCAD may state that a file is in use although it actually is not: The person who last used the file did not properly open and close the file in ArchiCAD, e.g., because of a system crash. You have made a copy of a file that was in use at the moment, and the copy of the file also includes the name of the person who was using it during the copying operation.
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Note: If you do open a file with full access while another person is using it, you will both overwrite each others work without getting any further warning message from ArchiCAD. Therefore, be extremely careful when opening a file with exclusive access in any situation other than the emergencies mentioned above.
If the name of an attribute for the merged Project is not present in the current one, this attribute is appended to the current Projects attribute set to accommodate the new names.
Merging Files
The File > File Special > Merge command allows you to paste the elements of another Project, or a Module, DWF/DWG/DXF, PLT or image file into ArchiCAD. Files can be merged into either the current Floor Plan, the currently open Section/Elevation/IE, 3D Document or Detail/Worksheet window. When merging a Project or Module file, ArchiCAD matches the stories of the merged (imported) file to the current (open) one. When you merge a multistory building into your current Floor Plan, ArchiCAD will ask you to define which story from the imported file will match the story you are working on, and it will also suggest a possible match. If you do not have enough stories in your current plan to accommodate all the merged ones, ArchiCAD will automatically create the missing stories. Note: You cannot merge multistory elements or modules into 2D windows other than the Floor Plan. Note: When merging a Module into a Section/Elevation/IE or 3D Document window, only 2D Elements will be pasted. Note: There is a difference between merging a multistory project, and placing a multistory Hotlinked Module. If the host project that contains fewer stories than Hotlinked Module you are placing, the module stories which do not fit in the host project will not be placed. See Modules Involving Multiple Stories on page 486. Since attributes (Layers, Materials, Line Types, Fill Types, etc.) are identified by their names, the following rules are observed: If the name of the attribute is the same in the two Projects, the merged (imported) elements will inherit the attributes of the current Project.
When merging a Project or Module, you can drag, rotate and mirror it before placing it to the final location. Until the file is placed, its elements will be surrounded by a dashed rectangle. Click within the rectangle to move the elements to the desired position. Click outside the rectangle, or click OK from the context menu (or the Control Box) to place the elements. The elements of the merged files will become independent of each other after being placed. You can place the same elements repeatedly with the Paste command. If you choose dxf/dwg file format, the Merge DXF-DWG dialog Box appears. For more information, see Merge DXF-DWG Dialog Box in ArchiCAD Help.
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Note: Be careful to draw the Marquee with the same proportions as the original picture, otherwise the figure will be distorted.
Add-Ons
Add-Ons are small applications that extend ArchiCADs core functionality. Many add-ons are integrated as ArchiCAD menu commands. You can freely customize visibility and the menu and toolbar location of these integrated add-ons in the settings dialogs of Options > Work Environment > Menus/Toolbars. The location of these additional add-ons in the menu structure depends on where the Add-On Anchor Point is located for that menu. You can move this Add-On Anchor Point to any menu location, again using the controls in Options > Work Environment > Menus and Toolbars. If the Add-On Anchor Point is not part of your customized menu structure, then the additionally loaded Add-Ons will not be displayed either. Open the Add-On Manager using Options > Add-On Manager command.
ArchiCAD 12 Reference Guide
Use the Add-On Manager to Load Add-Ons from any location. They will be loaded after the next startup of ArchiCAD; Permanently remove Add-Ons while ArchiCAD is running; Control which Add-Ons should load automatically when ArchiCAD is started; Show information about the loaded Add-Ons.
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Goodies
Goodies are another source of ArchiCAD Add-Ons. They are not integrated into ArchiCADs default interface. To access them, go to ArchiCADs Help menu and choose the Goodies command, from which you can access a web page containing information on available add-ons and how to install them. Once you have installed a Goody into the program, you can then customize the location of the associated menu commands using the Work Environment interface, as for any other Add-On, and manage it with the Add-On Manager. For more information, see Add-On Manager in ArchiCAD Help.
Layouts Miscellaneous
The most important Project Preferences which you can set in this dialog box are Working Units & Levels, and Dimension Units; these are described in the sections below. The other Project Preferences are described in detail in ArchiCAD Help. See Calculation Units Preferences, Construction Elements Preferences, Zones Preferences, Layouts Preferences, and Miscellaneous Project Preferences in ArchiCAD Help.
Project Preferences
The Options > Project Preferences command contains settings which are specific to the project you are working on, and which are saved along with the project. These preferences are crucial standards and working methods applicable to the whole project. The Project Preferences dialog box contains a pop-up menu at top left listing each preference category (which you can also access directly from Options > Preferences.) Clicking the Next and Previous buttons allows you to go from one screen to the other
Working Units & Levels Dimensions Calculation Units Construction Elements Zones
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Use the controls of this dialog box to set a project standard for such units as length measurement, angle units and Reference Levels for calculating elevations. Note: This dialog box allows you to set different length measurement units for editing Layout Book items (Layout Unit) and Model items (Model Unit). The unit standards you choose here are Project Preferences: specific to the Project you are working on and are saved with it. If another user opens the Project on his or her own computer, the same settings will be applied. Note: Length measurement units for ArchiCAD dimensions are set in a separate dialog box, at Options > Project Preferences > Dimensions. For details on each control of this dialog box, see Working Units & Levels Preferences in ArchiCAD Help.
See Quick Options Palette on page 74. However, you can fine-tune any of the dimension unit types in the project. For example, if you are working with the millimeter standard, but decide to display Door/Window dimensions in centimeters, choose Door/Window as the dimension type and change its units to centimeters. The project Standard is now Custom. You can save this new standard under its own name by clicking Add. Dimension unit standards you set here are saved along with your project. While the Dimension Standard set here applies to the Project globally, you can apply a different dimension standard to any view of the Project, if needed. To change the dimension standard for any single view, open its View Settings and adjust its Dimensions setting.
Dimension Units
To set dimension unit preferences for the current project, open Options > Project Preferences > Dimensions. For details on each control of this dialog box, see Dimensions Preferences in ArchiCAD Help. Each project can be assigned its own Dimensioning Standard. These are predefined sets of units that affect the entire project at a single click. This is useful if you are working on several projects requiring different levels of accuracy (construction details versus site plans) or projects being built in countries other than those in which they are designed. For a quick way to change the dimension units of your project, use the Dimensions pop-up in the Quick Options Palette.
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Scale
To set the scale of the currently active window, choose the Document > Floor Plan Scale command. (The name of the command varies depending on which window is active.) You can have a separate scale in effect for each window. Select either a standard scale from the pop-up list or type a nonstandard scale into the numeric input field. The name of the given window is displayed in the caption of the dialog box.
You can also use the Scale pop-up from the Quick Options palette to reset the scale of the current window. For more information, see Quick Options Palette in ArchiCAD Help. After setting a scale, what you see is a preview of the Project if printed or plotted at that scale. To make a zoomed view match the view at the currently set scale, choose View > Zoom > Actual Size (or click the zoom button) after setting the scale. Actual Size is the equivalent of the 100% scale value. The 2D Symbol of some GDL Objects (such as Stairs) can be set to be sensitive to the current scale: the symbol varies depending on the current scale.
Standard scales are shown according to either metric or US standards, depending on the Length Unit setting made in the Options > Project Preferences > Working Units & Levels dialog box.
Either fixed or scaled: Text Blocks created with the Text tool, dashed and symbol line types, and vectorial, symbol and image fill types can be defined as either fixed scale (Scale independent/paper size) or scaled (Scale with plan/model size). You can set this characteristic for each line type or fill pattern in the Line Types and Fill Types dialog boxes (Options > Element Attributes menu), or in the Text Settings dialog box for Text blocks.
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Attributes
ArchiCAD Attributes are groups of defined settings available to your project. For example, Line Types and Materials are Attributes which you can apply to many project elements as you create them. You will access these attributes in the appropriate dialog boxes: for example, when assigning Wall Settings, you will choose from the projects Fill set and Line Type set, using the appropriate pop-up menus in the Wall Settings dialog box. What you see in these pop-up menus are defined in Options > Element Attributes.
Drawing Scale
Drawings based on an ArchiCAD view have a Drawing Scale. By default, this Drawing Scale is the same as the Original Scale (the scale of the Drawings source view), but you can customize the Drawing Scale in Drawing Settings. Customizing the Drawing scale has no effect on the scale of objects within the drawing; it is equivalent to a graphical resizing of the Drawing, like the effect of magnifying a document with a copy machine. See Drawing Tool Settings in ArchiCAD Help. ArchiCAD comes with a default set of Attributes. For most users, these default attribute sets are amply suited to their design needs. If you wish, you can customize Attributes or create new ones. For
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example, you can draw a new fill type, or customize a default material to give it a new look. Attributes are saved with your project, so if you open the project on a different computer, your customized Attributes are available. To open and (if needed) edit Attribute sets, use the commands from Options > Element Attributes. Three other attribute types - also accessible from the Options > Element Attributes menu - are discussed elsewhere: Zone Categories on page 259, Mark-Up Concepts on page 510, Profile Manager Dialog Box in ArchiCAD Help.
Layers
About Layers
Layers are used to separate elements logically. Related groups of elements, such as dimensions, furniture, electrical symbols and so on, are placed on common Layers. An element can only belong to a single layer. For each layer, you can set different settings (lock/unlock, show/hide, 3D view mode, layer intersection group). Layers are global, which means that the same layers are available on all stories and in all windows. Each ArchiCAD project has a single layer set, which is accessible from Options > Element Attributes > Layer Settings, as well as Document > Layers > Layer Settings (shortcut: Ctrl+L). Although your ArchiCAD project contains a single Layer Set, you can set the visibility and locked/unlocked status of the layers separately for model views and for layouts. (The title bar of the Layer Settings dialog box reflects which type of window is active in ArchiCAD - a Model View or the Layout Book.)
See Use Separate Layer Settings for the Layout Book on page 29. ArchiCAD comes with a predefined set of layers. Each tool has a default Layer assignment, so if you place an element using that tool, the new element is automatically placed on the corresponding layer (e.g. External Wall, Column, Beam). Layers can be deleted; in this case, you will delete all the elements on it. However, the ArchiCAD Layer is a special layer that cannot be deleted, hidden or locked, since an ArchiCAD project must always contain at least one layer. In case of a file error, any elements that may have lost their layer definitions will be placed on the ArchiCAD layer.
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If a layer is in hidden status, elements on that layer are not displayed on your plan. Use Layers to Show 3D Elements in Wireframe Mode. Click the shaded/wireframe icon for the selected layer to toggle between these display mode options for 3D. This setting is independent of the current 3D mode set in the View > 3D View Mode menu. For more information, see Layer Settings Dialog Box in ArchiCAD Help.
For example, suppose you want to edit this roof in the Floor Plan:
Quick Layers
The Quick Layers palette lets you quickly change the state of the Layers in your Project without having to open the Layer Settings dialog box. Choose the Window > Palettes > Quick Layers command. You dont need the Section and Elevation markers; to temporarily hide them, select all the Section/Elevation markers...
The Show/Hide Toggle inverts the visibility of all layers. The Lock/Unlock Toggle inverts the state of all protected and unprotected layers. The Hide/Lock/Unlock Selections Layers commands invert the state of the Layers belonging to the currently selected elements, while Hide/Lock Others Layers does the same for the elements that are not selected. Both explicit selection and Marquee areas are taken into consideration. The Undo Quick Layer Actions command undoes the last Quick Layer action (up to 10 actions). The Redo Quick Layer Actions command redoes the last undone QuickLayer action (up to 10 actions). ... then click the Hide Selections Layers command.
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Once you are done working on the roof and want to show the hidden layers again, click the Undo Quick Layers button. To change the active Layer Combination, use the Layer Combination pop-up control in the Quick Options palette, or the Document > Layers hierarchical menu, where Layer Combinations are listed by name. For example, you can set up a Show All, Lock 3D Elements Layer Combination, all the layers are visible, yet all Layers assigned to 3D model elements are locked, making those elements uneditable. You might use this Layer Combination when working with 2D only functions, such as dimensioning, to prevent inadvertent modifications to the building elements. Since the settings of layers for Model Views and for the Layout Book can differ, the Layer Combinations saved from these views can also be different. Note: Layers and Layer Combinations are handled by ArchiCAD as attributes.
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Note on Intersection with Hidden Layer: Elements having identical intersection groups will intersect even if one of the layers is hidden. This may result in missing lines, indicating an intersection with an element on a hidden layer. To avoid this, go to Layer Settings, select one of the layers, and assign it any different intersection group. Exception for Level 0: Elements which are both on intersection group 0 (whether on the same or different layers) will NOT intersect.
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Important: Layer settings for the Layout Book serve to show/hide elements directly placed on layouts, such as lines, texts and drawings as a whole. Layout Book layers do not affect the drawing content, which is determined by the layers of its associated view.
For more information, see Line Types Dialog Box in ArchiCAD Help.
Place All Elements on a Single Active Layer (Simulate Autocad Work Methods)
If you wish to simulate AutoCAD work methods, the Active Layer command is an easy way of placing all of your elements on a single layer, rather than using ArchiCADs default layer set-up. Choose Document > Layers > Layer Extras > Active Layer from the menu and choose the One Active Layer for all Element Types option from the appearing palette. This will set the default layer of all element types to the layer of the currently active tool (regardless of any selection). All Tool Settings dialog boxes will now use the same default Layer definition and successive elements will all be placed on that layer, regardless of type. You can override this setting manually for selected elements. If you wish to return to the previous layer state, choose the Individually Set Layers option. The last set of manually defined layers will be used.
Line Types
You can assign line types to each ArchiCAD construction element in its own Tool Settings dialog box, depending on the element type. For example, when defining how a Column should be displayed in a 2D window, you can apply different line types for its core outline, for its overhead display and for its crossing symbol. The line types available in the Settings dialog boxes are defined and managed as the projects Line Type attributes, in Options > Element Attributes > Line Types. Use this dialog box if you wish to modify the standard line types (solid, dotted, dashed, etc.) and define customized line types.
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Fill Types
Fill Types are used to define the appearance of fills applied to construction elements. For details on Fills and how to use them, see Fills on page 368. Use the Options > Element Attributes > Fill Types dialog box to define and/or edit fill types and patterns, and determine the category of each particular Fill (Drafting Fill, Cut Fill, and/or Cover Fill).
These percentages can be adjusted by hand in Options > Element Attributes > Fill Types. For details, see Fill Appearance Panel in ArchiCAD Help. Vectorial Fills can be assigned to construction elements in 2D windows. You can also assign Vectorial Fills to Materials, which are displayed in the 3D window. See Display of Vectorial Hatching on page 372. Some properties of vectorial patterns can be adjusted, including their scale, angle, spacing, availability and associated screen-only bitmap display. See Fill Edit Vectorial Pattern Panel in ArchiCAD Help Symbol Fills can be assigned to construction elements. You can edit the symbol pattern of an existing fill, or draw a new symbol fill entirely. See Create New Symbol Fill on page 375. Gradient Fills and Image Fills are Drafting fills only, and thus are available only from the Fill Tools pop-up. See Gradient Fills on page 376 and Image Fills on page 376.
Composite Structures
Walls, Slabs and Roofs can be defined as composite structures.
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2) In the Floor Plan & Section panel, open the Structure pop-up
list, and click on Cut Fills.
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When drawing a trapezoid Wall with a composite fill, only the outermost Core skins thickness reflects the trapezoidal shape of the Wall. In the image below, two of the skins are marked as Core, but only the Insulation core skin - the outermost Core - has a trapezoid shape.
By default, the core skin is the thickest one, but you can also define other skins as Core (in the Core column of the list).
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To assign a pen to an element, open the pencolor pop-up (in the element settings dialog box or in the Info Box of a selected element) and choose the desired pen for the element or one of its components - such as the cut line pen assigned to the slab in the following image:
The Pens & Colors (Layout Book) settings are applied only to items placed onto the Layout (such as Autotext and Master Layout items), but not to the content of placed Drawings.
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Of course, Drawings that have their source in external files - such as DWG/DXF/PDF files placed using ArchiCADs Drawing tool - can be assigned pen sets the same way, in the Drawing Settings dialog box. See also Pen Set in ArchiCAD Help. Or you can change the source views pen set, in its View Settings Dialog Box.
After redefining a color or changing the Pen Set, the ArchiCAD construction elements immediately change to the new colors on the Floor Plan. The 3D window, 3D Document and Section/Elevation/IE/Worksheet windows may require that you rebuild the view.
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To aid users in this effort, ArchiCAD comes with several predefined pen sets. This way, you can switch pen sets for the entire project with a single click: you might prefer to use the architectural plans pen set when outputting plans for approval, then switch to the electrical pen set to output layouts for a subcontractor. When you change the pen set of a given project, the pen index numbers assigned to individual elements remain the same, but the colors and line weights associated with those pen indexes may change in accordance with the definitions in the new pen set, and your display and output will get a whole different look. When you assign a pen to an element, you are assigning a pen index number to that element. ArchiCADs default pen indexes assigned to element parameters correspond to the element function. For example, slabs are assigned a default cut line pen with index 29, which corresponds to the function Slabs - Cut Structural. Note: Depending on your localized version of ArchiCAD, your default pen sets and pen index assignments may vary. For more information on pen sets in ArchiCAD, see http://www.archicadwiki.com/Pen_Sets.
However, when printed, pen colors will print according to their actual settings in the pen set. Non-black pens that would be difficult to see against a particular background will automatically shift to a similar, but more easily visible color. On a white background, elements in white pens are adjusted to a light gray to enhance visibility. Again, when printed, pen colors will print according to their actual settings in the pen set. To disable this automatic color adjustment, uncheck the Automatic Pen Color Visibility Adjustment checkbox in Options > Work Environment > More Options.
Since each pen index number has a distinct function definition, it is worth paying attention to the pen function when assigning a pen to an element. (Or you can simply use the default element pens that are shipped with ArchiCAD.) If you assign pen index numbers consistent with the function of the element, then switching from one pen set to the other will ensure a consistent display that is in line with the purpose of your output.
Materials
About Materials
To display your plan realistically, you can apply materials to your elements. Materials contain color, texture and light effects. Materials can be displayed in the 3D Window, Section/Elevation/IE and 3D Document windows, and in PhotoRenderings.
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are assigned and edited in the Texture Panel of the Material Settings dialog box. See Material Texture Panel in ArchiCAD Help.
Assign a Material to a Construction Element 1) Select a placed element, or open the Default Settings dialog box
for the element type.
2) Use the Model panel to access the available materials for the
elements top, bottom and side surfaces in the 3D window. Materials are defined in the Material Settings Dialog Box (Options > Element Attributes > Materials). Materials defined here can then be assigned to elements in their Element settings dialog boxes (Model panel). Some materials have vectorial hatching and/or textures as part of their definition, as indicated by icons. This material, for example, uses both vectorial Hatching and a texture:
element. (Apply a single material to all surfaces using the Chain icon, or apply separate materials, as needed.)
Note: Wall geometry and the direction of its reference line affect the assignment of materials to each surface of the Wall. For more information, see Wall Model Panel in ArchiCAD Help.
Important: Vectorial Hatching is only displayed when using the Internal 3D engine. Textures are displayed only when using the OpenGL 3D engine. To switch between 3D Engines, use the commands in View > 3D View Mode. For more information, see 3D Engines on page 170. Vectorial Hatching is a vectorial fill pattern used with a Material. In the Material Settings dialog box, you can choose a vectorial hatching for any material, selecting one of the projects defined vectorial fill types. See Material Vectorial Hatching Panel in ArchiCAD Help. Textures are image files that can be assigned to materials to give them a more realistic look and feel. By default, many ArchiCAD materials have textures assigned to them (such materials will have a texture icon next to their name.) You can load additional textures from the ArchiCAD library, or load other custom images. Textures
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Note: Clicking the Chain icon (Link Materials) in this or other element settings dialog boxes means that the group of materials next to the chain icon are linked: each of the linked surfaces will use a single material; changing the material for one surface will change the material for all surfaces. To set a separate material for each surface, unlink them by clicking the chain again.
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Suggested Workflow for Using Materials 1) Edit the default set of materials and/or create new materials.
(This step is optional and recommended for advanced users.)
For each individual element, you can discard the customized texture alignment by clicking the Reset Texture button in the Model panel of its element Settings dialog box.
material pop-up in the Model panel of the elements Settings dialog box. (For Wall Ends, materials are set in the 3D Representation section of the Parameters panel.)
Engine, then adjust the relevant settings (transparency, effects, background, etc.) to define how the materials will be displayed in the final rendering. 3D Textures are visible only when using the OpenGL 3D engine (View > 3D View Mode > 3D Window Settings), and if the Textures box is checked in OpenGL options as in the image below:
3D Texture Alignment
The orientation and origin of construction element textures can be fine-tuned in 3D views with the commands of the Design > Align 3D Texture hierarchical menu. These commands are only available in the 3D Window on selected construction elements whose Material attribute includes a Texture assignment (Options > Element Attributes > Materials). For details on these commands, see Align 3D Texture in ArchiCAD Help.
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Elements Own Material Colors (Shaded): Surfaces will display the elements own material colors. The display colors will reflect shading effects, as in the image below.
The Vectorial Hatching in 3D and Transparency options for the 3D Document are specific to the 3D Document, and are not connected to the same options set for the 3D Window.
This way, only those controls will be available in Material Settings that will actually affect the final rendered appearance. If you intend to render with LightWorks, choose the LightWorks Rendering Engine in Material Settings, and check Disable unrelated controls. The LightWorks Shader Settings panel is now the only one you need to edit in Material Settings. For more information, see LightWorks Shader Settings in ArchiCAD Help. Renderings display all material characteristics except vectorial hatching. The general appearance of your renderings is defined in the PhotoRendering Settings dialog box, whose settings apply to all materials in the rendering. For more information, see PhotoRendering Settings in ArchiCAD Help.
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Attribute Manager
The Attribute Manager command (Options > Element Attributes > Attribute Manager) allows you to copy (append, overwrite) attributes (Layers, Layer Combinations, Pens & Colors, Pen Sets, Line Types, Fill Types, Composite Structures, Materials, Profiles, Zone Categories and Cities) between two opened files. It can also duplicate or delete attributes in either of the two files. On choosing the Attribute Manager command, the following dialog box appears (since it has to list all the attributes of the project, displaying the dialog box might take some time):
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Libraries
About Libraries
ArchiCAD Libraries are folders containing the external files used by ArchiCAD or referred to by construction elements. Normally, library elements are arranged hierarchically within the main Library folder/directory. Some of the library type files contain geometric data that allow you to place instances of the given item into the ArchiCAD Project, while others only contain graphic or text information that can be attached to other library items or to the entire Project. Libraries contain geometric library parts collectively called GDL Objects (or Parametric Objects). They can be placed in the Project using one of ArchiCADs dedicated tools (Object, Lamp, Door, Window, Skylight, Corner Window, Stair, Wall End, Curtain Wall Accessory or Junction) automatically by specific commands or Add-Ons (Markers, Labels, RoofMaker and TrussMaker elements) or only used as a reference by other elements (macros, Zone stamps, Property Objects) The Library also contains files of different formats that are referred to by ArchiCAD elements: Listing Templates are plain text files that are used to customize the content and the look of quantity calculations. Textures are picture files that can be attached to Materials to provide added realism in rendered views, and in the 3D Window when using the OpenGL engine. Background images are additional picture files used to provide the 3D model with a lifelike environment.
See Parametric Objects on page 311. When you place an Object (as opposed to other elements in ArchiCAD), you are placing an instance of an external file located in an object library. ArchiCAD is shipped with a standard object library containing hundreds of preconfigured, editable objects (also known as GDL objects or Library parts). For the most part, you will use ArchiCAD tools to place objects from this standard library. All of these files can be opened in ArchiCAD with the File > Libraries and Objects > Open Object command and they can be created in ArchiCAD with the File > Libraries and Objects > New Object command.
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You can use specialized Libraries for different applications (e.g., residential Projects and industrial building design) to avoid the need
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for extremely large Libraries. There are also different Libraries corresponding to different national standards. You can define different or additional libraries for your Projects in the Library Manager dialog box. When opening a saved Project, ArchiCAD looks for the libraries that were last defined for it. When creating a new Project with the latest settings, ArchiCAD will keep (or look for) the last used library. When creating a new Project with default settings, ArchiCAD will again look for your default ArchiCAD Library.
Container file, or extract its contents, using the File > Libraries and Objects > Create/Extract a Container command. Since the Library Container file is a single file, yet contains all the objects used in your project, it lets you keep all the objects used in your projects in one place, while keeping hierarchies intact within the .lcf. If ArchiCADs default Library is found on the hard disk in the same folder/directory as ArchiCAD, it is opened and used as the Active Library. Otherwise, the Library Manager dialog box appears, prompting you to choose a folder/directory to be the startup Library. For more information, see Library Manager Dialog Box in ArchiCAD Help. If you have already used ArchiCAD and start the program by double-clicking its program icon, the Library set used in the previous session will be active. If you have modified the name of a folder/directory in the active Library set, or changed its location in the file hierarchy, it will not be found and the Library Manager dialog box will be displayed, so you can find and select the library you need. When you open a Project from within ArchiCAD (with the Open command), or by double-clicking a Project file in the file manager, it is opened with the Library set it was originally created with.
Individual items from libraries not in the active Library set can be used in your Projects via the Load Other Object commands in the corresponding tool settings dialog boxes (Window, Door, etc.).
If you have modified the name of a folder or directory in the Active Library set, or changed its location in the file hierarchy, the Project opens using one of the following protocols: You can also use the drag & drop feature of ArchiCAD to place Library Parts. Objects placed into your Project using drag & drop does not add the items to the active Library. If the currently Active Library set includes folders with the same names as the original ones, the Project is opened using this current Library set. If the original Library set included folders with names different from those in the current one, ArchiCAD will search for Libraries containing folders or directories with these names. If there are folders with those names, the Project is opened using these folders. If there are no folders bearing the original names, the Library Manager dialog box is displayed. You can either specify a
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Startup Library
When you start ArchiCAD for the very first time, it searches for a Library under the name ArchiCAD Library 12.lcf. The extension .lcf identifies a Library Container file. The default ArchiCAD 12 Library is stored in an .lcf, but you can also create your own Library
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Library set to be used with the Project or Cancel reading altogether. Note: If you click Done, the Project is opened without a Library. All Library Parts placed in the file will then be missing.
Library Updates
Graphisoft updates its standard library parts on a regular basis. To check for the latest library updates, you should enable the Check for Updates option in Options > Work Environment > Web Options. This means you will be notified, upon starting ArchiCAD, if a new library version matching your ArchiCAD language version is available, which you can then choose to download if needed. For more information, see Web Options in ArchiCAD Help.
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remote volumes connected to your computer through a local area network. Using the FTP Sites tab page, you can add Libraries and single Library Parts stored on FTP servers. The History tab page lists all the Libraries and Library Parts loaded while using ArchiCAD. The Web Objects tab page allows you to download GDL Objects from websites and to add them to your local Libraries.
For more information, see Library Manager Dialog Box in ArchiCAD Help.
Loading Libraries
When you have finished making your library choices on the tab pages, click the Done/Reload button in the bottom right corner of the Library Manager dialog box.
The Library Manager allows access to complete Libraries and individual Library Parts, both from local volumes and through a network. At startup, ArchiCAD automatically loads the last used Library. In the course of your work, you may need additional Library Parts or set up your own user libraries. Typically, each Project file uses a different library including all the external files it refers to (objects, doors, windows, lamps, textures, property data, etc.). The Library Manager dialog box has four tab pages: The Local/LAN tab page allows you to manage complete Libraries and individual Library Parts stored on local disks or on
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A status box will appear on the screen to inform you about the loading process. By clicking Stop, you can abort loading the libraries. When starting a new Project, you can also use the Library Manager dialog box to check which libraries are currently used, and then either click the Use Active Libraries button to continue working with the current set, or define a new library set as described above. Note: When working on a shared Project (Teamwork) only the Team Leader with exclusive access can define the libraries to be loaded for the Team Project. Teammates can load other libraries, but only for their own local use.
If you use newer versions of a library, the objects will be matched based on their GUID. If GUIDs dont match, ArchiCAD looks for objects with identical names. Objects placed from libraries of ArchiCAD 7.0 or earlier do not have GUIDs. Consequently, the system will identify library parts based on name only. If the loaded libraries contain two objects with the same name as the placed version, the object to be used will be randomly selected from the two possible locations.
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Favorites
About Favorites
The Favorites feature allows you to save and easily recall default tool settings. If you choose a stored Favorite, you can create an element that has the same parameters and attributes as the Favorite. Favorites can be accessed from two locations: The Favorites palette that stores all saved favorite settings regardless of the tool that created them. The palette is hidden by default; choose Window > Palettes > Favorites to display it. It remains visible on top of the other Windows. The Favorites button in the top left corner of all tool Settings dialog boxes (except Camera). The dialog box that opens will list the favorite settings saved for that tool only. The elements attributes, including the line type, fill pattern and pen color, as well as surface material choices In the case of Library Parts, the name of the Library Part All of the elements dimensions that can be entered in the settings dialog boxes for the element, e.g., wall thickness and height (but not length)
If the Favorites refer to attributes that do exist in the target project but are different from those of the original project, they will take on the attributes of the target project.
To customize the storing of Favorites for each tool or parameter type, choose Favorite Preferences from the Favorite palettes pop-up menu. (You can also access the Favorite Preferences dialog box from Options > Project Preferences > Miscellaneous.) In the Favorites Preferences dialog box that appears, use the Parameter Exclusion list to check the names of the parameters that you DO NOT want to apply with Favorites.
Favorites are saved with your Project file. You can also save a separate Favorites file for reuse in other projects. If you close the current Project and create a new one, stored favorites will remain at your disposal just like materials, pen colors or line types. If you choose New and Reset, Favorites will be cleared. You can restore saved favorites by choosing the Load Favorites command from the Favorite palettes pop-up menu. Note: When importing Favorites from another Project, remember that element attributes are identified by name. If the Favorites refer to attributes that do not exist in the target Project, the necessary attributes will be missing.
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You can either: Select a stored Favorite in this list and click the Apply button to load that Favorites settings in the tools dialog box, or Click the Save Current Settings as Favorite button on top and create a new Favorite by naming it in the appearing dialog box. Note: Favorites are identified by their names. If you attempt to use the name of an existing Favorite when creating a new favorite (even if it belongs to another tool), ArchiCAD will warn you about this. Also, some characters are invalid as Favorite names. If you enter an invalid character, a Warning message will prompt you to type a new name. For more information, see Favorites Palette in ArchiCAD Help.
Toolbox
The Toolbox shows a variety of tools for selection, 3D construction, 2D drawing and visualization. By default, the Toolbox is divided into Tool Groups -Select, Design, Document and More - to make it easier to locate the tool you need. Besides the standard set of tools, additional tools can appear in the Toolbox depending on the installation and the available Add-Ons.
Now you will be able to open or close each Tool Group in the Toolbox separately.
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Info Box
An Info Box is available for each tool in the toolbox. When you activate a tool or select a placed element, its Info Box palette will display current settings for that tool/element. If several elements are selected, the Info Box displays the controls for the last selected element. The Info Box contains a condensed collection of input and parameter controls that are specific to the selected tool/element. While some of these controls are also available in the Tool Settings dialog box, the Info Box is a quicker way to access these controls, because it stays on screen while you work. By default, the Info Box is docked at the top of your workspace in a horizontal position. To show it vertically, dock it at either side of your screen. Let your cursor hover over an Info Box item to provide a Tool Tip if you are not sure what the icon represents.
You can use a scroll-mouse or the scrollbar to scroll through the contents of your Info Box. Selected/Editable: The current Info Box gives you feedback on the number of Selected Elements, as well as how many of those are Editable. Changes made to Info Box settings will affect the Editable elements. On the Floor Plan below, all Walls are selected; four of them have been locked for editing, as reflected in the Info Box. Default Settings: If there is no selection, the Info Box displays the active tools Default Settings.
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Menus
About Menus
When starting ArchiCAD 12 with default settings, you will load the Standard Profile, which - along with other Work Environment settings - defines the default menu structure. See Default Profiles in ArchiCAD 12 on page 57. However, there are some commands and menus in ArchiCAD 12 which are not displayed as part of this standard profile. Use the settings in the Options > Work Environment > Menus dialog box to customize the content of your menus.
Simple 3D, Standard, Standard for Low-Res Screens, Teamwork, Toolbox Tools.
Displaying Toolbars
To display a toolbar, choose its name from Window > Toolbars; or right-click the title bar of any toolbar on screen to display the list of defined toolbars. Click any toolbar in the list to display it.
Customizing Menus
Use the Options > Work Environment > Menus dialog box to customize any ArchiCAD menu. Any command or menu can be placed into or removed from any menu; the order of the commands within any menu is entirely customizable. Exception: Context menus are not customizable. For details, see Menu Customization Dialog Box in ArchiCAD Help. You can store your customized menu command settings as part of a Command Layout Scheme in your Work Environment. For details, see Scheme Options in ArchiCAD Help.
Toolbars
About Toolbars
A toolbar is a collection of commands and/or menus displayed in icon or text form and grouped by topic. The predefined toolbars are: 3D Visualization, Arrange Elements, Attributes, Classic 3D Navigation, Drafting Aids, Edit Elements, Edit GDL Library Parts, Layouts and Drawings, Mini Navigator, On-Screen View Options,
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An easy way to access this dialog box is to open any Toolbars context menu by right-clicking anywhere on the Toolbar, then click the icon representing the Toolbar customization page: You can store your customized toolbars as part of a Command Layout Scheme in your Work Environment. For details, see Scheme Options in ArchiCAD Help.
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The content of named toolbars are saved as part of a Command Layout Scheme. The on-screen display of toolbars is saved in a Palette Scheme. For details, see Toolbar Customization Dialog Box in ArchiCAD Help.
The main palettes (Toolbox, Info Box, Quick Options and Navigator) can be enabled all at once, using the Window > Palettes > Show Main Palettes Only command. Each of these palettes is described in detail in the ArchiCAD documentation. Two palettes - the Control Box and Coordinates - are familiar from earlier versions of ArchiCAD. They are not displayed by default, because their commands are available from other parts of the interface. To display either of these palettes, go to Window > Palettes and choose the desired palette(s).
Shortcuts
ArchiCAD is shipped with several predefined shortcut schemes. To view or print out a list of the shortcuts of the Work Environment, go to Options > Work Environment > Keyboard Shortcuts, and click the Show Shortcut List in Browser button at the bottom of the Keyboard Shortcut Preview Panel.
To customize a shortcut command, use the Options > Work Environment > Keyboard Shortcuts: choose a command from the list on the left, then enter the desired shortcut combination in the field at the right, then click Assign. For details, see Shortcut Customization Dialog Box in ArchiCAD Help. Apart from a few non-customizable shortcuts (listed at the bottom of the Show Shortcut list), all shortcuts in any scheme are customizable. Changes to the selected Shortcut scheme are applied when you press OK and close the dialog box. You can store your customized Shortcut settings as part of a Shortcut Scheme in your Work Environment. For details, see Scheme Options in ArchiCAD Help.
Palettes
ArchiCADs palettes help you construct, modify and locate elements. Each palette can be shown or hidden separately using the Window > Palettes command.
Use the Palette Schemes Schemes Options page to manage (Store, Rename, Delete, Redefine, Export, Import) and apply Palette Schemes: go to Options > Work Environment > Palette Schemes.
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Note: When dragging a palette in Windows, its anchor point is the drag symbol (not a palette edge).
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To set how much of each palette should be visible on screen, drag the splitter bars up or down, for palettes stacked on top of each other, or right/left, for palettes grouped next to each other. (The splitter bars are the lines which divide each palette from the others.)
Pet Palettes
A pet palette is a collection of icons (representing commands and relevant options) which pops up during graphical input and editing operations. In some cases, the pet palette appears during input (as when inputting a polyline), but in most cases the pet palette appears after you have placed an element, then selected the element for further editing. To access the pet palette, place your cursor on an editable edge, node, or surface, and left-click. The contents of the pet palette depends on the following: The selected element The part of the element you choose to act on (edge, node or surface) The active window
Move your cursor over the icons to read the tool tip for each one, and click on the icon for the function you need. Use the shortcuts F and Shift+F (Opt+F) to move to the next/previous icon in the current pet palette.
You cannot customize the contents of a pet palette. You can change your mind and choose a different function from the pet palette as long as you have not completed the editing operation. The pet palette automatically disappears when the operation is finished. The pet palette will either follow your cursor around on screen as you work (like a pet on a leash), or be placed in a preferred spot (and told to stay), depending on which pet palette movement option you specify. To set these preferences, go to Options > Work Environment > Dialog Boxes and Palettes.
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You can store these Pet Palette settings as part of a User Preference Scheme in your Work Environment. As you get used to working with ArchiCAD, you will develop personal preferences for using the programs features and arranging the various palettes, toolbars and menus on screen. You will set most of these options using the Options > Work Environment dialog box. For a brief description of every available setting in the Work Environment Dialog Box, see Work Environment Dialog Box in ArchiCAD Help. You can customize any of these settings while you work: just open the Work Environment dialog box, change the setting you need, and press OK. The setting will take effect. Work Environment settings are saved not as part of the project, but in a local folder on your computer.
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Command Layout Schemes. Command Layout Schemes include your Toolbar and Menu settings.
For more information, see Toolbars on page 49 and Menus on page 49. Click on the name of the settings you wish to alter (for example, Selection and Element Information).
For more information, see Data Safety, Web Options, and Special Folders in ArchiCAD Help. See also Creating a Custom Install Package in Getting Started, accessible from ArchiCADs Help menu. Shortcut Schemes Tool Schemes. A tool scheme includes settings for the Toolbox, the Info Box and the Tool Settings dialog boxes. Palette Schemes. These settings are defined outside the Work Environment dialog box; a palette scheme saves the current on-screen status of your palettes. For more information, see Shortcuts on page 50. As soon as you make a change to any Work Environment setting, the scheme name at the top of the settings page changes to Custom.
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Use the splitter bars within each page to display the text as needed.
When you finish making changes, press OK to close the dialog box and apply current settings. The latest Custom settings will remain intact even after you close and restart ArchiCAD. However, every new settings change redefines the Custom scheme according to your latest change. If you want to keep your modifications saved on the long term, it is advisable to store the settings of your Custom scheme in a named scheme. For more information, see Saving Your Customized Work Environment in ArchiCAD Help.
Note: It is entirely possible to use ArchiCAD successfully without saving schemes and profiles; you can just adjust settings as you work. However, the option to save settings according to named schemes, and then to combine schemes into profiles, is useful for CAD managers, for offices working in teams, and for individual users who might want to alternate among several different sets of customized settings.
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Once you apply the scheme and press OK to close the Work Environment dialog box, your ArchiCAD program will adjust itself to reflect the settings you have stored in that scheme.
Profiles
If you have customized and saved multiple schemes, you may want to store and apply them together: in this case, combine any of the schemes into a Profile, and store the Profile under its own name. Using the ArchiCAD interface, you can export and import Profiles to use on other computers. For details on configuring and applying profiles, see Profile Options in ArchiCAD Help.
Apply a Scheme
To apply a stored scheme, choose the desired scheme from the Apply Scheme pop-up at the top of any of Work Environments settings pages.
You can also apply a scheme using the Scheme Options page of Work Environment: choose one of the defined schemes, then either double-click it, or click the Apply Scheme button.
Profiles themselves do not contain settings; they are just a collection of schemes. Profiles do not have to contain all six scheme possibilities. Once you start working, you dont have to apply entire profiles at once; you can apply schemes one by one.
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easy switching between windows) are visible, and your Toolbox displays each tool individually. The Layouting Profile places commonly used layouting and publishing commands within reach. The Layout Book menu now appears, the Toolbox is minimized to show only the Documenting tools, and the Navigator/Organizer is located at the left edge of the screen. Two specialized toolbars are now visible: Layouts & Drawings, and Standard for Layouting. The Visualization Profile is useful when you reach the stage of setting up and creating output from 3D images, such as Fly-Throughs and PhotoRenderings. The 3D Visualization menu now appears, so that all commands related to the 3D window, 3D navigation and 3D output are collected in a single menu. The 3D Visualization toolbar provides quick access to many of these same commands. In this profile, the Navigator is not displayed, and the Toolbox displays only Selection and Design tools.
Apply a Profile
1) Go to Options > Work
Environment and click Work Environment Profiles (the top item in the list at the left.) This opens the Profile Options dialog page. Profiles, choose the desired Profile. Double-click to apply the profile, or click Apply Schemes of Profile button.
For details on configuring and applying profiles, see Profile Options in ArchiCAD Help. You can save a Custom scheme as part of a profile, but the Custom scheme will be given a name when the profile is created. Schemes named Custom cannot be exported.
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The Scheme Options screen appears in the Work Environment dialog box if you have selected one of the six scheme sets from the tree structure at the left side of the dialog box. There is one Scheme Options page for each of the six schemes. For details, see Scheme Options in ArchiCAD Help.
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INTERACTION
This chapter will introduce you to ArchiCADs basic operations. It has three main sections: Navigation, Editing Concepts, and Techniques.
Navigation
In this section you will learn how to navigate among different windows and views of the Virtual Building. You will use zooming and panning techniques to locate and display specific areas of the project, in both 2D and 3D. You will use the Navigator to move around in the project structure to reach the window you need.
go to 3D Window: F3 go to 3D Window (Perspective): Shift+F3 go to 3D Window (Axonometry): Ctrl+F3 go to last Section window: F6 go to last opened Layout: F7
Zoom
You can zoom in on details, or use zoom out to display more elements. The Zoom control on the bottom scrollbar gives you feedback on the current zoom.
2) The predefined
To return to Actual Size (zoom at 100%), double-click the Zoom button. There are several techniques you can use to achieve Zoom effects:
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Save Zooms
You can save different zooms for further use by clicking the arrow pop-up button in the bottom scrollbar of the active window. The pop-up menu commands allows you to access, rename and delete predefined zooms. Home zooms are not included in the list of saved zooms.
Fit in Window
You can size your view to accommodate all the currently visible construction elements. This provides a good way to check whether you have placed something in the far corners of your window by mistake during numeric input or a multiply operation. Choose the View > Fit in Window command or click the corresponding shortcut button on the bottom scrollbar of the active window. Listing windows have an additional shortcut in their bottom scrollbar allowing you to Fit the Width of the generated list to the current window size.
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Pan
Use the Pan function to scan the worksheet as a whole, usually to display elements or details that do not fit in the current view. Enable the Pan function, then move the cursor to move the view around in the window along with the cursor. With Pan Button: Click the Pan button on the bottom scrollbar of the active window. Click into the active worksheet and pan it by moving the Hand cursor with your mouse. The whole on-screen area will move, while the current zoom level is preserved. If you have a three-button mouse, you can use it for panning by pressing down the middle button while moving the Hand cursor over the worksheet. With Wheel Mouse: If you have a mouse with a scrolling wheel, you can use it for panning by pressing the wheel continuously while moving the Hand cursor over the worksheet. With the numeric keypad (Windows only): Press the following keys: 4 (left), 2 (downwards), 6 (right), 8 (upwards). (Make sure Numbers Lock is off.) The up/down and left/right keys achieve the same result. With the Navigator Preview Palette
To display the Navigator Preview Palette, click the shortcut button in the bottom scrollbar of any window ; or use Window > Palettes > Navigator Preview. For 2D Windows, the Preview Palette displays a miniature copy of the entire contents of the current view. The frame inside the Preview Palette represents the active window at its current zoom. Use this frame to zoom and pan within the Preview Palette; this has the same effect as zooming and panning in the active window, while simultaneously giving you an overview of the entire window contents. When previewing a 2D window in the Navigator Preview, you have the following zooming and panning options: To change the location of the frame, drag its enclosed area with the Hand Cursor (this lets you pan in the active window).
To change the size of the frame, drag its sides or corners (this has the effect of zooming in and out within the active window).
At the bottom of the palette, the plus and minus buttons and a sliding switch are additional zooming techniques: they allow you to zoom the current view in and out. Clicking the buttons increases the zoom level in about 10% increments.
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At the bottom right corner, a pop-up menu contains three options for controlling the zooming techniques of the Navigator Preview. The default is Real-time zoom: as you move the cursor, the zoom is adjusted. Auto zoom will adjust the zoom after you finish moving the cursor. Double-click to zoom means you must double-click or press the Go button at top right to execute the chosen zoom. Use Redraw Preview if you have made changes in the current window that are not yet reflected in the Navigator Preview.
Note: The 3D Navigation controls familiar from earlier versions of ArchiCAD can be accessed by choosing Window > Toolbars > Classic 3D Navigation toolbar. For more information, see Classic 3D Navigation Toolbar in ArchiCAD Help. The 3D Navigation commands are available only in the 3D Window.
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To enable this or any other dialog box you have marked as do not show, use the Enable all informational messages command at Options > Work Environment (bottom of menu).
the Up arrow brings the model closer to you while the Down arrow moves it further away.
If you are in Orbit mode, you cannot edit the model. Click ESC to exit Orbit mode and return to editing mode.
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Or you can change the view cone, using the sliding switch or the small icons at its ends, in 5 degree increments For Axonometric (parallel) projections, the 3D Navigator Preview has two pop-up menus at the bottom right. From the left button, choose one of the 12 predefined projections to quickly switch to that view. (These are the same predefined axonometries available from 3D Projection Settings). To customize the projection, use the right-side pop-up button, then move the small camera icon inside the Preview window to set up a custom view.
In the image below, we turn the building around simply by clicking and dragging the camera represented in the Navigator Preview Window.
If you choose Show from Side view from the Preview options pop-up, you can easily re-set the camera height relative to the stories of the project: just click in the Navigator Preview and move the camera up or down.
For detailed information, see The 3D Navigator Preview Palette Controls in ArchiCAD Help and 3D Projections on page 172.
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3Dconnexion Enabler
The 3D connexion Enabler is an add-on functionality that allows you to use your 3Dconnexion device for navigating in ArchiCADs 3D window. If you are using a 3Dconnexion device, use one of the two options at View > 3D Navigation Extras > 3Dconnexion: Camera mode: Move the device to navigate in the model by moving the camera position. Object mode: As you move the device, the model is moved accordingly. The camera viewpoint is fixed, while the model moves.
To switch from one map to another, click among the four buttons at the top of the Navigator. The palettes title bar indicates which map is currently displayed. The Navigator item currently open in the window is shown in bold. The Navigator has special features for shared projects: for more information, see View Maps and Publisher Sets in Teamwork on page 464.
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If you would rather open a new window by default each time you open an additional view or layout (from a menu or by double-clicking in the Navigator), change the window-opening default preference in Options > Work Environment > More Options.
If it is hidden, choose Window > Palettes > Navigator, or click the Navigator icon from the horizontal scrollbar at the bottom of the ArchiCAD screen.
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Use the Navigator Publisher Sets to set up the items you want to publish, and set the publishing method and format. Each Publisher item refers directly to a View or to a Layout (in effect, the Publisher item is a shortcut to the View/Layout).
The following diagram summarizes the project workflow as reflected in the maps of the Navigator:
The Auto-Hide command is found in the Navigator/Organizer palettes context menu (right-click in the gray area at the top of either palette.) Click the desired map icons on both sides of the Organizer to bring up one of the three modes of the Organizer: The Organizers title bar shows the name of the right-side tree structure.
View Editor mode (Project Map on the left, View Map on the right): Save views by selecting a viewpoint from the Project Map and clicking Save view , or drag and drop it into the View Map.
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Note that the Project Map is available only on the left side. Certain combinations are not possible, and ArchiCAD will always adjust to one of the three possible Organizer modes. (For example, if you choose the Publisher on the right, then the left side will switch from Project Map to View Map, because you cannot place items directly from the Project Map to the Publisher.) It is possible to have the same map open on both sides of the Organizer; this enables you to make copies of items within a single map. When you click any item in the Navigator/Organizer, its preview is displayed in the Navigator Preview palette (if applicable). Double-clicking the item activates the corresponding window. For more information on the Navigator/Organizer interface, see Navigator Palette Controls and Organizer Palette Controls in ArchiCAD Help.
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Items of the Layout Map are colored white. In Teamwork mode, public View Map and Layout Book items that you havent shared yet by sending and receiving changes are colored green . In Teamwork mode, items belonging to other team members include a head icon .
Info Help
Double-click a viewpoint to open it in the project. Once you save a viewpoints settings, it becomes a view (listed in your View Map) and can then be placed onto a Layout for editing. At the top level of the project map hierarchy, the house icon represents the project and is followed by the project name. (The project gets a name once you save the project file, but if you assign a Project Name in File > Info > Project Info, that is the name that will be shown in the Navigator.) Below, folders store the available viewpoints of the project (one folder named for each type of viewpoint). Project Map folders are a fixed list of item types; you cannot add or delete folders here. You can display the contents of each folder by clicking the plus sign in front of it (in Windows) or the little arrow (in MacOS). In Windows, double-clicking the folder icon or name also opens the folder. The Stories folder contains all the Stories defined for the project. When you first start a new project, your Stories folder contains three items, whose names will vary depending on the local version of ArchiCAD being used. The Sections, Elevations, Interior Elevations, Worksheets, Details and 3D Documents folders contain the list of corresponding windows. If there is no plus sign in front of a folder, this means that no such viewpoint has been created yet in the project. The Detail, Section, Elevation and Worksheet viewpoints have different icons depending on the type of viewpoint (e.g. Independent; Independent with Marker, etc.). The 3D folder contains five types of elements for the various projection and camera types. By default, two items are present on starting the project: Generic Perspective and Generic Axonometry.
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When you place Cameras in the Project, their names appear in the 3D folder of the Project Map, grouped under the Path. The Path can be renamed in the Camera Settings dialog box, and more Paths can be added. All these additions and changes are updated in the Project Map. Creating a VR Object-type Camera automatically adds its name to the Project Map. All the created VR Object type Cameras are listed one by one. Creating a new VR Scene automatically adds its name to the Project Map. Placed panoramic Cameras names appear below the name of the VR Scene, and more Scenes can be added. All changes are updated in the Project Map. Double-clicking any of the items of the Project Map activates the corresponding window and shows its contents with its last used zoom and display settings. (These zoom and display settings can be checked in the Quick Options palette.) For more information, see Quick Options Palette on page 74. When you have set up the viewpoint settings as desired, you can save it as a view. Remember, a viewpoints settings change along with edits in the window.
The Schedules folder contains the interactive schedules (Elements and Components) created as part of the project documentation that will serve as a basis for ordering doors, windows, and other construction elements from the manufacturers and for checking the consistency of elements based on a set of criteria. The Project Indexes folder contains three sets of table of contents type items. Project indexes include view list indexes, layout sheet indexes and drawing list indexes based on a set of filtering criteria. For more information, see Project Indexes on page 217. The Lists folder contains three items: Elements, Components and Zones. When opened, all three show the list of predefined list schemes available for the project. All these items also appear in the Document > Schedules and Lists menu. For more information, see Calculation on page 449. The Info folder contains two items: Project Notes and Report. They represent the corresponding windows also available from the Window menu. For more information, see Project Notes in ArchiCAD Help and Report Window in ArchiCAD Help. If you click an item with the right mouse button, a set of relevant commands appear in a context menu (for example story-related commands for Stories or 3D-related commands for Perspectives).
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Choose the folder to clone from the list at the top of the dialog box. The rest of the controls are identical to those of the View Settings dialog box. The settings you define here will be applied to the views of the cloned folder. Click Clone to create the cloned folder. For more information, see View Settings Dialog Box in ArchiCAD Help.
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The resulting cloned folder in the View Map will be identified by a special clone folder icon , rather than a regular folder icon. Another way to create a clone is to drag the folder from the Project Map to the View Map, using Ctrl+Shift (Windows) or Opt+Cmd (MacOS) within the Organizers View Editor. The result of cloning a folder is that for each new viewpoint you create in the Project Map, a counterpart new view will be created in its cloned folder in the View Map. For example, if you have cloned the Project Maps Stories folder, then the cloned folder in View Map will always show all Stories of the Project, even new ones added after the creation of the clone folder. Moreover, the newly created views in the cloned folder will be assigned View Settings that are defined for the clone folder. The following two diagrams illustrate the difference between views in regular folders in the View Map (which are not affected by changes in the Project Map structure), and views in cloned folders in the View Map (whose contents change in tandem with changes in the Project Map viewpoints.)
Setting up a View
To set up a new view, open the project in the appropriate window (Floor Plan, Section/Elevation/IE, 3D Document, Detail, Worksheet, 3D, Interactive Schedule, or List) and adjust any or all of its settings as needed. For example, you can change the scale and layer combination to fit your output needs, in one of the following ways: in the active window, using the usual editing commands changing the options of the Quick Options Palette, which always show the settings of the currently active (frontmost) window in the Organizer, using the View Settings and Storing Options at the bottom of the Project Map
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Dimensions Zooming Image Settings (for 3D Window views): these include 3D projection settings (including zooming), filtered elements in 3D, 3D window settings, 3D cutting planes, 3D Cutaway and PhotoRendering Settings. Existing selection (3D only)
Saving a View
To save the view, do one of the following: Use the Organizer to drag and drop the viewpoint from the Project Map into the View Map. The current settings are saved as view settings. Click the Save Current view button at the bottom of the View Map. (The View Settings dialog box appears, allowing you to modify the settings before saving the view.)
See View Settings Dialog Box in ArchiCAD Help. Once you save the view, it will store the combination of the following settings: Layer Combination Scale Structure Display Pen Set Model View Option Combination Floor Plan Cut Plane Select the Viewpoint in the Project map, then right-click and execute the Save Current View command. (The View Settings
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dialog box appears, allowing you to modify the settings before saving the view.) Drag and drop the viewpoint from the Project Map into the Layout Book. The current settings are saved as view settings.The new view will appear both in the View Map and in the Layout Book. Use the Save View and Place on Layout command, available in the active windows context menu, the items context menu in the Navigator/Organizer, and as a command in the Document menu. The current settings are saved as view settings.The new view will appear both in the View Map and in the Layout Book.
If you wish, you can save the current window settings as a view: Click Settings to open the View Settings dialog box, then click Get Current Windows Settings. See View Settings Dialog Box in ArchiCAD Help.
If you have opened a saved view from the View Map, and if, while working in the active window, you have changed any of its View Settings, a triangular yellow warning icon will appear at the bottom of the Navigator, next to the changed settings, alerting you that The settings in the frontmost window no longer correspond to the original view settings. For example, the image below indicates that the current windows zoom and layer settings are different than in the saved view.
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Tree by Subset (the default display) lists layouts according to the Subsets you have created - a freely defined logic. (The primary function of Subsets is to enable you to assign a customized numbering system. See Subsets on page 426.) Tree by Master lists the Layouts in categories according to its Master Layout. See Master Layouts on page 425. At the bottom of the Layout Book, the Properties section displays the settings of the current Layout, some of which are editable directly. To access the Layout Settings of the selected Layout placed Drawing, click the Settings button at the bottom of the Layout Book. Drawings are accompanied by icons that correspond to their file type. Views imported from ArchiCAD project files retain their icons (for example, floor plan or detail) but are shown in white. For more information on creating and outputting Layouts, see The Layout Book on page 422.
in the Publisher are the output format and related options (these are accessible in the Format panel at the bottom of the Publisher).
Navigator Publisher
Use this map of the Navigator/Organizer to set up the items you want to publish, and set the publishing method and format. You can access this palette from either the Navigator or the Document > Publisher > Publish menu command. Each Publisher item refers directly to a View or to a Layout (in effect, the Publisher item is a shortcut to the View/Layout). The View or Layout Properties of the item are displayed at the bottom of the Publisher, but are not editable. The only additional settings controlled
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. You define Publisher sets by simply dragging and dropping any combination of items from the View Map or the Layout Book. Publisher sets are stored with the project, so you can access them any time, adjust settings if needed, and re-publish them. By clicking the Publish button, you can publish a single set or all defined publishing sets or even selected views. See Publisher Function on page 442.
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Layout Book of the active project by dragging and dropping it directly onto the Layout, or dragging the item into the Layout Book tree structure on the right side of the Organizer.
Project Chooser
Projects accessed in the Navigator/Organizer are listed in the Project Chooser (the pop-up menu at the top left of the Navigator/Organizer) as follows: Active: Your current project. Linked: An external project from which you have already added a view or layout to the active project. Running: An external project which you have accessed and browsed as a separate instance of ArchiCAD.
Also in the Project Chooser, you can show the Navigator or Organizer, and display the Drawing Manager.
Editing Concepts
To open the external project in the ArchiCAD window, double-click any of its items in the Navigator. To place layouts or views from an external ArchiCAD projects onto a Layout of the active project: Make sure you have a Layout open (the Layout onto which you want to place a view or Layout from an external project). Click the Browse command in the Project Chooser. Choose an ArchiCAD project whose content you want to use in the active project. Click Open. To aid you in editing the elements of your Virtual Building, ArchiCAD has built-in interface features that give you constant feedback as you edit. Selection methods and related feedback ensure that you lose no time in choosing the right element to edit. The Coordinate System ensures that you always find the exact location for placing and editing elements. The intelligent cursor gives you feedback as you draw, so that you avoid drafting mistakes and join elements properly. Setting up your grids is another way of ensuring that element placement is exact. Keyboard shortcuts and context-sensitive Pet Palettes make it easy to reach the commands you need while editing.
The external project is now displayed in a tree structure on the left side of the Organizer, in one of two available map options (View Map or Layout Book). You can add any of its views or layouts to the
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Selecting Elements
With the Arrow tool active: Point at the desired element and click; or drag the mouse to draw a rectangle around the element you want to select. With any other tool active: Press Shift, then point at the desired element and click; or drag the mouse to draw a rectangle around the element you want to select. For more information on cursor shapes, see The Intelligent Cursor on page 82.
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With the second method , only elements that are entirely within the selection polygon or rectangle will become selected.
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In the case of GDL Object type elements, the number of selection dots depends on the number of hotspots defined in the object.
Selection Feedback
Selection Dots
Explicitly selected elements display selection dots (or reference points). Selection dots represent the points of the element by which you can modify the element. Note: Elements selected by Marquee do not display selection dots. For more information, see Marquee Area on page 85. The location of the selection dots depends on the type and the geometry of the element.
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Editable selection dots are diamond-shaped and appear on objects whose parameters can be edited using an on-screen parameter palette. For more information, see Graphical Editing Using Editable Hotspots on page 318. Grouped elements display larger circles, whose color is automatically assigned.
Elements that belong to a Hotlinked Module or an XREF are shown with hollow squares, whose color is automatically defined. Locked elements selection dots appear in faded form. Elements are locked (and display locked selection dots) in four cases: The element is placed on a locked Layer. The element has been explicitly locked with the Edit > Locking > Lock command. In a shared Project (Teamwork), the element is outside your own workspace. The elements belong to a Hotlinked Module or an XREF.
Even if you leave the Selection Highlight function on, you may want to disable it temporarily - for example, if you want to see the actual display colors of lines and fills. To suspend Selection highlight, use the Ctrl/Alt + spacebar shortcut. Note: Surface highlights in 3D are available only when using the OpenGL 3D engine.
In all cases, locked elements can be selected, but they cannot be edited. (You will be informed of this if you try to edit a locked element.) You can open the settings dialog boxes of these elements, but you cannot edit their parameters.
Selection Highlight
Selected elements will be shown with a distinguishing highlight, in addition to selection dots. Selection highlight color (for both element surfaces and their contours) are configurable in Options > Work Environment > Selection and Element Information, or you can turn off selection highlights altogether.
For more information, see Selection and Element Information in ArchiCAD Help.
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Note: If the Arrow tool is active, the highlight appears on its own, without your having to press Shift.
cursors right before you complete the parameter transfer. You do not need to press Shift to see the element detection highlight with Parameter Transfer. For more information, see Parameter Transfer on page 139. Note: These highlights (identifying related elements for Parameter Transfer and Dimensioning functions) will appear if the Highlight contours of related element(s) checkbox is active in Options > Work Environment > Selection and Element Information. For these highlights, you need not press Shift.
When working in 3D, you will notice that the informational highlight acts on the entire outline of the element, that is, even hidden lines of its contour are shown. Grouped elements are highlighted individually. Element information highlights can be configured, or even turned off entirely, in the Options > Work Environment > Selection and Element Information dialog box. For more information, see Selection and Element Information in ArchiCAD Help. Element Information highlights also work when clicking to dimension an element, and with the Parameter transfer functions (Pick Up Parameters and Inject Parameters commands): the information highlight appears along with the eyedropper/syringe
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The elements basic properties (structural fill for Walls, name for Objects, thickness for Slabs, type for Lines, and so on) The elements elevation (for 3D shapes only) The elements Layer In 3D and Section/Elevation/IE and 3D Document windows, the Story the element belongs to. In Teamwork, the owner of the element.
Heavy Mercedes on the reference line of a wall or the reference axis of a beam. Light Mercedes Intersection at any other edge of any element. at an intersection of edges.
Some additional information is displayed in the bottom section of the pop-up: If more than one element has a selectable part at the given location (node, edge, or surface if Quick Selection is active), the caption Multiple Elements (TAB) is shown in the Info Tag to inform you that you can cycle through selected and selectable elements by hitting the TAB key as many times as needed. If the element is selected, the mention (Selected) appears in brackets.
Element information highlights, including the time interval before it appears on screen, can be configured in the Options > Work Environment > Selection and Element Information dialog box. For more information, see Selection and Element Information in ArchiCAD Help.
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pencil. It then changes its shape again depending on whether it encounters other elements. The possibilities are as follows: White pencil in an empty space or over any element where there is no hotspot or edge Striped pencil with black top beams reference axis. Striped pencil at a walls reference line or a
Filled pencil at a node on a walls reference line or on a beams reference axis. Filled pencil with white top Pencil point with intersection at any other node or hotspot. at an intersection of edges. at a perpendicular
Pencil point with perpendicular sign edge. Pencil point with tangent sign
at a tangential edge.
When using the Arrow tool, the following shapes are available: Arrow at empty area in the window. Quick Selection (Magnet) appears whenever you move the cursor onto a quick-selectable item. Arrow with Heavy Checkmark snaps to nodes on reference lines of Walls and reference axes of Beams. Arrow with Light Checkmark snaps to Hotspots and nodes other than the ones on reference lines of Walls and reference axes of Beams. Arrow with Heavy Mercedes snaps to reference lines of Walls and reference axes of Beams. Arrow with Light Mercedes snaps to edges other than reference lines of Walls and reference axes of Beams. Arrow with Intersection snaps to an intersection of edges. Arrow with Perpendicular sign snaps perpendicularly to an edge or arc while dragging an element
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Some cursor shapes only appear in special situations: indicates empty space over the horizon in perspective
Hammer places Dimension chains, Angular Dimensions, the Elevation Dimension array, Zone Stamps and Fill areas; it also appears when closing polygons. Trident pasting. moves Marquee area or the Clipboard contents after
Magic Wand used for tracing the contours of existing elements for creating new elements with the active tool. It has three different shapes for identifying nodes , edges and empty space (including surfaces). Scissors trims elements (hold down the Ctrl/Cmd key while clicking on an element). The Black Scissors appear on top of element edges, while the White Scissors indicate empty space. Eyeball defines the direction of Roof s slope, the side that remains selected when splitting elements, the depth of Limited Sections and the orientation of Doors/Windows. It is also used to set the position of curved walls and Curtain Walls placed with the tangential method, when more than one placement possibility exists. Double Eyeball Door/Window. locates position of edge-placed
During a dimensioning operation: Magnet plus dimension-line icon: In a 3D Document, after clicking the points to be dimensioned, this cursor allows you to choose the plane in which to dimension the clicked elements. Mercedes plus parallel dimension icon: During a linear dimensioning operation using Any Direction, allows you to choose a line or edge. The dimension will be created parallel to this clicked line/edge.
Deselecting Elements
To deselect one or more selected elements, do one of the following: Press Esc. Click with any tool (including the Arrow) on an empty part of the worksheet to deselect all the selected elements at once. Click a selected element while holding down the Shift key. With the Arrow tool active, hold down the Shift key, and click or draw a selection rectangle around the elements you want to deselect.
Sun appears during Curtain Wall input to define the outside part of the Curtain Wall. Eyedropper appears when picking up parameters from an element as part of Parameter Transfer shortcut. Syringe appears when transferring parameters of one element to another as part of Parameter Transfer shortcut. Plus when dragging, rotating or mirroring a copy of an element. Double-Plus an element. Fill Handle fill is placed. when dragging or rotating multiple copies of prompts you to draw a vector orientation after a
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(layers and pencolors) for a collection of dissimilar element types simultaneously without affecting any other settings of these elements. For details, see Edit Selection Set Dialog Box in ArchiCAD Help.
Detail and Worksheet windows, Layout windows, and the 2D Symbol window of GDL Objects. In image-type windows (PhotoRendering or picture windows) or the GDL Objects 3D view, the only operation available for a marquee selection is Copy. To use the Marquee tool for selection and editing, you must first define a rectangular or polygonal Marquee area. All construction aids are available.
Marquee Area
About Marquee Areas
The Marquee tool is used to define areas for selection, editing and visualization purposes. The capabilities of the Marquee tool complement those of the Arrow tool, and are particularly useful in selecting and moving groups of ArchiCAD elements. A Marquee area does not display selection dots on the included elements; the marqueed area is shown by a dashed line of marching ants. The color of the Marquee is the same as that of Selection dots: set this color at Options > Work Environment > Selection and Element Information > Selection Dots and Marquee color. Marquee selection is often used when: You wish to define a smaller area in which to select all of the elements of a given type. You want to visualize a particular part of the design in 3D. You need to move or resize a number of elements of different types at the same time: for example, you can stretch all polygonal and linear elements of a building simultaneously.
If you inadvertently start to draw the Marquee area at an unintended point, press Esc (or the Cancel button in the Control Box). If you click a node or an edge inside the Marquee area, with the Marquee tool active, the cursor will assume the Checkmark or Mercedes shape. If you then move the cursor, the Marquee area will be moved with all the nodes or edges included in it. All polygonal or linear elements with a node included in the Marquee area can be stretched simultaneously.
For a detailed description, see Modifying Element Sizes on page 123 and Moving Elements on page 113. If you click inside the Marquee area without touching a node or an edge, the cursor will assume the Trident shape. In this case, moving the cursor will only move the marquee, leaving all enclosed elements unchanged.
The Marquee tool is available in the Floor Plan, the 3D Window, Section/Elevation/Interior Elevation windows, 3D Document,
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The Polygonal method defines a Marquee area consisting of any number of segments. Completing a segment automatically begins the next one. Close the Marquee by double-clicking the last endpoint, by clicking OK in the context menu to close the polygon, or by drawing the last endpoint on top of the first one and clicking when the Hammer cursor appears. At least two segments must be defined manually, since the area must have a minimum of three sides. Only straight segments are possible.
The Rectangle method defines a Marquee rectangle at right angles to the window. After the first click, a rubberband line rectangle will follow the cursor, allowing you to see the area. After the second click at the diagonally opposed corner, the Marquee rectangle will appear.
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The Rotated Rectangle method defines a Marquee rectangle placed at any angle. You first draw one side of the rectangle with two clicks, and then, with a third click, you define the length of the perpendicular sides. The first three methods available in the 3D Window are extensions of the Polygonal, Rectangle and Rotated Rectangle methods. First the base of the marquee area is defined with the same steps as on the Floor Plan. (In perspective view, the marquee base must be underneath the horizon.) Then you define the height of the selected space. The coordinate axes are continuously present on screen to help you.
For more information, see Copy/Paste Marquee Area from Project Window on page 88.
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Removing a Marquee
To remove a drawn Marquee area, do one of the following: Press Esc. Click with the right mouse button or Ctrl-click (MacOS), and choose the Remove Marquee command in the appearing context menu. Begin drawing a new Marquee. Double-click on the worksheet outside the marquee area with the Marquee tool selected.
If you are copying from the 3D window using the Internal Engine, a dialog box appears during the Copy operation giving you options for how the image will be displayed on the screen. For more information, see Copy Dialog Box in ArchiCAD Help. Note: If you are copy-pasting construction elements, they will be placed as 2D elements (points, lines and fills.) You may find that the exploded 2D elements generated from the model often contain superfluous elements (extra line segments, overlapping or superfluous fills) that make such editing difficult. To make editing easier, use the The Linework and Fill Consolidation functions on selected items in the window. For more information, see Consolidating Lines and Fills in Drawing Windows on page 153.
If you have explicitly selected further elements within the Marquee, pressing Esc will deselect these elements in reverse order, and finally remove the Marquee. If you choose another tool, the Marquee area will not be removed, in order to save the recent Marquee area for further use.
5) Position the image on your Floor Plan using the Trident cursor. 6) Click outside the selection rectangle to complete the operation.
- Elevations are pasted to the Floor Plan as full-sized 2D elements. - Parts of Model Pictures are pasted as screenshots.
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With your ArchiCAD project file open, open any image format file. Click and drag (only the Marquee tool is available) to select the desired image area, then copy it to the clipboard. Close the image file, then paste the clipboard contents into the open project.
You can modify it like any other figure. For more information, see Figures on page 386.
With the Marquee tool active, click on one of the elements hotspots and drag/stretch to a new location. In the following illustration, the Marquee tool is used to drag two sofas and a table from one room to another all at once.
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Origins
About Origins in ArchiCAD
In ArchiCAD, as in any coordinate system, all measurements are made in reference to an origin. The location of the origin is always interpreted as (0, 0). ArchiCAD defines three coordinate system origins:
In this image, the corner of the selected column (marked with an X) is the Edit Origin; its coordinates are (0, 0). In Floor Plan and other 2D views, the origin is always marked by a bold X. In 3D Views, the origins and their X, Y and Z axes are displayed with bold black lines. The lines are 1 meter (approx. 3 ft.) long.
location which remains fixed for the life of your Project. The Project Origin of the coordinate system, marked with an X, is close to the lower left corner of the Floor Plan window, when using the default view of the default template. (The Coordinates Palette shows the coordinates as (0, 0). temporary aid to drafting and measurements. By default, the User Origin is located at the Project Origin. However, the User Origin can be moved to any location, allowing you to reset the zero point to any location. This is often helpful when you need to draw elements with respect to existing walls, slabs or other components. In this image, the User Origin is reset to one end of the selected wall; it is marked with an X; its coordinates are (0, 0); the Project Origin is also visible, but dimmed. Note: When a User or Edit Origin appears, the Project Origin remains visible in the same color as the construction grid.
temporary; it appears only during drafting and editing operations and is used to display the distance and angle of a rubberband line from the starting point of a drawing operation.
At any location by using the User Origin button from the Standard toolbar (or the Coordinates
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palette, if it is displayed). This method allows you to move the origin where nothing is currently drawn. Click the User Origin button, then click at any point in the window. The origin is instantly relocated there. To return the User Origin to the Project Origin, double-click the User Origin button in the Standard Toolbar.
Creating the User Origin in blank space places it without changing its elevation. Note: If you are using Gravity, a newly placed element will gravitate onto the Roof/Slab/Mesh below it - it will be placed at that elevation. See Elevation and Gravity on page 108. Note: If the element was placed in a 2D window, it will also have a home story value. If you prefer, you can redefine a placed elements elevation reference to its Home Story - instead of the User Origin - using the pop-up in the Tool Settings dialog box.
By default, the Tracker only appears On -demand: that is, during coordinate input and editing operations. Another way to show the Tracker if you have not yet begun element input: use the n shortcut. The Tracker will pop up and display the cursor position. Alternatively, choose the Always option to display the Tracker continuously. This means that the Tracker will follow your cursor even if you are not inputting anything, providing feedback on the cursor position.
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To deactivate the Tracker, deselect the Tracker toggle icon on the Standard toolbar, or hit the n shortcut. Tracker options (including colors, contents and behavior) can be set in Options > Work Environment > Tracker and Coordinate Input. Some Tracker options are commands accessible from the pop-up arrow next to the Standard toolbars Tracker toggle. For more information, see Tracker and Coordinate Input in ArchiCAD Help.
As a rule, the parameters in the Tracker (will be listed in order of relevance, with D/A coordinates followed by X, Y and Z coordinates. By default, the coordinate values are Relative values. (If you prefer Absolute values, deselect the Relative Coordinates in Tracker toggle command; this command is enabled by default, except during editing/input.) If you have activated the Expand Tracker Automatically option from the drop-down Tracker menu, then all the parameters will be shown as soon as you enter the Tracker (by entering a value or by pressing Tab). Note: The same option, Expand Tracker automatically during numeric input, is also available as a checkbox in Options > Work Environment > Tracker and Coordinate Input. Otherwise, if you want to expand the Tracker, enter the Tracker by pressing Tab, then click the arrow at the bottom of the Tracker to expand it.
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Origins on page 90). This means that they always display the
A temporary dashed line is drawn between the origin and the cursor to indicate that you are using absolute coordinates.
horizontal (X), vertical (Y), distance (D) and angular (A) distance or position of the cursor from the User Origin.
You can also activate fields by clicking them or typing the shortcut of the corresponding field. If the Tracker is displayed in its compact form, typing the shortcut for a hidden parameter will display it. To enter numeric coordinates, type the shortcut of the desired coordinate (X, Y, Z or D/R or A) immediately followed by the value you intend to assign to it, for example X3 or Y-4. The + prefix is optional for positive values. You can type coordinate values in any order. Note: This input method works if the Coordinate Shortcuts prefer Tracker box is checked in Options > Work Environment > Tracker and Coordinate Input. This is the default setting. The other way to enter coordinates is through the Coordinates Box (enable it using Window > Palettes > Coordinates).
For information on Elevation values, see Elevation Values in the Tracker on page 109.
The selected value is highlighted. At this point, you have several options: To enter another coordinate value, type another shortcut for the desired coordinate, then enter a value. To complete the element you are drawing, press Enter or click the checkmark icon in the Tracker. To fix the value of a coordinate, click the crosshair icon in the Tracker. The edited element will then jump into this position and, if Guide Lines are active, this will also display Guide Lines of the currently available type at this location to help you continue the input. To cancel the last operation, press Esc. Return to graphic input by typing the name of the edited coordinate again or by mouse-clicking anywhere in the worksheet.
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You can also perform additions or subtractions from the current value by typing a + or sign after the value. For example, typing x3+ will add 3 to the x value shown in the Tracker box. Notes for users of U.S. dimensions: Two dashes are required for subtraction of whole feet because the first dash is interpreted as an indication that inches are to follow. When 3 is entered, ArchiCAD assumes you mean three feet. Typing 36, 36", or 3-6 will enter three feet, six inches.
Coordinates can be copied and pasted using the clipboard. The Cut, Copy and Paste menu items are inactive during numeric input, so you must use the standard shortcuts or the context menu. It is possible to enter a whole series of coordinates one after the other in the Tracker when drawing chains of elements (Walls, Beams, Lines, etc.). As soon as you have finished drawing the first element, the Edit Origin is immediately transferred to this endpoint, which becomes the starting point of the second element and is therefore given the x=0, y=0 value when working with relative coordinates.
You can combine coordinate input by fixing the value of a field and then editing the value of another one.
If this box is unchecked, angle values are shown from 0 to 360 degrees. Use angle relative to the active Guide Line: If you check this box, angle values in the Tracker will be shown relative to the active Guide Line. (You must first activate a Guide Line for this to work.) For information on all these options, see Tracker and Coordinate Input in ArchiCAD Help.
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To use the Measure Tool, activate its icon in the Standard Toolbar, or use the M shortcut. Click on a starting point (the top left corner of the rectangular wall, in the image below) and start to trace the wall. The Tracker displays the horizontal, vertical and radial distance measured from the starting point, as well as the angle.
then hit Enter to transfer this value into the appropriate field of the Tracker.
You can Measure any number of segments in sequence: each click represents a new starting-point from which the next distance will be measured. After two or more clicks, the Tracker also shows a cumulative distance and the area (shown by a temporary gray area on screen). The image below shows the Measure tool feedback after three clicks, as you approach the last corner of the rectangular wall.
Grids can be defined separately for the Floor Plan and any individual Section/Elevation/IE, 3D Document, Detail/Worksheet, or Layout window. Note that, in Floor Plan window, the same Grid settings will be used for all Stories. Grids are not available in the 3D Window. Note: You can also create, place and use custom local structural grids of different sizes and shapes using the Grid Tool. For a detailed description, see The Grid Tool on page 404. The Construction Grid is used to reflect any characteristic spacing of your Project. The Construction Grid can also be used to define the foundation footings or the column grid of a building. Like the printed grids on traditional graph paper, the Construction Grid adds a visual orientation and sense of scale to the Floor Plan and the Section/Elevation/IE, 3D Document, and Detail/Worksheet windows. The Construction Grid is normally visible on the Floor Plan, but you can turn it off with the Grid Display toggle command in the View > Grid Options hierarchical menu or in the Standard Toolbars Grid pop-up menu.
You can also use the Measure tool while creating elements. When you start drawing a Wall, for example, you can activate the Measure tool on the fly, measure (or even edit) a value with the fields it displays and
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Depending on your projects layout, a rotated version of the construction grid may be more helpful than the default orthogonal one. Define the Rotation Angle in the View > Grid Options > Grids and Background dialog box. You can also define a rotated grid by hand: first, choose Set Rotated Grid from the Standard Toolbar, then draw a vector on screen or click on an existing straight segment: this vector will represent the rotated grid angle relative to the horizontal axis.
To display the rotated version of your Construction Grid, click the Rotated Grid button in the Standard Toolbar grid menu or the Coordinates Palette. The Construction Grid can be optionally enhanced with an Auxiliary Grid, which is also visible on the screen and is defined in View > Grid Options > Grids and Background. The Auxiliary Grid is often used to indicate the thickness of concrete walls or foundation footings, and can be used to create periodic or stepped grids.
The Snap Grid is an invisible grid - if you enable the Grid Snap function (see below), you can make the cursor snap to the nodes of this Snap Grid. When defining your Snap Grid in the Grids and Background dialog box, you will usually enter the smallest unit of measurement relevant to your Project. You can set different horizontal and vertical Snap Grid increments, allowing you to reflect the unique geometry of your Project. The Snap increments you define here can also be used for the Nudge shortcut - to easily move any element by a small defined factor, using a keyboard shortcut. See Nudging Elements on page 114. If the Grid Snap function is enabled, the cursor will snap to the nodes of either your Construction Grid or your Snap Grid, depending on what you set as your preferred option. See Grid Snap Function on page 97.
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Guide Lines
About Guide Lines
Guide Lines are 2D drafting aids which help the user find special points and projections while editing and drafting elements, using the geometry constraints of existing elements. The cursor can snap to Guide Lines, and special snap points can be placed on them. Some Guide Lines are extended from existing element edges/arcs; others pop up temporarily while you move the cursor. In some cases, multiple Guide Lines are offered, allowing you to choose your preferred Guide Line and have it remain on screen. Guide Lines are available in all 2D windows (Floor Plan, Section/Elevation/IE, 3D Document, Detail/Worksheet, Layout, GDL Object 2D Symbol). Guide Lines are available with any tool. If a selection tool is active, they only appear when you start editing elements (Arrow) or when you are placing or moving elements (Marquee).
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To make a guide line active, place the cursor on it and wait until it becomes thicker. Only one Guide Line is active (shown in bold) at a time. Relative Guide Lines will be calculated relative to the active Guide Line.
Multi-choice guide lines appear when several choices make sense in a given situation, for example the horizonal-vertical lines appearing at element nodes (as in the image below). You can choose to make any of these lines a lasting guide line by moving the cursor onto the chosen line.
element input. (The cursor takes on the Mercedes shape.) Edge-extension guide lines will be projected. In the case of arcs, they will be extended to a full circle. If you have not yet begun the editing operation, you must move the cursor onto the Guide Line to make it a lasting Guide Line. At an element node, the multi-choice Guide Lines appear in fixed directions (Main Direction and Relative Direction) as defined in the Guide Lines panel of the Work Environment dialog box. Relative direction guide lines can be parallel, perpendicular or tangential to the active guide line or intersect guide lines.
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To constrain the cursor to the nearest lasting Guide Line, make sure that the Lasting Guide Lines box is checked in Options > Work Environment > Mouse Constraints and Methods.
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The relative guide lines are always relative to the active guide line.
Relative-direction Guide Lines: These are created relative to the active Guide Line. Incremental Guide Lines: These are displayed, during input only, at every increment of the specified angle (relative to the orthogonal coordinate system and originating from the current Edit Origin.) If you check the Relative to active Guide Line check box, these incremental Guide Lines, too, will always be displayed relative to the currently active Guide Line if any. Incremental Guide Lines are temporary (instant) only.
The following image shows multi-choice relative Guide Lines that are parallel to and perpendicular to the active Guide Line (shown in bold). Note the parallel and perpendicular signs on the Guide Lines. To make either of these multi-choice Guide Lines remain on screen as an editing aid (i.e., to turn them into lasting Guide Lines), just move the cursor over it.
Any of these Guide Line groups can also be activated/deactivated using the toggle commands from the Standard toolbar or from View > Guide Line Options. You can also use Coordinate Constraints, with Guide Lines active, to display Guide Lines which constrain the cursor to particular directions. See Coordinate Constraints on page 102. You can set default Guide Line colors for Multi-Choice Guide Lines and other Guide Lines separately (again, in the Options > Work Environment > Guide Lines tab page). For more information, see Guide Lines Settings in ArchiCAD Help.
For each category of Guide Lines (Main-Direction, Relative-Direction), you can set a time interval after which the Guide Lines will appear, so long as you keep the cursor still at an edge or node. Enter preferred time intervals in seconds on the Options > Work Environment > Guide Lines tab page. However, you can override these wait-time intervals at any time using the Force Guide Line Display command (shortcut: ). This shortcut is useful if you are at a node with several sets of multi-choice Guide Lines available, and you want to see a different set without waiting the specified interval.
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These settings will enable you to use Guide Lines to place a wall that is at a 30-degree angle from the perpendicular of the first wall. First, draw a simple straight wall and place the cursor on it until the guide line extending it appears. Move the cursor over the Guide Line to make it active. Then place the cursor at the end of the wall and wait until a new guide line appears, perpendicular to the active one. Move the cursor along this guide line and click at the point where you wish to start a new wall. Move the cursor at a roughly 30 degree angle from the permanent guide line. You will see a new guide line appear at exactly 30 degrees. Start drawing a new wall along that line and click to finish.
The horizontal-vertical set aligned to the rotated grid The fixed angle set
The fixed angle set can be set relative to the rotated grid or the main grid. A practical use for the fixed angle orthogonal set would be aligning multiple elements with a roadway. In addition, you can check one or both Guide Line constraint options: Nearest Instant Guide Line Lasting Guide Lines
Mouse Constraints
ArchiCADs Mouse Constraints are like having a computerized T-square and triangle available while drafting in the Floor Plan. They are editing aids that can be used as an alternative to Guide Lines, although most users will prefer to use Guide Lines in 2D windows. For more information, see Guide Lines on page 97. The angle pairs they define can be used to lock the cursor at a particular drawing angle, by pressing Shift during input. The mechanism can only be engaged while drawing or editing an element, as indicated by the thick rubberband line shown in the Floor Plan or the ghosted element contour shown in the 3D Window. It temporarily locks the cursors polar angle value in the Coordinates Palette using one of the angle pairs defined in the Options > Work Environment > Mouse Constraints & Methods dialog box. For more information, see Mouse Constraints and Methods Dialog Box in ArchiCAD Help. Three orthogonal angles/angle pairs can be specified: The horizontal-vertical set aligned to the main grid
2) Click to start drawing an element. 3) Move the cursor from this starting
point and hold down the Shift key. ArchiCAD will search for the closest enabled constraint direction.
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These options allow you to best align the element under construction with other already existing elements. To switch among these options:
1) Display the Control Box. (Window > Palettes > Control Box) 2) Draw an input vector on screen. 3) Press Shift to enable a constraint.
The Cursor Snap Variants pop-up is now active in the Control Box. Move your cursor to this pop-up and choose the cursor snap variant you need. For more information on setting Control Box options, see Control Box in ArchiCAD Help.
Coordinate Constraints
You can lock a cursor coordinate and thereby restrict the movement of the cursor by pressing Alt (Windows) or Opt (MacOS) and either X, Y, A, or R/D on the keyboard. If Guide Lines are active: Alt/Opt + X produces a vertical Guide Line.
constraint direction, click the cursor again to place the endpoint of the element. Since the direction remains locked, you can align this endpoint with other elements using the projection mode of the cursor.
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To unlock the constraint, just press the same key combination (e.g. Alt/Opt + X) again. If Guide Lines are inactive, the locking function works the same way, but you will not see the Guide Lines. Another way to lock a coordinate during input is to choose the Lock to Guide Line command from the context menu, if you have already snapped to a Guide Line.
draw a temporary reference line using the cursor. (The reference edge/line will not be shown as selected; a newly drawn reference line will not remain visible on-screen.)
Note: The Control Box is not visible by default. To show it, choose its name from the Window > Palettes menu. For more information on Control Box options, see Control Box in ArchiCAD Help. These Relative Construction Methods are described below. Exception: The Special Snap Vector method is described here: Special Snap Points on Temporary Vector on page 107.
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You can either start drawing the new element before activating the Angle Bisector method and defining the reference vectors, or the other way round. Before using Angle Bisector constraint, make sure that Grid Snap is disabled.
Click the Angle Bisector icon, then define the reference vectors by either clicking on two existing element edges or lines, or drawing two temporary lines. (The reference edges/lines will not be shown as selected; the temporary lines will not remain visible on-screen.) The mouse is constrained to the bisecting angle between the two reference lines. Before you actually draw the element, the cursor is already constrained, and you can see a small black dot move along the line that would be drawn at that angle.
As for any other constraint, you can use remote cursor snap to define the other endpoint of the drawn line.
completed by a double-click. When it is completed, a rubberband outline will appear, starting from the endpoint of the polyline and running perpendicular to its last entered segment.
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When hitting the Cancel button in the Control Box, you terminate input by omitting the offset element you are just drawing.
7) Click where you want to start drawing your new element. The
element will be constrained to the intersection line. Finish drawing the element in the usual way.
Using the Constraint when Creating New Elements 1) To use the constraint, first activate the 3D Window. 2) Choose the tool for the element you wish to add. 3) Adjust your User Origin if necessary. 4) Choose and activate the
Align to Surface Relative Construction method in the Control Box. element to.
5) Click on any surface in the 3D view you want to align your new 6) A black dot will appear on the selected plane at the height of the
current User Origin. The dot will follow the cursor constrained to the intersection line of your reference plane and the User Origin plane.
Using Align to Surface with Existing Elements 1) Activate the 3D Window. 2) Adjust the User Origin if necessary. For more information, see Origins on page 90. 3) Select the element you wish to edit. 4) Choose the Edit command you wish to execute, e.g., stretch an
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5) Click a reference point or edge to start editing. 6) Select the Align to Surface modifier icon in the Control box and
activate the constraint as described above.
When one of these selection dots encounters a node, anchor point or edge of another element where the cursor changes its shape to indicate a special relation, that selection dot becomes larger showing that the element is attracted to the sensitive point. You can then click to join the two elements without having to place the cursor at the actual joining point. If more than one snapping point touches an eligible point on the other element, you will see that these turn black. You can use the spacebar to cycle through possible points. Click when the one you need is displayed with the larger empty square.
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Note: The Control Box is not visible by default. To show it, choose its name from the Window > Palettes menu. Special Snap Points can be defined either on the entire length of a linear or circular element or element edge, or on a segment closed by two intersections.
Distances and percentages are always calculated from the endpoint that is closest. The toggle commands in the Standard Toolbars Special Snap Points menu allow you to disable the feature or to enable it along the entire element, or between intersection points (Icons in the Control Box serve the same function.) Note: The Control Box is not visible by default. To show it, choose its name from the Window > Palettes menu. The temporary nodes behave as hotspots. The cursor will change to a Checkmark when held above them. Special points only appear temporarily and will disappear by default after about 5 seconds. You can start drawing new elements from these points or use them for editing other elements in relation to them. Note: Although Special Snap Points (if enabled) will disappear on their own after a set interval by default, you can opt to have the snap points remain visible until you either place an element or change to another view or story: disable the Autohide Special Snap points checkbox in Options > Work Environment > More Options. Special Snap Points include: Halving points Division points (up to 20, set manually) Points located at a given distance from an endpoint or at a specific percentage of the distance between two endpoints (entered manually)
To define division points and custom distances, use the Set Special Snap Values command from the menu in the Standard Toolbar.
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The Edit Origin is relocated to the place of the generated special snap point.
Cursor Snap Range can be set between 1 and 9 pixels. 3-4 pixels is a comfortable setting, but at small zoom levels you may hit hotspots that you did not wish to snap to. If you have good pointing skills, use 1 pixel and you will not be forced to zoom in. Cursor Snap Range will also help you to automatically snap to special points including the section points of existing lines or edges, perpendicular projections from the Edit Origin to existing lines or edges, and tangential points of the rubberband line along existing arcs, splines, curved edges, etc. The cursors shape informs you about the type of special point ArchiCAD has found.
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When placing a new element in a 2D model window, its elevation value can be set in the Tool Settings dialog box. This elevation can be measured in several ways: from the level of the current story (Story 0, in the image below):
See Set Home Story on page 161. When placing a new element in the 3D window, its elevation, defined in the Tool Settings dialog box, is measured from the User Origin. You can reset the User Origin to any elevation, then place a new element whose elevation is measured from this level. For more information, see User Origin in the 3D Window on page 91. When placing a new Wall, Column, Beam or Object-type element, the Gravity function lets you place it directly on top of an existing Slab, Roof or Mesh, thus taking on the elevation of the element it is placed on. For more information, see Gravity on page 110. Note: The elevation of wall openings is strictly determined by the current values in the Door and Window Settings dialog boxes. For more information, see Door/Window Tool Settings in ArchiCAD Help.
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For more information, see Reference Levels on page 110. To determine which reference level the Trackers elevation (Z) feedback should use:
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In this image, a wall (with Gravity on) is being placed on top of a slab whose elevation is 400; the walls Z-coordinate in the Tracker, accordingly, is shown as 400.
Reference Levels
3) Choose the desired reference level.
Gravity
Gravity helps you place Wall, Column, Beam and Object type elements relative to the elevation of a Slab, Roof or Mesh. If Gravity is on (activate Gravity icon), newly created elements will be placed on top of (i.e., gravitate to) the Roof, Slab or Mesh beneath them, depending on which Gravity option you choose. Level Dimensions placed with Gravity On on top of Slabs, Roofs or Meshes are associated to them. To choose an option, use the Gravity controls in the Standard toolbar or the icons of the Coordinates palette.
You can define two optional Reference Levels that will help you position elements. This is done in the bottom section of the Options > Project Preferences > Working Units & Levels dialog box. Select a levels name and modify it as you like, then type the value you need in the Elevation field. In this example, we defined the two reference levels in addition to Project Zero: the top of the property, at 400 meters, and Sea level, at 200 meters below Project zero.
You may find it easier to calculate levels (in this dialog box) by switching the zero value to another level than Project Zero. You can do so by simply clicking in the Relative to field next to the levels name. Note: Gravity only affects newly created elements and cannot be used for editing existing ones. If you are using Gravity to place a Wall, Column, Beam or any Object-type element onto a slab, roof or mesh surface, you can monitor the changes in elevation (Z) values in the Tracker (or the Coordinates Palette). When several slabs, roofs or meshes overlap, the highest elevation value is displayed. Note: Reference Levels are display and input aids only. Changing their value has no effect on placed elements, whose actual elevation is always calculated from Project Zero.
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The newly defined Reference Levels are now available in the Absolute Base Height fields of the Geometry and Positioning Panels of construction and object-type elements. See also How to Place a Construction Element in ArchiCAD on page 218. Reference levels can also be used as reference levels for showing elevation (Z) values in the Tracker.
Pet Palettes
A pet palette with relevant commands appears with most on-screen editing operations. The contents of the pet palette depends on the following factors: The selected element The part of the element you choose to act on (edge or node) The active window
Move your cursor over the icons to read the tool tip for each one, and click on the icon for the function you need. You can change your mind and choose a different function from the pet palette as long as you have not completed the editing operation with a second mouse click. The pet palette automatically disappears when the operation is finished. For more information on customizing pet palette functions, see Dialog Boxes and Palettes in ArchiCAD Help.
Techniques
This section describes: basic editing techniques how to move and modify placed elements the Magic Wand function to transform existing shapes into a new element the Virtual Trace function, using Reference views to easily compare and contrast different parts of the model Line/Fill Consolidation - to clean up superfluous lines and fills in drawing-type windows.
1) 2) 3) 4) 5)
Cancel current operation entirely (during input) If nothing is selected: Remove Guide Lines, if any Deselect selected item(s), if any Remove Marquee selection, if any If nothing is selected: Switch to Arrow tool Warning: Pressing Backspace with any items selected will delete those items!
During input, pressing the Backspace key will cancel the operation.
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Cut
The Edit > Cut command removes selected elements from a Project and places them on the Clipboard for future use via the Paste command. It can also be used for dialog box or Coordinates Palette numeric field contents. Note: The Cut command is not available in the 3D Window. The selection can be made with either the Arrow or the Marquee tool, or by Shift+clicking. If you cut a construction element from a Model-type Section/Elevation/IE window or a 3D Document, the element is also cut from the Floor Plan. In Text type windows, you can use the Cut command as in any word processor.
You cannot create new construction elements in Section/Elevation/IE or 3D Document windows using either Cut/Paste or Copy/Paste. The Paste command is not available in the 3D window. When you are pasting with a multiple story marquee, an alert appears asking you to identify the copied story to merge to the current one.
Copy
The Edit > Copy command puts the selected construction or text elements on the Clipboard, but the selected elements are not removed from the original document. The selection can be made with either the Arrow or the Marquee tool, or by Shift+clicking. You cannot create new construction elements in Section/Elevation/IE or 3D Document windows using Copy/Paste. (The only exception is if you use the Drag a copy command to move a Door/Window, in a model-type Section window.) In the 3D window, the Copy command is only available with the Marquee tool. See Copy Cropped Image File with Marquee Tool on page 88. If you Cut/Copy and then Paste a selection between stories at the same zoom level with no Panning operations in between, the contents of the Clipboard are pasted into the same position they were originally cut or copied from. If there are several possible options for locating the pasted Clipboard contents, the Paste Options dialog box appears. (The dialog box appears if the pasted elements cannot appear in their entirety in the Window at the current zoom level, or if it is possible to locate the pasted elements relative to either the Active view or a Reference view.)
Paste
Use Edit > Paste command to insert the contents of the Clipboard onto the current Project or a text Window. When pasting cut elements into a Section/Elevation/IE, 3D Document or Detail/Worksheet window, the elements are pasted as drawing primitives (points, lines and fills).
Fore more information, see Paste Options Dialog Box in ArchiCAD Help.
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Undo/Redo
The Undo and Redo commands allow you to undo (revert to a previous step) and redo a large number of construction operations. The name of the command to be undone is displayed in the menu along with the Undo or Redo command. This capability also allows you to test tentative solutions by trying them out until you arrive at the desired result. The number of steps that can be undone and redone (from 1 to 99) is set using in the Options > Work Environment > Data Safety dialog box (Undo Limit). The default value is 20. After redoing a series of steps, Undo will only be available when you complete a new undoable action. All model and drafting operations can be undone step by step, chronologically, regardless of the model or drawing view they were performed in. In text type windows, only the last editing step can be undone/redone. (Text-type windows include all Listing windows created with the Calculation function, GDL script windows, Project Notes, and Report windows.) Important: Operations involving Navigator/Organizer items (such as drag and drop between Navigator maps, deleting items from a map, or adding items to the Publisher set) are not added to the undo queue, and are not undoable. Note: Each time you save the Project, your previously available Undo steps will be cleared. In case of a crash, Autosave will save your Project. Autosave does not clear the undoable steps.
For more information, see Story Settings Dialog Box in ArchiCAD Help.
The Clipboard can be used not only to hold ArchiCAD elements for pasting, but also to import bitmap graphics and other types of information. You can paste multi-line texts from word-processing applications into ArchiCAD. If you have copied items from an external application, you have several options - depending on the type of copied item - for pasting them into ArchiCAD. For more information, see Pasting Dialog Box in ArchiCAD Help.
Delete
The Edit > Delete command removes selected items from Project or text Windows. The deleted elements are not preserved on the Clipboard. They are easily retrieved by Undo. The keyboard equivalent of Delete is hitting the Backspace or Delete key. Deleting construction elements in any model window (Floor Plan, 3D, model-type Section/Elevation/IE, or 3D Document) will also clear these elements from all the other windows. Note: Deleting any additional (i.e. manually added) elements from a model-type Section/Elevation/IE window or a 3D Document, or any elements from a drawing-type Section/Elevation/IE window will leave all other windows unchanged.
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Moving Elements
You can move elements individually or collectively. You can nudge them in increments; you can drag, rotate or mirror them along a horizontal plane and through vertical displacement, that is, by changing their elevation values. To move elements, you can: Select them and choose the corresponding menu command from the Edit > Move menu (with any tool active in the Toolbox) or
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the Move commands in the context menu of a selected elementas with the selected column in this image:
In the 3D window, Nudge will move the element left, right, forward or backward on a horizontal plane. In Section/Elevation/IE windows, Nudge To Nudge a selected element in larger increments, use Shift + Alt + an arrow key. This will move the selected elements by the distance entered for your Construction Grid in View > Grid Options > Grids & Background.
With any tool active, click on a node and then choose the desired shortcut in the appearing pet palette.
Nudging Elements
A quick way to move elements on the screen is to use the Nudge feature: select one or more elements, then use Shift + an arrow key to move the element left, right, up or down. The Nudge factor - the increment by which you will move the element - is the same as the distance entered for your Snap Grid in View > Grid Options > Grids & Background. See The Grid System on page 95.
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Dragging Elements
To drag an element, do one of the following: With Quick Selection: click on the elements surface and drag it to its new position. Select the Element; select the Edit > Move > Drag command, and draw a temporary vector anywhere in the active window: the element will be dragged to its new location according to this vectors length and direction. Select the element, select the Drag icon then drag the element. from the pet palette, All selected elements are moved to a new location. Single elements are accompanied by a ghost outline or boundary as you move them. Selections containing grouped elements appear as a greyed bounding box as you move them.
Select the element, then access the drag command with the context menu or using the Drag command shortcut (Ctrl+D).
To move a wall, select it, then take hold of it anywhere on its surface and drag it with the cursor to its new location. (The accompanying pet palette shows the Drag command activated.)
These functions will also work when several elements have been simultaneously selected. All of the selected elements will be dragged along the same vector. In the image below, we select a wall, table and chair, and drag them all at the same time to their new position.
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Note: In 3D, dragging can also change the elevation of the selected elements. To constrain the movement of the elements to the horizontal plane, activate the horizontal-vertical angle pair in Options > Work Environment > Mouse Constraints and Methods, make sure the Drag Horizontally icon is active in the appearing pet palette, and keep the Shift key pressed while dragging the elements. For more information, see Mouse Constraints and Methods Dialog Box in ArchiCAD Help.
Rotating Elements
To rotate an element: Select the Element. Select the Edit > Move > Rotate command (or Move > Rotate from the selected elements context menu). Alternatively, click again on a node or edge of the selected element to bring up the pet palette, then choose the Rotate command . Or use the Ctrl (Cmd) + E shortcut. Click to define the center of rotation of the selected elements. Click to define the starting point of the rotation arc and its radius.
You can rotate selected elements in the Floor Plan or in the 3D Window, and drawing elements only in Section/Elevation/IE, 3D Document, and Detail/Worksheet windows. Even in the 3D Window, rotation is always performed across a horizontal plane.
Mirroring Elements
Mirroring creates a mirror image of selected elements on the Floor Plan or in the 3D Window. To Mirror an element: Move the cursor and click to complete the rotation arc. Select the Element(s) you want to mirror. Here, we want to place the table and chairs in the facing direction, at the other side of the room.
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Notes: Any number of Doors and Windows can be mirrored at a time. The mirrored Door/Window will always be in line with the wall that contains the original. Select the Door/Window; click once. This click is the axis of the mirroring action. Text, Line arrowheads and Dimensions will not be mirrored, only their bounding box. Mirrored Text blocks, Labels, Dimensions and Fill polygon area labels are always readable from the bottom and the left side of the drawing. Zone stamps cannot be mirrored.
Select the Edit > Move > Mirror command, or choose the Mirror command from the context menu or the pet palette . Define the mirroring axis with two clicks, as if you were drawing a Line.
Elevating Elements
The Elevate command allows you to move selected elements vertically along the Z axis. Use Edit > Move > Elevate. To elevate an element in the Floor Plan and Section/Elevation/IE windows: Select the element. Choose the Edit > Move > Elevate command, or the Elevate command from the pet palette. This brings up the Elevate dialog box. Type the value by which you wish to raise or lower all selected elements Click OK.
This command is well-suited to changing the elevations of large numbers of similar elements (i.e., walls, landscaping objects, floor tiles, and lighting fixtures). It is the best way to preserve the vertical relationships between objects while moving them. Note: In the Section/Elevation/IE window, you can also elevate elements simply by clicking and dragging.
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In the 3D Window, click an element node (Arrow tool active) and choose the Elevate icon from the appearing pet palette, and then graphically move the selected elements up and down.
The Align commands are only active if you have selected at least two elements. When using the Align commands, the expression right refers to the rightmost element on the x-axis in the window you are looking at (e.g. Floor Plan, Section, 3D). The expression left refers to the lefthand direction on the x-axis. Similarly, top means the element with the highest y-coordinate in the current window, and bottom is the element with the lowest y-coordinate. ArchiCAD identifies an elements right/left/top/bottom/center point according to an (invisible) bounding box around the element. For example, suppose you want to align the following Corner Table object with other furniture: ArchiCAD will use the centerpoint of the tables bounding box (here, illustrated in red):
Align Elements
About the Align function
Use this menu (Edit > Align) to align selected elements with each other, or to a custom-drawn target line, using a variety of criteria: Align elements right or left; Align elements to the top or bottom; Center elements vertically or horizontally; Special-align elements to any point on an existing element, or to a temporary line/arc drawn by you.
Note: If you want to use a different anchor point of the elements you are aligning, use the Special Align options (Edit > Align > Special Align). See Special Align on page 120.
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Select all three windows and use Edit > Align Left. Right: If you choose Edit > Align > Right, all selected elements will be aligned to the rightmost bounding-box point of the element located farthest to the right. In the illustration below, the arc wall is the rightmost element; the rest of the walls (their rightmost points) are aligned to the rightmost point on the arc walls bounding box.
Left: If you choose Edit > Align > Left, all selected elements will be aligned to the leftmost bounding-box point of the element that is located farthest to the left. In this example, we want to align the three windows shown in Section view.
Top/Bottom: If you choose Edit > Align > Top or Bottom, all selected elements will be aligned to the topmost (or bottommost) point on the element that is the top (or bottom) element of the selected group. In the example below, we want to move up the window on the left, so that it lines up with other two windows.
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To achieve this, we select all the windows, then use Edit > Align > Top to obtain the desired result.
Special Align
The options in Edit > Align > Special Align give you great flexibility in lining up selected elements. You can choose which point to align, and you can choose what to align the elements to: a temporary line/arc drawn by you, or any existing line/edge.
Center Horizontally: If you choose Edit > Align > Center Horizontally, ArchiCAD will determine the selected elements top and bottom y-coordinates, and then align all the elements horizontally (using each elements centerpoint), along a horizontal line halfway between the top and bottom elements. Center Vertically: If you choose Edit > Align > Center Vertically, ArchiCAD will determine the selected elements leftmost and rightmost x-coordinates, and then align all the elements vertically, along a vertical line halfway between them. For example, in the following Floor Plan, we will center the selected furniture vertically.
In this example, we wish to align the selected tree objects to the edge of the garden path.
Go to Edit > Align > Special Align and choose the Nearest Point option: each tree will line up along the path using each trees bounding box point that falls closest to the path. Choose the Click an existing line or element edge option. Click OK to close the dialog box, then click the edge of the path (here, the edge of the mesh). The trees line up along the path.
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To ensure they are all distributed evenly, select all the windows and use Edit > Distribute > Along X.
Distribute Elements
Use this menu (Edit > Distribute) to evenly distribute selected elements using a variety of criteria:
Along Y: The two selected elements at either end (vertically) will remain in place; the rest will be evenly distributed between them. For example, suppose you want to distribute chairs evenly against the back wall of the room. Select them, then use Edit > Distribute > Along Y.
The Distribute commands are only active if you have selected at least two elements. Along X: The two selected elements at either end will remain in place; the rest will be evenly distributed between them. For example, suppose you have three windows distributed evenly along a wall.
As a result of a design change, the wall is lengthened and you add two more windows.
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Along XY: The two selected elements at either end (at top left and bottom right) will remain in place, and the rest will be distributed evenly along an XY diagonal. For example, you have nine desks in the classroom placed roughly in a V formation. To distribute the desks precisely, select a group of 5 desks and use Edit > Distribute > Along XY. First group: Suppose you want to distribute potted plants in a circle around a hexagonal soil holder object:
Use Edit > Distribute > Special Distribute. Choose the Draw a line or arc option, then click OK to close the dialog box. Click to start drawing and choose the Arc by centerpoint pet palette option. You will create a temporary circle around the hexagonal object. As you complete the circle, the potted plants will be distributed around it.
Special Distribute
The options in Edit > Distribute > Special Distribute let you choose which point to distribute and along what to distribute the elements: a temporary line/arc drawn by you, or any existing line/edge.
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In some cases, only the pet palette is available. Some general considerations: You cannot stretch Hotspots, Cameras or Detail Markers. Some GDL Object type elements are programmed to allow only specific sizes, or include smart editing hotspots to edit their shape graphically. Stretch is available for most types of selected elements in both the Floor Plan and the 3D Window. Only drawing elements can be stretched in the Section/Elevation/IE, 3D Document and Detail/Worksheet windows. The Stretch command cannot be used on polygonal elements, but you can stretch their edges or displace any of their nodes graphically.
Stretching Walls
To stretch/shrink straight walls with the menu command:
1) Select a wall. 2) Choose the Edit > Reshape > Stretch menu command, or the
Stretch command from the pet palette.
3) Click the reference line endpoint and move it. 4) Click again to either define the new endpoint as an extension (or
reduction) of the previous length or define an entire different new location. The wall is stretched or shrunk and, if needed, rotated according to the new endpoint. The other endpoint will remain at its original position. Note: Multiple Walls, Lines and Arcs with overlapping endpoints can all be stretched at the same time with the Stretch menu command, or by using the Marquee. For more information, see Stretching with the Marquee Tool on page 128. When using the pet palette:
For more information, see Shortcuts in ArchiCAD Help. For more information, see Pet Palettes on page 111.
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2) Click one of the walls reference line endpoints. The pet palette
appears. Choose the stretch icon.
See also Stretching or Shrinking Lines on page 379; Stretching Objects on page 316.
Click to define the new endpoint. You can stretch a curved wall by using a special angular or radial stretch commands. See Stretching Curves on page 380. To stretch a Trapezoid wall, you can use the special Stretch Trapezoid Wall command from the pet palette: this will increase/decrease the width of the wall proportionally as you stretch it from either end.
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In Section view, you can use the same functions. (Modify Slant Angle is possible only if the walls reference line is perpendicular to the section line.) In Section view, the Trackers Distance field provides a way to edit the wall inclination using its offset (e.g. Distance) value.) In addition, you can edit double slanted walls: If you elevate the top or bottom surface of the double slanted wall, the angles of both lateral surfaces will change If you elevate the height of one side of the wall, both lateral surface angles remain unchanged (and the top surface may be reduced to zero thickness) You can modify the slant angle of Columns graphically on the Floor Plan as well as in 3D.
Modifying Beams
To stretch/shrink beams using the pet palette:
The next two methods work on double-slanted walls in Section view only if the Section line is perpendicular to the wall. If you move the top surface horizontally, both lateral surface angles will change while the top thickness remains constant If you move one of the top nodes of the double slanted wall horizontally, the angle of the surface on that side of the wall will change as will the top thickness, while the opposite surface angle will remain unchanged. Click to define the new endpoint. To stretch/shrink beams with the menu command:
1) Select a beam.
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2) Choose the Edit > Reshape > Stretch command. 3) Click the reference line endpoint of the beam and move it. 4) Click again to either define the new endpoint as an extension (or
reduction) of the previous length or define an entire different new location. The beam is stretched or shrunk and, if needed, rotated according to the new endpoint. The other endpoint will remain at its original position.
To modify the inclination (slant) angle of an inclined beam, select it on the Floor Plan or in the 3D Window. Choose the Modify Angle command from the Pet Palette. Drag the beam graphically to the desired inclination angle.
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In the example below, the chained Wall on the right needs to be moved a bit further away while keeping its connection to the two horizontal Walls. Select all three Walls, click anywhere on the edge of the Wall on the right and choose the appropriate icon from the pet palette. Click when you are satisfied with the new distance.
Select the polygon, and click a node (or reference line endpoint). Choose the offset option in the pet palette. A ghost contour of the proportionally increased or reduced polygon follows the movements of the cursor. Click when you are satisfied with the new polygon size.
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Click to finish drawing the new shape, which will be automatically added to the original one. The process is the same for subtracting a shape from a polygon, but you will choose the icon with the - sign (Subtract from Polygon).
The shape of all linear elements that have one of their endpoints inside the Marquee area, and polygonal elements that have nodes inside the marquee area, will be stretched along this vector. Note: If you dont want to stretch an element whose node is inside the Marquee, lock the element (select it, then use Edit > Locking > Lock; or lock the elements layer.).
You can also use the Magic Wand for adding/subtracting a polygon shape.
If all the nodes of a polygon are inside the Marquee area, the polygon will be dragged instead of stretched. Stretching nodes in a Marquee area is not available in the 3D Window. Columns, Objects and Lamps cannot be stretched with the Marquee. If any of their hotspots fall inside the Marquee area, the whole object/column will be dragged along when the Marquee area is repositioned.
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When stretching Arcs or curved Walls with the Marquee, their central angle (i.e. the arc/chord ratio) will remain unchanged.
value into any one of the resize ratio fields. (Make sure the Define graphically checkbox is unchecked.) Resize ratio: Use any one of the three ways to define the resize ratio you want. (If you enter a value in one field, the other two will be filled in automatically.) Resize wall, column thickness: For walls, columns and beams, the thickness will be resized as well as the length/height. Resize library parts: Any selected library parts will be resized. Resize all text entities: All texts and labels are resized. Resize all arrows and markers: The size of all arrows/markers are modified.
Stretch Height
In the 3D, Section/Elevation and IE windows, you can modify the height of selected elements graphically with Stretch height command of the pet palette. Click a node of a selected element and choose the vertical stretch icon in the pet palette. A ghost contour of the element follows the cursor. Click to set the new height of the element.
3) Click OK.
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Note: You cannot split a polygon - such as a Roof element - with an arc. Note: You can split a Curtain Wall with another Curtain Wall, but you must use the Split Curtain Wall command. See Split Intersecting Curtain Walls on page 307.
1) Select the elements you wish to split. 2) Choose the Edit >
Reshape > Split command.
3) Draw a temporary
splitting line, or click on an existing Line, Arc, Wall or polygon edge. of the splitting line/arc/edge with the Eyeball cursor.
1) Open the Resize dialog box. 2) Check the Define Graphically checkbox. 3) Draw a transformation vector to define both the resizing ratio
and the location of the resized elements. Note: Resizing does not affect grouped elements. To resize grouped elements, ungroup them first or choose Suspend Groups.
Note: When splitting walls, the split takes place at the point where the splitting line intersects with the reference line(s) of the selected elements.
Splitting Elements
You can split many selected elements (Walls, Beams, Lines, Slabs, Roofs, Meshes, Fill and Zone Polygons, Lines, Arcs, Polylines and Splines) along a line segment, arc or element edge. The Split command is available in the Floor Plan and 3D Window, and - for drawing elements only - in Section/Elevation/IE and 3D Document windows, and Details and Worksheets.
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Splitting is also available in the 3D Window. You can split the selected element with a vertical plane into two segments. This feature works the same way as on the Floor Plan. The splitting line is drawn in the plane of the User Origin. Note: When no elements are selected, the Split command will let you split a wall at the clicked location along any of its sides or reference line.
Adjusting Elements
Use the Adjust command to extend or trim the endpoints of selected Walls, Beams, Arcs and Lines to a Line, Arc segment or element edge.
1) Select the elements you wish to adjust. 2) Choose the Edit > Reshape > Adjust command. 3) Draw a line segment, or click an existing line, wall, polygon edge
Cmd (MacOS) key and click the edge you wish to use for splitting/adjusting.
or arc/circle. The endpoints of the selected walls and lines will be adjusted (lengthened or shortened) to meet the drawn or clicked line or curve. Only those elements will be affected that intersect (or would intersect) with the chosen line/arc/edge.
1) Select the two elements (they must be of the same element type).
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Chamfer joins the endpoints of two straight segments with a straight segment, cutting off corners.
Enter a radius for the fillet/chamfer. (The chamfer does not have a radius, but it will be drawn as the chord of arcs of the specified radius.) Note: If filleting the arc with the current radius would extend any of the neighboring vertices, the radius will be limited automatically so that the filleting arc contains the closer neighboring vertex.
Click OK. Note: The Fillet, Chamfer and Intersect commands are not effective on grouped elements, unless Suspend Groups is on (See Suspending Groups on page 140.) Lines are adjusted depending on whether or not they intersect; if they do not, a new length is determined in order to make an intersection or to meet the fillet or chamfer.
Choose either Fillet or Chamfer: Fillet joins the endpoints of two straight segments endpoints with an Arc.
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To apply the Fillet/Chamfer to a single node of the polygon, click on that node and use the pet palette command to open the Fillet/Chamfer dialog box.
1) 2) 3) 4)
Select the element. Click an edge of the element to bring up the pet palette. Choose the Insert new node icon . Click to define the location of the new node.
To insert a new node without moving it, double-click on a polygon edge. (The Insert node option must be active in the pet palette.) Note: You cannot add a new node to a curved element or segment; if you click Insert new node on a curved element, the curved element will be straightened out.
For example, here we will trim part of the beam - the part that falls between the first two walls on the left.
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If you reposition a node so that the polygon edges intersect each other (but no connecting edge is eliminated), the polygon will be split.
If you merge a node to a remote node (that is, not a neighboring one), the smaller part of the polygon will be deleted.
When repositioning a bent edges endpoint, the arc segment will be stretched in a way that its central angle (the arc-chord ratio) remains the same.
With the Fillet function (use the Fillet/Chamfer pet palette icon ), you can replace a polygon node by a tangential arc whose radius can be set in the Fillet/Chamfer Radius dialog box. For a detailed description, see Create a Fillet or Chamfer on page 132.
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Note: If the bent segment of a polygon intersects any of the other polygon edges, ArchiCAD will regularize the polygons shape, which may result in cutting the polygon into several parts.
construction element. Consequently, it will disappear from other model views (model-type Sections, Elevations, IEs, 3D Documents). After an Explode function, you may wish to fine-tune the view before final output. You will find, however, that the exploded lines and fills often contain superfluous elements (extra line segments, overlapping or superfluous fills) that make such editing difficult. To make editing easier, first use the The Linework and Fill Consolidation functions on selected items in the window.
To straighten a curved element edge, select the curved element, then select the Insert New Node command from the pet palette.
For more information, see Consolidating Lines and Fills in Drawing Windows on page 153. Some examples: Slabs, Roofs and Meshes are decomposed into lines. Walls and Columns are decomposed into Lines and Fills (Doors and Windows inserted into Walls are also exploded). Doors and Windows (if selected without the Wall they are placed into) are decomposed like GDL Objects into 2D elements and are replaced by empty hole type openings. Dimensions are decomposed into Lines, Texts and the basic elements of arrowheads (Lines, Circles, Arcs, Fills). Polylines are decomposed into Lines and Arcs. GDL Objects are decomposed into basic 2D drawing elements. In Section/Elevation/IE and 3D Document windows, cut construction elements cannot be exploded. Section/Elevation/IE lines and Cameras. Basic 2D elements.
Note: If Autogroup is On, the exploded elements will be created in grouped mode. Note that exploding a construction element with the first option (Keep drawing primitives only) means that it no longer exists as a
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It is also easy to use graphical editing to drag, rotate, or mirror one or more copies of a selected element, or to use the multiply function. These functions are described below.
Note: When rotating copies, they will all be placed along the same rotation axis. This feature works in both the Floor Plan and the 3D Window. In Section/Elevation/IE windows, the feature works on added drawing elements and Doors and Windows (dragging only). In Detail Drawings, you can use it on any drawing elements. In the 3D Window, Drag/Rotate/Mirror is available only for added Drawing elements. Another way is to choose the plain Drag/Rotate/Mirror command from the pet palette, then press Ctrl (Windows) or Alt/Opt (MacOS). (This adds a small + sign to the cursor; press Ctrl again to undo the Copy feature). A copy of the selected element will be dragged, rotated or mirrored. Click to place the copy., which will now be selected instead of the original.
Multiplying Elements
If you need to create a number of identical elements inside the same project following a definite pattern, for example at equal distances from each other, use the Edit > Move > Multiply command, or the Multiply command from the pet palette.
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Multiply creates any number of exact copies of selected elements on the current story, using one the following methods: Drag multiplies the copies along a straight path defined by the reference line. Rotate multiplies the copies along an arc, using the angle specified in the reference arc. Elevate stacks the copies with a vertical displacement. Note that this option is grayed when working in a Section/Elevation/IE, 3D Document or Detail/Worksheet window. Matrix will place the copies of the selected element(s) to a matrix defined by two perpendicular reference lines. When choosing the Matrix option, you need to define the number of copies for both the first and the second stroke of the matrix. Two parameters for the vertical displacement can also be set.
Distribute-1 will also space the copies evenly between the starting point and the endpoint of the reference line or arc, but the distance is divided by the Number of copies + 1 and no copy will be placed at the endpoint. Spread will place the copies of the multiplied element to equal distance from each other along the reference line or arc all the way until the reference is drawn. In this case, instead of defining the number of copies, you set the spacing in length or in degrees between two neighboring copies. Vertical displacement will define the value that is added to the elevation of each subsequent copy of the multiplied object, even during dragging, rotating or arraying the copies. Note: When multiplying the element(s) in the 3D window, the vertical displacement must be defined with a reference vector, not by a value in the dialog box. In this case, simply push a radio button in the dialog box indicating whether you need vertical displacement.
When you have defined your choices, click OK in the Multiply dialog box and perform the operation by dragging the cursor to the desired location.
In the lower half of the dialog box, the distribution options determine how the start and endpoint of the reference line will be interpreted. Increment spaces the copies by an incremental distance equal to the length of the reference line or reference arc. Distribute spaces the copies evenly between the start and endpoints of the reference line or reference arc.
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or Drawing in the Navigator, and drag it onto the Layout in the Layout Window of the current project. For more information, see Placing Drawings Onto the Layout on page 427.
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3D GDL script is only generated if the drop is made into the 3D Script window. The 2D script of the selected element can be dropped into any other text type window.
Up Parameters), the cursor takes on the Eyedropper shape. At the same time, the element is shown with an information highlight. For more information, see Element Information Highlight on page 80. The Eyedropper is: Full, when snapping to a Reference Line or axis node; Half full, when snapping to Hotspots, general nodes or selectable area; Part full, part striped when snapping to a reference line; Striped, on top of a normal edge; Empty, when the cursor is in an empty workspace area (visual feedback only). Regardless of whether the Eyedropper is full, striped, or half full, the parameter transfer will work. (An empty eyedropper does not work.) Clicking with the Eyedropper will load the settings of the given element into the corresponding tool types settings dialog box and make them the new default settings for that tool. The given tool becomes active, and, with the next click, you can start drawing a clone of a clicked element. To transfer a dialog boxs settings to an element, activate the Inject Parameters command from the toolbar (shortcut: Ctrl-Alt (Windows) or Alt/Opt-Cmd (MacOS); the cursor changes into a Syringe. (You can also activate the syringe with Edit > Element Settings > Inject Parameters.) The same variations (empty, striped, full, etc.) apply as for the Eyedropper.
Parameter Transfer
ArchiCAD speeds up the creation of new elements through a variety of shortcuts that allow you to create any number of exact duplicates of existing elements through Parameter Transfer. ArchiCAD allows you to pick the settings of one construction element and pass them to another of the same type, using one of the following techniques: keyboard shortcuts: Alt for Pick Up Parameters and Ctrl+Alt for Inject Parameters the commands in the Standard Toolbar or at Edit > Element Settings > Pick Up Parameters and Inject Parameters.
This facilitates the modification of either the default values in a settings dialog box, or the settings of existing elements, without having to select tools and open dialog boxes. The feature is available: on the Floor Plan and the in the 3D Document and 3D windows for most element types In Section/Elevation/IE and Detail/Worksheet windows, for drawing elements only You can also use a form of Parameter transfer between two library parts of the same type.
See Parameter Transfer Between Objects on page 318. When you activate the Pick Up Parameters command from the toolbar (shortcut: Alt/Opt key, or use Edit > Element Settings > Pick
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Move the syringe cursor on top of or to the edge or node of the target element, so that the target element is highlighted. (To cycle the pre-selection highlight among multiple elements which overlap or join, press Shift+Tab until the desired target element is highlighted.) Click the target element to apply the default values and attributes (Line Type, Pen Color, Material, etc.) to that element.
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In the example below, the settings of the Wall on top have been transferred to the Wall on bottom.
Elements belonging to other Stories, even if their outlines appear on the current Story, cannot be part of a group on the current Story. Edit > Grouping > Autogroup, a toggle command, lets you group elements at the same time you create them (instead of creating elements first and then grouping them). If the Autogroup command is on, chained polygonal and rectangular elements (such as PolyWalls, PolyRoofs, etc.) will automatically be created as a group. To make all elements constituting a group independent again, choose Edit > Grouping > Ungroup. In the case of nested groups, you will need to repeat this command several times until you obtain single elements only again. Grouping and ungrouping are available in all editable window types.
Notes: The attributes of the element will also be loaded into the Find & Select dialog boxs corresponding fields, provided that the dialog box is currently open and the appropriate button is active. For more information, see Find & Select Palette in ArchiCAD Help. The transferred attributes will also be pre-selected when opening any of the corresponding dialog boxes (Line Types, Pens & Colors, Fill Types, Materials, Composites, Zone Categories).
Grouping Elements
Groups are created by selecting a set of elements and then using the Edit > Grouping commands or the relevant buttons of the Arrange Element toolbar. Grouped elements can then be selected and modified as a group, unless you temporarily suspend the group to allow editing of individual elements. Grouped elements are distinguished by their large, empty selection dots. If you select several groups simultaneously, each groups selection dots will have a different color. Several groups can, in turn, be grouped together into a single higher-level group. The following element types cannot be grouped: any of the Dimension types, Zones, Labels, Section/Elevation/IE lines, Cameras. Doors and Windows can only be grouped as part of the Wall they are placed into. Only elements on the current Story can be grouped together.
Other operations (such as Unify and Fillet/Chamfer) can be performed on individual elements only, after the elements are ungrouped or the group is suspended.
Suspending Groups
You may need to perform only a single operation on a particular element in the group. In this case, ungrouping altogether is burdensome, since you will have to select all the elements again to recreate the group after you have finished the operation. The solution is to temporarily suspend groups by choosing the Suspend Group toggle icon in the Standard Toolbar, or at Edit > Grouping > Suspend Groups. (The Suspend Groups icon is also available in the Control Box.) If Suspend Groups is ON, elements that have been assigned to a group can be selected and modified separately. ALL groups are temporarily rendered inactive: single elements can be selected and edited individually, even if they are part of a complex group hierarchy.
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If Suspend Groups is OFF, groups are activated once again. Choosing Edit > Grouping > Ungroup with Suspend Groups ON will detach any selected elements from their groups and break down all groups into single independent elements, no matter how complex the nested grouping is. If the Suspend Groups switch is OFF and you choose to ungroup a selection consisting of two or more lower level groups, it will first be divided into the groups it comprises. You may need to repeat the Edit > Grouping> Ungroup command several times before an element can be selected and edited individually. Note: There is a way to change the settings of one element in a group, even if the Suspend Groups option is switched off. Go to the settings dialog of the element you intend to change (make sure nothing is selected), change the parameters and settings you wanted to change, and close the dialog box by clicking the OK button. Now click the element you want to change while holding the Ctrl+Alt (Windows)/Opt+Cmd (MacOS) keys. This will transfer the default parameters of the element type you just set to the clicked element. The changes will affect only the selected element.
Note for TeamWork users: Elements of a group may be reserved by different signed in team members, but groups still remain active. Attributes and parameters of reserved elements can only be modified by first suspending the groups. For more information on reserving elements in Teamwork, see Teamwork Techniques on page 466.
Lock/Unlock Elements
The Edit > Locking > Lock command locks the selected items to prevent them from being accidentally modified. Locked elements can still be selected and used for relative construction; Guide Lines are still available; and you can even pick up their settings through parameter transfer. Note: Locking a layer will have the same effect - it locks all elements which are located on that layer. The Edit > Locking > Unlock command unlocks the selected item(s). With the Unlock All command, you can unlock all locked elements, even if they are not selected. You can also use the relevant buttons of the Arrange Elements toolbar for these actions. For more information, see Layers on page 26. Note for Teamwork users: You can only lock items which you have reserved. Locked items cannot be reserved by others. You can only unlock items locked by you. The locking information is kept even after you have signed out from the Teamwork Project. When signed in to a Teamwork Project as the Team Leader, you can unlock all the elements locked by any Teammate. For more information on reserving elements in Teamwork, see Teamwork Techniques on page 466.
Display Order
When drawing a Project with ArchiCAD, overlapping elements will be drawn according to a specified stacking order. By default, elements are stacked in an order typically used in architectural drawings.
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By default, stacking order is determined by element classes, of which there are six. Regardless of the sequence in which elements are placed, those in the first class will be placed in the foreground, second class in the level behind it, and so on. The element classes are in descending order of class:
Bring Forward: On this command, selected element(s) will overlap all the unchanged elements of their own and any lower classes, but will still stay below the elements of higher classes. Bring to Front: On this command, selected element(s) will overlap all other existing elements. Send Backward: On this command, selected element(s) will be overlapped by (sent behind) all the unchanged elements of their own and higher classes, but will overlap the elements of lower classes. Send to Back: On this command, selected element(s) will become overlapped by all other existing elements. Reset Default Order: This command restores the default overlapping order described previously.
2) 2D artwork (Lines, Circles, 3) Library Parts (Objects, Lamps, 4) 3D structures (Walls, Beams,
Slabs, Doors, Windows, Columns, Roofs, Meshes)
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By default, the upper and lower 4 stack levels are empty. You can bring or send elements of any type into these stack levels with the Edit > Display Order commands detailed above. For example, bringing a Fill forward from level 9 to level 8, which is the default level of structures, means that the Fill will overlap all the unchanged fills remaining on level 9, but will still be overlapped by all the unchanged structures on level 8.
means that in most cases it will still be possible to place other elements above or below them. Text or Dimensions brought up to the top stack level cannot be overlapped. For example, if you want a Fill to overlap them, you will have to send the Text one level backwards. If you attempt to move elements forward that are already placed on the top level, or to move elements backward from the bottom of the stack, you will be alerted. When moving several elements placed at different stack levels forward or backward, each element will only move one level. When bringing to front or sending to back elements of different types, they will overlap (or be overlapped by) all existing elements, and will retain their stacking order in relation to each other.
If you bring it forward again, it will overlap all the remaining structures. However, it will still stay below all of the unchanged Library Parts on level 7. This way, you can move it forward until it overlaps the higher levels.
Zones and Fills are compound elements consisting of components of two different classes (Zone Polygons and Zone Stamps, Fills and their area texts). These two components always keep their order according to their classes, for instance area texts always overlap their fills. Although you can change their overlapping order separately, Fills and Zone Fills can never overlap their own area texts and zone stamps and vice versa, forcing the other component to move with them if necessary. The stacking order will be preserved on printer or raster plotter output.
Of course you can bring other elements forward as well, which will again overlap the changed Fill.
In DXF/DWG output, all elements will be transparent, meaning that hidden or partially overlapped elements will be entirely visible.
Magic Wand
About the Magic Wand
The Bring to Front and Send to Back commands move the selected elements until they overlap (or are overlapped by) all of the existing elements. This is not necessarily the 1st or the 14th level, which
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The Magic Wand saves you work by finding and tracing a linear or polygon shape from among existing elements, and then generating a new element based on the polygon. The Magic Wand lets you create special shapes that are not available for that particular tool type or would be tedious to construct segment by segment. Since it creates
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polygonal shapes by nature, the Magic Wand will ignore geometry method settings (such as Rotated Rectangle) for the current tool. When creating curved Walls and polygon-type elements based on Arcs, Circles and Splines, the approximation is based on the state of the Magic Wand Settings dialog box. See Magic Wand Settings in ArchiCAD Help. The Magic Wand works in both the 2D and 3D Windows and recognizes the following element types: Wall, Beam, Slab, Roof, Curtain Wall, Fill, Mesh, Line, Arc, Polyline, and Spline. (In Section/Elevation/IE and 3D Document windows, the Magic Wand recognizes only 2D drawing-type elements). The Magic Wand recognizes elements that are locked, displayed from remote stories or a Trace Reference, reserved by others or outside your workspace. If you click in empty space or on a surface, the Magic Wand searches for and traces the closed geometric area formed by the nearest elements (whether chained together or merely intersecting), and generates the resulting polygon. You can refine the Magic Wand function by selecting one or more elements. In this case, the Magic Wand will only take the selected elements into account when searching for chained elements or a bounded area. The new elements are not linked to the originals and can be manipulated independently. If the original shapes are superfluous, you can delete them. If Offset or Multi-Offset has been activated, you can complete the offset function after the Magic Wand has created the new polygon. If you are creating a single Roof, you must first draw a pivot line and define the slope before creating the polygon with the Magic Wand. If you are creating a Fill with a custom origin, you will first generate the polygon with the Magic Wand, then draw the fill orientation vector.
2) Activate the Magic Wand. Press the Spacebar, or click the Magic
Wand icon in the Control Box to make it appear. Note: The Control Box is not visible by default. To show it, choose its name from the Window > Palettes menu. The Magic Wand has three different shapes for identifying: nodes edges empty space and surfaces If you click on an edge or node, the Magic Wand creates a polygon by tracing that element and/or finding an element chain: it runs along that edge and traces the element chains whose endpoints fall within that edge.
All of the characteristics of the new elements are determined by the current default settings of the corresponding tool. You should always check that these are correct either before or after using the Magic
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Wand, especially if the elements are intended to have a specific relationship to each other, such as a roof resting on a Wall.
Note: Drawing a polygon hole by clicking inside the selected elements boundary with its tool active is similar to subtraction, but it lets you temporarily create a self-intersecting shape. Subtraction always creates a valid shape. For more information, see Magic Wand Settings in ArchiCAD Help.
shape. In this example we want to subtract a complex polygonal shape from a slab.
2) Choose the Subtract from Polygon icon in the pet palette. 3) Move the cursor onto the polygon that you want to subtract and
activate the Magic Wand (press the spacebar).
Virtual Trace: Using References to Edit and Compare Model Views and Drawings
About Trace References
In ArchiCAD 12, you can opt to display two different views concurrently in any model or layout window: the Active Content - the actual model or drawing you are currently working on (Active) the Trace Reference (Reference), optionally placed alongside, on top of or underneath the currently Active content. This acts as a kind of underlay, making it easy to compare multiple model views/drawings on the same screen.
4) Click to complete.
Verify that the operation has been performed by deleting or dragging away the other polygon or viewing the shape in 3D. Or select the polygon and note the contour around its hole.
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Any viewpoint, view or Layout can be a Reference beneath any active Model or Layout window: Typically, in Model Windows, you will use any of the following as a Reference: Floor Plan Section, Elevation, Interior Elevation, 3D Document Detail, Worksheet Layout, Master Layout
Any given window can display only one Reference at a time. However, as you navigate among your project windows, you can display a different Reference in each: The Floor Plan window has a single current Reference for all stories Each Section, Elevation, Interior Elevation, 3D Document, Worksheet, Detail, Layout and Master Layout can have its own unique Reference.
And in the Layout Window: For example, you can draw a roof detail in a Detail window (the Active Content) while seeing the relevant wall section as a Reference. A Section shown as a Reference next to another Section:
Reference settings are saved along with the window (for example, each Section in your project can have a Reference of a different color and filter different elements). References are also saved with the project file. The Trace Reference is essentially a temporary editing aid that is tied to the currently active window. When using the Print command to output a model window or a Layout, you can opt to print the currently visible Reference as well. However, when you place a Drawing onto a Layout, the Drawing content will not include the Reference. The user can offset and rotate the Reference as needed, though logical default Reference settings for each combination of Active/Reference views will usually align them correctly for the particular context. On-Screen View Options affect the Reference just as they affect the Active. The cursor is sensitive to elements in the Reference. Consequently: You can use the Pick Up Parameters command (Alt +C) on Reference elements, then transfer the parameters to an element in the Active. You can use the Trim command, the Magic Wand, and snap points with elements in the Reference to edit Active elements.
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Use the Trace & Reference Palette (Window > Palettes > Trace & Reference) to keep the Trace commands on screen if you use these commands often, or if you use several of the commands in sequence. Use the View > Trace Options command. Many Trace Reference-related commands are available from the context menu of an ArchiCAD window that shows a Reference: just right-click in empty space in the window, provided that no elements are currently selected.
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3D window items and list-type items) can be set as a Reference. The Reference Viewpoint will always reflect the current settings of the active window. window items and list-type items) can be set as a Reference. The Reference's view settings are independent of the active window. For example, if you change the layer combination in the active window, the Reference wont change. If a view is deleted from the view map, its Reference is no longer available.
- the Trace & Reference Palette The Choose Reference list is dynamic - the appearing choices depend on the content of the active window, and the most recent/most logical Reference choices will appear in the list. Recent References are listed at the top Other relevant References, if any, follow. If the active window is: - Floor Plan: the Choose Reference list includes three possibilities that are relative to the current story, so that the Reference will change as you navigate among stories: Above or Below Current Story will always show the story above (or below) the current story as a Reference. Previous Story will always show the last story you were on as a Reference. - Model-type Section/Elevation: the Choose Reference list includes the stories which fall into its vertical range (except if the range is unlimited). - Drawing-type Section/Elevation: the Choose Reference list includes the relevant Model Section/Elevation. - Interior Elevation: the Choose Reference list includes all viewpoints of the IE group (if any), plus the stories which fall into its vertical range (except if the range is unlimited).
or
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- Detail or Worksheet: the Choose Reference list includes their source viewpoints. Note: Independent viewpoints (e.g. an independent Section, Elevation, Detail or Worksheet) have no model source; their Choose Ghost list shows the viewpoint itself. - Layout: the Choose Reference list includes the source view (if available) of the placed Drawings. Entire Structure Display: This option will display the current view/viewpoint as a Trace Reference in Entire Structure Display form. Next in the Choose Ghost list: any Layouts containing drawings that originated with the current viewpoint.
Change you make here apply to the Reference of the current window only. However, to apply the settings in this pop-up to all References in the project, click the Apply Settings to All References button.
The chosen Reference appears in a predefined default position (appropriate to the type of the Active Content and the Reference item). You can move the Reference at any time. For more information, see Move Reference on page 149. If you choose a recent Reference, it will include any manual transformations (drag, rotate) which the user applied the last time he showed this Reference. All user-defined Reference-related parameters, such as the list of recent References and recently chosen Reference colors, are saved together with the project file.
Move Reference
These commands are accessible from the list of Reference commands; or from the Trace & Reference palette. Use this icon Use this icon to drag the Reference to another location. to rotate the Reference.
Use this icon if you want to reset the Reference to its original default position after you have moved it. Note: The same commands are available from the context menu by right-clicking into any window showing a Reference; and from the Standard Toolbars pop-up list of Reference commands.
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In the image below, a Section viewpoint is displayed as a Reference and rotated alongside the Floor Plan that contains the Section marker:
Active command (from the list of Trace Reference commands, or the Trace & Reference palette.) This changes the Reference into the Active (now you can edit its elements), and the Active into a Reference. Note: This command is not available if a Drawing Section is active and its own Model-based Section is the Reference.
2) Select, edit and/or copy the required elements. 3) Once again, use the Switch Reference with Active command
and return to the original Active content. into the Active.
4) If you copied elements to the clipboard, now you can paste these
This workflow can be used, for example, if you are working in a Worksheet window, while the Floor Plan model has changed. To update your Worksheet, display the Floor Plan as the Reference, identify the differences, switch Reference with Active, copy the updated parts you need, switch Reference and Active (again), and paste into the Worksheet window. Note: When pasting into a drawing-type window (such as a Worksheet), construction elements will be exploded into their 2D components.
Drag/Rotate commands applied to the Reference will be reflected in the Tracker's coordinate data (coordinate data are calculated according to the Active's coordinate system, not the Reference's.)
Switch Reference with Active: How to Access Elements within the Reference for Editing or Copying
Elements on the Reference cannot be selected or edited. However, by switching the Reference and Active views temporarily, you can select and edit elements in the Reference. For example, you can use the Switch Reference with Active command if you need to paste certain Reference elements into the Active view:
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is manually rebuilt. Similarly, References containing manual-update drawings will be rebuilt along with the drawing. If the Reference is an Auto-Rebuild Model, it is possible that you make changes in the Active, yet these are not reflected in the Reference, even after you navigate or pan, because - to avoid slowing down the program - you have unchecked Update Autorebuild Model Viewpoints continuously in Options > Project Preferences > Miscellaneous. Use the Rebuild Reference button when needed. If the Reference contains an Auto-update Drawing, such a Reference will not be continuously rebuilt, to avoid slowing down the program. Use the Rebuild Reference button when needed.
You may want to set two sharply different, custom colors for each of the views - say, red and blue - to make it easy to distinguish one from the other. To set the colors, use the pop-up icons (one each for Reference and Active) in the middle of the Palette. Note: Even if youve set separate colors, the background fills of one view may obscure the underlying elements in the other view.
bottom of the Trace & Reference Palette: activate this to make fills and zones transparent in both the Reference and Active views. This way you will uncover information that otherwise might have been covered up by a fill in the top view. This switch has only a temporary effect and does not affect the settings of the model elements.
Tip 2: Make Fills and Zones Transparent Note the Make Fills and Zones Transparent toggle at the
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As you drag it, the content on either side of the splitter changes dynamically.
Once you let go of the mouse button, the splitter bar returns to its original position.
Line and Fill Consolidation are separate functions and are executed independently of each other. Select the elements, then execute either the Linework Consolidation or the Fill Consolidation command. (Edit > Reshape > Linework/Fill Consolidation).
Linework Consolidation
In the window, select at least two line-type elements you wish to include in the Linework Consolidation process. Line-type elements are straight-lines, polylines, arcs and circles. Note: Linework Consolidation does not affect any line-type element having an arrowhead. The Linework Consolidation command (Edit > Reshape > Linework Consolidation) brings up the Linework Consolidation Wizard. This command is also available from the Edit Elements toolbar.
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Now page through the wizard (click Next at the bottom of every screen) and check the boxes of every Line Consolidation option that you wish to execute as part of the consolidation process. For details, see Linework Consolidation Settings in ArchiCAD Help. On the last screen, click Consolidate to execute Linework Consolidation. Following the linework consolidation, a report appears, listing the number of elements (if any) that have been deleted or merged for each type of line consolidation. At the bottom of this page, a checkbox gives you the option of using the simplified Linework Consolidations Settings (rather than the Wizard) the next time you issue the command.
Linework Consolidation Settings contains the same options as the Wizard, but all options are accessible in a single dialog box.
Fill Consolidation
In the window, select at least two fills that you wish to include in the Fill Consolidation process. The Fill Consolidation command (Edit > Reshape > Fill Consolidation) brings up Fill Consolidation Settings. Check the options you wish to execute as part of Fill Consolidation.
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VIRTUAL BUILDING
In ArchiCAD you build a real-sized Virtual Building using virtual building elements. If properly modeled, your virtual building can be used to automatically generate the necessary drawings, visualizations and calculations with minimal 2D adjustments. Use walls, openings, slabs, columns, beams and roofs to virtually construct your building, instead of having to compile drawings from lines and other 2D elements. ArchiCAD elements are intelligent: these components are not merely a collection of lines or 3D surfaces, but rather entities with a set of editable parameters. For example, a wall has thickness, height and material parameters, among others. ArchiCADs intelligent elements connect to each other automatically and are displayed in 2D according to architectural conventions. At this point, once modeling is finished, documentation becomes an effortless task. The real advantage of using the virtual building concept becomes clear when you have to modify something in your building. If you are using separate 2D drawings, you have to implement the modification on each drawing. In contrast, in ArchiCAD you modify the model at one place, then all generated drawings will reflect your changes at once. In Floor Plan, the Virtual Building is shown as a two-dimensional blueprint. In the Section/Elevation/Interior Elevation (IE) windows, elements are generated from the 3D model; you cannot create new model elements here, but you can view and modify them. The 3D Document window is generated from the 3D window, but is a a 2D-type document that allows for annotations and dimensions, and can display the sections of composite elements in their 3D aspect. In the model window known as the Interactive Schedule, the Virtual Building is expressed in lists and figures - here, too, your input will modify the Virtual Building and can be output as documentation.
When you work on each of these aspects of the model, you are working on a viewpoint. You can navigate among them, and save them as views. For more information, see Project Workflow in the Navigator on page 66. The available commands and functions vary depending on the window that is active. Every time you activate a window, its contents are rebuilt to reflect any modifications you made to the plan. The View > Refresh > Rebuild command is available in all construction windows. It rebuilds the model in the currently active window. For more information, see Summary of Rebuild Commands on page 183. You can have only one Floor Plan and one 3D window open at a time. While it is possible to keep several windows open for other types of viewpoints(e.g. several Section/Elevation/IE windows), by default ArchiCAD will open subsequent viewpoints in existing windows, replacing the previous one. To open a new viewpoint in a new window instead, use the context menu command from the Navigator item to be opened.
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If you would rather open a new window each time you open an additional view or layout (from a menu or by double-clicking in the Navigator), change the window-opening default preference in Options > Work Environment > More Options:
You can pan and zoom the window within the full drawing space to obtain the best view of the work you are currently doing, by using the shortcut icons next to the bottom scrollbar or the commands of the View > Zoom menu. For more information, see Navigation on page 59. To maximize working space, use the Window > Full Screen command to have your active window, including palettes, occupy the entire workspace on your monitor. The Window > Full Screen & Hide All Palettes does the same, without showing any palettes. The following sections describe how to work in each of ArchiCADs model views.
For more information, see Floor Plan Cut Plane (Global Setting) on page 160.
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the elements Layer Settings (elements on invisible layers will not be displayed; elements on locked layers cannot be edited).
For more information, see Layers on page 26. Modifications to the model in the Floor Plan window will be updated accordingly in the 3D, Detail/Worksheet and Section/Elevation/IE and 3D Document windows. The converse is also true: changes made in other windows are automatically displayed on the Floor Plan when activated. The updates can take place either manually or automatically depending on the Detail or Section/Elevation/IE update settings you choose. For more information, see Updating Sections on page 182 and Updating the Detail Window on page 201.
Stories
About Stories
Stories in ArchiCAD, just as in real buildings, serve to divide space vertically and replicate the story structure of your real building. Stories are typically used for drawing each Floor Plan of multistory structures separately. Each story in the project is displayed, by name and number, in the Navigators Project Map. Double-click on the story name to display it in the Floor Plan window. The current Story name appears in the title bar of the Floor Plan Window. The elevation (or relative base height) of construction elements placed in 2D windows are calculated relative to a chosen Story: either the elements defined Home Story, or the current story. (See the Base Height setting in the Settings dialog box of construction elements, as in the following image.) For more information, see Set Home Story on page 161.
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The Go To Story command in the Mini-Navigator toolbar opens a dialog box allowing you to jump directly to an existing Story and provides you with a range indicator of how many Stories currently exist. If you enter a Story number outside the existing range, the field will revert to the top or bottom Story of the valid range.
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Story Settings and story-related commands are also available: from the context menu if you have selected a Story in the Navigators Project Map or View Map. from the Mini-Navigator.
Create a New Story 1) Go to the Design > Story Settings dialog box.
above or below the story name selected in the dialog box list.
1) Select a Story in the Navigators Project Map. 2) Use the context menus Create New Story command.
Type a name for the new story. Click an option for where the new story should be placed in the project structure: Insert Above: The story will be inserted above the currently selected story (in Story Settings or the Navigator). Insert Below: The story will be inserted below the currently selected story (in Story Settings or the Navigator).
Manage Stories
Use the Design > Story Settings dialog box to create, delete and manage stories. For more information, see Story Settings Dialog Box in ArchiCAD Help.
The new story appears above or below the selected story. The numbering is automatically updated. There is no limit to the number of stories.
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Note: It is possible to turn off story level line display on a story-by-story basis. Go to Design > Story Settings, and for any selected story, uncheck the Story Level Line box. This storys level line will henceforth not appear in any model window in the project.
For more information, see Story Settings Dialog Box in ArchiCAD Help.
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You can edit the elevation of any given story or set of stories using Story Editing Mode:
1) Choose the Design > Edit Story Levels command, or the same
command from the context menu that appears by right-clicking inside the Section window.
The elements that are on the given stories will retain their elevation respective to their home story, as you will see when the view is updated after you click OK.
4) Move the cursor onto the Story Level Line you wish to move.
Note: The Cut Plane does not affect the display of Mesh, Slab or Object elements, including Stairs. However, Stairs and other
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Virtual Building
GDL Objects can be programmed to display themselves according to the Floor Plan Cut Plan Settings. Enter a value for Cut Plane Height to Current Story. If you wish to display all construction elements in their entirety, on all stories (the default settings for construction elements), the rest of the settings in the Floor Plan Cut Plane dialog box are not relevant. The Relative Floor Plan Range and Absolute Display Limit - the other Floor Plan Cut Plane Settings - are only relevant if any of your construction elements are defined as having a limited projection. The Floor Plan Cut Plane settings are global; the current settings apply to all the stories of the project. Once you set the global Floor Plan Cut Plane, you can further fine-tune the Floor Plan display of individual construction elements (Walls, Columns, Beams and Roofs only) in their element Settings dialog boxes. For more information, see How to Display Individual Elements on the Floor Plan on page 161.
In each elements Tool Default Settings dialog box, choose a home story setting for elements placed with this tool. Automatic: This option is available only for Wall, Curtain Wall, Beam, Column and Roof elements. With an Automatic Home Story, ArchiCAD assigns the element's home story as the story onto which you place it (the story which contains the elements reference line or base.) In most cases, this is the elements most logical home story. If you change an elements geometry so that its reference line/point is moved to a different story, ArchiCAD will automatically adjust the elements home story accordingly.
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Select Home Story: Use this option if you want to tie the element to a particular story. You can choose the current story (listed as the topmost option in the drop-down list), or click Select Story to bring up a list of stories in the current project. Choose a home story to which to link the element when you place it. The Home Story dialog always shows the home story defined in terms of the Current story, as in the image. Note: The Current story in a tools Default Settings will vary, of course, depending on the story you are currently working on. Note: In some instances, a new elements home story doesnt exist in the project. For example, you define the default home story as Current + 2 in a 3-story project; then you go up a story before input. Now, the Current + 2 story doesnt exist. In this case, ArchiCAD redefines the elements home story as the topmost story. The home story can then be used as a reference level from which to measure the elements relative base height, in both the 2D and 3D windows. For example, you may have placed the base of a multistory wall on the subfloor, slightly below the current story level. Yet you want to measure its elevation from the current story, not the subfloor. In this case, you can define the current story to be the Home Story of this wall.
All Relevant Stories: The element will be shown and editable on all stories which it physically intersects. When available, this will be your preferred option most of the time. Home Story Only: The element will be shown only on its home story. (If the element is drawn so that it does not physically intersect its home story, then the only way the element will be shown on the Floor Plan is if you set its Floor Plan Display to one of the symbolic options: Symbolic Cut, Outlines only, Overhead all.)
For a Roof:
Home Story Only: The roof will be shown only on its home story. (If the element is drawn so that it does not physically intersect its home story, then the only way the element will be shown on the Floor Plan is if you set its Floor Plan Display to one of the symbolic options: Symbolic Cut, Outlines only, Overhead all.) Home & One Story Up and/or Down: The roof will be shown on its Home Story, plus one story up and/or down. All Stories: The roof s outline - regardless of its actual location will be shown on every story of the project. All Relevant Stories: The roof will be shown and editable on all stories which it physically intersects.
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Custom: Choose this option if you wish to set separate display combinations for the roof s outline and fill. The Show on Stories: Custom Settings dialog box appears, where you can set separate story display options for the roof s outline and its fill. (Once you set these Custom Settings, use the Edit Custom option to edit them.) For a Slab or Mesh, the same options are available as for the Roof, except for All Relevant Stories (since there are no multi-story versions of these elements):
See also Line Types of Construction Elements Displayed Across Stories on page 163. For Beams, the same options are available as for the Roof, except for Custom settings:
Objects and Stairs have a unique display option: One Story up and One Story Down. This way, you can opt to not display these elements on their Home Story at all.
cut at the level of the Floor Plan Cut Plane), plus the elements overhead part (i.e. the part of the element that is above the Floor Plan Cut Plane. Note: Projected with Overhead is the default display setting for slanted or complex columns and walls, and for all roofs and beams.
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using the Outline controls of the Floor Plan and Section panel of its Settings dialog box.) Note: When opening projects from an earlier format of ArchiCAD, the Floor Plan display of construction elements will automatically be set to predefined Floor Plan Display settings which correspond to traditional architectural standards for these elements. You can reset any elements Floor Plan Display setting as needed.
3) Cut Only: displays only the cut part, as cut with the Floor Plan
Cut Plane. Some additional abstract display options are available:
and for vertical or complex columns.) The whole floor plan projection of non-slanted, non-complex walls or vertical (simple or complex) columns will be displayed as cut, using their cut line and cut fill attributes, regardless of the elements vertical position. This option is available only for simple straight walls or columns, or for complex columns, and only if the Show on Story control is set to Home Story only. The Floor Plan Cut Plane settings do not affect the display of these elements. Curtain Walls only.
uncut attributes. (Uncut attributes are set for each element using the Outline controls of the Floor Plan and Section panel of its Settings dialog box.)
Entire Element (default setting): The element will be displayed on all relevant stories.
However, you may prefer not to show the entire element. In this case, you have two other ways to set its display in the Show Projection pop-up:
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In certain situations, the current Floor Plan Cut Plane and Relative Floor Plan Range settings may conflict: The Cut Plane level may be outside the current Floor Plan Range (e.g. an extremely small story height as compared to the default Cut Plane level). In this case, the Cut Plane will be automatically relocated to the upper limit of the Floor Plan Range (or to its lower limit, if the Cut Plane would fall below the lower limit). The lower Floor Plan Range limit may be higher than the upper limit. In this case, the lower limit will be considered as both the lower and upper limit of the Floor Plan Range (which will also equals the Cut Plane level, as described in (1) above.)
For more information, see Floor Plan Cut Plane Settings Dialog Box in ArchiCAD Help.
2) by Absolute Display Limit: Set a fixed lower limit (by default, this
is Project Zero), then show all parts of the element above this limit. If you choose this option, then the Absolute Display Limit set in Document > Floor Plan Cut Plane determines this elements lower display limit.
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As you view the building on its various stories, its Floor Plan appearance changes accordingly: although the entire wall is indicated on every story, the cut and overhead segments are different on every story.
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All 3D Documents are derived from a 3D Window source. If you change the projection, the cutting planes, the zoom level or the selected/marqueed/filtered items of the 3D source window, you can redefine the 3D Document accordingly. See 3D Document on page 192. Special navigation techniques in the 3D Window let you explore the model much more freely than in other windows. For more information, see Navigation in the 3D Window on page 62. The 3D display of individual construction elements is controlled by the options of the Model panel in its Settings Dialog box. General settings affecting the parameters for displaying the 3D window are in 3D Window Settings. See 3D Window Settings in ArchiCAD Help. The commands that affect the set of elements displayed in 3D are in the View > Elements in 3D View and the View > 3D View Mode hierarchical menus. These commands are also accessible in the 3D Visualization toolbar.
3D Window
The 3D window displays your model in real perspective or axonometry: this gives the best overall view of what the final building will really look like, inside and out. In the 3D window, you can directly edit your model, and create new construction elements, in either perspective or parallel view, using any of the construction tools. The 3D window is directly linked to the Floor Plan and to the Section/Elevation/IE windows: any changes made on the Floor Plan or in a Section/Elevation/IE window will be visible in the 3D window and vice versa.
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press the F3 key use the Window > 3D Window command press the 3D window control on the 3D Visualization toolbar or the Mini-Navigator toolbar. use context menu commands from right-clicking on blank space in the current window:
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Show All in 3D
To show the entire model in 3D, regardless of any current selection, use the View > Elements in 3D View > Show All option. This commands shortcut is Ctrl + F5. The full model display resulting from the Show All command may be limited by filtering criteria as set in the Filter Elements in 3D dialog box. See Filter Elements to Show in 3D on page 169.
include the Selection mention and the name of the home story of the selected element(s). If the 3D Windows content is based on explicit selection and you add elements to it, these will be preserved in the 3D Window as long as you continue to work in it. Note: Another command, Show Previous Selection/Marquee in 3D, will display the last 3D view generated by the Show Selection/Marquee command. This command is not visible in ArchiCAD by default; to use it, you must customize a menu or toolbar to include this command, using Options > Work Environment > Menus (or Toolbars). For more information, see Menu Customization Dialog Box in ArchiCAD Help.
Show Selection in 3D
For a 3D display of only the explicitly selected items, use the View > Elements in 3D View > Show Selection/Marquee in 3D command from any type of editable window. (Or use the 3D Visualization toolbar control for this command.)
If your plan includes both explicitly selected elements and a marquee selection, this command will disregard the marquee and show only the explicitly selected elements. Show Selection/Marquee in 3D also works if you are already in the 3D Window and make an explicit selection there, then execute the Show Selection command. The caption of the 3D Window will
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Marquee Effect: By default, the elements inside the Marquee will be displayed and they will be cropped to the marquee area. However, you can adjust the Marquee effect to show the elements outside the marquee instead of those inside: use the Marquee Effect controls in View > Elements in 3D View > Filter Elements in 3D, and choose the Outside Marquee radio button. See Filter Elements in 3D Dialog Box in ArchiCAD Help. To show the entirety of elements that fall partly inside the marquee without cropping them - uncheck the Trim Elements to Marquee checkbox (also under Marquee Effect, in View > Elements in 3D View > Filter Elements in 3D).
Default Display in 3D
If you simply switch to the 3D window, without using any specific 3D display command, the 3D window will display the contents last shown in the 3D window, irrespective of what might be selected in any other window.
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The Stories to Show in 3D part of this dialog box lets you define a range of stories for display.
You can redefine a 3D view by changing these settings in the 3D window, then use the View Settings 3D Only Panel to redefine the view accordingly.
For more information, see Filter Elements in 3D Dialog Box in ArchiCAD Help. Note: You may wish to display 3D Zones as solid bodies in shading mode, and all other elements types in wireframe mode. To achieve this effect (a default setting in previous ArchiCAD versions), apply the predefined Show 3D Zones as Solid Layer Combination.
For more information, see View Settings 3D Only Panel in ArchiCAD Help.
3D Engines
3D Engines are built-in configurations which control the generation of the 3D model in ArchiCAD. By default, two engines are offered: Internal 3D Engine OpenGL Engine
To choose an engine, go to: View > 3D View Mode > 3D Window Settings and use the 3D Engine pop-up, or use the Engine commands at the bottom of the View > 3D View Mode menu.
1) Internal 3D engine
The internal 3D engine is most useful for working in the 3D window: views generated by the internal engine show vectorial patterns and are easy to print. It produces a simple, clean, navigable 3D view, without textures. The internal engine is optimized for simple, non-photorealistic architectural representation, and for direct output from the 3D window
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without using photorendering. The internal engine features more visualization effects than OpenGL, but usually results in slower navigation and access to the model on most machines.
OpenGL is a bitmap-based technology. Consequently, 3D views created using the OpenGL engine will be placed as image files.
2) OpenGL engine
The OpenGL engine for 3D is recommended if you have a high-performance OpenGL display card. Some effects, such as sun shadows, vectorial 3D hatching and saving the contents of the 3D window as a vectorial 2D drawing, are not available with OpenGL. Additional options for OpenGL can be accessed by clicking the Options button of 3D Window Settings.
Important: Open GL is optimized for fast, smooth navigation during model development. It displays textures correctly, but features fewer model effects; it can be considered an interactive preview of the rendering. OpenGLs output capability is more limited than that of the internal engine, since it is based on bitmap technology. OpenGL will produce significantly faster on-screen navigation on most machines, provided that the supporting hardware is available. For more information, see Open GL Options in ArchiCAD Help.
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The following image uses OpenGL with the Transparency effect enabled in View > 3D View Mode > 3D Window Settings:
Wireframe, Hidden Lines, Shading Choosing Wireframe mode creates a view showing all the edges and lines of your Project. Note that if you have many elements one behind the other, this type of view can be hard to interpret. In Hidden Line mode, those lines which are blocked from view by solid objects are removed. This type of view is the best choice for easy interpretation, if you do not want a shaded view. It is also suitable for hard copy output on a printer. Hidden Lines can be saved in many file formats, either as 2D or 3D files. Choosing the Shading method causes your 3D model to appear with all of its visible surfaces shaded according to the light direction set in the 3D Projection Settings dialog box. The colors of the surfaces are determined by the material attributes of the construction elements (regardless of the color of light set in the Sun dialog box).
3D View Modes
When using ArchiCADs Internal 3D engine, three 3D viewing modes are offered: Wireframe, Hidden Line, and Shading. They can be chosen from the View > 3D View Mode > 3D Window Settings dialog box or using the commands of the View > 3D View Mode menu. Note: When using the OpenGL engine, only the Wireframe and Shading modes are available. The icons of the 3D Modes are also accessible if you display the predefined Window > Toolbars > Simple 3D toolbar.
For more information, see 3D Projection Settings in ArchiCAD Help and Materials on page 36. Shading is recommended for: Fast on-screen feedback Easy checking of surface colors Any presentation for which photorealistic quality is not a requirement
3D Projections
ArchiCAD can display parallel (axonometric) projections and perspectives.
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Axonometric projections automatically show the entire model in the center of your view. Perspectives are defined by a viewpoint and a specific target. When the 3D window is active, the 3D Navigator Preview Palette contains a miniature representation of the entire project view. This allows you a quick way to modify your 3D Projection Settings, whether perspective or parallel (axonometric); you can adjust the view cone or change the axonometry while retaining an overview of the whole project. See Navigator Preview (3D) on page 64. 3D Visualization toolbar:
3D Projection Settings
The View > 3D View Mode > 3D Projection Settings command from the menu or from the Mini-Navigators pop-up menu opens the dialog box that contains all the controls you need to define the 3D view. The name and contents of the dialog box depend on the projection type: Parallel Projection Settings or Perspective Settings. You can easily switch from one settings dialog to the other with the button at the top right corner.
Mini-Navigator toolbar:
Navigator Palette:
The projections that you define in the 3D Projection Settings dialog box remain valid only until the next time you open the dialog box and modify them. For more information, see 3D Projection Settings in ArchiCAD Help.
For more information, see Pre-Set Projections in ArchiCAD Help and 3D Navigation Extras on page 174.
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3D Navigation Extras
Other controls useful in modifying the 3D view are available from the View > 3D Navigation Extras (or a toolbar containing 3D window commands). These controls allow you to: Interactively set the target point for the perspective (Look to). Switch to a view perpendicular to a given point (Look to perpendicular). Reset the roll angle to zero to rapidly return from a bizarre view obtained during navigation (Reset Roll Angle). Return with a single command to a horizontal view of the model (Horizontal View). Edit pre-set projections and Add current projection: These commands are available if you are viewing an axonometric (parallel) projection. Put a camera into the path (for perspectives). This command adds the current perspective to the Project Map, if no camera is selected on the Floor Plan. If you have cameras on the Floor Plan already that define an animation path, the new camera will be added after the active camera in the active path, which is marked by its view cone on the Floor Plan.
Insert a new camera after the selected one: A new camera is added to the path to define the current perspective view, and will be selected. For more information, see Cameras on page 513.
3D Cutaway Sections
3D Cutaway is an imaging mode in ArchiCAD. With 3D Cutaway active, you can produce either ordinary cross sections or special sections to visualize the project in new ways. 3D Cutaway can be useful for special 3D visualizations allowing an insight into building spaces. The 3D section cuts you define are stored within the project document and can be recreated after opening the Project in a future session. Once the sectional 3D model has been created, you can save it in a variety of formats for additional work. 3D Cutaway settings will take effect in the 3D Document. Separate Model Display Settings for the 3D Document allow you to define materials for the surfaces cut by 3D Cutaway. See 3D Document on page 192.
If you are in perspective view, the following commands are also available from View > 3D Navigation Extras: Note: As you use these commands to change the camera selection, the selected item in the Navigator Project Map also changes accordingly. Go to the previous/Go to the next: Use these commands to navigate to the perspective views of the previous and next cameras in the active path, and to select the camera. Modify the selected: The selected camera will be updated to reflect the perspective view that you currently see in the 3D window. Use this when you have changed the view in the 3D window. Revert view to the selected: Discards all changes you made manually and shows the 3D model as the selected camera sees it.
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After defining 3D Cutting Planes in the dialog box, activate View > Elements in 3D View > 3D Cutaway. (To deactivate 3D Cutaway, press the command again.) If the View > Elements in 3D View > 3D Cutaway command is active, these cutting planes are applied to the model every time it is rebuilt.
In the Section window, you can view and modify elements but you cannot create new construction elements. (The only exception is if you use the Drag a copy command to move a Door/Window, in a model-type Section window.) If you paste an element into a Section window, it will be reproduced as drawing primitives (points, lines, fills). Sections can be saved as Views and placed on a Layout as Drawings; the contents of a Section window can also be published directly. To place a linked or unlinked Section marker, use the Section tool in any of the following windows: Floor Plan, Section, Elevation, Interior Elevation, Detail, Worksheet. Such a marker is a linked marker, and you can use it to link it to any viewpoint, view or drawing in the project. A linked marker is for reference purposes only. See an example at Place a Linked Section Marker on page 180. You can choose and format the Section Line and Marker object in Section Settings.
Sections
About Sections
The Section tool is used to place a Section marker. The Section marker can take one of three different forms:
1) a source marker, which generates a section viewpoint 2) a linked marker, which does not generate a section viewpoint, but
acts as a reference to any other view, viewpoint or drawing.
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Straight line: click twice to define each end of the line. Staggered line: click as many times as needed to define each segment of the Section line. Double-click to complete the input line.
4) With the eyeball cursor, click on either side of the line to set the
orientation of the Section. The place where you click also defines the Sections limit line, if you have chosen a Limited horizontal range in Section Tool Settings.
1) Activate the Section tool. 2) In the Info Box or Section Default Settings, make sure that
Create new section viewpoint is selected.
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You can also move the Distant Area limit line, if such a limit has been defined in Section Settings. Note: An optional distant area of your Section viewpoint, with separate colors/effects, is created if you check the Marked Distant Area box in Section Settings (Model Display Panel). The Distant Area limit line is then displayed as part of your Section. See Section Model Display Panel (for Source Section markers only) in ArchiCAD Help. Both the Section limit line and the secondary distant line are on-screen-only elements.
Horizontal Range
An infinite Horizontal Range shows the full extent of the visible model from the Section line. A limited Horizontal range shows the model between the Section line and its limit, which is placed automatically. Once it is placed, you can select the limit line and move it, if necessary. A zero-depth range shows only the parts of the model cut by the Section line, at the cut location only. (For Elevations, there is no zero depth option.) For more information, see Horizontal Range (for Source Section markers only) in ArchiCAD Help.
To show or hide the Section limit line (horizontal range) and the Distant Area limit line on the Floor Plan, use the toggle control in View > On-Screen View Options > Marker Range. To change these line types/colors, use the control in Options > Project Preferences > Miscellaneous.
For more information, see Display of Marker Range Lines on page 205.
Vertical Range
A Section with an infinite Vertical Range shows all stories of the model. If you choose limited Vertical Range, enter the elevation values corresponding to the vertical range of the model you wish to include in the Section.
In other words, the marker will display information pertaining either to the viewpoint you are currently creating, or to the first drawing created from this new viewpoint. (First means the topmost eligible drawing in the Navigator Layout Book.)
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For example, the following Section has been defined to display the information of the first placed drawing created out of this viewpoint. If you choose first placed drawing, and no drawing has been placed yet, the marker will display autotext (such as #DrgID), and once the drawing is placed, this autotext will be replaced by the relevant information. If you select an already placed source marker and open the tools Selection Settings or Info box, you have two additional choices, because the viewpoint may already have multiple drawings or views created out of it: the selected drawing the first placed drawing of the selected view
Since you cannot refer to the actual drawing, you can refer to the View (in the current project) from which the Drawing was created (in the other project). The marker will display the drawing data of the first drawing created out of this view as autotext (e.g. #Drawing Name, #DrgID). Once the Layout Book that contains the reference drawing is opened alongside the project containing the marker, the marker will fill in the correct drawing data. The link information that will appear in the marker is previewed in the Reference to text field, as long as the referred item (such as a drawing) already exists in the project. Note: The same marker information is shown in the Marker Panel in the Section Settings dialog box.
Choosing either of these two options will bring up a directory dialog box showing the Navigator Layout Book or the Navigator View Map. Eligible drawings/views are available for selection (i.e., those which have been created from the selected Section viewpoint); other items are greyed and cannot be selected. Note: The option to refer to a view is available in case the desired Drawing is located in a different project's Layout Book (and is therefore not listed in the Define Marker Reference dialog box). See To import a Drawing from another ArchiCAD project file: on page 429.
Each Sections status defines the link between the Section and the model on the Floor Plan, and its rebuild method. In the two Model statuses (Auto-rebuild and Manual-rebuild), the window consists of construction elements; any changes made in a Model Section window can be updated in the Floor Plan window, as well as in the 3D window and in other Section windows, and vice versa. In a Section of Drawing status, construction elements are decomposed into 2D fills, arcs and lines. Changes made in this kind of window are not updated in other windows. You can, however, update the drawing to reflect recent changes made to the model.
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Construction elements are editable in both Autorebuild and Manual-rebuild Model status windows, but no new construction elements can be created within them, with the exception of duplicating existing Doors and Windows. Even by copying construction elements and pasting them back you can only obtain plain, additional drawing elements. Warning: Clearing a construction element from a Section Window of model status (either Autorebuild or Manual-rebuild) will also clear it from both the Floor Plan and the 3D model. Regardless of a sections status, you can add 2D graphics, annotation and dimensioning. For more information, see Updating Sections on page 182.
Another effect is to display the materials of uncut surfaces in shaded mode - that is, to reflect rounded contours:
You can combine the two effects (cast shadows and shaded effect) in a single Section display:
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time, open each new Section from the Navigator, using the Open in new window context menu command.
This linked Section marker points you to the Detail of this walls Section. To place a linked section marker:
Settings, make sure that Place Linked Marker is selected. 3) Define the Marker Reference using the appearing dialog box. See Define Marker Reference for Linked Marker on page 181. 4) Choose an input method (either Straight Line or Staggered Line) from the Info Box and draw a Section line on the plan.
then place a linked Wall Section marker on the Floor Plan which is linked to this Detail.
Straight line: click twice to define each end of the line. Staggered line: click as many times as needed to define each segment of the Section line. Double-click to complete the input line. Note: The Staggered line option is not available for Elevations. The Eyeball cursor appears. 5) With the eyeball cursor, click on either side of the line to set the orientation of the linked Section marker. 6) The Marker is automatically placed after the section line is completed.
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The selected viewpoint (i.e., the viewpoint you select from the directory list after choosing Browse). The selected drawing (i.e., the drawing you select from the directory list after choosing Browse). The first placed drawing of the selected viewpoint (i.e., the first drawing created from the viewpoint you select from the directory list after choosing Browse.). First means the topmost eligible drawing in the Navigator Layout Book. The first placed drawing of the selected view (i.e., the first drawing created from the view you select from the directory list after choosing Browse.). First means the topmost eligible drawing in the Navigator Layout Book.
Choosing any of these reference options will bring up a directory dialog box showing the relevant view of the Navigator (Project Map, View Map, or Layout Book). Choose the desired viewpoint, view or drawing. The chosen items information will be displayed in the linked marker. Thus, a linked marker can refer to any viewpoint, view or drawing in the project. If you are redefining a selected marker, click the Browse button to bring up the Define Marker Reference directory, and choose the item whose information you wish the marker to refer to.
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2) Define any custom text for the marker using the Custom text
fields in the parameter list in the Marker Panel of the Settings dialog box.
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marker in any of the following windows: Floor Plan; Section; Elevation; Interior Elevation; Worksheet; Detail; 3D Document.
Updating Sections
Note: The updating process is identical for Sections, Elevations, Interior Elevations and 3D Documents. Each Sections status defines the link (and rebuild method) between the Section and the model on the Floor Plan. For information on assigning Section status, see Assign Section Status on page 178.
or from the Document > Documenting Tools submenu or by clicking the New Viewpoint folder at the bottom of the Navigator Project Map; the selected Project Map item (in this case, a Section) determines which kind of new viewpoint will be created.
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window be rebuilt only when it is opened or brought to the front of the screen (the way it worked in ArchiCAD 9), go to the Options >Project Preferences > Miscellaneous tab page and uncheck the Update Autorebuild Model... checkbox. If you nevertheless need to Rebuild manually, the View > Refresh > Rebuild from Model command is available. (The plain View > Refresh > Rebuild command, used to refresh 2D drawing elements, is not available for Autorebuild Model windows.) Note: Some complex changes to the plan (e.g., modifying a Library Part) do not appear automatically in Model Section Windows. For a Manual-rebuild section, use the View > Refresh > Rebuild command; for an Autorebuild section, use View > Refresh > Rebuild from Model to see these changes reflected properly.
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Choose the Break Section/Elevation Line icon from the pet palette. Click to break the segment in half, then move the newly created half-segment to a new position. Click to place.
To move a segment of a Section line, select the Section Marker, then use the pet palettes Move Section line segment icon to move it.
For more information, see Section Marker Panel and Section Marker Head Panel in ArchiCAD Help.
To eliminate a break in a staggered Section line, select the Section line, then pull the break line (perpendicular to the Section line) out of the section range.
Elevations
ArchiCAD has a separate tool for creating Elevation viewpoints and linked or unlinked Elevation markers. In contrast to Sections: Elevations generally do not slice through the structure, but rather create a cross-section view of the structure from a distant point. There is no zero depth option for the Elevations horizontal range. Elevation markers are conventionally different from Section markers; consequently, the Marker options in Elevation Settings vary from their counterparts in Section Settings. Unlike the Section Line, the Elevation line is an on-screen-only Marker item, and is not shown on the Layout.
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In all other respects, the Elevation Tool works the same way as the Section Tool. To create an Elevation viewpoint, you must place a source-type Elevation marker on the Floor Plan. The resulting Elevation viewpoint has a Status (Model or Drawing) which determines its update process. The Elevation Settings Model Display Panel defines the display of the Elevation viewpoint, while the Marker and Marker Head panels determine the content and display of the Elevation marker. A linked-type Elevation marker, containing reference information only (without creating a viewpoint), can be placed in the Floor Plan, Section, Elevation, Interior Elevation, 3D Document, Detail or Worksheet Window. Unlinked Elevation markers can also be placed.
For more information, see the following topics: Create a Section Viewpoint on page 176, Define Horizontal/Vertical Range of Section Viewpoint on page 177, Assign Section Status on page 178, Display of Elements in Section Window on page 179, Define Marker Reference for Source Marker on page 177, Place a Linked Section Marker on page 180, Define Marker Reference for Linked Marker on page 181, Place an Unlinked Marker on page 181, Create an Independent Section Viewpoint on page 182, Updating Sections on page 182, Display of Section Lines and Markers on page 184.
Interior Elevations (IEs) work similarly to Sections and regular Elevations: choose an input method; define the view and its limits graphically; and place a marker with custom-defined marker reference information. Each Interior Elevation is a separate viewpoint in the Navigator Project Map. Edits made on an Interior Elevation can be reflected in the Model, and vice-versa: model changes can be reflected in the Interior Elevation following an update. Dimensions are associative.
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Unlike the Section and Elevation tools, the Interior Elevation tool is used to create new viewpoints only; you cannot place a linked, reference-only IE marker. Note: As source markers, IE markers are distinguished on screen by an optional semi-transparent solid fill. (Use View > On-screen View Options > Highlight Source Marker to enable or disable this distinguishing fill for all source markers. The color of this fill can be set in Options > Work Environment > More Options.) An IE created using one of the polyline or rectangle input methods will have a separate IE view for each segment of the line; each view is created perpendicular to the segment.
These IE groups are automatically listed together in their own subsets in the Project Map. Each new IE viewpoint is assigned to an IE Group, even if there is only one viewpoint in the Group. You cannot move individual IE viewpoints from one Group to another.
1) 2) 3) 4)
Click once to begin the limit line. Click a second time to complete the line. Move the cursor to the desired view position. Click a third time to place the IE marker.
Since Interior Elevations are typically created in groups (e.g. four IE's created by placing a four-segment polyline around a single room), IE's are handled as a group for purposes of numbering, display, Trace functions, and placement on a layout. (Typically, you will use the Master Layouts Auto Arrange Setup options - in Master Layout Settings - to fine-tune the appearance of IE views on the Layout.) For more information, see Arranging Multiple Drawings on the Layout on page 429.
To define the Marker style and position, use the controls in the Marker Panel of Interior Elevation Settings. See Interior Elevation Marker Panel in ArchiCAD Help.
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assigned its own IE Group, even if there is only one viewpoint in the Group.
The resulting line/polyline/rectangle represents the limit line of the Interior Elevation group.
5) The Interior Elevation Group has its own Clone folder in the
Navigator View Map.
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The viewpoints within a single IE group share certain settings (such as Show on Stories and Layer settings) which can be applied only to the group as a whole. However, the settings of any single segment are accessible individually. See Editing Interior Elevation Viewpoints on page 189. Many other aspects of Interior Elevation viewpoints - status, display, marker reference, and updating - work the same as in Section viewpoints. For more information, see the following topics: Assign Section Status on page 178, Display of Elements in Section Window on page 179, Define Marker Reference for Source Marker on page 177, Updating Sections on page 182.
In each individual viewpoints IE settings, the Reference ID and Name fields are set to By IE Group by default. This means that each IE viewpoint will have the same ID and Name as its parent IE Group. ArchiCADs default IE Settings further define the ID and Name of each IE viewpoint to include Autotexts.
Each new IE viewpoint is automatically assigned to an IE Group (even if there is only one viewpoint in the group). The IE Group is assigned a default ID of IE-01.
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Use the General Panel of IE Settings to define any other Autotext to include in the IE viewpoints name and/or ID. For example, you can set the Interior Elevation Groups ID to be the Zone Number:
You can also change IDs and Names for any IE Group or viewpoint in the Navigator.
ID of the Group is now equivalent to the number of the zone (007, in this case) contained in the Interior Elevation.
The pet palette and context menu commands opened from this segment affect that viewpoint only. To edit the selected viewpoint: Open Interior Elevation Settings. (Use the context menu or the Info Box). Any changes you make here will apply only to the selected viewpoint. Note that certain options in IE Settings are greyed if you are editing a single viewpoint rather than an IE group. Use the pet palette's options to manipulate the selected IE segment or its marker.
This ID is inherited by all of the viewpoints in the Group. (Naturally, assigning a Zone Number autotext works only if the Interior Elevation includes a zone.)
Delete/Restore IE Viewpoint
If you have selected an individual IE viewpoint, you can delete that single viewpoint using the context menus Delete command.
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You can restore this viewpoint even after deleting it: select the IE group to which it belongs (select any part of the IE Limit Line) and use the Restore all Interior Elevations in Group command from the context menu. Note: This command regenerates the IE viewpoint, but any 2D edits you made in this viewpoint before deleting it have been lost.
Horizontal Range
By default, the IE limit line represents the horizontal range of the resulting IE view. The Horizontal Range option of Interior Elevation Settings (see the General Panel) is set to By Limit Lines by default.
To adjust the horizontal range, select the limit line and stretch or shrink it using the commands of the pet palette. (Stretch/shrink modifications to this segment will affect the neighboring line segments accordingly, as when editing any polyline.)
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If a zone is detected, its height will be used as the vertical range of the selected Interior Elevation viewpoint. Note: The zones height is the difference between its Level value and its Height value as set in Zone Settings): To include connected enclosed areas in the Interior Elevation viewpoint, choose Add bounded areas the Horizontal Range option in IE Settings. This way, if the room contains an odd-shaped alcove, the IE viewpoint will include structures that fall beyond the Limit Line, but still fall inside the room, as in this image: Zones edited by Solid Element Operations are also calculated accurately, provided that you also check the Consider Solid Operations box. For example, a single zone trimmed to a slanted roof will have several different zone heights. These are accurately reflected in each viewpont of the Interior Elevation group.
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intersection of composite walls in space. This is possible because the 3D Document can display cut surfaces in a 3D model structure, optionally using the cut fill and line attributes defined at the element level. See Model Display of the 3D Document on page 198. To add dimensions, just use ArchiCADs dimensioning tools, plus certain dimensioning functions that are available only for 3D Documents. See Linear Dimensions in the 3D Document Window in ArchiCAD Help.
3D Document
About the 3D Document
The 3D Document allows you to use the 3D view of the model as the basis for creating a document, to which you can add dimensions, labels and additional 2D drawing elements. For example, you can convert a 3D view of a building into a document that shows detailed structural information in 3D - such as
The 3D Document is a viewpoint which appears in the Navigator Project Map. In many respects, the 3D Document is analogous to the Section viewpoint: it is an integral part of the ArchiCAD model, and its model elements are rebuilt automatically or manually, depending on its status. In the 3D Document, you can select model elements and access their settings dialog boxes to make changes in the model, but you cannot edit them graphically or create new model elements. The 3D Document has its source in the 3D window. Specific parameters and options affecting 3D window display (such as
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projection and filtering/selection of elements) will affect 3D Document display; you can redefine the 3D Document after adjusting these 3D window settings. (See The 3D Document and its 3D Window Source on page 194.) However, like other model views, the 3D Document has its own 3D Document Settings dialog box, where you can set parameters that are specific to the 3D Document: these include fill/pen display of element surfaces (including cut composite elements) and contours, transparency, 3D hatching, shading, shadow and sun effects. Note: The display of composite elements in the 3D Document window also depends on the Partial Display Settings. See Partial Structure Display on page 358. In particular, you can display the materials of cut surfaces in a 3D-like display to graphically communicate composite structures:
Use Capture Window for 3D Document command from the context menu of the 3D window (with nothing selected).
Create a 3D Document
1) In the 3D window, set up a 3D view of the model: the view you
want to see in your 3D Document: Set up the perspective or projected 3D view; use 3D Cutting Planes; filter or select elements; use Marquee as needed, or perform solid element operations.
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Use a menu command (Document > 3D Document > Create New 3D Document; or Document > Documenting Tools > Create 3D Document).
dialog box appears. Enter a Reference ID and Name for the new 3D Document; click Create. 4) The 3D Document is created and opened in its own window. 5) The 3D Document is listed in the 3D Document folder in the Project Map of the Navigator.
Note: the difference between Redefine and Rebuild. Rebuild refers to the model elements: their size, shape and relation to the rest of the model elements. Rebuild for a 3D Document works the same as for other model views (e.g. Section). Your 3D Document, if set to Auto-Rebuild, is rebuilt every time you open it. If it is Manual-Update, it is rebuilt only upon command. (View > Rebuild > Rebuild from Model). There is no Drawing-type 3D Document. For more information, see Assign Section Status on page 178.
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Or: right-click the 3D Document viewpoint or view from the Navigator, then click the Open Source View command:
Alternatively, with the 3D window in front and nothing selected, use the Redefine 3D Document command.
Make your changes in the 3D window: Edit elements Adjust the projection Change element visibility using Selection/Marquee Change the Filter Elements settings. Select the 3D Document from the Navigator Project Map and right-click to access the Redefine 3D Document based on current 3D command.
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This brings up the Redefine 3D Document dialog box. Choose the 3D Document which you want to redefine based on the current 3D window. A warning reminds you that this Redefine operation is not undoable.
With the 3D Document in front, use the Redefine based on the Current 3D command from the context menu with nothing selected:
Another way to get the same result: In the Navigator Project Map, right-click the 3D document which you want to define and use Redefine 3D Document based on current 3D window. Click Redefine Anyway to proceed.
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Make any or all of the following changes: Click Redefine 3D Projections to bring up the Perspective or Parallel Settings dialog box which reflects the 3D Documents source 3D window. Make any adjustments needed, and click OK to leave the projections dialog box. This is where you can redefine Sun settings for your 3D Document: click Redefine 3D Projections, then More Sun to adjust the sun position. Click Redefine Filter Elements to access the Filter Elements in 3D dialog box. Make any adjustments needed, and click OK to leave the dialog box. Check the box to redefine the projection, cutting planes, and visible elements of the 3D Document based on the current 3D window.
The controls in the General panel allow you to access dialog boxes to modify the 3D Document and its 3D window source, without having to open the 3D window itself:
Changes in your 3D Document will take effect when you click OK to leave 3D Document Settings. For details on these controls, see 3D Document General Panel in ArchiCAD Help.
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Detail viewpoints generated from existing elements in the project are 2D-only copies of these elements. The viewpoints can be updated to reflect changes in the plan. You can add additional 2D elements, text, labels and objects to a Detail Drawing. You may wish to fine-tune the Detail Drawing before final output. You will find, however, that the exploded 2D elements generated from the model often contain superfluous elements (extra line segments, overlapping or superfluous fills) that make such editing difficult. To make editing easier, first use the The Linework and Fill Consolidation functions on selected items in the window. For more information, see Consolidating Lines and Fills in Drawing Windows on page 153. To open the Detail Drawing in its own window, double-click the detail view name in the Navigator.
Details
About Details
The Detail tool is used to generate a Detail drawing viewpoint from the model by placing a Detail marker in any of the following windows: Floor Plan; Section; Elevation; Interior Elevation; 3D Document; Worksheet; Detail window. It is also used to place linked Detail markers, as a reference to any viewpoint, view or drawing. The Detail Marker (a GDL object) is displayed according to the settings you made in the Detail Settings dialog box. You can also create an independent Detail drawing, with or without a marker. Detail viewpoints are displayed in a dedicated Detail Drawing Window and listed in the Details part of the Navigator Project Map.
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1) Activate the Detail tool. 2) In the Info Box or Detail Default Settings,
make sure that Create new detail viewpoint is selected.
from the Info Box: Polygonal, Rectangular, or Rotated Rectangular. (The first, No Boundary geometry method, creates a marker linked to an independent viewpoint having no model source.)
Note: Source-type Detail markers are distinguished on screen by an optional semi-transparent solid fill. (Use View > On-screen View Options > Highlight Source Marker to enable or disable this distinguishing fill for all source markers. The color of this highlight can be set in Options > Work Environment > More Options.) 6) A new Detail Drawing viewpoint is created and listed in the Navigator Project Map. To define the reference information displayed in a source-type Detail marker: See Define Marker Reference for Source Marker on page 177. Other information about the new Detail viewpoint - its Markers and Reference information - can be defined in the Marker Settings dialog box. For more information, see Detail Tool Settings in ArchiCAD Help.
4) Draw the Detail boundary and click to complete. 5) After drawing the detail boundary, click with the hammer cursor
to place the Detail Marker. The X represents the Details origin.
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values, unless you displace drawing elements vertically. (The same is true for Elevation Dimensions in Details generated from Elevations and Interior Elevations.)
An Independent Detail drawing is not generated from existing project elements and so is unlinked to any modifications that take place in your plan. You may wish to create an Independent Detail for your documentation which depicts something that does not otherwise exist in the model - for example, detail of a fence. These independent Detail Drawings always appear in the Navigator tree structure. They can be marked or unmarked: Independent marked details have a corresponding detail marker on the plan. Independent unmarked details do not have a detail marker on the plan, but they exist as viewpoints which you can open from the Navigator.
1) Activate the Detail tool. 2) In the Info Box or Detail Default Settings,
make sure that Place Linked Marker is selected.
appearing dialog box. See Define Marker Reference for Linked Marker on page 181.
Create an Independent Detail viewpoint with a marker 1) In Detail Settings or the Info Box, choose Create New Detail
Viewpoint.
The link information of the chosen viewpoint/drawing will appear in the Reference to text field. After the marker is placed and the new Detail is created, you can still go back and change its marker information at any time.
Such a marker has no model source and does not generate a new viewpoint. To define the reference information displayed in a linked Detail marker: See Define Marker Reference for Linked Marker on page 181.
method (the first icon among the Info Box geometry methods) and click to place a detail marker on the plan. detail) and listed in the navigator. This viewpoint has no model source.
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This command affects the shape of marker boundaries only, not any associated model content.
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Worksheets
About Worksheets
The Worksheet window provides a dedicated environment for 2D model-based drawings, such as partial floor plans and partial sections, and for drawings created entirely in 2D. Worksheets can be used as a dedicated environment for finishing drawings using 2D tools, and for working with consultants limited to 2D methods. You might want use a Worksheet to add a diagram or organizational chart, which is totally independent of your model, yet useful for your documentation. As in the Detail window, elements on the Worksheet consist of 2D-only duplicates of any construction elements in exploded form (e.g. 2D lines and fills). Only 2D tools are available in the Worksheet window. You may find that the exploded 2D elements generated from the model often contain superfluous elements (extra line segments, overlapping or superfluous fills) that make such editing difficult. To make editing easier, first use the The Linework and Fill Consolidation functions on selected items in the window. For more information, see Consolidating Lines and Fills in Drawing Windows on page 153. The user can link any type of marker to the Worksheet. You can place a Section marker onto a Worksheet to create a Drawing-type section. You can also place a Detail marker onto a Worksheet to create a Drawing-type Detail. Such Drawing Sections and Drawing Details cannot be refreshed based on the content of the Worksheet window. The Worksheet tool is active in any window. It has marker and linking options similar to those of the other ArchiCAD marker tools (Section, Detail). To open a Worksheet window, double-click its name in the Navigator. Use the available 2D drawing tools, place objects, text, labels, or paste an existing drawing into the drawing window.
1) Activate the Worksheet tool. 2) In the Info Box or Default Settings, make sure that Create new
Worksheet viewpoint is selected.
Capture Screen input method: Use the single-click method: the first input method in the Worksheet info box. Choose this
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icon, then click anywhere in the active project window. You will create a Worksheet based on the entire contents of the window. Area-based input method: Use one of the polygonal or rectangular/rotated rectangle geometry methods to define the Worksheet area.
To copy construction elements only, without annotations/dimensions, check the Copy construction elements only box in Worksheet Settings. The resulting Worksheet will have the same scale as the source, if any. (If the source has no scale, the Worksheet will be shown at a default scale value.)
4) Draw the Worksheet boundary and click to complete. 5) After drawing the Worksheet boundary, click with the hammer
cursor to place the Worksheet Marker. Note: Source-type Worksheet markers are distinguished on screen by an optional semi-transparent solid fill. (Use View > On-screen View Options > Highlight Source Marker to enable or disable this distinguishing fill for all source markers. The color of this highlight can be set in Options > Work Environment > More Options.)
Door/Window markers: If any part of the Wall falls within the boundary, then all Doors, Windows, and Door/Window markers in that Wall are also included in the Worksheet. Detail markers: If a detail viewpoints origin (the X) or endpoint of a marker falls within the boundary, the entire marker is included in the Worksheet.
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Section and Elevation Markers: If any part of a Section or Elevation line is included in the boundary, the Section/Elevation marker (a GDL object) will be included in the Worksheet, although the lines geometry may be different (the line may be shorter) if the boundary includes only part of the Section/Elevation line. Note: Interior Elevation markers, unlike Section/Elevation markers, are cut by the boundary and appear in the Worksheet as exploded line/fill components.
To create an independent Worksheet without a marker, use the Document > Documenting Tools > Create Independent Worksheet command. You can also access this command from the Worksheet folder context menu in the Project Map of the Navigator; or by clicking the New Viewpoint folder at the bottom of the Navigator Project Map, if a Worksheet or the Worksheet folder is selected. Independent Worksheets without a marker are also listed in the Navigator. However, you can subsequently link a marker to such a Worksheet as needed.
1) Activate the Worksheet tool. 2) In the Info Box or Default Settings, make sure that Place Linked
Marker is selected.
To define the reference information displayed in a linked Worksheet marker: See Define Marker Reference for Linked Marker on page 181.
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With any of the Marker tools, you can opt to place a source marker. A source marker creates a new viewpoint (e.g. a Section, Elevation, Worksheet, Detail) involving the model as their source. Any of the Markers - except Interior Elevation - can optionally be defined as a linked marker. Such markers have no model source and do not generate a new viewpoint. Instead, they are placed in the project, then linked by the user to an existing viewpoint, view or drawing. This information is displayed in the marker, which can be used to navigate to the referred item. An unlinked marker has no model source and displays no linked information. You cannot use it to navigate among markers, but you can define any custom text for it.
These Marker Range items are on-screen elements only; and never present on printouts. You can choose to show or hide Marker range items of all types using the View > On-Screen View Options > Marker Range toggle. To customize the line type/color of these Marker Range lines, use the controls in Options > Project Preferences > Miscellaneous.
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The linked marker becomes the source marker, while the original source marker becomes a linked marker. This function is available for: Linked markers which are linked to a viewpoint/view/drawing that is located within the current project. The linked marker must have been placed using the same tool as the item to which it was linked (e.g. a Section marker linked to a Section viewpoint). Note: A viewpoints cut/model attributes are defined by its source marker. If a linked marker becomes the source of a section, that marker's cut/model attributes are now applied to the viewpoint.
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Note: If you change a linked detail marker into a source detail marker, the viewpoints defining polygon will change to reflect the new source detail markers polygon. Linked markers linked to an independent viewpoint of the same type. The independent viewpoint is deleted and replaced by a source viewpoint. (If the original linked marker had no boundary, the source will take on a default boundary value.) Markers linked to an external drawing cannot be changed to a source marker.
Copying a Marker
Any interaction (Copy/Paste, Drag/Rotate/Mirror Copy/Copies) that results in creating a new copy of a marker will have the following results: Copying a source marker (Section/Elevation/IE or Worksheet) results in a second source marker, which creates a new viewpoint having the same parameters as the viewpoint associated with the original marker. The new viewpoint's name, however, will be different. Moreover, the Marker Link information is not copied. Copying a source Detail marker will create a new linked Detail marker, which is linked to the original detail viewpoint.
The original source marker becomes a linked marker containing the same reference information as before.
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The Find Linked markers dialog box lists all the linked markers: By marker subtype (shown as an icon) Placed to: ID and name of the viewpoint in which the marker is placed. (If it is a source marker, the viewpoint name is underlined.)
Clicking either column header will sort the list accordingly. Click Marker Settings to open the Tool Settings dialog box of the selected marker. Click Go to Selected to zoom to the selected marker. (The button is disabled if multiple markers are selected.) For Drawings placed on Layouts, the Find Linked Markers command is also available if you select the Drawing itself, then open the context menu.
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To list undefined marker references, click the Check Markers button at the top of the palette.
An icon at the bottom of the palette allows the user to zoom to the selected marker. (The zoom button is disabled if multiple markers are selected.) For each problematic marker listed (or multiple selected markers), the user can click Marker Settings to re-link the marker(s) or otherwise modify them. The user may decide that the marker is OK the way it is (even though it continues to display undefined Autotext). In this case, the Approve checkbox can be used as a sorting criterion; check the box for these markers. (For example, if you know that the undefined Autotext refers to an external project that has not yet been loaded.) If you don't want the palette to re-list these approved markers as problems the next time you click the Check Markers button, use the Hide Approved Markers option from the pop-up at top right of the dialog box.
The palette lists all the markers in the project which the user has automatically or manually linked a viewpoint, drawing or view, but whose referred viewpoint/drawing/view has since been deleted from this project. (In this case, the marker will display Autotext in place of the missing data.) If no such marker exists, the Palette will display this message: No undefined marker references in this project. Markers are listed, and can be sorted, according to the following: Marker subtype: Section/Elevation/Detail/Worksheet/Interior Elevation (shown as icon) Placed to: ID and Project Map path of the viewpoint in which the marker is placed Selected item: Name and ID of the markers referenced item (i.e. the viewpoint/view/drawing one you chose when defining the marker reference). If this referenced item has been deleted from the project, this column will show N/A. Approve: Editable checkbox for each marker.
You can sort items by any of these properties by clicking on its column header. You can then perform a secondary sorting function: clicking a second column header will further sort within the hierarchy obtained by the first sorting.
If none of these markers is locked or reserved, then the program displays a Warning dialog box informing you that proceeding with the Delete procedure will delete all of the following:
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The viewpoint (even if its source marker displays the data of a different viewpoint) Any views created out of the viewpoint All the source/linked markers listed above.
Deleting a Marker
If you delete a source marker, a dialog box appears informing you that deleting a source marker will also delete the viewpoint and any markers linked to it. However, the same dialog box gives you a different option: delete the source marker, but keep the viewpoint as an independent viewpoint with no model source. Deleting a linked marker has no effect on any other element.
Interactive Schedule
About Schedules
ArchiCADs Interactive Schedule function allows you to automatically generate schedules. Unlike simple lists created with the commands of the Document > Schedules and Lists menu, the Interactive Schedule not only displays quantities and other parameters - you can actually edit it. This makes it possible to notice and correct inconsistencies resulting from a data entry error or from the merging of the work of several people on different parts of the same project. For example, the schedule may allow you to detect that all but one of the thirty or forty doors placed in your building have the same height and width. You can then select this door directly from the schedule and check whether there is a reason for this inconsistency. If you find that this was a mistake, then you can correct the setting in the schedule and automatically update the door in all views. Similarly, its easy to double-check how many of the doors open to the right or the left. Schedules can list items either by row or by column.
If you delete a view, any markers linked to that view will remain in place. However, they will no longer display any linked information, just an undefined Autotext. These markers will be listed as problematic the next time you run the Check Markers function. Markers linked to the deleted drawing with first drawing from viewpoint will henceforth be linked to the next drawing created out of the same viewpoint. If you delete a drawing, any markers linked to that drawing will remain in place. However, they will no longer display any linked information, just an undefined Autotext. Markers linked to the deleted drawing with first drawing from view/viewpoint will henceforth be linked to the next drawing created out of the same viewpoint.
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There are two categories of Interactive Schedules: Element Lists and Component Lists. Element Lists show characteristics of simple construction elements, while Component Lists are optimized to list information about each component of composite elements (composite walls, slabs, roofs and/or multi-component profile elements.)
Open a Schedule
ArchiCAD 12 comes with predefined Schedules, such as Door List; Wall List; Window List. To open any of these schedules to list the elements in the current project, double-click the Schedule name in the Navigator. (You can also access Schedules through the Go command of the Mini-Navigator Toolbar, or from the Window menu.) The Schedule window opens, showing the schedule, along with formatting options (Schedule/Format Options) in the left column. To display the schedule only, without the formatting panel, click the black arrow on the dividing line.
You can access Schedules from either the Navigator palette or the Document > Schedules and Lists > Schedules submenu. Click the name of a defined Schedule to open the Interactive Schedule window and update its contents. Schedules are viewpoints, which you can save as views and output as drawings on a Layout, or save in various other file formats. See Saving from a Schedule Window (Interactive Schedule) in ArchiCAD Help. A formatted schedule can be placed into any 2D window (typically a Worksheet), by using Copy/Paste. The contents of the schedule, after pasting, will consist of lines and text, which you can freely edit, but will no longer be associative to the model.
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Selection Only to view schedule data for the selected items only (as opposed to the items defined in the Schedule Scheme criteria). This is a quick way to filter elements for editing as a group, by taking advantage of the Interactive Schedule capabilities. You cannot save a view out of the displayed data.
For information on formatting the schedule, see Schedule and Format Options (Interactive Schedule) in ArchiCAD Help. The Interactive Schedule window, like other Listing windows, has an additional shortcut in their bottom scrollbar allowing you to Fit the Width of the generated list to the current window size. The content of the Schedule is based on Schedule Scheme Settings. To adjust these, you can directly access this dialog box by clicking the Scheme Settings button at top right. For more information on defining schedule content, see Define a Schedule Using Scheme Settings on page 212. Any changes you make in these fields of the Schedule are automatically and instantly reflected in the Floor Plan and in other views, when activated. Conversely, all changes made on these elements in the Floor Plan or another editable view are updated in the Schedule when you return to it. If you have selected an item in the Schedule Window, use the Select on Floor Plan icon to go to the Floor Plan window and view the selected item. The icon to its right, Select in 3D, takes you to the 3D Window and zooms onto the selected item.
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If you want, you can expand the value of a criterion (such as Element Type), by clicking the + sign on the right edge of the selected row.
If you choose Create New, you must define whether the new Schedule will be an Element Schedule or a Component Schedule.
You can now choose a second value (such as Window) for the Element Type criterion.
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The two values (Door, Window) are joined as an or statement, so that the resulting schedule will include every element that is either a Window or a Door.
For example, in the Wall List scheme pictured here, we want the Wall Layer to be included in the schedule. Choose Layer from the Available Parameter, then click Add to add it to the Schedule Fields on the right.
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Click the second button to add a schedule cell which displays the sum of the items in the selected field. Here, we will have the schedule add a sum to the schedules Volume column.
separate sum or quantity for each group of identical elements in that field. For example, the Wall Type field already has a Quantity row, showing the total number of walls; to show a Quantity for each type of wall in that field, we have added a flag to the Cut Fill Type field. The result: Wall Types show a separate quantity for each separate wall type. Moreover, the Volume column also lists the corresponding volume sub-totals. Note: You can apply unique formatting options to this row of sum/quantity subtotals, which is called Total.
The second button contains an icon for a second option: to list a quantity for this field. Here, we will have the schedule add a Quantity to the schedules Wall Type column. The result: Wall Type shows a Quantity at the bottom of the column (a total of 8 walls), and the Volume column shows a total sum of all the volumes at the bottom (65.19 m3).
Format a Schedule
Use the Schedule Options and Format Options controls at the left side of the Schedule Window to format the current schedule. The Schedule Options part affects the appearance of the schedule as a whole, such as whether to list records by rows or columns, or whether to group similar items under a common headline. The Format Options part applies formatting to the contents of the schedule cells. For more information on each of these options, see Schedule and Format Options (Interactive Schedule) in ArchiCAD Help.
Note: You can apply unique formatting options to this row of sums/quantities, which is called Grand Total. If you choose Grand Total from the Apply to pop-up list, the formatting options will apply to this row/column of the schedule only. The third button lets you add a flag to one of the fields in the list. (You cannot flag more than one field at a time.) The flagged field will display a
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Schedule Headers
Each field of the schedule has a header. These headers are shown at the top of the schedule (for column-style schedules) or at the side (for row-style schedules). Each schedule also has a single main header. To show or hide headers and/or the main header, use the commands from Header Options, at the top of the Schedule window. For more information, see Header Options in ArchiCAD Help. To change a header text, just click into the field and type. To format it, make sure that Header is selected from the Apply To pop-up, then choose text formatting options. To select multiple fields, use Shift-click. You can add an additional header field above existing headers: 1) Select multiple headers (use Shift-click.) 2) Choose Insert Header Cell Above from Header Options. 3) A new cell is inserted above the selected cells, showing the text merged. Type in any header text and format as usual.
The Restructure Table command is used to define a new enclosing rectangle for the Schedule table. In this case, ArchiCAD recalculates sizes and lays out the Schedule so it best fits the new geometry. The result: the Schedule is split in two portions which are placed under each other. Note: If the selected Drawing is set to Split Drawing into Multiple Layouts, then the Restructure Table command will enable you to define a new enclosing rectangle, but instead of placing the Schedule parts onto a single Layout, each new part will be placed onto an additional Layout. See Split Schedule into Multiple Layouts on page 216.
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In the Navigator Layout Book, only one Layout is shown, but it has a multi-page icon, different from the single Layout icon, and the total number of Layouts used for this Drawing is displayed after the Drawing Name. If a Layout Window displays a multi-Layout Drawing, the Windows title bar shows the range of Layouts which display the Drawing.
In the Layout Book, you can navigate between Layout pages as usual, using the navigation arrows at the bottom of the Layout Window. If this Drawing does not fit onto a single Layout - as can easily happen with a long Schedule - ArchiCAD will create as many Layouts as needed to display the entire contents of the Schedule. In this example, the Window List has been placed on the Layout. The Split Drawing feature has placed the total Window List onto two Layouts. In the Layout Window, Layout is drawn to indicate that it consists of multiple pages:
However, if you open a Layout Window which contains a multi-Layout Drawing, the navigation button at the bottom of the screen displays a small black arrow. Click this to access additional navigation options among just the Layouts that display the current multi-page Drawing. First Page and Last Page here refer to the Layouts of the multi-page Drawing.
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generates a total of three Layouts to display the entire Schedule. Then you place another long Schedule onto the first of those Layouts. ArchiCAD fills up the three existing Layouts with the second Schedule (alongside the first Schedule), and generates any additional Layouts needed to display the full Schedule. If you place any other type of Drawing (i.e. which is neither a Schedule nor a Index) onto a Layout that contains a multi-page Drawing, then that Drawing will appear on every one of that set of Layouts. This can be an advantage if the additional Drawing serves as a Title on the Layout.
Layout sheet lists allow you to filter and list layouts by their master layouts, subsets and publishing status. Drawing lists allow you to filter and list drawings by their location (layout and subset), update status and zoom information.
To open an index, go to the Navigator palette and double-click its name. The format of the index (including fonts, colors, cell and heading styles) can be fully customized with the controls on the left of the displayed list. The content of the index is based on the choices you made in Project Index Schemes. If you need to adjust them, you can directly access this dialog box by clicking the Index Settings button top right.
Project Indexes
About Project Indexes
Project Indexes are table of contents type items listed in the Project Map of the Navigator palette. They allow you to display and access lists of views, layout sheets and drawings based on a set of filtering criteria. Project indexes are based on schemes defined with the Document > Project Indexes > Project Index Schemes command. The dialog box that appears allows you to: Create, rename, delete, import and export schemes Choose the filtering criteria (depending on the type of the index) Select the parameters and other information to display for the items that match the set criteria.
For more information, see Index Settings Dialog Box in ArchiCAD Help. Once the new (or modified) scheme is defined, its name appears in the Navigator and you can use it like any other view, meaning that you can add it to a view map, publish it or place it on a layout. Project indexes have their own special icons in the Navigator. View lists allow you to filter and list views by their location in the Project Map, their scale, model view option combination, layer combination, dimensioning standard and publishing status.
Project indexes are interactive, which means that you can edit some of the fields: for example, you can change the scale or the layer combination of a view, the name or the ID of a layout or a placed drawing. The modifications are carried out immediately. You can move Index Settings among projects by exporting and importing them (use the Import/Export commands in the Index Settings dialog box).
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Elements are displayed as solid building components in the 3D Window. Their cut or elevated view can be projected in Section and Elevation windows.
1) Select the elements tool in the Toolbox and open its settings
dialog box.
situation or purpose. You can choose a Favorite - a predefined element configuration - using the button on top of the Tool Settings dialog box. material and line options for the elements Core Structure, Cut Surfaces, Outlines, and other parameters where applicable.
For more information, see the descriptions of individual panels for each Tool Settings dialog box in Tool Settings Dialog Boxes in ArchiCAD Help.
See Favorites on page 46. See Magic Wand on page 143. See Creating Element Duplicates on page 135.
Construction Elements
Construction Elements are the virtual equivalents of actual three-dimensional building components. They include Walls, Columns, Beams, Roofs, Slabs, Meshes, Zones and Curtain Walls. Each of these elements has a dedicated tool in the ArchiCAD Toolbox.
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direction) that appears when you draw the Wall on the Floor Plan, provided that the View > On-Screen View Options > Walls & Beams Reference Lines feature is switched on.
The reference line helps you achieve the precise connection of Walls for clean intersections. It also establishes hotspots and edges for selecting, moving and transforming Walls. Some Pet Palette editing commands are accessible only from the reference-line side of the selected Wall, as shown in the two images here:
Walls
About Walls
In ArchiCAD, you can draw walls that are straight, curved, trapezoidal and polygonal. They can be simple, of a single material, or composite, composed of several materials. You can even go a step further, and create complex walls (Profile Wall) of any custom shape and with a combination of materials. Certain parametric objects such as Doors, Windows, and Wall Ends can only be placed into Walls.
The reference line is also relevant for determining which side of the wall is which, for assigning materials to the 3D model (in the Model panel of Wall Tool Settings). See Wall Model Panel in ArchiCAD Help. Depending on the chosen Construction and Geometry Method, the wall body protrudes on either or both sides of the reference line. The direction of the wall is defined by the order in which you define the walls endpoints. Note: With the commands of the Modify Wall Add-On, you can modify the thickness, the Reference Line position and the direction of selected wall type elements. See Modify Wall Geometry (Add-On) on page 229.
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Display of Walls
Use the panels of the Wall Tool Settings dialog box to choose attributes for the display of your wall in the various 2D and 3D windows. Attributes for each part of the representation (e.g. cut surfaces, overhead lines) are set using the pop-up options in the Floor Plan & Section panel of the Settings dialog box. Use the Floor Plan Cut Plane Settings, combined with element projection preferences, to determine which parts of the placed wall should be displayed. For more information, see Floor Plan Cut Plane (Global Setting) on page 160 and How to Display Individual Elements on the Floor Plan on page 161. Some aspects of Wall display depend on the current settings in View > On-Screen View Options. Wall & Beam Intersections can be set on and off. Fill patterns can be shown as vectorial or bitmap. Other display options for Fill patterns are set in Document > Set Model View > Model View Options: you can opt to show contours only, or empty fills, or to display each elements fills as defined in its own settings dialog box. In the case of composite walls, you can choose to display only the separator lines, or only a solid fill with no lines.
When you are satisfied with the choices you made in the Wall Tool Settings dialog box, you can start drawing Walls, in either the Floor Plan or the 3D Window.
The first option defines the curved wall by the arcs or circles centerpoint and radius. Your first click defines the centerpoint. A ghost contour of the circular wall follows your cursor until you click a second to time to define the radius. After that, only a partial ghost curved segment is shown, until you click a third time to define the length of the arc walls circumference. If you need a full circular wall, double-click when defining its radius.
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When all three points are defined, the ghost contour is replaced by the fully displayed wall contours and hatches.
When the arc length is defined, the ghost arc is replaced by the fully displayed wall contours and hatches.
The second option defines the curved wall by three points on the arcs circumference. The first two clicks define two points that you will probably locate on points connecting other elements, grid intersections or special snap points. After that, a ghost circle follows the cursor until you click a third time to define the third point.
The third option only defines full circular shapes based on three tangential edges or points. In this process, you select three initial points: these can be a tangent edge (indicated by the Mercedes cursor), a node (indicated by the Checkmark cursor), or a free-floating point (indicated by the Crosshair cursor.) An endpoint cannot qualify as a tangent edge when using this method, so a maximum of two endpoints are allowed. If more than two are selected, the process will revert to the second method described above. Only linear tangency is allowed: all tangent points must be on the straight edges of Slabs, Lines, Walls, etc. If you click a radial edge with the Mercedes cursor, the resulting Circle will pass through that point rather than being a tangent to the curve. The next step depends on the geometric situation. If there is only one solution, the circular Wall is automatically drawn. If there are two or four solutions, the Eyeball cursor appears and the ghost contour of the Wall flips from one position to the other as you move the cursor around. Click when it is at the right place to complete the circular wall.
A fourth click is needed to define the length of the arc segment. Double-click the third point to define a full circular wall. Note that the second and the third points do not need to be actually part of the arc wall.
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The options are: If there is no solution, (for example, if you define three parallel edges for tangency), no circle will be made. Note: Since Walls need to have two endpoints, the fully closed circular Wall that you draw will in fact consist of two half-circles. Walls in the forms of full ellipses, elliptic arcs or splines cannot be created directly, but you can trace the shapes of plain drawing elements with the Magic Wand. For a description of how to edit curved walls, see Stretching Curves on page 380. For information on creating a curved wall out of a straight one, see Curve/Straighten Element Edge on page 134. A straight wall segment A curved segment tangential to the previous one (cannot be used for the first wall segment) A curved segment tangential to a line you define before actually drawing the segment A curved segment passing through two points A curved segment defined by its centerpoint, radius and length
Place the cursor on the option that suits you best and define the endpoint of the first segment using the methods described above for single Wall segments. This endpoint automatically becomes the starting point of the next Wall segment. When you want to finish drawing Wall chain segments, double-click the endpoint of the last segment. Throughout the process, a ghost contour of the Wall segments is shown. The full Walls are only displayed when you are finished. Clicking the Cancel button in the context menu or the Delete key at any time during drafting will abort the process, and no elements will be created. Choosing Edit > Undo command will remove the entire new chain of Walls, not just the last segment. Hitting the Backspace key allows you to undo the previous segment and continue the creation of the Wall chain. If you change the Walls attributes in the Info Box during the creation process, all created Wall segments will have the modified attributes (reference line position, line type, fill color, material, etc.).
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As soon as you start drawing the first Wall, a pet palette appears, offering you geometry options for drawing a straight or a curved segment.
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If necessary, you can switch methods on the fly with the pet palette. If the Edit > Grouping > Autogroup function is switched on, the chained Wall segments will be created as part of a group.
Draw the diagonal of the rectangular wall and click to define its length. The rectangle wall is created. Its four sides are always aligned orthogonally with the Normal Grid and are not affected by the use of a Rotated Grid.
The Rotated Rectangle Wall method produces four wall elements as with the previous method, except that you first define a rotation vector for the rectangles base reference line. Then drag the cursor to define the rectangle.
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Once you have closed the polygon, click with the hammer cursor to complete the wall. If you define a polygon whose edges intersect themselves, ArchiCAD will warn you about this, but the wall will still be drawn. The walls edges will include one reference edge (like a straight walls reference line). To make another edge the reference edge, select an endpoint of the current reference edge. The pet palette contains a command with which you can move the reference edge endpoints to other nodes of the polygon wall.
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To edit polygon walls, click the nodes and edges of the selected Walls and use the pet palette. When connected to other, plain walls, wall polygons keep their original contour by default. If you wish to override this setting, check the PolyWall Corners Can Change box in the Geometry and Positioning section of the Wall Settings dialog box (available when the PolyWall geometry method is active in the Info Box). For more information, see PolyWall Corners on page 228.
composite wall, however, has to be wide enough to accommodate all of the skins. The height of either type of slanted wall is the distance between its lowest and highest point. When entering a height value of a double-slanted wall, you face the obvious constraint that the walls width at the top cannot be negative (i.e. once the two faces meet, you cant go any higher.) The thickness of a slanted wall is its thickness perpendicular to its slant vector (as indicated by the icon in the Info Box): The thickness of a double-slanted wall equals the width of the wall base. If you switch from one kind of slant to another, the wall is transformed as follows: If you transform a single-slanted into a double-slanted wall, the new walls width (i.e. its wall base) will take on the width of the old, single-slanted wall. Similarly, if you have a double-slanted wall and change it to either a vertical or single-slanted wall, the new wall will have the same width as that of the old, double-slanted wall.
For more information on modifying slanted wall geometry, see Modifying Slanted Walls and Columns on page 124.
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Clicking the Log Details button in the Model panel of the Wall Settings dialog box opens a dialog box with a number of geometry and texture options. Note: Log construction is only available for simple straight walls. When determining the logs height, remember that if you enter a value that is larger than the walls width parameter, the logs will not rest on each other. For more information, see Log Details Dialog Box in ArchiCAD Help.
Wall-Wall Intersections
The connection of walls and their fills on the floor plan and in 3D is determined first of all by their Wall Priorities. When walls of unequal priorities intersect, the element of higher priority will remain intact in 3D. (In 2D, the element of higher priority will be in front.) The element of lower priority will be cut, and the intersected part removed You can set a separate priority for each individual wall, on a scale of 0-16 (even numbers only), using the Wall Priority slider switch (Wall Settings > Floor Plan and Section panel). To make alignment of connecting walls easier, the intelligent cursor snaps to all sides and corners of wall segments. In the case of composite walls, the cursor snaps to each endpoint of the inner skin as well.
These Walls intersect according to the following rules: Skins with higher priorities will block skins with lower priorities. Skins with equal priorities will form a mitered joint. (provided they have the same fill pattern) Wall Outlines and Overhead lines also intersect each other. Once you set these skin priorities for a composite wall, you must activate them with the Enable Skin Priorities checkbox (in Wall Tool Settings: Floor Plan & Section Panel).
However, if you want to set a single 2D intersection priority for the composite Wall as a whole, do not check Enable Skin Priorities; in
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this case, the Wall Priority slider switch (in Wall Settings: Structure) will prevail for this wall in 2D as well as 3D.
So, in Options > Element Attributes > Composites, we set Skin Priority numbers for the Composite used for these Walls. In this composite, we set the Core skins Priority to 12. Then we return to the Wall Settings dialog box and check the Enable Skin Priorities box.
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Note: Wall (and Composite Structure) and Column Intersection Priority Numbers are always even numbers; Beam Intersection Priority Numbers are always odd numbers. Thus, any time a Wall/Column intersects with a Beam in 3D, the program can determine which is dominant depending on their Priority Numbers.
order. To change the order in which they are joined, change their Wall Priorities. If two walls are connected in an L intersection and have equal priorities, the fill that is thicker has priority. L or T intersections are not affected by Display Order modifications. If you need a more elaborate drawing detail at wall intersections, you can create a patch or a detail drawing.
Intersecting Walls in 3D
To improve the appearance of wall connections in 3D, especially when connecting walls of different heights, enable the Enhanced connections for Walls and Beams checkmark in Options > Project Preferences > Construction Elements. Your 3D result will then correctly display how much of each wall has been cut. Intersections involving complex walls will always be calculated as if this function were active. Activating this checkbox might result in slower 3D performance. If your projects wall intersections involve simple walls of equal heights, you might improve performance by leaving the box unchecked.
Walls in an X Intersection
Two walls crossing each other in an X junction will automatically create a clean intersection. When making an X wall junction, the wall you place second will cut the wall that is already on the plan, provided that the two walls have equal intersection priority. The intersection sequence is visible in the 2D window (if Clean Wall and Intersections is off) as well as in the 3D window. You can modify this intersection sequence for X intersections using the Edit > Display Order command. The 2D Display Order affects the intersection sequence in both the 2D and 3D windows.
PolyWall Corners
When connected to other, plain walls, wall polygons keep their original contour by default. If you wish to override this setting, check the PolyWall Corners Can Change box in the Geometry and Positioning section of the Wall Settings dialog box (available when the PolyWall geometry method is active). In the following example, a Single Wall is connected to a Wall Polygon. The first illustration shows you the situation with View > On-Screen View Options > Clean Wall & Beam Intersections turned Off. Turning Clean Wall & Beam Intersections On will give a different
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Walls in L or T Intersections
In the case of T intersections, if the connecting walls have equal priorities, then the running wall will prevail over the adjoining wall. In the case of L intersections, if the connecting walls have equal priorities and are of equal thicknesses, they will be joined in random
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moved.) With the Modify Wall Reference Line command, you can move the reference line of the selected walls without changing the walls position on the Floor Plan. On the left side of the dialog box, you can change the reference line side of walls. On the right you can add an offset to the reference line to position it to the desired part of the wall.
With the Invert Direction command, you can change the direction of the reference line. (This is visible when the Clean Wall & Beam Intersections command toggle is Off.) See also Wall Reference Lines on page 219.
For more information, see Columns and Other Elements on page 233.
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Roofs and Walls: The top or the bottom surface of Walls can be trimmed to Roofs. Walls and Curtain Walls: Walls can be connected to Curtain Walls using the Design > Curtain Wall > Connect Wall command. Relation to Zones: In the Listing and Labeling Panel of Wall settings, define how the Wall should behave in relation to zones: as a zone boundary (delimiter), or whether its area/volume should be subtracted from the zone it is in, or whether it should have no effect at all on a zone.
Use the Floor Plan Cut Plane Settings, combined with element projection preferences, to determine which parts of the placed column should be displayed. For more information, see Floor Plan Cut Plane (Global Setting) on page 160 and How to Display Individual Elements on the Floor Plan on page 161.
For more information, see Connect Wall to Curtain Wall on page 306.
Crossing Symbol
The Floor Plan Symbol options (in Column Tool Settings, Floor Plan and Section Panel) refer to the columns crossing symbol (Plain, Slash, X, or Crosshair). The display of all column floor plan symbols in the project can be turned on or off with the Show Column Symbol checkbox in Document > Set Model View > Model View Options. For more information, see Model View Options for Construction Elements in ArchiCAD Help.
Columns
Columns in ArchiCAD are made up of two components: the load-bearing core and the optional veneer used to simulate fire proofing or any kind of sheathing around the core. The Columns section can be rectangular or circular, or they can be complex, as defined in a profile. Columns can stand free, or they can be smartly connected to walls. The columns axis can be either vertical or slanted. Double-click the Column tool icon to open the Column Settings dialog box and set your preferences. For more information, see Column Tool Settings in ArchiCAD Help.
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The connection line between wall skins and the Column are removed where their fill patterns match.
Columns in 3D Views
Columns placed with the Wrapped Construction Method will inherit the Surface Material of the connecting Walls, even if the wall is not a composite wall, and even if there are no wall skins configured to actually wrap around the Columns.
Wrapping on the Floor Plan will only occur if: the Column was placed using the Wrapped Method it intersects a composite Wall the composite Wall type has at least one skin that is non-core (which will wrap around) the Column touches or intersects the core skin(s) of the composite Wall Note: Wrapping is not available for curved or polygonal Walls.
Column Display in 3D
The Model panel controls the walls material settings in 3D view.
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projected vertically from the Floor Plan. Rotated: Your first click determines the position of the Columns Anchor Point at its Base, the second will define its rotation angle around a vertical axis. Revolved placement method: If your column is complex and/or slanted, this input method provides a three-step placement process. First, click to place the column. Second, rotate it around its vertical axis and click. Third, revolve it around its own, slanted axis (i.e. set the rotation angle), and click to complete.
If Column surfaces are connected to wall or slab surfaces or other Column surfaces within the same 3D plane, the connection lines are eliminated in 3D view when using the Internal 3D engine.
Creating Columns
Use the Column tool to create new columns in either the Floor Plan or the 3D Window. Choose the desired column attributes and geometry from the Column Settings Dialog box, then click to place the column into the project. After placement, you can still stretch a columns height in the 3D window. For more information, see Stretch Height on page 129.
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Walls and Columns: See Column Display on Floor Plan on page 230. Roofs and Columns: The top or bottom surface of Columns can be trimmed to roofs. For more information, see Trim Element to Roof on page 248. Relation to Zones: In the Listing and Labeling Panel of Column settings, define how the Column should behave in relation to zones: as a zone boundary (delimiter), or whether its area/volume should be subtracted from the zone it is in, or whether it should have no effect at all on a zone. For more information, see Relation to Zones on page 264.
Beams
ArchiCAD Beams are horizontal or inclined construction elements with vertical end faces. They can be rectangular or complex in shape.
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The Rotated Rectangle Beam method produces four beam elements with coincident nodes, the first side of the rectangle being defined by the first two mouse clicks at their endpoints and the perpendicular side defined by the third mouse click.
Create a Beam
Define Beam settings in the Beam Settings dialog box. For more information, see Beam Tool Settings in ArchiCAD Help. When you are satisfied with the choices you made in the Beam Settings dialog box, you can start drawing Beams. New Beams can be created in either the Floor Plan or the 3D Window.
Beam Geometry
There are four Geometry Methods available for drawing Beams. Choose one of these Geometry Methods from the Info Box. The Single Beam method produces a beam element by clicking twice, at the reference lines starting point and endpoint. The PolyBeam method creates a sequence of connected beam elements with automatically coincident reference line endpoints. The process for drawing chained Beams is the same as for Walls. Only straight beam segments can be drawn when creating a PolyBeam. When you click to end the definition of the first Beam, you automatically start drawing the second one, and so on, until you double-click to finish drawing the chained Beams. The Rectangle Beam produces four beam elements with coincident nodes and aligned to the X and Y axes. Define the rectangle by clicking the starting point and the endpoint of one of its diagonal lines.
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Inclined Beams are placed the same way as Horizontal Beams. The 3D body of an Inclined Beam is created so that the height of its section cut by a plane perpendicular to its Inclined Axis will be constant at every point (and equal to the Beam Height value). In the image below, the Beams height was set to 500 mm in its Settings dialog.
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multiplying them and then fine-tune some of the Holes shapes, sizes or positions. To select a hole, make sure the Beam tool is active, then Shift-click in the center of the hole.
Note that only one selected hole can be edited at a time, but if you select the Beam itself, you can modify the values of all holes simultaneously. To modify a selected Holes shape and size, use the controls in the Beam Settings dialog box or the Info Box. The position of the Hole can also be changed graphically. Selected Holes can be moved along the Beam in Floor Plan view. In 3D, the pet palette offers you the possibility of moving the Holes up and down.
On the Floor Plan, create a hole by clicking on the Beams reference line. The pet palette appears with the possible editing choices. Click the Hole icon. The Beam Hole Settings dialog box will appear, letting you set hole parameters.
1) Draw your Beam. 2) Set Beam thickness to zero in the Beam Settings dialog box in
order to draw a second (virtual) Beam.
3) Draw the zero thickness Beam starting from the end of the
reference axis of the first Beam at the desired angle as shown in the figure below.
Click OK to apply the beam hole settings; the Hole will immediately appear in the Beam. In the 3D window, you can access the pet palette by clicking the Mercedes cursor on a top edge of the selected Beam element.
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If one end of the joining Beam falls within the contour of the other Beam, the end of the joining Beam will automatically adjust to the reference axis. Their appearance in 3D will be cleaned up accordingly, provided that the beams have the same intersection priority. Beam junctions are also cleaned up if the crossing or joining Beams run at different elevations. If Beams pass each other in space, without intersecting reference lines, the junction will be cleaned up depending on their respective intersection priorities.
Beam Connections in 3D
To improve the appearance of beam connections in 3D, especially when connecting walls of different heights, enable the Enhanced connections for Walls and Beams checkmark in Options > Project Preferences > Construction Elements. Your 3D result will then correctly display how much of each beam has been cut.
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Intersections involving complex beam will always be calculated as if this function were active. Activating this checkbox might result in slower 3D performance. If your projects intersections involve simple beams at uniform elevations, you might improve performance by leaving the box unchecked.
Note: Beam intersections are effective even if some of the intersecting elements are on currently hidden Layers. However, if intersecting beam are on layers with differing Layer Intersection Groups, then beam intersection will not take place. For more information, see Create and Use Layer Combinations on page 28.
A Complex Profile element is composed of a cross-sectional profile that is extruded perpendicular to the profiles plane. To place a complex element, you can use or modify a predefined profile, or create a new one. A saved Complex Profile element is handled as an attribute of the Wall, Column, and/or Beam element. Saved profiles will appear in the Settings dialog box of the respective tool. Alternatively, you can apply a custom profile to any selected element in the model window on a one-time basis without having to save it as an attribute. ArchiCAD ships a number of predefined profile elements for these tools. To use them, do the following: Open the Wall (Column, Beam) Settings dialog box. Choose Profiled Wall from the Geometry and Positioning panel.
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The Structure section of the Floor Plan and Section panel includes a pop-up that lets you choose among saved profiles for the current element. The pop-up includes a preview to help you choose.
Choose the desired profile, then adjust the rest of the settings in the element Settings dialog box as you would for any other element. Click on the plan to place. To create a new profile using the shape of a selected Wall, Beam or Column element in the active model window, click the Capture elements profile button in the Profile Manager (or choose Capture Profile of selection from the context menu of a selected element in the model window). To edit an existing profile, select it, then click Edit chosen profile.
Once you place a complex profile element, you can modify it graphically on-screen, similar to other construction elements.
The Profile Editor window opens. In this window you will draw or edit the cross-section of the profile element, using the 2D drawing tools that are available. Use the Fill tool to draw the cross-section of the complex profile and edit it, with the usual 2D techniques, to achieve the desired shape. Your cross-sectional profile can contain multiple shapes; they will all be saved together as a single profile.
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The Origin shown in the Profile Editor window is a significant reference point: if the complex element is a Wall, the origin represents the location of the Walls reference line. In case of a Column or Beam, the origin represents the location of the elements axis. You cannot move this origin, but you can move the profile shape so that it correctly positioned with respect to the origin. Only hotspots and shapes drawn with the Fill tool in the Profile Editor window will be part of the saved profile. Other 2D elements added to the Profile Editor window (lines, dimensioning, etc.) can be used as local drafting aids, but will have no effect on the final appearance of the complex profile when placed into the model. (These drafting aids are located on the Drafting Design Layer; see below.) In Profile Manager, the Use with buttons, like those in other Attribute Settings dialog boxes, determine which ArchiCAD tools can be used to place the current profile. The rest of the Profile Manager settings are active only if the Profile Editor is open. Design Layers: The Design Layers section of Profile Manager contains layer settings that apply to the Profile Editor window only. The layer of the active tool will be highlighted. For example, if the Fill or Hotspot tool is active, the Construction layer will be highlighted; all items drawn on the Construction layer will be saved as part of the profile. Other 2D elements in this window will be placed on the Drafting layer; while they will be saved as part of the profile attribute, they will not be visible in the placed profile. Note: Dimension elements placed in the Profile Editor window are not saved as part of the attribute; they are for drafting purposes only. The show/hide parameters for Design Layers affect the Profile Editor window only.
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Horizontal and Vertical Stretch (in the list of Design Layers) are an optional attribute of the profile. Check the boxes to switch on the stretch parameter in either or both directions. If you do not switch it on, you will not be able to stretch or resize the cross-section of the resulting profile once you place it on the plan. If Horizontal/Vertical Stretch is switched on, the Profile Editor window displays dotted lines indicating the plane that can be stretched. Within the Profile Editor window, you can move these lines like any other drawing element to any part of the profile; these will serve as the stretch handles of the resulting profile element after it is placed in the model. If you switch on Opening Reference (in the list of Design Layers), the Profile Editor window displays a line representing the reference line at which doors/windows will be placed, once you place the profile wall on the plan. If necessary, edit the line, like any other line, to conform to the shape of the profile so that openings will be in the right place. If you do not switch on Opening Reference, doors/windows will be placed along the profile elements bounding box. The rest of the controls in the Profile Manager dialog box allow you to fine-tune the Section and 3D appearance of each component of the profile element and are recommended for advanced users. For details, see Profile Manager Dialog Box in ArchiCAD Help. See also Modifying Complex Profile Elements on page 126.
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If you do not want to store the profile, and need the profile only for a one-time use, you can apply it to a selected element in the model, using the Apply to selection button. The selected element will turn into that profile element. The unstored profile is called Custom until it is stored.
met, all types of Columns (Vertical, Slanted, Custom Profile) may be merged. More than two Columns may be merged at the same time.
For more information, see Profile Manager Dialog Box in ArchiCAD Help.
Roofs
About Roofs
ArchiCADs flexible Roofs can be used to create both standard and abstract 3D shapes meeting a wide variety of needs. The roof s elevation is measured by the elevation of the pivot line, a horizontal non-printing line that you draw when creating the roof.
The Merge Columns command allows you to merge two or more Columns whose axes are parallel to each other. If this condition is
In most cases, you will want the pivot line of the roof to coincide with a wall Reference Line or a slab edge.
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Note: You can hide all pivot lines with the appropriate control in View > On-Screen View Options. The Pivot Line elevation is shown in the roof s info box (the B value). This is the same value as the Roof s Relative Base Height, in Roof Settings. The Roof Slope Angle (or pitch) is measured from this pivot line. The Roof Pitch value is also shown in the Info Box (the T value). See also Modify the Roof Slant Angle on page 246. To aid in precise element placement, you can turn on the Gravitate to Roof command to place additional elements onto the surface of the Roof.
When you are satisfied with the choices you made in the Roof Settings dialog box, you can start drawing Roofs. New Roofs can be created in either the Floor Plan or the 3D Window, although some options differ or are restricted.
Display of Roofs
Attributes for each part of the representation (e.g. cut surfaces, overhead lines) are set using the pop-up options in the Floor Plan & Section panel of the Settings dialog box. For more information, see Roof Tool Settings in ArchiCAD Help. Use the Floor Plan Cut Plane Settings, combined with element projection preferences, to determine which parts of the placed roof should be displayed. For more information on Floor Plan display of roofs, see How to Display Individual Elements on the Floor Plan on page 161. For Roofs, the default Floor Plan Display option is Projected with Overhead.
Roof Geometry
The Roof tool has six geometry methods in the Info Box, allowing you to create both simple and complex roof shapes. The options are: Polygon, Rectangle, Rotated Rectangle, Polyroof, Dome and Barrel-vaulted. Note that only four options are visible at a time. The remaining options can be viewed by holding down the button to pop out the additional icons.
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Pivot Line
2) After you draw the pivot line, a cursor in the form of an Eyeball
will appear. Use this cursor to click on the side of the pivot line where you want the roof plane to rise (or, in the case of a negative roof pitch, slope downward).
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3) You can then draw the contour of the roof by clicking on each of
the new roof s nodes. Or use the Magic Wand: click on an existing element to serve as the pattern for the roof s contour. See Magic Wand on page 143.
The final outline will be defined by the Eave Overhang value which is added as an offset to the pivot line polygon.
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Polyroofs can be made up of a maximum of four levels. The inclination and maximum height of each segment can be independently defined. To create curved or other shapes with the Polyroof method, draw the shapes with the 2D drawing tools, then use the Magic Wand to define the pivot line polygon. Make sure that the Polyroof Geometry Method is active when you do so. Note: ArchiCAD uses a crystal growth algorithm to calculate the best solution for any particular polygon base. The height defined in the settings dialog box is the maximum limit. If the roof meets another roof plane before it reaches that particular height, it will not go higher. If the roof has reached the maximum level allowed, and the roof planes have not met, a horizontal plane will be placed on top. Once the structure is completed, its parts are individually editable.
Enter the height of the Dome Roof as measured from its centerpoint. This value is set by default to the maximum allowed, i.e., the height of a semi-sphere structure. By entering a smaller number, you can flatten your dome. The next edit field contains the elevation of the domes base. The number of strips and segments that make up the dome can also be defined in this dialog box: they are limited to 90 and 360 respectively. The roof thickness measured perpendicular to the roof s elevation can also be set, while the roof edges trimming is controlled by the radio buttons. The three options available are perpendicular, vertical and horizontal trimming. Once the dome is created, its parts can be edited as individual pitched roofs, but not as a whole.
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With a first click, you define the starting point and the shape, and with the second, the length of the barrel-vaulted roof. Then make choices in the Vaulted Roof Settings dialog box. You can set Vaulted Roof characteristics here. Enter the elevation of the base point of the roof, its edge angle and, if using a simple fill pattern, its thickness. Press the OK or Cancel button when finished. The resulting roof planes are individually editable. If Autogroup is on, they are generated as a group. The curve drawn in the Floor Plan is clearly visible in the 3D view of the roof.
Note: ArchiCAD only allows the construction of curved roofs that can be hit by vertical rainfall. This avoids the construction of self-intersecting or reclinate roofs. This also means that the same curve may be valid for the generation of a roof from one angle of the boundary box, and invalid from another angle. This is because the shape of the roof is determined not only by the curve that it is constructed from, but also by the angle of the boundary box that it is associated to. The start and end points of the roof must be defined in such a way that the heavy line side of the rubberband boundary does not intersect the original cross-section curve. There are three possible methods available for drawing a Barrel-Vaulted Roof in 3D: Rounded, Symmetrical and Irregular. Draw the first side of the outline rectangle of the roof at the desired height. The pet palette appears. Defining the cross-section is different for the three methods.
Rounded Roof
To create a Rounded roof: Click on the first icon.
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Draw the geometry of the roof cross-section by defining its height and click.
Extend the roof to the desired length and click to place the roof.
Extend the roof to the desired length and click to place the roof.
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Irregular Roof
To create an Irregular roof: Choose the third method from the pet palette and click.
Define the shape of the roof by clicking as many times as you wish to create new planes. Double-click to finish creating roof planes.
Extend the roof to the desired length and click to place the roof.
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In this example, when the two ridge lines meet on the Floor Plan, this means that they are in fact intersected in 3D.
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This trimming is not done automatically: you must use the Design > Trim to Roof command. Elements are trimmed only if they intersect a roof at any point, and only if you check its element type in the Trim to Roof dialog box. It is usually easiest to use Trim to Roof in the 3D window, where you can see the spatial relationships of roofs to other construction elements. The Trim to Roof command is available only if at least one roof or one element of the above types is selected. To trim elements to a roof, follow these steps:
Trim Base, depending on which part of the eligible element(s) you want to trim. Trim Top will trim the part of the element(s) above the roof, and Trim Base will trim the part below the roof.
Selection of roofs and/or elements narrows the scope of the Trim. If you select only a roof, all eligible elements are trimmed; if you select only elements, they will be trimmed to all the eligible roofs.
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If you trim a wall with a roof that crosses the wall entirely, the original wall will be cut into two walls: one with a cutting at the end, while the other will be a separate wall without any cut.
In the first trim, the checkbox is checked. This means that the Walls actual height (as shown by the selection dots) has changed to the highest point of the trimmed Wall.
In the second trim, the box is left unchecked. The Wall is trimmed as usual, but the selection dots indicate that its height remains at its original value. Exception: If you have an opening that would have points in both parts of the wall after the trim, the wall will remain one piece. Note: if you click Trim Base, the Set Wall/Column Top to highest Point box changes to Set Wall/Column Base to lowest Point. In this case, its the base elevation of the element that changes. However, the Undo Roof Trim command will have a different effect depending on the checkbox status: if you set the Trim operation to recalculate the Wall/Columns height value (if the checkbox was active), then the Undo Roof Trim will only recreate the wall/column up to the maximum trimmed height. If you did not check the box, then the Undo Roof Trim will recreate the original Wall height.
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However, remember that any roof can only make parallel cuts into the walls. Just select the elements you intend to cut, then Ctrl-click (Cmd-click) an edge or a node of the roof you want to cut them with. The reverse procedure will also work: select the roof you want to cut with and Ctrl-click (Cmd-click) the individual elements you want to be cut. Note: The Wall/Beam/Column is cut whether it is under a roof or not. Be sure to set a sufficient height for the original rectangular Walls/Beams/Columns so that they are cut correctly.
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We recommend that you begin modelling the roof construction with the purlins and continue with the hip rafters/valley rafters before placing the rafters. This way you can easily keep track of all the connecting elements. (When placing ridges, you already know the thickness of the purlin; when placing rafters you already know the thickness of purlins, hip and valley rafters, etc.)
After choosing the command for the placement of an object, a dialog box opens in which certain parameters concerning the object itself can be set. Surface materials and a layer can be assigned to all elements. The current pencolor set for the Object is used by default. If you change the current pencolor, all the subsequently placed elements will have the new color. The object is then placed with one or more clicks, or is placed automatically, depending on the object type. To display the RoofMaker commands in a separate floating toolbox, choose Design > Design Extras > RoofMaker > Show RoofMaker Toolbox. The RoofMaker Toolbox opens, which contains shortcuts to all of the RoofMaker menu commands.
Create a rafter
When creating rafters, the bottom plane of the roof serves as a reference plane. Rafters will be automatically placed on top of it. Select a reference roof surface on the floor plan. Choose Create a rafter from the Design > Design Extras > RoofMaker menu (or select the first icon from the RoofMaker toolbox). The Rafter Settings dialog box appears in which rafter parameters can be set. For more information, see Rafter Settings Dialog Box in ArchiCAD Help. Clicking OK returns you to the floor plan with the reference roof surface still selected. Click inside the selected roof surface. (If you click outside, an error message appears.) A rafter is placed with its axis going through the specified point. By definition, rafters are perpendicular to the reference line of the roof. After the rafter is placed, you can select it and open its Object Settings dialog box. Among others, the parameters include profile and profile thickness. The rafter may have a rectangular (default) profile as well as I-beam, L-beam or C-beam profiles.
To place rafters, ridges or purlins (beams), a single roof surface has to be selected. If multiple roof surfaces are grouped, you must first ungroup them using the Edit > Grouping > Ungroup. You will then be able to select roof surfaces individually. Although the placement of roof construction elements using RoofMaker works using other methods, we strongly recommend setting the reference line of the roof to the upper exterior edge of the wall beneath (as handled by ArchiCADs Complex Roof Placement Method). The definition of elements, with or without overhang, uses this reference line as a basis. We recommend setting the roof thickness equal to the general cross-section height of the rafters. This way, you can use the roof to cut elements that are standing upon the rafters (e.g., Posts). To place a trimmer (blocking), a collar beam or a tie beam, two corresponding rafters must be selected (opposite rafters for a collar beam or a tie beam, and rafters in the same roof surface for a trimmer).
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In the Rafter Settings dialog box, set the desired parameters. You will set the same controls as for a single rafter, but the placement controls for multiple rafters are also active. For more information, see Multiple Rafters Dialog Box in ArchiCAD Help. Clicking OK returns you to the floor plan with the reference roof surface still selected. Click twice inside the selected roof surface to define a placement line. (If you click outside, an error message appears.) Several rafters are placed along the placement line, with the axis of the first rafter going through the point defined with the first click, and the axis of the last rafter going through the point defined with the second click. By definition, rafters are perpendicular to the reference line of the roof.
shape of the resulting objects; the top cut in the latter method makes the object suitable for steeple type roofs.
Create a trimmer
In order to place a trimmer, you must first select the two rafters the trimmer is going to be placed between. The two rafters have to be within the same roof polygon. (This also means that they have the same pitch angle and they are both perpendicular to the reference line of the roof.) Choose Create a Trimmer from the Design > Design Extras > RoofMaker menu. The Trimmer Settings dialog box appears. For more information, see Create a Trimmer (or Blocking) in ArchiCAD Help. A trimmer is placed at the same height as the rafters. It can be vertical or rotated to a position perpendicular to the pitch angle of the roof. The 2D symbol also shows the current position. Clicking OK, you return to the floor plan with the two rafters still selected. Click between the rafters. (If you click outside them, an error message will appear.) A trimmer is placed between the two rafters, the axis going through the specified point. Trimmers are always parallel to the reference line of the roof and thus perpendicular to the rafters.
Create a purlin
Select a reference roof surface on the floor plan and choose Create a Purlin from the Design > Design Extras > RoofMaker menu (or click the fifth icon from the RoofMaker toolbox). The Purlin Settings dialog box appears in which purlin parameters can be set. For more information, see Create a Purlin (or Beam) in ArchiCAD Help. By default, the purlin is placed under the reference plane defined by the roof, since a purlin generally supports the rafters from below. However, an elevation value can be set for the purlin so that it can be higher or lower than the reference plane. Set the values for the width and the height of the cross-section.
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The purlin can also be perpendicular to the rafters and be on the top of them as well. If the purlin is placed on top, the cross section height of the rafters has to be set. Clicking OK returns you to the floor plan with the reference roof surface still selected. Click either an edge of the selected roof, or inside the roof polygon. (Clicking outside the polygon produces an error message.) If you click on an edge, a purlin is placed with its axis along the edge. If the edge is not parallel to the reference line of the roof, the endpoints of the axis of the purlin will be at different heights - as indicated in the Height difference parameter of the library part and the purlin will be inclined. Clicking inside the roof polygon determines the position of only one side of the purlin; an additional click is needed to define the direction where the purlin extends. (For example, if you want to place a rafter in line with the interior side of a wall, first you click to the interior side and then toward the exterior.) If you click inside the polygon, the axis of the beam will pass through the clicked point parallel to the reference line of the roof.
selected roof, or inside the roof polygon. (If you click outside the polygon, an error message appears.) If you click on an edge, the purlin is placed inside the polygon, with its side along the edge. If the edge is not parallel to the reference line of the roof, the two endpoints of the axis of the purlin will be at different heights, as indicated in the Height difference parameter of the library part, and the purlin will be inclined. If you click inside the polygon, the axis of the purlin will pass through the clicked point, parallel to the reference line of the roof surface. An additional click is then needed to define the direction where the plate beam extends. (For example, if you want to place a rafter in line with the interior side of a wall, first click on the interior edge of the wall and then toward the exterior.) There is an empty fill included in the 2D symbol of purlins because purlins usually have to cover posts placed underneath. These posts are generally displayed as a larger circle to indicate that there is some kind of supporting structure. You can use the Bring to Front and Send to Back commands to ensure the accurate positioning of elements.
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Clicking OK returns you to the floor plan with the two rafters still selected. If a double-sided collar beam has been selected, it is placed automatically in the appropriate position. If a single-sided collar beam is selected, click once more to determine on which side of the rafters the collar beam will be placed.
Slabs
Slabs are the basic horizontal building blocks in ArchiCAD. They are typically used for modeling floors or split levels. Attributes for each part of the slabs representation (e.g. cover fill, cut fill in Sections) are set using the pop-up options in the Floor Plan & Section panel of the Settings dialog box. Note: For Slabs and Meshes, their Floor Plan outlines on remote stories (if they are shown on stories other than their home stories) are displayed using the line type set in Project Preferences > Construction Elements. Choose a separate line type to display slabs and meshes on stories Above and Below their home stories. For more information, see Construction Elements Preferences in ArchiCAD Help. In 3D view, you can assign separate materials for each of the three slab surfaces (top, bottom and side).
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For more information, see Slab Tool Settings in ArchiCAD Help. For more information on Floor Plan display of slabs, see How to Display Individual Elements on the Floor Plan on page 161. Note: The default slab structure is a composite slab. The thickness of such a composite slab is defined in Options > Element Attributes > Composites, and equals the sum of the skins thicknesses. A composite slabs thickness cannot be edited in Slab Settings. If you want to edit the slab thickness in Slab Settings, choose a non-composite slab structure, or change the thickness of the composite skins in Options > Element Attributes > Composites. To aid in precise element placement, you can turn on the Gravitate to Slab command to place additional elements onto the surface of the Slab. Slabs, like other construction elements, can be trimmed to Roofs. There is, however, an important difference for Slabs: unlike for Walls, Columns and Beams, the trim is final and cannot be undone in the Slab Settings dialog box.
If the Slabs polygon intersects itself, a warning appears, but the Slab will still be drawn. A self-intersecting Slab polygon will be fixed automatically if you edit the polygon later using any of the pet palettes editing methods. The second and third icon allow you to create a Rectangular or a Rotated Rectangular Slab. The rectangle is defined by placing two opposing corner nodes. A rectangle Slab is always aligned orthogonally with the normal grid. The Rotated Rectangular method requires that you first define a rotation vector, then drag the cursor in a perpendicular direction to complete the slab.
Creating Slabs
When you are satisfied with your choices in the Slab Settings dialog box, you can start drawing Slabs by applying one of the Geometry Methods in the Info Box. New Slabs can be created in either the Floor Plan or the 3D Window.
Slab Geometry
There are three Geometry Methods available for Slabs from the Info Box. With the first icon on the left, you can create a Polygonal Slab. Just like for Walls, the pet palette appears and allows you to draw straight and curved segments for the Slabs outline.
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If you forgot to select a Slab before starting to create a hole in it, the new contour will be interpreted as a new Slab, even if it lies inside another Slab. (In 3D, this will not be apparent until you select either of the two slabs. You can then delete the inadvertently created slab). If you create a hole whose outline intersects the host Slabs contour or the outline of other holes in the same polygon, ArchiCAD will display a warning message, but the outline of the hole will still be created.
When you are satisfied with the choices you made in the Mesh Settings dialog box, you can start drawing meshes. For more information, see Mesh Tool Settings in ArchiCAD Help. Note: For Slabs and Meshes, their Floor Plan outlines on remote stories (if they are shown on stories other than their home stories) are displayed using the line type set in Project Preferences > Construction Elements. Choose a separate line type to display slabs and meshes on stories Above and Below their home stories. For more information, see Construction Elements Preferences in ArchiCAD Help. There are two types of ridges in a mesh: user-defined and generated ridges. You have the option to display all the ridges, or just the user-defined ones. (This control is located in Mesh Tool Settings).
Meshes
Meshes are surfaces of any form created by defining the elevation of their characteristic points and interpolating between them. In the Floor Plan, only the outline and the ridges of the mesh are shown. In 3D, depending on the construction method chosen in the Info Box and the Mesh Settings dialog box, you will obtain meshes created as superficies, meshes created with vertical sides (skirt) and meshes created as solid bodies. For more information, see Mesh Tool Settings in ArchiCAD Help. A mesh is created on the foundation of the Mesh Reference Plane and the ridges of the Mesh. You draw the main contours of the mesh projected to the Reference Plane. You can then raise the characteristic points of the meshs superficies out of this plane. To aid in precise element placement, you can turn on the Gravitate to Mesh command to place additional elements onto the surface of the Mesh.
User-defined ridges are always displayed. If the Show All Ridges option is selected, ArchiCAD will also show the ridges generated through the connecting mesh nodes. Each generated ridge connects two mesh points at different heights that are not already connected by a user-defined ridge. Generated ridges are shown only if they connect points that differ in elevation.
Create a Mesh
New meshes can be created in either the Floor Plan or the 3D Window.
Mesh Geometry
The Mesh has four geometry methods in the Info Box. You can create Polygonal, Rectangular and Rotated Rectangular shapes or a Regular Sloped Mesh. In all cases, you will draw a Mesh polygon at the elevation of the basis plane defined in the Settings dialog box.
Display of Meshes
Attributes for each part of the representation (e.g. cut surfaces, uncut lines) are set using the pop-up options in the Floor Plan & Section panel of the Settings dialog box. For more information, see Mesh Tool Settings in ArchiCAD Help.
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button. (If you drew a two-point line rather than a polygon, this is the default and only choice.) drop-down menu to define the relationship between the newly created points and existing ones.
For more information, see New Mesh Points Dialog Box in ArchiCAD Help.
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Zone Categories
Each zone you create in your project is assigned a Zone category in the Zones Settings dialog box. This Zone Category defines the color of the default zone fill and the type of Zone Stamp object used for the zone. The main function of zone categories is to use colors to visually distinguish different types of spaces in your project: for example, you can assign the Office category to all your office space, which will all be displayed in pink; and the Communication and Access category to the hallways, which will all be displayed in white. (However, you have great flexibility in the display of zone fills; see 2D Display of Zone Fills on page 259). Some Zone categories are predefined in ArchiCAD; you can define your own categories using the Options > Element Attributes > Zone Categories command.
drop-down menu to define the relationship between the newly created points and existing ones.
For more information, see New Mesh Points Dialog Box in ArchiCAD Help.
Zones
Zones are spatial units in your Project. Usually, they represent rooms; wings of a building; blocks of a housing estate or functional areas of a building. Zones in 3D can also be used for simple mass modeling. Zone area is an important component in project calculations, and you can customize the way in which zone areas and 3D zone spaces are calculated. Zone dimensions are associative; following an update, zone areas will be recalculated to reflect any modifications.
1) Go to the Floor Plan panel of Zone Settings. 2) Activate the Cover Fill icon at the left. 3) Choose a fill pattern from the fill
pop-up menu. If you have assigned a Zone fill, it will be displayed in Floor Plan by default. You may want to vary your zone display settings depending on what you are outputting. For example, construction documentation might display zones using the zone fill settings, while draft and approval documentation display category colors. To vary zone fill display on the Floor Plan, use the options in the Override Fill Display panel of Document > Set Model View >
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Model View Options. For Zone fills, the relevant settings are in the panel section called Override Zone Fills.
Check the Override Zone fills box to choose any other zone fill display preference. These settings are global and apply to every zone in your project. For details, see Model View Options Override Fill Display in ArchiCAD Help.
Zone Stamps
Zone stamps are intelligent parametric GDL Objects whose look, contents and behavior can be fitted to local architectural practice. They reside in the ArchiCAD Library. The zone stamp object assigned to your zone depends on the Zone Category you have chosen. For more information, see Zone Categories on page 259. Each zone stamp contains textual information about the zone, including its name, number, area, and other optional parameters; the exact content of your Zone Stamp depends on the parameters you set in the Zone Stamp panel of the Zone Settings dialog box. For more information on Zone Stamps, see Zone Stamp Panel in ArchiCAD Help.
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Creating Zones
In the Zone Settings dialog box, customize the parameters of your zone - such as its name, its category, its height, and the content of its zone stamp. Then you are ready to define the zone shape. For more information, see Zone Tool Settings in ArchiCAD Help. The Zone definition methods are represented by the three icons in the Info Box. You can either manually draw the contour of a zone (using the Polygonal Method), or let ArchiCAD automatically recognize a zone surrounded by bordering elements (using the two Automatic Recognition Methods). Note: Columns cannot serve as the enclosing boundary of a zone. Whichever Geometry Method you choose, the Hammer cursor appears when you have finished defining the outline of the Zone. Click with it to define the location of the Zone Stamp. The Zone Stamp does not necessarily have to be placed inside the Zone polygon.
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Polygonal Method
The Polygonal (manual) method is your best choice when your Zones boundary is not clearly surrounded by elements (e.g. when doing space planning). With this method, you simply draw a polyline (as you would for any other polygon) by clicking at every corner of the zone. Zones created with this method cannot change their shape when using the Update Zone command on them. You can edit a polygonal zone graphically by selecting it and using the pet palette commands.
In this case, close the Zone by: using the Polygon method place an Empty Opening Door object into the Wall which is the same height as the Wall - the Wall is not shown in 2D, but it does serve as a Zone Boundary drawing a line to serve as a Zone Boundary
You can draw a Line, Arc or Spline to serve as a zone boundary if you check the Zone Boundary checkbox in its Line Settings dialog boxes (General panel). For more information, see Relation to Zones on page 264. For more information, see Calculating Zone Area and Zone Volume on page 264.
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If your desired zone boundaries also encompass freestanding shapes or walls, you may get a warning message when clicking to place the zone stamp.
If this happens, you must click closer to the bounding elements. Then the zone will be created correctly.
Note: Zone space will be trimmed by any multi-story element with which it intersects, on any story. When trimming a zone to a roof, a checkbox gives you the option of ignoring holes (that is, to include any hole in the roof as part of the roof for the purposes of a zone boundary.) You can choose between trimming the base or the top of zone spaces. Check the corresponding boxes to define which elements you wish to trim to the zone. The trim will be executed by clicking the Trim button in the dialog box. If you select only one type of trimming element in the project (e.g. Roof), all the checkboxes are greyed.
This point is used as the starting point of boundary recognition for subsequent updating actions. See also Updating Zones on page 265. Zone space trims can be undone by selecting the trimmed zone space and pressing the Undo Top Trim or Undo Bottom Trim button in the Model panel of the Zone Settings dialog box. For more information, see Zone Model Panel in ArchiCAD Help.
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Note: You can also opt to undo the Trim when updating modified Zones. For more information, see Updating Zones on page 265.
A column set to Zone Boundary cannot act as the edge of a zone (unless it is located inside of a wall that is a zone boundary). However, a vertical column set to Zone Boundary, if located inside the zone area, will not be included as part of the measured zone area. The zone boundary is drawn at the base of the column. Multi-story elements in automatic display mode can serve as zone boundaries on any story on which they exist, not just their home story. Note: Any line-type element can also be set as Zone Boundary in its Settings dialog box. Such a line will act as a delimiter of the zone.
For more information, see Zone Area Calculation Panel in ArchiCAD Help.
Reduce Zone Area Only means that the wall/Curtain Wall/column does not affect the zone geometry, but when you calculate the zone area, the area of these walls/Curtain Walls/columns is excluded from the zone area. (Zone volume, however, will include the wall/column volume.) Note: Even if you have set a wall, Curtain Wall or column to Reduce Zone Area, you may prefer to ignore this setting for very small-sized walls or columns. To set the minimum limit for excluding such walls and columns, go to Options > Project Preferences > Zones.
Relation to Zones
For each wall, Curtain Wall and column, you can customize its Relation to Zones, that is, whether it will act as a zone boundary (stopping the zone, as a delimiter), and whether its area and/or volume should be taken into account when calculating the area and volume of the zone shape. This definition is made in the Wall Settings, Column Settings and Curtain Wall Settings dialog boxes, with a pop-up menu located on the Listing and Labeling panel. The options are as follows:
For more information, see Zones Preferences in ArchiCAD Help. To see how much of a zones gross area has been reduced due to Wall/Column reduction, select the zone and view the data in the Area Calculation Panel of Zone Settings. For more information, see Zone Area Calculation Panel in ArchiCAD Help.
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Reduce Zone Volume means that the wall/Curtain Wall/column does not affect the zone geometry, but when you calculate the zone area and volume, the volume of these walls/Curtain Walls/columns is excluded from the zone volume. 4) No Effect On Zones means that the wall/Curtain Wall/column has no effect on the zone; the zone area and volume will include the area and volume occupied by the element. The following example and table will help you understand what happens to a zone area of 10 by 10 meters (and of 2.70 meter standard height) including a square 1 by 1 meter column.
To adjust Zones to your updated design and recalculate the Zone area, use the Design > Update Zones command. This function also alerts you to any problematic Zones that might have been created. For more information, see Update Zones Dialog Box in ArchiCAD Help.
Area 99 m2 99 m2 99 m2 100 m2
Updating Zones
When you modify your design, associative zones do not automatically adjust themselves to the changes.
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: The Zone you are trying to update cannot be properly adjusted, because it has difficulty in finding all of its edges. Click the Zoom to Selected Zones button to find the Zone. Fix the problem and repeat the update process. No.: This column contains the number that has been assigned to the particular Zone. Name: This column contains the name of the Zone. Added m2: This column contains information on how the Zone has changed. (You can change the area unit in the pop-up menu in the upper right portion of the dialog box.) To keep the original position of zone stamps when updating zones, check the Keep Zone Stamp position checkbox. To remove the 3D zone space trim, check the Undo Top Trim if updated and/or Undo Bottom Trim if updated checkboxes. Note: If you leave these checkboxes unchecked, conflicts may arise in certain geometric configurations. For more information, see Trim Zone to Another Element on page 263. To control the whole hierarchy at once, System level settings, which define the overall scheme and configure the Curtain Wall members, are organized into a multi-page settings dialog. Curtain Walls can be manipulated in the same way as any construction element in ArchiCAD. But unlike other elements, a Curtain Walls component members can be placed and edited individually, without disassembling the System. To enable the manipulation of sub-structural members, each Curtain Wall can be accessed at a deeper level: the Curtain Wall Edit mode. This is a graphical 3D workspace, similar to ArchiCAD's own, with dedicated tools and techniques to manipulate Curtain Wall members. In this context, only the members and scheme of the selected Curtain Wall are editable, although the rest of the model can be also displayed in a background manner, as a reference. Since Curtain Walls often feature extreme geometry that does not necessarily coincide with vertical-horizontal planes, ArchiCAD offers versatile input planes for greater freedom in surface definition. Also, in comparison with other construction elements, a higher level of editing freedom is provided: including input in Section views, boundary editing, and free rotation.
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If you use the Boundary method, then your input defines the entire geometry of the Curtain Wall. If you draw a Reference Line/Arc/Polyline, then the Curtain Wall will be extruded from this line/polyline/arc. The next click, with a sun cursor, defines which side of the Curtain Wall should face the outside. Finally, a dialog box pops up to allow you to enter basic geometry information for the Curtain Wall. Clicking Place will create the Curtain Wall. For details on Curtain Wall geometry methods in different windows, see Create a Curtain Wall on page 270. Curtain Walls consist of a set of Members (such as Frames, Panels and Junctions), and each Members parameters are defined in Curtain Wall Default Settings. See Curtain Wall Members on page 268. View the Curtain Wall in your project. If you want to change something, you can approach the Curtain Wall at two levels:
Edit mode shows you your Curtain Wall in 3D. At the Edit mode level, you can delve deeper into the individual components of the Curtain Wall you are editing. In Edit mode, you cannot place additional Curtain Walls, but you can edit any members of the selected Curtain Wall or add additional members to it. In Edit mode, each member (Scheme, Frame, Panel, Accessory, Junction) has its own Dialog box and its own Tool, enabling you to change settings and place new Members in this Curtain Wall. To customize the settings of any member of the Curtain Wall, select it and use the dialog box to change its settings. For example, select a panel and change its materials. Changing the settings of a selected member will transform that member into a Custom member. You can have any number of different customized members. Once a member has Custom settings, the System-level settings no longer apply to it. In Edit mode, you can create additional members for your Curtain Wall, using the Scheme, Frame, Panel, Junction and Accessory Tools. When using any of these tools to create a new member, you have the choice of using the System-level default settings, or else defining custom settings. Save changes and leave Curtain Wall Edit Mode to return to your regular ArchiCAD editing environment.
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The Base Surface of Curtain Walls is an infinite plane - except if it is based on a curved shape. (The Base Surface of a curved Curtain Wall is cylindrical, and is infinite only in the direction of the cylinders axis.) A Curtain Walls infinite Base Surface gives you great freedom in connecting the Curtain Wall to other elements, and in adding multiple, bounded Curtain Wall portions to any Curtain Wall. See Add Additional Curtain Wall Boundary on page 293.
Reference Line
The Reference Line is the original input line/polyline/arc you draw in the window. If you use a Boundary method to create a Curtain Wall, the first drawn segment of the Boundary is the Reference Line. The Reference Line is part of the Curtain Wall Scheme (together with the Grid pattern, the Boundary, and the Base Surface.) Later, you can edit the Reference Line of a placed Curtain Wall. See Edit Curtain Wall Reference Line on page 295.
Grid
The Base Surface is crisscrossed by a Grid (primary gridlines plus secondary gridlines, defined as part of the Curtain Wall Scheme.)
Reference Surface
The Reference Surface is an imaginary plane or arced surface automatically created by ArchiCAD by extruding the input line (polyline, arc) you have drawn. Often, you will place your input line along an existing ArchiCAD element (e.g. slab); the Reference Surface is extruded from this input line.
Base Surface
The Base Surface defines the shape and orientation of the Curtain Wall. It is the surface in which the physical members of the Curtain Wall (Frame, Panels) lie. The Base Surface may coincide with the Reference Surface; more likely, you will offset it. When you move or rotate the Curtain Wall as a whole, it is the Base Surface which you are moving; the Reference Line and Reference Surface move along with the Base Surface. The Grid defines the default location and arrangement of Frames and Panels in the Curtain Wall. You can edit the Grid (delete, add gridlines, move or rotate it). Changes to Grid geometry will change the geometry of its Frames and Panels accordingly. See Edit Grid on page 289.
Boundary
The Boundary is a simple polygon on the Base Surface, which represents the physical limits of the Curtain Wall. The Boundary is part of the Curtain Wall Scheme (together with the Grid, the Base Surface and the Reference Line). Depending on the geometry method used to create the Curtain Wall, the Boundary is either drawn by you or created by ArchiCAD in accordance with input parameters.
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You can draw additional boundaries on an existing Curtain Wall - this gives you freedom to separate the Curtain Wall into parts, while still keeping it as a single element: all parts of the Curtain Wall use the identical Scheme. See Add Additional Curtain Wall Boundary on page 293. The Curtain Walls Boundary Frame always coincides with this Boundary polygon. You can edit the Boundary of the Curtain Wall like any other polygon. See Edit Curtain Wall Boundary on page 291.
Frame
You can define three classes of Frames for any Curtain Wall: Boundary Frame; Mullion Frame; Transom Frame. Each Frame class has unique settings. Frames are attached to the Grid when you create the Curtain Wall, so if you move or delete a Gridline, you move or delete the Frame. (In Curtain Wall Edit mode, you can place additional Frames independent of the Grid.) See Curtain Wall Frames on page 295.
Panel
Panels are the flat surfaces - generally glazed - of the Curtain Wall. Any Curtain Wall can have two predefined classes of Panels: Main and Distinct. Panels are always placed between Frames. See Curtain Wall Panels on page 299.
Scheme
The Scheme contains the essential geometry definitions for the Curtain Wall: the Scheme encompasses the Base Surface, the Grid, Boundary, and Reference Line. Use Scheme Settings to arrange the gridline pattern in two directions (primary and secondary). The Scheme also defines the class to which individual panels within this basic pattern belong. See Curtain Wall Settings: Scheme Page in ArchiCAD Help. All other members of the Curtain Wall (Frames, Panels, Accessories, Junctions) are attached to the Scheme.
Junction
A Curtain Wall Junction is an optional structure that serves to connect panels to the Frame. In ArchiCAD, a Junction is a GDL object, and can be placed either one by one, or automatically at every intersection. See Curtain Wall Junctions on page 302.
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Accessories
Accessories are optional, non-load-bearing members - such as a sun shade - attached to the Curtain Wall. These are GDL objects placed at any Frame of an existing Curtain Wall. See Curtain Wall Accessories on page 304.
Note: The Polyline Geometry method is also available in the Section, Elevation or Interior Elevation Window. In these windows, the Single method will extrude the Curtain Wall perpendicularly from the Section plane. See Positioning Curtain Wall in Section View on page 276. Suppose you are working on the following Floor Plan of a two-story project, and you want to place a Curtain Wall for the remaining side of the building.
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Click to complete the Reference Line. The sun cursor appears: click with the sun cursor to define the outside direction of the Curtain Wall. Here, move the cursor to the outside of the building and click.
In the appearing Place Curtain Wall dialog, enter the Curtain Wall height and slant angle (default: 90 degrees). Here, we will enter 6200 mm and leave the angle at 90 degrees for a vertical Curtain Wall. Note: The three icons in the Positioning part of the Place Curtain Wall dialog box give you three different methods for defining the Curtain Wall height. For details, see Place Curtain Wall Dialog Box: Floor Plan and 3D Window in ArchiCAD Help. Click Place to close the dialog. The Curtain Wall is placed. View the result in the 3D window.
To edit the Curtain Walls individual Members using the Curtain Wall Edit mode, select the Curtain Wall and click the Edit button. (If you select the Curtain Wall in the Floor Plan or Section/Elevation, this is the Edit in 3D button.)
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To change the slant angle of a placed Curtain Wall, you can edit the Curtain Wall graphically in the 3D window, using the Free Rotate function. See Free-Rotate Curtain Wall on page 310. To trim the ends of the walls by connecting them to the Curtain Wall, use the Connect Curtain Wall function. See Example: Connect Slanted Curtain Wall to Side Walls on page 309.
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Note: The Reference Line of this Curtain Wall is the first Boundary segment you draw.
In the Floor Plan, the building and its Section line S-01 look like this. Note that we have drawn a Section line here whose sole purpose is to define the Curtain Walls input plane. In Section windows, the Curtain Wall input plane exactly coincides with the Section plane. Now click with the Sun cursor to define the outside of the Curtain Wall: If you click outside the polygon, the outside of the Curtain Wall will face in the same direction as the Section plane (away from you). The result in the Floor Plan looks like this:
If you click inside the polygon (on the Curtain Wall surface), the outside of the Curtain Wall will face opposite the Section plane (toward you). The result in the Floor Plan looks like this:
Open the Section. With the Curtain Wall tool active, choose the Boundary geometry method from the Curtain Wall Info Box. In our case, we want the Curtain Wall to face outside the building, opposite the Section plane (toward you). So after drawing the Curtain Wall boundary in the Section window, we will click inside the polygon, using the Sun cursor:
Draw the Curtain Wall Boundary along the desired contour, clicking at each node as when drawing any polyline. Double-click or click with the Hammer cursor to close the polygon.
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Now the outside of the Curtain Wall is behind the Section Line. Therefore, due to the geometry of this Curtain Wall, no physical members (Panel, Frame) of the Curtain Wall are visible in the Section window. However, the result is seen in both the Floor Plan and the 3D window:
To edit the Curtain Walls individual Members using Curtain Wall Edit mode, select the Curtain Wall and click the Edit button. (If you select the Curtain Wall in the Floor Plan or Section/Elevation, this is the Edit in 3D button.)
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Click with the sun cursor to define the outside of the Curtain Wall. The full-circle Curtain Wall is placed.
Click the three points to define the reference arc of the Curtain Wall.
Follow these steps to add a curved Curtain Wall to the South Elevation: Activate the Curtain Wall tool and choose the Three Points geometry method from the Info Box:
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Click with the sun cursor to define the outside of the Curtain Wall. In the appearing Place Curtain Wall follow-up dialog, enter the Curtain Wall height. Here, we will enter 6200 mm.
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For a curved Curtain Wall, you cannot set a slant angle; it will always be vertical. Note: The three icons in the Positioning part of the Place Curtain Wall dialog box give you three different methods for defining the Curtain Wall height. For details, see Place Curtain Wall Dialog Box: Floor Plan and 3D Window in ArchiCAD Help. Click Place to close the dialog. The Curtain Wall is placed. View the result in the 3D window.
To begin extruding the Curtain Wall away from you, at exactly the input plane (Section line): choose the second method and enter the length of extrusion. There is no offset (the Curtain Wall begins right at the input plane).
To begin extruding the Curtain Wall toward you, at exactly the input plane (Section line): choose the fourth method and enter the length of extrusion.
To edit the Curtain Walls individual Members using Curtain Wall Edit mode, select the Curtain Wall and click the Edit button. (If you select the Curtain Wall in the Floor Plan or Section/Elevation, this is the Edit in 3D button.)
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To place the midpoint of the extrusion vector at the input plane, choose the third option. Enter the total extrusion length in the first field below.
Activate the Curtain Wall tool and choose the Chained geometry method from the Info Box: Trace the outline of the slab to create the Curtain Wall reference line, using the same pet palette controls as when drawing a polyline. Double-click to complete the reference line.
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The result: a single Curtain Wall with three Base Surfaces, based on a three-segment Reference Line. A Frame is always placed at the place where two adjacent segments are joined. Such a Frame cannot be deleted. (If you wish, you can set its type to Invisible, by selecting the Frame in Edit mode and adjusting its Type in Frame Settings.)
Make any changes in the Grid Pattern, or modify the Grid Patterns origin. The selected Scheme is now a Custom Scheme. See also Edit Grid Pattern and Position on page 290. Click OK to apply the changes.
A Chained Curtain Wall has as many Schemes as it has segments: you can select one Scheme at a time and customize each Scheme separately.
To edit the Curtain Walls individual Members using the Curtain Wall Edit mode, select the Curtain Wall and click the Edit button. (If you select the Curtain Wall in the Floor Plan or Section/Elevation, this is the Edit in 3D button.)
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For an example, see Extrude Curtain Wall from a Slanted Input Plane on page 282.
Click to begin drawing the Curtain Wall Reference Line. No matter where you click, the input plane is fixed, and indicated by a temporary grid. Any Reference Line you now draw will be placed on this input plane. Point plus edge: This is just the reverse of the method above. Click a point, then an edge to define the input plane. Three points: Click any three points to define the input plane. Click on a point to place a horizontal input plane Click on a point to place a vertical input plane at that In our example:
Normal: Define a slanted input plane by defining a vector that is perpendicular (normal) to the desired plane.
1) Click two points to define the normal vector to the input plane,
or Click on an edge to define the normal vector to the input plane
2) Then click a point through which the input plane will run.
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Click at the two front corners of the building to define the Reference Line length. With the Sun cursor, click on either side of the Reference Line to define the outside of the Curtain Wall. The Place Curtain Wall dialog box appears:
By default, both the top and the bottom height values are measured to the Reference Line, and the Curtain Wall will be perpendicular to the Input Plane, but you can choose a different reference level using the pop-up:
To edit the Curtain Walls individual Members using Curtain Wall Edit mode, select the Curtain Wall and click the Edit button. (If you select the Curtain Wall in the Floor Plan or Section/Elevation, this is the Edit in 3D button.)
Note: The three icons in the Positioning part of the Place Curtain Wall dialog box give you three different methods for defining the Curtain Wall height. For details, see Place Curtain Wall Dialog Box: Floor Plan and 3D Window in ArchiCAD Help.
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In the 3D window, the default Curtain Wall input plane is the same as the current 3D input plane. However, you can use a different Input Plane to make input easier. For more information, see Define Curtain Wall Input Plane in 3D Window on page 278. In this example, we will use the Intelligent Plane Input to define the plane that is perpendicular to the slab. With the Curtain Wall tool active, choose the Boundary geometry method and the Intelligent Input Plane Method from the Info Box.
Now you must define the Input Plane by a series of clicks. Here, click the slab edge with the Mercedes cursor (indicating an edge) to define a line. As feedback, an input plane appears in the window, rotating (as you move the cursor) around the line you clicked.
Now click to begin drawing the desired Curtain Wall Boundary on the input plane, clicking at each node as when drawing any polyline. Note: The Reference Line of this Curtain Wall is the first Boundary segment you draw. Double-click or click with the Hammer cursor to close the polygon. When the Sun cursor appears, click on the polygon surface: the outside of the Curtain Wall will face toward you. View the result.
Next, click the upper corner of the building with the Arrow cursor to define the input planes final position.
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To edit the Curtain Walls individual Members using Curtain Wall Edit mode, select the Curtain Wall and click the Edit button. (If you select the Curtain Wall in the Floor Plan or Section/Elevation, this is the Edit in 3D button.)
Now locate the midpoint of the slab and click once: the axis of our half-cylinder will run through this point.
Hold down the mouse button and drag the cursor to the far end of the slab, then click to define the half-cylinders radius. The feedback helps you visualize the structure.
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When you complete the normal vector, an input plane appears which is perpendicular to it.
Suppose you want to draw the Curtain Wall so that it is extruded perpendicularly to an input plane which corresponds to the shape of the building. You need an input plane perpendicular to the buildings slant, rather than to the ground. To achieve this, activate the Curtain Wall tool and choose the Single geometry method combined with the Normal Vector input plane method: Click anywhere to place the input plane: its angle will define the Curtain Walls extrusion from the input line. Now you are ready to draw the input line. The input line (as indicated by the rubberband line) is constrained and is projected perpendicularly to the input plane. Click at the two points where you want the Curtain Wall to begin and end: in our case, at the two front corners of any of the slabs.
In the 3D window, draw a Normal Vector corresponding to the slanted shape of the building (you want the input plane to be perpendicular to this vector). Here, we draw the vector joining the southwest corners of the top and bottom slabs:
The Sun cursor appears. Click below the input line to define the outside of the Curtain Wall. The Place Curtain Wall dialog box appears.
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Define the height of the Curtain Wall at its top and bottom. We enter 0 for the bottom and 6200 for the top height value. The reference level is significant: if you would measure from the Reference Line, the bottom of the Curtain Wall would coincide with the slanted input plane, and both the bottom and top of the Curtain Wall would be parallel to the input plane. This is not what we want. Instead, choose Project Zero as the reference level for the top and bottom height values. This way, the Curtain Walls top and bottom will both be parallel to the horizontal plane at Project Zero.
Click on the items listed in the left-hand tree structure to open any of the dialog box pages associated with Curtain Wall Settings. Click Place. Use these dialog box pages to define general System (position, display) preferences, as well as options for the Scheme, Frame, Panel, Junction and Accessory members. (Each option is presented in detail in Curtain Wall Settings in ArchiCAD Help.) Options set here will define the structure and appearance of subsequently placed Curtain Walls. (Once the Curtain Wall is placed, you can customize individual members of a selected Curtain Wall, using Curtain Wall Edit mode.) Modifications to Curtain Wall System Selection Settings will modify all affected parts of the selected Curtain Wall. For example, if you modify a Mullion Frames material, the material of all the Mullion Frames in the Curtain Wall will be changed when you click OK to leave the dialog box. However, Custom Frames are not affected by changes to the Mullion Frame settings. Note that Frame definition occurs on three different pages: Boundary, Mullion, Transom: this means that a single Curtain Wall will have three different default Frame definitions (or classes) at once. You can set all Frame classes to have the same settings if you wish. After editing the System-level parameters of one of the three Frame classes), click the Uniform Frame Classes button
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System-Level Editing
Use System-level editing to set up or edit the Curtain Wall element as a whole, using a single dialog box. Open Curtain Wall Default Settings by double-clicking on the Curtain Wall Tool. Or select the Curtain Wall you wish to edit, and open Curtain Wall Selection Settings.
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at the top of the Frame Settings dialog box of any of the three frame classes. Note that Panel definition occurs on two separate pages: Main and Distinct: this means that a single Curtain Wall will have two default panel types (or classes.) You can set both Panel classes to have the same settings if you wish. After editing the System-level parameters of one of the Panel classes, click the Uniform Panel Classes button at the Top of the Panel Settings dialog box of either of the Panel classes. When you have finished setting up the Curtain Wall System options, use the Curtain Wall tool to place the Curtain Wall using any of the geometry methods. See Create a Curtain Wall on page 270. A placed Curtain Wall can be edited as a whole, like any other construction element, using graphical editing techniques and Edit menu or pet palette commands.
In Symbolic with Overhead, Frame and Panel elements are depicted using symbolic display. The Curtain Wall is displayed as cut at the level of the Floor Plan Cut Plane, plus the Curtain Walls overhead part (the part above the Floor Plan Cut Plane), and its uncut (downward) part in 3D-like form. In Symbolic with Overhead mode, Accessories and Junctions are not shown at all on the Floor Plan, and only the Frame centerlines are displayed. The Symbolic or Symbolic with Overhead options are recommended for regular, vertical Curtain Walls. For other geometries, the Projected options will work better.
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Edit mode is to provide a deeper level access to the components of an existing, selected Curtain Wall.) Once you change the parameters of any selected Curtain Wall member in Edit mode, that member is no longer tied to Curtain Wall System Settings; it is a Custom member, and its parameters are locally defined, in its individual tool settings dialog box (e.g. Scheme, Frame, Panel, Junction, and Accessory Settings). Custom parameters are set in Edit mode only. Please note that changing the settings of any selected Curtain Wall member in Edit mode will NOT affect the Curtain Wall's System Settings.
The only difference is that member-specific Tool settings do not display the navigation tree seen in Curtain Wall System Settings, and they display a different header.
For each selected member in Curtain Wall Edit mode, Tool Selection Settings displays the parameters of the currently selected member. If,
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for example, you have selected a panel of class Main, the top panel displays, by default, Class: Main Panel. These parameters are those defined in the System Settings: Main Panels dialog box. However, as soon as you change any parameter in this Selection Settings dialog box, the top panel display changes to Custom. Clicking OK will apply these Custom parameters to the selected panel(s) only.
A Custom member means that its link to the settings of the Curtain Wall has been broken, and any changes to the Curtain Wall Settings will not affect it. You can always renew this link by changing the class field back to System. To edit the System-level Settings without leaving Edit mode, click the System Settings command at the bottom of the Edit mode display palette. (See Edit Mode Display Palette on page 288.) When in Edit mode, you can save and load your Favorite settings individually for each tool, as with any other ArchiCAD tool. In the individual Tool Settings for Curtain Wall members in Edit mode, layer assignment is displayed but cannot be edited. All curtain wall members will be placed on the layer determined by the Curtain Wall Settings; layer assignment cannot be individually set for its members.
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Note: If the contents of the 3D window do not include the Curtain Wall, you cannot use Curtain Wall edit mode. Make sure that the Curtain Wall can be seen in the 3D window before entering Curtain Wall edit mode.
Once you are in Curtain Wall Edit mode, the regular ArchiCAD toolbox is replaced by a special Curtain Wall toolbox. To edit the System-level Settings without leaving Edit mode, click the System Settings command at the bottom of the Edit mode display palette.
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When you have completed your modifications to the selected Curtain Wall in Edit mode, click OK in the Edit mode Display palette to save changes and return to the 3D window, or Cancel to discard changes. (The same commands are available from a menu: Design > Curtain Wall > Finish Edit System or Cancel Edit System.) While you are in Edit mode, each Undo command will discard only the last modification. Right after you leave Edit mode, clicking Undo a single time will discard all the changes you just made in Edit mode.
Note: In Curtain Wall Edit mode, you can use the Marquee to limit the scope of the Find and Select function - to find certain Curtain Wall members either inside or outside the Marquee. See Find & Select Palette in ArchiCAD Help.
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the button with the single line will select all the Frames along the full gridline underlying the selected Frame:
Edit Grid
To edit a selected Curtain Wall Grid or individual Gridline, you must use Curtain Wall Edit mode. Available operations include: Move or delete a selected Gridline Rotate all the Gridlines of one of the Grid directions Rotate or Move the Grid as a whole Note: Rotate Grid is not available for cylinder-based or Chained Curtain Walls. Add a new Gridline Note that moving or rotating a Grid, or one or more Gridlines, means that the Frame(s) assigned to that Grid or Gridline are moved or rotated along with it. Deleting a Gridline will delete the Frame on it. The Panel(s) will change in size to conform to the resulting new Frame pattern. To make editing the Grid easier in Edit mode, make sure that the Scheme is visible (and turn off the other members visibility as needed).
the button displaying multiple parallel lines will select all the Frames that are parallel to the selected Frame segment.
When selecting a Panel, the Grip selection shortcut enables you to select all Panels along either the grids primary direction or its secondary direction.
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Move Grid
To move an entire Grid orthogonally, select either a Gridline or the entire Grid and use the Move Grid command from the pet palette.
If you defined the Grid origin as a defined point (as opposed to Custom Origin) in Scheme Settings, then the Grid origin is locked, and you can move the Grid only in its secondary direction. See Pattern position in ArchiCAD Help.
Drag the Gridline to its new position (it will remain parallel to its original position). Click to place.
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Note: If the Curtain Wall is Curved or Chained, you cannot rotate the primary gridlines, just the secondary ones. As with other rotation commands in ArchiCAD, draw a rotation vector or enter a rotation angle in the Tracker. Click to complete the transformation.
Click on the place at which you want to place a gridline. Move the cursor around the point you clicked: use the feedback and click either of the orthogonal gridlines to place it:
Delete a Gridline
You can delete an individual Gridline in Curtain Wall Edit mode: Select the Gridline and press Delete. You cannot delete the Grid as a whole.
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Since the Boundary is part of the Scheme, make sure that Scheme visibility in Edit mode is switched to On. In this example, we have turned the visibility of all other Curtain Wall components Off, except for the Environment (so that we can see the walls behind the Curtain Wall). Select the Scheme. Notice that the Boundary is indicated by a heavier line, compared to the gridlines. Alternatively, select the Boundary only (without the Gridlines) by simply clicking anywhere on the Boundary with the mercedes cursor. Click along the Boundary to bring up the Pet Palette, with its polygon or node editing commands. Edit the Boundary as needed. See Reshaping Polygons and Chained Elements on page 126. Additional Boundary-editing possibilities are available in the Section Window. See Edit Curtain Wall Boundary in Section on page 292.
Switch on the Frames and Panels, and switch off the Scheme, to see the new shape of your Curtain Wall.
Open an Elevation which displays an existing Curtain Wall. Select the Curtain Wall.
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Now you can edit the Fill polygon using any of the applicable pet palette commands. This Fill represents the desired shape of your Curtain Wall Boundary. Here we offset all edges of the fill by 350 millimeters, using the Offset All Edges command (available from the pet palette reached by clicking on the node of a selected polygon.)
Use Design > Curtain Wall > Boundary Editing in Section > Extract Boundary to Fill. This will create a fill that is in the same shape as the Curtain Wall Boundary. The fill will be in front in the Display Order, so you cannot see the Curtain Wall for now. After editing the fill polygon, use the Design > Curtain Wall >Boundary Editing in Section > Redefine Boundary from Fill command, then click on the Curtain Wall. The Curtain Wall Boundary is redefined to match the Fill Boundary. Delete the Fill and view your edited Curtain Wall.
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4) Now start drawing a new Boundary. You are drawing on the Base
Surface of the currently edited Curtain Wall. Note: Because the Base Surface of any Curtain Wall can be infinite in one or more directions, you always have space to draw any number of new Boundaries while still working on the same single original Curtain Wall. See Base Surface on page 268.
5) Complete the new Boundary. 6) View the result, with the Scheme displayed. Note that the 2) Select the Curtain Wall and go into Edit mode. Make sure that
the Environment display option is switched On.
Now click on the desired Curtain Wall segment in which you wish to draw. (This is relevant for Chained Curtain Walls, which have multiple segments. In our example, there is only one Curtain Wall segment, but you must click anyway.)
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7) Try editing a selected Grid line, or edit the Panel pattern. Note that
both parts of the Curtain Wall are handled in sync, because they are built upon a single Base Surface and a single Scheme.
The result:
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To define which gridlines (Primary or Secondary) the Mullion Frame should follow, use the control in Curtain Wall System Settings: Member Placement panel:
Thus, to modify all the Boundary Frames in the Curtain Wall at once, just select the Curtain Wall, open the Boundary Frames page of Curtain Wall Settings, and make any adjustments. Once you click OK to leave the dialog box, all Frames belonging to the Boundary class will be modified accordingly. To determine whether a given Frame belongs to one of the Frame classes or is a Custom Frame, open the Curtain Wall in Edit mode, select the Frame in question, open Frame Settings, and view the dropdown at the top of the dialog box:
The Transom Frames will follow the other gridlines (in this case, the Secondary Gridlines.) For example, in this image, the Frames in the Boundary class are red; the Frames in the Mullion class (coinciding with the Primary Gridlines) are blue; and the Frames in the Transom class (coinciding with the Secondary Gridlines) are green. The Frames in each class are linked to the settings for each class, defined in Curtain Wall Settings. This allows you to use Frame sets with varying specifications appropriate Frames positions in the structure. Frame class properties can be changed all at once, using the Frame class settings pages. In addition, when in Curtain Wall Edit mode, you can reassign selected Frames to take on the properties of a different class, or you can define custom properties for any number of selected individual Frames.
Frame Types
Choose the Frame Type in the Frame Type and Geometry panel of Curtain Wall Settings. Depending on the required level of detail, choose an industry-standard parametric GDL Frame, or a simplified built-in Frame prototype with rectangular cross-section.
The Invisible Frame exists as an object, but it is not visible. Use this Frame if you want two neighboring panels to remain two distinct panels without displaying a Frame between them. Invisible Frames are also appropriate when you don't want to burden the model with the Frame details, or when other structures (e.g. junctions) are used to support the panel connections. A seamless panel surface can be achieved if Frames are deleted from gridlines.
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Generic Frame: This is the most common type of Frame. A built-in rectangular Frame type, with a rectangular profile. From the outside of the wall, a "cap" is visible. Butt-Glazed: A built-in rectangular profile, used for inner support of a butt-glazed Curtain Wall surface. The panels will connect to each other in the front of a butt-glazed Frame, so the Frame will not be visible on that side (unless the panels are transparent or a gap is specified.)
If you want the new Frame to use Custom parameters, open the Frame Settings page and adjust the parameters as needed. The Info Box will now reflect that the Frame Settings are Custom.
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If you draw the Frame on a Grid line, then that Frame will be attached to the Grid line. Moving the Grid will move the Frame. If you draw a new Frame that crosses an existing Grid line, the Frame will be segmented automatically where it crosses the Grid line. To select the entire continuous line of the new Frame (not just one segmented Frame at a time), use the grip to select new Frame segments that fall into the same line:
Frame Intersections
When two Frames meet in a Curtain Wall, the Frame with the higher priority will cut the other one. Frame Priorities are predefined for each Frame class in Curtain Wall Settings. If you draw a pattern of additional Frames within a given cell of the grid pattern, you can easily copy those Frames to any other cell: see Copy Cell Pattern in the next section. Boundary Frames: Intersection level 15 Mullion Frames: Intersection level 10 Transom Frames: Intersection level 5
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View the results: These values are not editable at the level of Frame classes. The slider shows the intersection levels of the built-in Frames (left to right: Transom - 5; Mullion - 10; Boundary - 15). However, you can change the intersection priority of any single selected Frame. In Curtain Wall Edit mode, select the Frame whose intersection priority you want to change. Go to Frame Selection Settings and adjust the slider to the desired level. Changing the Frames intersection level - as when changing any other Frame parameter - will result in a Custom Frame.
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Click the Panel tool to enter Panel Selection Settings. Make the needed changes. Note that as soon as you make any changes in this dialog box, the Class field at the top changes to Custom Panel. This means you have broken the link between the selected Panel(s) and the class to which it earlier belonged.
See Curtain Wall Settings: Scheme Page in ArchiCAD Help. The properties of the Main and Distinct classes of panels (type, material, width) are defined in the respective dialog boxes of Curtain Wall Settings. If you change any property of the Main or Distinct Panel classes for a selected Curtain Wall, then every panel in that class will change to reflect these changed settings. See Curtain Wall Settings: Panel Settings (Main, Distinct) in ArchiCAD Help. Most of your Curtain Wall panels will be fixed glazed surfaces. However, you can insert object-type Panels which serve as Door or Window openings. See Place a Door- or Window-Type Panel on page 300.
Click OK to leave the dialog box and apply changes to the selected Panel(s). For details on this dialog box, see Curtain Wall Settings: Panel Settings (Main, Distinct) in ArchiCAD Help
Select the Panel(s) you want to edit. See also Multiselection of Panels and Frames on page 288.
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For example, suppose you have a Curtain Wall like the following one, and wish to place a door-type panel into it: Select the Curtain Wall and go into Edit mode. Now select the existing panels that you want to replace with a door-type panel. (Only rectangular panels will work.)
Then select the unneeded Frame which divides the two panels. Delete this Frame. Turn the panel display back on (click the eye icon back open next to Panel in the list controlling Edit mode display) and notice that the two panels selected earlier have been merged into a single panel. Now select this panel. However, since you want to replace the two selected panels with just one door panel, first merge the selected panels by deleting the Frame between them. To delete the Frame, turn off the panel display so that you can see the Frames better.
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The selected panel is now replaced with a door-type panel, which you can open and close like other GDL doors. This newly placed panel is in neither the Main nor Distinct class; it is custom.
Placement of Junctions
Note that this door-type Panel object has an editable parameter called Top Direction. This lets you redefine the top of the door by 90 degree increments in case you later free-rotate the Curtain Wall and the top of the door changes its position. In ArchiCAD, Junctions can be placed either one by one or automatically at every intersection. Choose either of these options in the Member Placement Panel of the Curtain Wall System page.
See Curtain Wall Settings: System Page: Member Placement Panel in ArchiCAD Help.
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When you choose At all Gridpoints, Junctions will be placed at every grid point at creation of the Curtain Wall. Automatically placed junctions are linked to the settings defined in the Junctions page of Curtain Wall Settings. See Curtain Wall Settings: Junctions in ArchiCAD Help. Otherwise, the One by one option is applied: this means that no Junctions will be placed automatically, but you can place them one by one manually, using the Junction Tool and Junction Tool Settings available in Curtain Wall Edit mode. Manually placed Junctions can be configured individually with custom properties in Junction Tool Settings, or else you can apply System-level Junction settings (from the Junction page of Curtain Wall Settings) by setting their Class as System Junctions. Junctions are placed on the inside of the Curtain Wall by default. To determine whether a given Junction belongs to the System or is a Custom Junction, open the Curtain Wall in Edit mode, select the Junction in question, open Junction Settings, and view the dropdown at the top of the dialog box:
Junctions unnecessary and difficult to position. For this reason, when you need to substitute a Frame with a Junction, first select Frames at a desired panel connection point and switch them to Invisible type. (Use the Frame Type and Geometry panel of Frame Settings.)
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Click to define which side of the curtain wall you want to place the Junction. It will be placed at the nearest panel connection point to your click. Moving the Gridlines (and hence moving the visible or invisible Frames) will also move the Junction. Only one Junction can be added to each Frame gridpoint.
Accessory Placement
In ArchiCAD, accessories can be placed one by one, in Curtain Wall Edit mode only, using the Accessory Tool. (There is no automatic Accessory Placement method.) An Accessory can be configured in Edit mode with custom properties, but you can also set Accessories to use the System-level Accessory settings from Curtain Wall Settings. See Curtain Wall Settings: Accessory Settings in ArchiCAD Help. To determine whether a given Accessory belongs to the System or is a Custom Accessory, open the Curtain Wall in Edit mode, select the Accessory in question, open Accessory Settings, and view the dropdown at the top of the dialog box:
In ArchiCAD, an Accessory is a GDL object. Its geometry and display attributes are all determined by its GDL parameters, which you can find in the parameter list of the Accessory Type tab page. An Accessorys orientation upon placement is determined by the Frames. Set the visibility to make your work easier (for example, turn off the visibility of everything except for Junctions, Frames, and the Scheme). Select the Junction(s) you want to edit. Click the Junction tool to enter Junction Selection Settings. Make the needed changes. Note that as soon as you make any changes in this dialog box, the Class field at the top changes to Custom Junction. This means you have broken the link between the selected Junction(s) and the settings of the Curtain Wall. Click OK to leave the dialog box and apply changes to the selected Junction(s).
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If you want the new Accessory to use Custom parameters, open the Accessory Settings page and adjust the parameters as needed. The Info Box will now reflect that the Accessory Settings are Custom.
Click with the eyeball cursor to determine the direction of the Accessory: outside or inside the Curtain Wall.
Moving Gridlines or Frames will move the Accessory along with them.
Set the visibility to make your work easier (for example, turn off the visibility of everything except for Accessories, Frames and the Scheme.) Select the Accessory(s) you want to edit. Click the Accessory tool to enter Accessory Selection Settings. See Curtain Wall Settings: Accessory Settings in ArchiCAD Help Make the needed changes. Note that as soon as you make any changes in this dialog box, the Class field at the top changes to Custom Accessory. This means you have broken the link between the selected Accessory(s) and the settings of the Curtain Wall. Drag the cursor and click to determine the endpoint of the Accessory.
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Click OK to leave the dialog box and apply changes to the selected Accessory(s).
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Both the Inside and Outside wall connection points are expressed as offsets from the Base Surface, as shown in the Connect Wall to Curtain Wall dialog box. The Default option is Curtain Wall thickness. This is likely to be your most frequent choice. By default, these Inside and Outside offset values total the Curtain Walls Nominal Thickness, as defined in Curtain Wall System Settings Positioning Panel. In our example, the Nominal Thickness is set to 400.
For the purposes of offsetting connecting walls from this Curtain Wall, the Inside portion of this Nominal Thickness is equal to the Panel offset from the Reference Surface (in our example, 250); the Outside portion is what remains of the Nominal Thickness (in our example, 150). or the Design > Curtain Wall > Connect wall command. The Connect Wall to Curtain Wall dialog box appears. Each time you connect one or more walls to the selected Curtain Wall, use this dialog box to specify the exact connection point of the wall(s) to the Curtain Wall. The Outside value: this defines the point at which walls coming from the Outside direction of the Curtain Wall will connect to this Curtain Wall. The Inside value: this defines the point at which walls coming from the Inside direction of the Curtain Wall will connect to this Curtain Wall. So, by default, Outside connecting walls will stop 150 mm from the Curtain Walls Base Surface; Inside connecting walls will stop 250 mm from the Curtain Walls Base Surface. If you want connecting walls to stop at points other than at the Curtain Walls nominal thickness, then click Custom offset. Then enter values for the offset from the Curtain Walls Base Surface to the Outside and Inside wall connection points.
Click Connect. The eyeball cursor appears: click to define which end of the wall you want to connect to the Curtain Wall. As you move the cursor to either end of the wall, a double-arrow appears on the wall, to indicate that this is the end that will be connected if you click now.
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A wall connected to a Curtain Wall associates itself to the place at which its connecting end intersects the Curtain Wall surface. To redefine the offset for an already connected wall, connect it again.
To break the connection between a particular wall and all the Curtain Walls it is connected to: Select the wall, and do one of the following: Use the Design > Curtain Wall > Disconnect All Elements command; or Click the Disconnect All Curtain Walls button in the Model panel of Wall Settings.
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In this example, the two Curtain Walls intersect on the Floor Plan.
The curved Curtain Wall has been split into two separate Curtain Walls.
Now you can delete the one you dont need, and the remaining Curtain Walls are joined exactly. Select the curved Curtain Wall. Use Design > Curtain Wall > Split Curtain Wall, or the same command from the context menu. Repeat the process to split off, then delete the protruding part of the straight Curtain Wall.
Click on the other Curtain Wall. The eyeball cursor appears. Click either side of the curved Curtain Wall to define which part will remain selected after the Split takes place. In such a case, the two adjoining Curtain Walls Frames may overlap. To remedy this, create a common Frame for both of them. See Create Common Frame for Adjacent Curtain Walls on page 299.
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The Connect Wall to Curtain Wall dialog box appears. The default connection values assume that you want the walls to connect at the Curtain Walls nominal thickness. See Connect Wall to Curtain Wall on page 306. So lets try that: Leave the values as they are and click Connect. Then click with the eye cursor at the near end of either of the walls (this is the wall end to which you want to connect the Curtain Wall). (The temporary double-arrow helps you identify the correct wall end.)
To trim the walls to the Curtain Wall so that the wall ends are parallel to the Curtain Wall, , we will use the Connect Wall command. Select the Curtain Wall and the two walls to connect it to. Use the Design > Curtain Wall > Connect Curtain Wall command, or the same command from the context menu.
The wall connection takes place. The walls are trimmed along the inside of the Curtain Wall, at the default location (in our case, offset from the Base Surface by 250 mm in the inside direction.)
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View the connection point up close: the wall meets the inside of the Curtain Wall at its nominal thickness: exactly where the Boundary Frame begins. You may want a different geometry for this wall connection. Suppose you want the wall to connect at the outside limit of the Curtain Wall. You must re-do the Curtain Wall connection. Select the walls and Curtain Wall again. Use the Design > Curtain Wall > Connect wall command again to bring up the Connect Wall to Curtain Wall dialog box, where you can adjust the connection offset to a custom value: Since the wall is coming from the inside of the Curtain Wall, it is the Inside value which you will adjust:
Click Connect. View the result in 3D. Now the connecting wall is aligned with the outside face of the Curtain Wall.
The Inside value measures the distance between the wall connection point and the Base Surface, in the inside direction. If you want the wall to go past the Base Surface, as in this situation, enter a negative number. Here, we will use -50, so that the wall coming from the inside will cross the Base Surface (at 0) and keep going another 50 mm, stopping exactly at the Curtain Walls width thickness on the far side (the outside).
Click to complete.
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default content for any of the Member tools (e.g. Junction, Frame), then these definitions will be used in the Label. Click Label to place the labels.
associative label for any clicked Curtain Wall Member, in a Section-type window. Use this method if you need labels on a few particular Curtain Wall Members only.
Parametric Objects
About Parametric Objects
An integral part of the ArchiCAD design process is placing objects into the plan. For example, Doors and Windows inserted into a wall are objects, as are Stairs and Lamps. Markers, Labels and Zone Stamps are also objects. Many of these objects are accessible when using their dedicated tool. You can access many other items through the Object tool, such trees and cars, office equipment and sanitary ware. Objects are parametric. This means that you can freely configure the placed instance, using the Object Settings dialog box, or the dialog boxes associated with the object-type tools, without actually modifying the external file. For more information, see Object/Lamp Tool Settings in ArchiCAD Help. When you place an Object (as opposed to other elements in ArchiCAD), you are placing an instance of an external file located in an object library. ArchiCAD is shipped with a standard object library containing hundreds of preconfigured, editable objects (also known as GDL objects or Library parts). For the most part, you will use ArchiCAD tools to place objects from this standard library. Depending on their subtype, the tool that recognizes and places them can be either the Object tool or a dedicated tool, for example the Stair or Skylight tool. If you open a Project and the Library Loading Report palette informs you that placed objects are missing from the Active Library, those items cannot be displayed on the plan. (The place of missing library parts is indicated by nondescript spots on the plan.)
2) Use the Design > Curtain Wall > Label All Members
command. Use this method if you need labels on all Members, or all of a certain class of Members. To use this command, select the Curtain Wall in the Section/Elevation/IE window. Click Design > Curtain Wall > Label All Members to bring up the all Members dialog box:
Check the boxes of all the Member types to which you would like to attach a Label. The Labels will be associative; if you have defined a
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You will find most of the objects you need for your project in the ArchiCAD Library - the factory-shipped library of standard objects. The objects are organized into folders and sub-folders to make it easy to locate what you need. The ArchiCAD Library is comprehensive, although localized versions of ArchiCAD libraries will contain special objects which are localized for the standards of particular countries. When you activate a tool that is dedicated to a particular Object subtype (i.e. Stair, Door), the Settings Dialog box accesses only the relevant part of the ArchiCAD Library. For example, activating the Window Tool gives you access to all the Windows in the ArchiCAD Library, but not Doors or Mechanical Objects. See also About GDL Object Subtypes in ArchiCAD Help. The Object Tool (chair icon) accesses a wide variety of objects that are not part of a dedicated subtype. These objects are divided into three main folders: Basic Library; Visualization Objects; and Add-On Library, and several sub-folders. As you can see by the folder names, the Basic Library contains all kinds of Furnishings (Beds; Chairs; Office Equipment, etc.); Decorations (such as clocks and vases); Health/Recreation items (such as a piano, a billiard table, a TV). Additional folders contain Building Structures (such as fences and moldings); Special Constructions (such as fireplaces and shutters); Mechanical Elements (such as air conditioners and elevators); and 2D Elements (such as electric and graphic symbols.) The Visualization folder contains Site improvements (e.g. trees) and objects depicting People and Vehicles.
Double-click the splitter bar between the two panels to open/close the browser area (or click the black arrow at the top of the splitter bar). If you have stretched the dialog box horizontally, you can move the splitter bar horizontally to rearrange the dialog box. If you select an object (not a folder) in the browser area, its settings appear on the right-hand side of the dialog box. That objects settings will remain in the right side of the dialog box even if you use the browser to look through library objects on the left. To again return the browser to the status in which it shows currently selected objects place in the library hierarchy, click the Show in library command, accessible by clicking the black arrow next to the object name in the Preview and Positioning Panel.
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In the Preview and Positioning Panel (as in the Info Box), simple navigation controls allowing you to go the previous and next element in the active library set without having to use the browser area.
allows you to visualize GDL Objects in your web browser and download them directly into your ArchiCAD Project. A number of third party programs or Add-Ons let you create or edit GDL Objects. These objects contain GDL scripts as well as other, application dependent data. Consult your dealer for availability information. DXF libraries are widespread in the CAD world and cover almost every area of engineering and design. Many manufacturers offer symbols or models of their products in DXF format. ArchiCAD can easily import these libraries. You can use existing elements within ArchiCAD to create and save custom objects. For more information, see Graphic Creation of Custom Objects on page 319. If you have very specific needs and no preconfigured library part will do, ArchiCAD provides a unique solution with its Geometric Description Language (GDL). Using this very simple programming environment, you can potentially script any building element in the form of library parts. You can sculpt in other 3D applications. ArchiCAD can import any 3D model you create, such as MaxonForm and those using Zoom or Alias Wavefront. These applications are multipurpose 3D modelers allowing shapes of free geometry.
As for all other GDL Object type element, the Custom Settings panel is only active if the chosen object contains a user interface script. For descriptions of each control in this dialog box, see Object/Lamp Tool Settings in ArchiCAD Help.
For more information, see the MaxonForm documentation in the Graphisoft Documentation folder.
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Note: By clicking the down-arrow in the center column of the settings dialog box, you can hide the browser area. This way, the dialog box takes up less space. The right-hand side of the dialog box contains settings panels.
For information about Subtypes, see About GDL Object Subtypes in ArchiCAD Help. You can unfold library or subtype folders by clicking the plus sign (or, in MacOS, the arrow) next to their names in the browser panel. Choose the Find Library Parts option to locate library parts by name using keywords in a search engine.
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In our example, the following bottom hung windows will be displayed: Search results are displayed in the Library Parts found window. Choose a format icon to arrange search results in one of three formats as described for the browser area. Click on any library part icon in the Library Parts found window to view or edit its object settings at right. The library parts file path, in both its Library Folder and its subtype folder, are indicated at the bottom of the window. If you switch back to Folder or Subtype view after completing a search and selecting/editing an object, the same object will remain selected in those views.
Placement Aids
When the Object or Lamp tool is active and you place your cursor inside a construction window, the ghost bounding box of the element is shown and it follows the movements of the cursor. This also allows you to check the active hotspot used for positioning the Object or Lamp. You can switch this ghost box feature off in Options > Work Environment > More Options. When positioning the Object or Lamp, you can use numerical input, gravitation, mouse constraints or the grids. This allows you to fit fixtures or furniture to corners, specific positions, or to each other with great accuracy.
Geometry Methods
Four geometry methods are available in the Info Box for placing Object and Lamp type Library Parts.
Placing an Object
Typically, you will follow these steps when placing an object:
2) Browse for the appropriate element in the available library 3) Adjust the default settings default to suit your particular situation
or purpose. The external file is not affected in any way by the changes you make in the Object (Lamp, Door, etc.) Settings dialog box. the object.
4) Click at the desired location and place the customized instance of Placement Anchor
The primary hotspot (objects placement anchor) can be defined on the Preview and Positioning panel of the Object Settings dialog box. Before placing the Object or Lamp, make sure that you have selected the appropriate hotspot to serve as the anchor. For more information, see Object/Lamp Preview and Positioning Panel in ArchiCAD Help.
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The Orthogonal method automatically places Library Parts in alignment with the normal grid lines unless you specify a rotation angle in the Settings dialog box before placement. To place a Rotated Library Part, first define a reference point by clicking any point Use the resulting rubberband line to place the rotation vector. This rubberband line can be constrained using any of the drafting modifiers or enabled Mouse Constraint angles. The Diagonal input method works like the rectangle geometry method used for polygonal elements. The Rotated diagonal input method works like the rotated rectangle method used for walls, slabs, etc. The last two methods let you define the A and B parameters of the Object or Lamp graphically. (For most objects, these parameters represent the Length and Width of the object on the Floor Plan.) Note that they are only available if the GDL Object can be freely stretched; some Objects may have fixed or proportionally set dimension parameters.
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The result of this technique also depends on the primary hotspot (anchor). As a rule of thumb, if a hotspot at the corner of the object is selected, you can define both the A and B parameters graphically. If the hotspot is along a side of the object, you can only define one of the parameters graphically and the other parameter will be taken from the Settings dialog box. When choosing a hotspot within the bounding box of the symbol, none of the parameters can be set graphically and the element will be placed as if using the simple orthogonal or rotated methods.
and side, front and/or rear views for Sections/Elevations. A switch in the Parameter list allows you to choose between them. The counterparts of these elements in the Visualization folder are full 3D representations meant to appear in the 3D Window and especially in PhotoRendered pictures. The Visualization folder also contains a couple of Picture elements used for texture mapping. They are displayed as simple fills in shaded views and only appear in photo-renderings. If you place and activate a Camera, the picture will always face this camera to avoid distortion.
Stretching Objects
Objects, including Doors and Windows, can be stretched by their hotspots, provided that they have been appropriately defined, that is, on the nodes and edges of their 2D Symbol. Other hotspots cannot be used for stretching/shrinking. To check this, select the Object to display its hotspots.
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You can either use the Stretch command or the pet palettes appropriate icon to stretch/shrink the Object by a node or an edge.
You will notice that some parameters interact with each other. In the example of the elliptical table, you cannot change the number of its legs, which will always be 4. The Leg Number parameter field is greyed. On the other hand, if the table is round, the Leg Number parameter becomes active, and you can choose to have a table with one, three or four legs.
Note that you stretch the A and B parameters of the symbol, and not of its bounding box. Using parametric 2D scripts, you can easily create objects whose symbol size will not match the A and B parameters. If you make such a symbol, make sure that you define hotspots at the corner of an A*B sized rectangle. These will enable you to stretch that symbol. See also Graphical Editing Using Editable Hotspots on page 318.
While most of the parameter changes are most spectacular in the 3D view of the GDL Object, there are some special cases which affect the plan view only. The Minimal Space checkbox (included with many Objects from the default ArchiCAD Library) adds a hatching to the elements Plan Symbol. This represents the area that you want to keep free.
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Even the smaller details of Objects can be customized. For example the W1 Casement window element, you can experiment with different internal division numbers.
The cursor will change to a syringe shape, indicating that the current objects parameters will be transferred to the identical parameters of the newly activated object.
The diamond-shaped hotspot serves to alert you that in addition to graphical editing, direct numerical editing through the Tracker (for example, setting a windows sash-opening width by typing it in) is also available through that hotspot (provided that the applicable pet palette option has been selected). In the image below, the Tracker pops up showing the Sash Opening Width parameter if the Stretch icon is chosen from the pet palette.
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The diamond-shaped hotspot and associated editing palette is also available in the 3D window. In the image below, you must choose Move Node from the pet palette to activate the Sash Opening Width parameter. Note: The diamond-shaped hotspot appears only for editing options that produce a specific parameter editing possibility in the Tracker. No other type of function is necessarily associated with this type of hotspot.
If you check the Place Patch Now checkbox, you can place the created element immediately after it has been saved. Note: Objects created this way will be enhanced with parametric behavior, specified by a special template in the ArchiCAD Library. If this template is missing from the loaded libraries you will still be able to save patches, but they will be plain stickers with no special intelligence. If ArchiCAD fails to locate the Patch Template, it will notify you, and you will have the option to either proceed or cancel the operation.
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Place it with the Object tool. Note that the created object is stretchable, but will be distorted after stretching since it was not scripted using parametrics. If you want to make further modifications to the object, select and open it with the File > Libraries and Objects > Open object command.
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In the View > 3D View Mode > 3D Projection Settings dialog box, set the 3D view so that it will be the top view of the generated library part. ArchiCAD will automatically rotate the library part according to this setting. If your model is standing on the plan (as in the illustration of the table), use the following settings: top view, azimuth=270. If your model is lying on its side (see the chair object below) set the following: side view, azimuth=90. If you do not want to show all the lines of the model in the 2D symbol, select the hidden line or the shading representation.
Place the library part with the Object tool. Note that the created object is stretchable, but will be distorted after stretching since it was not scripted parametric. If you want to make further modifications on the object, select and open it with the File > Libraries and Objects > Open object command.
Save the object with the File > Libraries and Objects > Save 3D Model as command. You have to specify a name and a path for the created library part. In the Save as Library Part dialog which appears, set the desired save options. Select the Save as Object option. If you do not want to include the redundant lines in the 2D symbol, check the Remove redundant lines from symbol option. If you want to make further modifications on the library part, select the Editable GDL Script format.
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generated object with 90 and create a rectangular hole around it in the wall. For example, the bottom of the slab (at the zero level) will become the outside surface of the window frame that fits to the exterior of the wall, and the thickness of the slab represents the frame. For more information, see the Doors and Windows section of the GDL Reference Guide (a PDF document in the ArchiCAD > Documentation folder or in the ArchiCAD Help menu). Select the desired model elements and open the 3D window. You can use any 3D projection settings. Save the object with the File > Libraries and Objects > Save 3D Model as command. You have to specify a name and a path for the created library part. In the Save as Library Part dialog box which appears, you can set the desired save options. Select the Save as Window or the Save as Door option. If you do not want to include the redundant lines in the 2D symbol check the Remove redundant lines from symbol option. If you want to make further modifications on the library part select the Editable GDL Script format. Place it with the Window or the Door tool. Note that the created object is stretchable, but will be distorted after stretching since it was not scripted parametrically. If you want to make further modifications on the object, select and open it with the File > Libraries and Objects > Open object command.
Saving Custom Shape Doors and Windows from the Project File
This method is very similar to the one used for saving rectangular doors and windows; the only difference is at the first step when you define the model on the plan: Create the 3D model of your custom shape window or door on the floor plan as described at the previous section. Place a slab or a roof that has a contour of the desired wall hole or wall niche. Select this slab or roof and open its settings dialog. Go to the Listing a Labeling panel and change the ID field to Wallhole if you want to make a hole and Wallniche if you want to make a niche in the wall.
From this point follow the instructions given at the previous section. You can create a custom shape hole in the wall from a slab or a roof that has an ID of Wallhole or Wallniche. Slabs and roofs bearing these IDs will not be displayed as door or window objects in 3D, but rather as a hole or a niche in the wall. (Wallhole and Wallniche are GDL commands used to create holes or niches in walls.)
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You can combine multiple slabs or roofs to create complex holes or niches. Since you can define inclination angle for the roofs, you can even cut non-perpendicular holes in walls. Note: If you use a single slab as a wallhole or wallniche, make sure that it falls above the zero level. (By default, the top of a slab is at the zero level, which means it will not cut into the wall.)
generated from the 3D script that takes into account the parameter choices made by the user. Scripting in GDL is not limited to geometry; you can create elements with many useful attributes, including cost, availability, and texture. For information on how ArchiCAD projects handle custom attributes of imported GDL objects, see Custom Attributes of GDL Objects on page 40. Some GDL Objects do not contain any geometric data. For example, macros can be text-only files that other Objects can refer to, without needing to include the same script in all of these Object files, while Property Objects contain descriptive data only that is used to calculate element quantities. To modify an object already placed in your plan, select it, then choose File > Libraries and Objects > Open Object. The GDL Object Master Window appears. To modify a GDL Object chosen from a library, choose File > Libraries and Objects > Open Object and select the GDL Object you wish to edit in the directory dialog box.
The creation of new Objects and the modification of existing ones is handled in a single environment: the GDL Object Master Window. In this window, you can add or edit the Parameters, Components, Descriptors, Scripts and the 2D Symbol of the GDL Object. For more information, see GDL Master Window in ArchiCAD Help. Each GDL Object can include a scale-sensitive symbol representing it in floor plan view, a set of parameters defining the possible variations of the product family and a 3D script describing the complex geometry of the element. The 3D view of the GDL Object is
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To show only the elements of one of your loaded libraries in the directory dialog box, click the arrow next to the Go to Library
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control and choose one of your current libraries. (If no object libraries are loaded, this control is empty.) Use the Files of type field to display GDL Objects by file format. Select a file and click the Open button. The GDL Object Master Window appears for that object. To modify the opened object, use the editing controls of the GDL Object Master Window. In this case, you will be working on the external file itself, not on a placed instance, which means that the changes you make to the external file will affect all of the placed instances of the given GDL Object except parameter values. Choosing Save when a GDL Object window is active will save the Object; the Project remains unaffected.
Custom Components
In ArchiCAD, it is possible to save elements created on the Floor Plan as GDL files, so that they become custom components of existing GDL Library Parts. For example, to create a customized door panel as a Custom Component, you can create a Slab which can then be saved as a custom Door Panel. All Doors that use Door Panel types (which have such parameters in their Parameter List) will be able to use this newly created custom Door Panel. You can create custom components for all types of GDL elements (Windows/Doors/Objects etc.) This enables you to expand the number of options available in your libraries in case default options do not meet your specific requirements. Let us say you have a usual Door in your Library (D1 12.gsm in the example) and you wish to create a new custom Door Panel for that Door. Follow these steps:
element(s) and choose the File > Libraries and Objects > Save Custom Components command.
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3) If you have no
4) A Dialog comes up
where you can specify the type of Custom Component you want to save it to.
In addition to the Custom Door Panel and Custom Window Panel options, you might choose: Custom DW Hardw Component, for a custom door knob. Custom Object Component, for a custom door of a kitchen cabinet. Custom CW Panel, for a custom panel inserted into a Curtain Wall.
5) Then specify a Location and File Name for the newly created file.
Note that if you save it as a type other than Custom Door Panel, the saved object will not be available here, but in its appropriate location (defined by the type it was saved as).
parameter to the desired value (if there is only one custom component defined, the parameter will be automatically set to that value). Set the Door Panel Style parameter to Custom Panel. Then press OK to accept changes.
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Notes: t does not matter where the element from which you create the Custom Component is located spatially on the Floor Plan. ArchiCAD will automatically place it to their appropriate location in the library object. When applying the custom component, ArchiCAD will automatically resize it, if necessary. For example, you may create a Door Panel-type Custom Component that is 1000 by 2000 mm in size. If you have a Door that is 800 by 2000 mm in size, with its Trim Width 50 mm on all sides, the Door Panel will be resized to 700 by 1950 mm. The program will stretch/shrink all parts of the Door Panel Custom Component proportionately to fit this size. You should set the attributes (Pen, Material etc.) values of the Custom Component to the desired values prior to saving it. These values will be applied to the component when it is actually used later in the Project.
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The Floor Plan Display pop-up has two symbol options: Symbolic and Overhead All. Symbolic: This is the chosen objects standard symbol. Overhead All: the entire elements outline is shown with its overhead attributes.
In case of a slanted wall, however, you might prefer a more realistic display of the cut window: choose either Projected or Projected with Overhead to see all parts of the window in a slanted wall. Projected: shows cut part of element, plus its uncut (downward) part in 3D-like form Projected with Overhead: shows cut part of element, plus the element's overhead part (i.e. the part of the element that is above the Floor Plan Cut Plane.
Doors and Windows cut real, see-through openings into the wall, so that 3D visualizations are more accurate and lifelike. However, glass panes are represented as solid shapes, allowing opaque openings for standard elevations. The glass material lets light in and you can look through the Windows and glass Doors in PhotoRendered views. The geometry of the Window or the Door is defined by the information included in the Library Part. While some generic elements allow a large amount of freedom in modifying the size and shape of the Window or Door before or after placing it in the project, more specific designs corresponding to real-life manufacturer catalog items can only be placed as defined, with restricted variation possibilities.
Depending on the scripting of the Library Part (see the Options parameter), different levels of detail can be displayed depending on the Floor Plan scale.
The Door Options and Window Options settings in Document > Set Model View > Model View Options allow you to show Doors and Windows on the Floor Plan in full, with contours only, or as empty openings, or to show or hide their dimensions or markers. For more information, see Model View Options for Construction Elements in ArchiCAD Help.
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If your project contains slanted walls, use the Door/Window Opening Plane pop-up (Preview and Positioning tab page) to make the plane of your openings either associated to the wall plane or remain vertical. See Door/Window Preview and Positioning Panel in ArchiCAD Help. Associated to Wall: the slant of the Window/Wall will be associated to the Wall into which they are placed. In slanted Walls, the Window/Door slants at the same angle as the Wall. In Double Slanted Walls, the Window/Door slants at the same angle as the side of the Wall into which the Window/Door was placed. Thus, if you move the Window/Door to the other side of the Wall, its slope will change accordingly. Vertical: the Window/Door will be vertical regardless of the type of Wall it is placed into.
distance from the floor to the bottom of the window/door) or the header (the distance from the floor to the top.) Floor can be (depending on your choice) either the bottom of the wall, or a given story height. In the Preview and Positioning tab page, the Anchor pop-up lets you choose any one of these constraints, to provide a point of reference for the height position of the Window/Door in the wall.
In Complex Profile Walls, the slant of the Window/Door is determined in the Profile Manager: use the Opening Reference Layer in the Design Layers panel to define the slant of Windows/Doors set into the Complex Wall. For more information, see Place a Wall/Column/Beam with a Complex Profile on page 237.
Sill to Wall Base: this is the default method. Sill to Story 0 (Current Story): the height of the Sill will be measured relative to the level of the Current Story. To choose a different Story, click the Select Story option and choose a story from the dialog box. Header to Wall Base: same method as the Sill to Wall Base options, but you must provide the Header height. Header to Story 0 (Current Story): same method as the Sill to Story 0 options, but you must provide the Header height. Select Story: If you choose this option (select the Story name from the list in the appearing dialog box), the chosen storys Floor Level will serve as the Anchor from which the Window/Door should be measured. This option may be used, for example, when a Glass Curtain Wall is created and all individual panes must have their heights set to a common height.
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Note: Entering a value into the Subfloor Thickness field does not affect the actual positioning of the door/window within the wall; it is merely an alternate way to display sill/header height in the door/window marker. Note: Sill height markers use dimension units set specifically for this type of value: go to Options > Project Preferences > Dimensions, and choose Sill Height Dimension.
ArchiCAD will still measure the sill value from the wall base, but the door/window marker will show a sill height value that subtracts the subfloor thickness from the entered sill value. For example, say the Wall Base is at -100 mm below Floor Level (Subfloor Thickness is 100 mm). The window sill (parapet) height is 1000 mm, but your effective Sill Height, for the purposes of construction documentation, is really 900 mm from the floor. So the windows sill height, as displayed in the Floor Plan marker, will show 900 mm.
To place a window, click at the desired wall edge, then click a second time with the eyeball cursor
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to define the external side of the Window. Sill depth is always measured from this side. To place a door, click at the desired wall edge, then click a second time to define the swing direction of the door. For doors without a German type reveal, sill depth will be measured from this side. For doors with a German reveal, sill depth will be measured from the opposite side.
In 3D, you can place a Window or Door anywhere along the length of the Wall. In Section/Elevation/IE windows, you can create new Windows or Doors only by duplicating existing ones using the Multiply or Drag a Copy functions. If you attempt to place a Window or Door near the end or top of a Wall, where there is not enough room to accommodate it, a dialog box will be displayed to warn you and give you the option of discarding the opening. However, you can still choose to place it.
You can obtain special 3D wall shapes by adding several empty openings to it, or by using Solid Element Operations. See Solid Element Operations on page 352.
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Windows/Doors may be moved across multiple Wall elements. You can drag or copy a Window from one Wall and end up in another Wall element.
Note: Rotated text blocks, labels, dimensions and fill polygon area labels are always readable from the bottom and the right side of the drawing.
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at the clicked point. (With trapezoidal walls, the mirroring axis is perpendicular to the reference axis.)
Mirroring can create an opening that falls entirely beyond the end of the wall. You can then select and move it in the same plane as the original host wall.
When you wish to place a Corner Window at a wall corner, you can click anywhere on the wall: ArchiCAD will automatically snap the window to the nearest corner of the wall and create a mirrored copy of it on the adjoining wall. The second windows parameters and properties are identical to the firsts. Their angle and position are automatically adjusted. You can only place one pair of corner windows at any given corner. The angle between the two walls cannot be equal to either 0 or 180 degrees. The placed windows can be stretched manually and individually without breaking the link between the two windows.
Corner Windows
ArchiCAD has a separate Corner Window tool. The Corner Window Settings dialog box is similar to the Door and Window Settings dialog boxes. There is no separate object type associated with the tool; most of the windows in the standard ArchiCAD library can be placed using the Corner Window tool. Corner Windows are placed at straight wall corners.
Corner Windows turn into simple Windows if: You drag away, mirror or rotate any of the two placed Windows. The angle between the two Walls is changed to 0 or 180 degrees. One of the Walls is elevated (since Windows are part of the host Walls, the two Windows elevations become different). One of the connecting Walls is deleted or dragged away. For more information, see Door/Window Tool Settings in ArchiCAD Help.
Skylights
Skylights are smart GDL Object type elements that can be intelligently placed in Roof type elements. Use one of the four
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geometry methods in the Info Box (Orthogonal, Rotated, Diagonal, Rotated Diagonal) to place the Skylight. The Skylight Object placed on top of a roof will be automatically inserted in the roof and adjusted to the correct roof slope angle, at the appropriate elevation, rotated to the correct angle (parallel with the roof s reference line). A hole will be cut in the roof. Note: The skylight must fit into a single roof plane. Skylight Objects are stored in the Dormers and Skylights folder of the standard ArchiCAD library and can be activated with the Skylight tool. The panels of the Skylight Tool Settings dialog box are similar to those of the Window/Door, Object and Lamp tools. For more information, see Skylight Tool Settings in ArchiCAD Help.
Wall Ends
The Wall End tool allows you to create a correct wall end profile with a single click. Wall Ends can be placed at the hotspots at either end of a wall. Wall Ends are parametric GDL objects, similar to window and door objects. Wall End parameters (such as width and height) can be customized using the Wall End Settings dialog box. For more information, see Wall End Tool Settings in ArchiCAD Help. Wall Ends are counted as objects in list schedules. Depending on its type, a wall end might reduce the walls surface or volume, but does not add to it. During a Trim to Roof operation, Wall Ends are handled as part of the wall, just like windows. Wall Ends also remain in place if a Stretch, Drag or Split command is executed.
Placing a Skylight
Skylights can be inserted into Roofs in either the Floor Plan or in 3D view. In Floor Plan view, you place the skylight inside the outline of the roof. In 3D view, click on the roof plane - ArchiCAD will detect the location of the mouse-click and place the skylight on the roof plane.
Skylights placed in Roofs behave quite similarly to windows placed in walls. For instance, when moving the skylight, its movements are restricted to the roof plane. If you modify the roof plane, for example by changing its pitch, the skylight object will follow suit.
Choose the Stair Tool and open the Stair Tool settings dialog box. Browse the loaded libraries for the predefined stair that suits your project requirement; place it as you would any other object.
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Use the Parameters and 2D Symbol, Arrowhead, Flight, Tread and Railing Types panels of Stair Settings to define the appearance of each Stair object symbol on the Floor Plan. These settings are described in Stair Tool Settings in ArchiCAD Help. Note the following special parameters:
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2D Detail Level
If you choose Scale Sensitive, then the amount of detail shown in the 2D symbol is scale-dependent. Here, the same scale-sensitive stair is shown at 1:50 and at 1:200 scales:
Show or Hide the Walking Line as needed. The Walking Line ends with an Arrowhead: choose an Arrowhead style with the help of previews shown in the 2D Symbol, Arrowhead, Flight, Tread and Railing Types panel just below the Parameters panel. Similarly, you have several choices for the Walking Lines Start Point. Optional text items for the Stair symbol include Numbering of treads, Rise and Run text, and UP and DOWN signs.
2D Symbol Type
Use this control to choose a Symbol Type for the stair on the Floor Plan. Previews of each Symbol Type are shown in the 2D Symbol, Arrowhead, Flight, Tread and Railing Types panel just below the Parameters panel. The selection of available symbols here can vary depending on whether you have chosen Scale Sensitive or Custom in the 2D Detail Level control. Use the parameters under 2D Symbol Type to fine-tune symbol display. Note the following: Each Stair symbol has a Breakline which acts as a symbol cutting plane. Set the vertical position of the Breakline using the Breakline Position Height control. Visible and Invisible structures refer to the parts of the symbol that fall below and above the Breakline, respectively: you can set separate line types and pens for each type of structure.
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Note: To use StairMaker, it must be placed in ArchiCADs Add-Ons folder that is located either in the same folder as ArchiCAD, or in the System Folder (MacOS) or at the location defined in the Windows Registry (Windows). In both cases, you will be prompted to save the new object which will then be available for use. Since Stairs are typically specific to a Project, it is recommended not to save them in a common library folder, but rather set up a folder for Project-specific items and save your Stairs there.
will automatically turn into symbols of slope; all the other buttons become grey.
The dialog box shows the standard stair types you can create with StairMaker. (The last button represents a Custom Stair you design manually with ArchiCADs drawing tools, and is always grey when creating a standard stair.) Choose the desired Stair/Slope type and click OK. The StairMaker editing dialog box appears, allowing you to edit the chosen stair type. This dialog box consists of six tab pages, accessed by clicking the appropriate large button on the left of this wizard-type window. Any modification you make on any of the tab pages also affects the other five.
In the appearing dialog box, use the two top buttons to choose whether to build a stair or a slope. If you choose Slope, the symbols of those stair types whose geometry can be transformed into slopes
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For detailed information on each control in this tab page, see Stair/Slope Geometry and Flight Settings Tab Page in ArchiCAD Help. The Geometry and Flight Settings editing window contains preset values for the available parameters and a preview of the floor plan symbol on the right. The changes that you make on the geometry parameters are reflected on this symbol. Note that several controls on this tab page have lock/unlock icons. You should set the desired geometry and flight settings here, and then lock them. If you do not lock them, modifications on subsequent tab pages may cause StairMaker to automatically recalculate these values. If they are locked, then StairMaker will ensure that subsequent options you set are compatible with this basic geometry. In the picture below, for example, we have locked the height of the stair at 2800 mm and the number of steps at 16. These will never be changed, no matter what other settings you make on this or the other tab pages.
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You can add an optional top tread to the stair in the bottom section of this tab page: click the button on the right to add a top tread to the stair at top floor level as shown below. It may either have the same depth as the stairs other treads, or you can customize the depth of the extra tread by entering a value in the editable field. If you leave the extra tread depth fields value at zero, the top tread at floor level will have the same depth as the other treads. To change the top treads depth, enter a positive value.
StairMaker will skip locked parameters and look for the next value in the hierarchy. If editing is not possible without changing a locked parameter or if too many parameters are locked, an alert will appear.
It is easier and more comfortable to climb the stairs if the sum of twice the riser and the run (2*Riser + Run parameter) is within the range of 60 to 63 cm, or 24 to 25 inches. To ensure this condition, you can define a range of values for the (2*Riser) + Run parameter in the Tread Settings section. The last parameter is not editable. It only shows the current value of the (2*Riser) + Run parameter. Note: Stair geometry definition is based on the (2*Riser) + Run rule. Every time you modify a parameter, StairMaker checks that the (2*Riser) + Run parameter is still in the appropriate range. In addition to this hierarchy, you may lock one or more parameters by clicking on the lock button. Locked parameters will not be modified. If parameters need changing,
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the winder range for the stair. If the entire run is highlighted, then all treads are skewed with respect to the line of travel. Tread edges outside the winder range are perpendicular to the line of travel. (For a comfortable stair, the winder range usually includes at least the entire curved portion of the line of travel, so that non-skewed treads are all in the straight run section.)
You can see that the treads shown in white are no longer skewed. You can also change the skewed state of a single tread by clicking.
For example, to make the nose of the bottom tread straight, simply click on the second tread. The first tread turns white. You can change the extent of the winder section with the mouse. First move the pointer onto the stair (the pointer takes a form that may remind you of a spreadsheet editor).Press and hold the mouse button while moving it along the stair. Some treads turn white as you make the winder section shorter at the end. Release the mouse button, and StairMaker will show the new outline of the stair. Make sure that you define a winder section without overly skewed treads. The winder section is fixed on the middle tread of the curve, i.e., you cannot shorten either end of the winder range beyond this tread.
If you shorten both ends of the winder range until the middle tread, you will see something like the illustration. In StairMaker, the tread edges before the beginning and after the end of the winder range are perpendicular to the line of travel. These two edges define a line of travel segment and an inside segment.
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The location and the offset are displayed with dashed lines. If the corner is chamfered or filleted, the offset is still measured from the imaginary corner. The offset at custom angled stairs looks like this. Enter a dimension for the narrowest tread at the stairs inside segment (s in the illustration below) using the parameter field in the Flight Settings section. StairMaker will divide the stairs inside segment into treads as shown. This value will be assigned to the middle tread of the stair run (or to the two middle treads, if the number of treads in the winder range is even). As an alternative to the standard winder, you can create a radial winder. When using this method, the edges of the treads in the winder range meet in a single point. You can select this method by clicking the Radial Winder button. You can change the location of the centerpoint by clicking on it. A dialog box will then prompt you to enter numeric values for the offset. If you choose a U-Return Winder stair, StairMaker will automatically set the radial winder midpoint to the midpoint of the arced line of trave.
If you choose a Straight Run with winder at both ends, you can define the upper and lower extra length along the side of the stair. The angles of the first and the last edge of the stair depend on this offset. Note: You cannot define radial winders for this stair type. Stair types with winders let you chamfer or fillet the corners of the run. To do this, move the pointer to a corner until it takes the form of a perpendicular sign. Click on one of the stairs corner points to open a dialog box offering the three corner shapes available.
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The Plain corner is the normal corner shape. When you start editing a new stair, all corners are plain. Choose the Chamfer radio button from the dialog box. Editable text fields appear where you can edit the chamfer length. Enter a value and click OK.
You can change the corner shape at any time. If you move the pointer to a chamfered or filleted corner it will again show the perpendicular sign.
See also Stair/Slope Geometry and Flight Settings Tab Page in ArchiCAD Help.
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Treads only:
Solid Stair:
The upper and lower slabs should be set to exactly join the Floor Plan Symbol within ArchiCAD, no matter which 3D alternative is selected in StairMaker, and even if a top tread at floor level is added to the stair. Note: When the stair construction is changed, the fields for treads and nosing may change as well, according to the current construction options.
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The parameters of the stairs structure vary according to the selected type. These changes will also appear in the stair geometry tab page and in the parameters of the stair. In the bottom left section of the window, you can customize both the upper and lower structural and subfloor + finish thicknesses. StairMaker cleans up these intersections by changing the thickness values of either the landing or the run. Select the desired option in the dialog box. Using the other set of radio buttons, you can choose whether the length of the landing is modified along the upper or the lower run. StairMaker recalculates the parameters with the new values, and the 2D symbol of the stair will be updated. If the stair type has two landings, your options affect the lower landing and StairMaker will apply them automatically on the upper one. In the Attributes section of the Structure tab page, you can define the pencolor used for the Stairs contour and the Materials of each of the Stairs sides in the 3D Window and PhotoRendering.
StairMaker automatically adjusts the stair parameters to these slab specifications. StairMaker automatically adjusts the stair height by referring to the top elevation of the connecting bottom floor slab as zero. If you use a separate slab for modeling the subfloor + finish in ArchiCAD, you only need to enter the thickness of this slab in the corresponding fields. When you place the stair in ArchiCAD, the positioning height in the Object Settings dialog box can be set to zero. If you do not use any separate slab for subfloor + finish in your design, set the subfloor + finish thickness to zero. You can set up the landing thickness of those stairs that have one or more landings in the editable text fields in the Landing section of the Structure tab page. StairMaker makes clean intersections at the bottom of the stair between the runs and landings if you click the Clean Intersections button at the bottom of the Landing section. The following dialog box will appear:
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The content of the Tread Settings tab page changes according to the current stair Structure settings. Note: This option is not available if the stair structure has been set to Solid Stair or Solid Slope on the previous tab page.
(All Stair-Rail mode), one side of the entire stair (One Side mode), or a selected segment (One Segment mode). Selection of the segments is indicated by a red line in the preview area. The mode chosen here is also in effect when setting the post.
In the Tread section of the tab page you can set up the exact parameters of the stairs tread: define the thickness of the tread define the nosing on the front and on the sides define the thickness of the front of the risers Clicking the first icon selects all the segments in the preview of the stair. Parameter settings will affect the whole of the stairs. A single railing type will be used for the whole stair with the same offset and parameter value for each segment. With regard to the offset value, the program automatically ensures the integrity of the railing, which means that the segments will intersect accordingly.
In the Attributes section of the tab page, the Pen Color and Material pop-ups allow you to define the 3D appearance of the treads. You can assign different materials for each side of the treads.
Railings (StairMaker)
Note: This tab page is part of the StairMaker editing window. To access it, activate the ArchiCAD Stair tool, open Stair Tool Settings, and click the Create Stair or Edit this Stair command. Choose a standard stair type. From the appearing stair editing window, click the Railings button (fourth from top) from among the six buttons at the left. For detailed information on each control in this tab page, see Railing Settings Tab Page in ArchiCAD Help. You set up the railings of the stair or the slope on the fourth tab page of the stair editing window. Here you will again see a preview of the symbol of the stair showing the current choices for railings. Using the three buttons on the top of the tab page you can define whether the railing settings should affect both sides of the entire stair
When switching to this mode from either of the other two (One Side mode or One Segment mode) each flight inherits the stair-rail and post settings of the lower starting flights first left-hand segment. After clicking the second icon, the left and right stair-rails can be set independently. The left stair-rail is selected by default as displayed in the preview of the stairs. To switch to the right stair-rail, move the cursor to the other side of the stairs until it takes the form of a stair-rail, then click it.
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When switching to this mode from either of the other two (All Stair-Rail mode or One Side mode), all stair-rails inherit the previous settings. The overhang values of the stair-rails will be identical to those calculated automatically in the previous mode. The settings displayed on the screen are always those relevant to the selected railing, and any changes in the values of the parameters will affect only the selected railing. In this mode, the program uses single railing types for both sides of the stairs. In the preview area that displays the floor plan of the stairs, each segment of the railing is represented by a line that shows where the centerline of the railing lies. To switch off a railing, first select it, then choose the No Railing option from the Railing type pop-up. A thin line will indicate the place of the stair-rail. The types and parameters of the selected railing are set in the Railing Setting section. The available railing types are listed in the pop-up menu placed at the top of the dialog box. The content of the pop-up window depends on the available definitions. In the railing preview area (above the stair-rail type pop-up) you can see the small image of the selected railing type.
When switching to this mode from All Stair-Rail mode, both sides inherit the settings chosen in the previous mode. When switching to this mode from One Segment mode, the whole flight inherits the settings of the lower starting segment. Clicking the third icon allows you to define a railing for each flight (segment) independently. By default, the first segment of the left railing is selected, as shown in the preview of the stairs. To select another segment, simply click it. Different offset values can be used for each segment. In this case, the elements of the stair-rail belonging to different segments will not fit each other automatically. Positive or negative upper and lower overhang can be defined manually for each railing segment.
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The editable parameters under the pop-up window are generally valid regardless of the railing type. They define the position of the railing as related to the sideline of the stairs, the height of the posts and the baluster as related to the stairs, and the overhang values. In One
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Segment mode, the lower and upper overhang relates to the current segment, while in the other two modes they concern the lower overhang of the bottom segment and the upper overhang of the top segment. The parameters of the railing types will be displayed in the list of additional parameters in the Stair Settings dialog box. The settings and placement of the posts of the railing are defined in the Post Setting section. If the selected type does not contain posts, this section will be dimmed. The position of the posts relative to the centerline of the stair-rail can be defined with the radio buttons and the parameter field. The rule according to which the posts are to be placed along the selected segments of the railings is defined with the radio buttons. The placement of the posts can be defined by: setting up an approximate distance between the neighboring posts (the posts are placed alongside the flight or the segment at a given distance from one another) placing a post on every tread (on landings, an approximate distance will be used), or setting the number of the posts.
Using the Snap to Corner checkbox, the program automatically places posts to the segment ends and places additional posts on the segments according to the rule defined above. The position of the posts placed automatically by the program can be modified one by one by double clicking on the post on the selected stair-rail segment. A dialog box appears, where the position of the post can be set up numerically. Some of the available railing types are illustrated below.
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Once you have created and saved a StairMaker stair, you can edit these same parameters directly from the Stair Settings dialog box.
For details, see Stair 2D Symbol and 3D Attributes Panel in ArchiCAD Help.
Each element and property of the stair can be listed with the Document > Schedules and Lists menu commands. Stairs will be listed as library parts. The list can be set up individually in ArchiCAD; however, if you wish to list a part of the stair, be sure that the box beside it (in this tab page) is checked.
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stair with the Fill tool. The fill that defines the stair cannot contain any holes.
If you are satisfied with your stair type, click Save As to navigate to a location of your choice and to name the stair.
connected Lines and Arcs inside the fill polygon. The segments of the line of travel need to be connected properly, i.e., they cannot cross each other or the sides of the fill. It has to be a continuous chain of lines. Begin drawing the arcs and lines from the starting edge of the stair to define the appropriate direction of the line of travel.
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Notes: The endpoints of the line of travel must snap exactly to the sides of the fill polygon but cannot connect adjacent edges or nodes of the fill polygon. Corners within the line of travel define landings. If the connection of two segments of the line of travel is not tangential, it will define a landing. 3) Select the fill polygon and all segments of the line of travel
StairMaker then displays the stair editing window. For custom stairs, some of the basic geometry parameters are not available and story height is locked by default:
You can still customize: stair shape parameters the number of treads inclination angle (parameters of the riser and the run)
When finished, click the OK button to automatically create the stair at the location defined in ArchiCAD. You will also be prompted at the same time to save and name your stair.
You will then see the new stair displayed on the Floor Plan and can also view it in 3D. The original 2D elements are not deleted automatically.
appears. StairMaker automatically finds possible stair types for your draft. If none of the predefined Stair Types match the sketch, you can only define a Custom Stair. Note: If the defined geometry cannot be interpreted by StairMaker, you will receive a warning message describing the problem. Make the necessary changes according to the rules of the stair definition, and try again.
Element Extras
This section contains advanced functions which give you great leeway in designing and manipulating standard elements. These include: TrussMaker, used to create girder and truss objects Solid Element Operations Interior Elevation, a tool used to create Interior Elevations of Zones
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TrussMaker
TrussMaker is a built-in tool allowing you to create girder and truss objects for visualization purposes. It is accessed from the Design > Design Extras menu. Technically, TrussMaker is an ArchiCAD Add-On and is loaded with ArchiCAD on startup.
The new truss appears on the Floor Plan on the baseline of the contour. Go to the 3D window to visualize it, and then drag it into its final location.
Editing Trusses
The framework drawn on the Floor Plan is not associated to the truss after it has been created and placed (and can only be used to create new trusses). Modifying this outline has no effect on placed trusses. TrussMaker offers you an additional method for editing placed trusses. Select a truss and choose the Edit Truss command from the TrussMaker menu or the TrussMaker palette. An alert will appear, prompting you to create a new Section window. Draw a simple section line with the Section/Elevation/IE tools, open the new Section/Elevation/IE window and then choose Continue Editing from the TrussMaker menu or palette. The original framework will appear in the window and you will be able to edit it.
When you are satisfied with your design, select the lines making up the truss and choose the Create Truss command from the TrussMaker hierarchical menu.
The TrussMaker Settings dialog box appears, allowing you to choose a shape and define options for creating the truss. For more information, see TrussMaker Settings in ArchiCAD Help. When you have finished customizing your truss, click the Save button at the bottom right of the dialog box. You will then be prompted to name the new truss object and place it in your active library.
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When you have finished making your changes, choose the Create Truss command again. The TrussMaker Settings dialog box will appear, with the same options as seen above. The only difference is that in addition to the Save button, a Save as button appears. If you click Save, TrussMaker will display a warning telling you that you are about to save a library part under an existing name. Clicking Overwrite will replace the previous truss, while clicking Cancel will abort the whole process. If you click Save as, a new truss object will be created. TrussMaker will prompt you to name this object and find a place for it in the library.
truss to the roof. Draw the outline with lines as you would on the Floor Plan. elements and choose Create Truss from the TrussMaker hierarchical menu. (Design > Design Extras > TrussMaker) box and save the object.
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are shown; in the middle, the Roof s layer has been hidden; on the right, the Roof s layer has been set to Wireframe.
The operation does not modify or delete the Operator element. You can hide the layers of the Operator elements after the operation has been performed without resetting the modified shape. You can also set the Operators layer to be shown as Wireframe, which allows you to still see the Operator elements contour and adjust it as necessary. In the illustration below, a Target Walls shape was modified by subtracting a Roof type Operator shape. On the left, both elements
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Below is the Section view of the elements shown above. The Operators are shown in Wireframe, above, and their layers are hidden, below.
The Floor Plan view of both Target and Operator elements is unaffected. Putting the Operator element on a Wireframe layer does not affect its display. If the Operators layer is hidden, then they will not appear in the Floor Plan, but you will not be able to edit them until you make the layer visible again. Subtraction cuts out the shape of the Operator from Target. Subtraction with upward extrusion cuts out both the shape of the Operator from the Target and its vertical projection from the bottom of the Operator shape to the top of the Target. Subtraction with downward extrusion cuts out both the shape of the Operator from the Target and its vertical projection from the top of the Operator shape to the bottom of the Target. Intersection keeps only the common part of the Target and the Operator. Addition adds the shape of the Target to the shape of the Operator. Note: If you select only the Target on the Floor Plan and display the selection in 3D view, the modified shape will be shown, but without displaying the Operator, even if it is on a visible or a Wireframe layer. If you perform a Solid Operation on a Section/Elevation/IE view, you need to rebuild the windows contents to see the results. All listing commands will be performed on the modified shapes.
1) Place the Stair Spiral in the plan using the Stair Tool
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2) Create a curved wall to encompass the spiral stair. 5) Click Get Target Elements. 6) Select operator element: the spiral stair.
3) Open the dialog box using the Design > Solid Element
Operations command.
4) Select target element: the curved wall. 7) Click Get Operator Elements. 354
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Model View Options do not affect the display or output of the 3D window. Exception: The two Model View Options for the Curtain Wall (Full and Schematic) affect the display and output of Curtain Walls in the 3D and 3D Document window only (including Curtain Wall Edit mode). Model View Options (and saved MVO Combinations) are applied globally to your current model.
9) Click Execute. The Solid Element 10) Click in an empty space to deselect 11) View the result in 3D.
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Organizers Project Map (View Settings and Storing Options) and in the Quick Options Palette.
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This status has no effect on whether the item will be displayed on your output; it affects only on-screen display. For a quick way to access these commands, activate the Window > Toolbars > On-Screen View Options toolbar. For more information, see Saving a View on page 73.
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True Weight: Use this option to toggle the True Weight display of Lines on or off. If it is off, lines will be displayed in Hairline, and the following option (Bold Cut Lines) is not applicable. Note: The Hairline option in On-Screen View Options affects on-screen display only. For hairline output, use the Hairline checkbox in the Print or Plot dialog box.
Bold Cut Lines: Use this option to specify whether Construction Elements are displayed with bold cut lines. Marker Range: Use this option to toggle the on-screen display of Marker Range items on or off. These items are: Section and Elevation depth lines and distant lines; Elevation/Interior Elevation lines and limit lines; input polygons defining Detail and Worksheet area. Highlight Source Markers: Use this option to toggle the on-screen display of source marker highlights on and off. Source markers are those which create a viewpoint when you place them. The color of source marker highlights is set in Options > Work Environment > More Options. Vectorial Hatching: Use this option to turn Vectorial Hatching display on or off. If it is off, then fills will be displayed in their bitmap patterns. This control affects on-screen display only for all Fills (regardless of fill type). Drawing Frames: Use this option to show/hide Drawing Frames on the layout. Master Items on Layout: Use this option to specify whether Master Items are displayed on the layout. Show/Hide Drafting & Editing Aids: Use this option to show or hide all available drafting aids. Drafting aids include Fill Handles, Figure Handles, Text Boxes, and Bzier Spline handles.
Use the next four toggles to show or hide each of these drafting aids individually.
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Without Finishes: The entire structure, except for skins/components defined as Finish, is displayed.
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Worksheet and Detail: If the source viewpoint is in the Floor Plan or is an Auto-update viewpoint, then you can set Partial Structure Display settings for Worksheets and Details (separate ones for each window, if needed.)
See also Partial Structure Display Settings in Windows Based on a Source Marker on page 364.
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For composite elements: skins can be defined as Finish in Options > Element Attributes > Composite Structures.
1) Activate the Trace function. 2) From the Trace drop-down menu, use Choose Reference, and
select Entire Structure as the Trace Reference.
You can define multiple adjacent skins as Finish, but they must include one or both of the outermost skins. A skin cannot be both Finish and Core. If you wish, a skin can be neither Core nor Finish (leave both checkboxes unchecked).
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In this Section, the composite walls are displayed with Core-Only settings, but the Entire Structure Display reference (in red) indicates the full wall structure.
When selecting a partially displayed element, hotspots will appear at their original location. The selection highlight, however, is shown only on the displayed parts of the elements.
Preselection feedback will also help you identify the entire as well as the partially displayed parts of the elements. The preselection highlight is shown only on the displayed components, but the cursor recognizes the reference line even if it is not on a displayed part of the element - as shown by the bold Mercedes cursor in this image.
The Info Tag displays the Thickness of the original, entire element, even if it is currently only in Partial Display: For Columns wrapped by walls: No wrapping occurs if you are using Core only display.
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You can copy-paste dimensioned elements between two views whose Partial Structure Display settings are dissimilar. However, if you try to paste
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dimensioned elements that do NOT appear in the given Partial Structure display, those dimensions will be lost after you paste. If you are copy-pasting dimensioned elements between two views whose Partial Structure Display settings differ, a warning appears:
that the views deriving from this source - even if youve already created these views - will, when rebuilt, change their Partial Display settings to match those of the source viewpoint. If you do change the Partial Structure Display settings of a source viewpoint which is of Manual Rebuild type (even though its derived views are based on an Auto-Rebuild source), ArchiCAD warns you of the consequences for the derived views: the views Partial Structure Display Settings might change:
You can go ahead and continue Rebuild, or you can cancel the process. Again, the solution is to go back to the source view (or make a copy of it with the Partial Display Structure settings you need) and change its update type to Auto-update. When you do rebuild such a view - one whose source has changed from Auto-Rebuild to Manual Rebuild - you are again warned that your views Partial Structure settings will change:
The solution: go back to the source view (or make a copy of it) and change its update type to Auto-update. In the opposite case: Suppose you have an Auto-update viewpoint with several views derived from it. Then you change the viewpoint to Manual Update or Drawing type. This is possible, but be aware
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1) If you want to keep the old library objects, but also use the new
library objects, do the following: load the AC 12 library .lcf file load the subset libraries from ArchiCAD 10 and 11
This way, the compatible old elements will be automatically replaced by ArchiCAD 12 library elements. The incompatible old elements will remain in place, and will not conflict with the ArchiCAD 12 objects.
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DOCUMENTATION
To complement the modeling functions with which you build up your Virtual Building, ArchiCAD includes a complete set of drafting and dimensioning tools. In current practice, architects are still expected to deliver interim and final drawings on paper. To help you create this documentation with maximum efficiency, ArchiCADs package includes a built-in layouting function optimized to prepare a documentation set using the views generated in ArchiCAD. Layouting is an integral part of ArchiCAD. Using the Layout Window, you directly access the views of the Virtual Building, then compile a complete Layout Book: a virtual representation of your paper documentation. Changes in your ArchiCAD model are instantly updated in the Layout Book. The Publisher function is a handy concept dedicated to the architectural design workflow: Here you set up and save publishing preferences for any number of publisher sets: you define whether to print, plot, upload them to a server or save them to disk. Once a publisher set is defined, you can output or republish it at any time, using the same properties, at the push of a button. ArchiCAD provides a professional interface with your plotting/printing devices. Plotters (which are usually large-format devices) process output information on a vector basis, while printers (of any size) are raster-based devices. Ideally, the end results of both processes are identical. Graphisoft provides dedicated plotter drivers for most plotters; for printing, you must use printer drivers provided by the vendor. The Calculation function is one way to create list outputs in ArchiCAD. The Calculation process is summarized at the end of this chapter. Drafting elements have various uses: Details that you did not wish to model fully with construction tools. Positioning and drawing aids for the placement of construction elements. Their outlines can be used to generate complex 3D shapes using the Magic Wand tool. Decoration purposes or elaborating on details, especially in the Section/Elevation/IE and 3D Document windows or on Details and Worksheets.
The Floor Plan and Section/Elevation/Interior Elevation and 3D Document display of drafting elements depends on the attribute choices made for them in their respective Tool Settings dialog boxes. Attribute sets for Drafting Elements (pencolors, line types, fill types) are managed from the dialog boxes in Options > Element Attributes. For faster display or output, the 2D appearance of some of the attributes can be modified by the View > On-Screen View Options commands. For more information, see On-Screen View Options Commands on page 357. The typical steps in creating a drafting element are the following:
Drafting
Drafting Elements are strictly two-dimensional: they include Fills, Lines, Hotspots, Figures and Drawings. With the exception of Fills and Drawings, they do not appear in list views.
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3) Choose a Geometry Method in the Info Box allowing you to 4) In the 2D window, define the location or the length of the
drafting elements.
create plain, curved, chained, rotated or polygonal variations of the elements, where applicable.
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Fills
About Fills
Fills are geometric 2D hatching patterns that help you distinguish and decorate the elements of your project. Fills can either be assigned to construction elements (Walls, Columns, Beams, Slabs, Meshes, Roofs, Zones, parts of Objects) or used as purely drafting elements, placed with the Fill tool. These Fill elements are useful to represent areas that you do not want to render in 3D, to add shadows or other graphic touches, or to measure the area of polygons. As vectorial hatching, fills can also be used to embellish materials in the 3D Window and the 3D Document.
Similarly to 3D construction elements, 2D Fills can appear in calculations with associated properties, descriptions and components. ArchiCAD includes a predefined set of default fill patterns, or fill types. Each fill type has a background and a foreground whose colors and patterns you can set separately. Fills assigned to construction elements can be displayed in the Floor Plan, Section/Elevation/IE, 3D Document, and Detail/Worksheet windows. For most elements, you can select a Cut Fill (for example, for surfaces cut by a Section or the Floor Plan Cut Plane) and a separate Cover fill (in which to display uncut surfaces, such as the top of a slab on the Floor Plan.) You can access them from the Options > Element Attributes > Fill Types dialog box where you can define, edit, duplicate, rename or delete them.
Fill Categories
There are three Fill Categories with their default uses: Cut Fills: Hatching displayed on the cut parts of construction elements on the Floor Plan, Sections/Elevations/Interior Elevations, 3D Document, or Details/Worksheets, wherever a construction-type element is cut so that its section is visible.
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Cover Fills: Hatching on Slabs, Roofs, Meshes and Zones on the Floor Plan. Drafting Fills: Simple 2D Fills drawn by hand in any model window. They do not have any relationship with construction elements such as Walls, Slabs or Roofs.
This can be handy for purposes of Model View Options or their classification when saving as DXF/DWG. See also Fill-Hatch Conversion Table in ArchiCAD Help. For example: if you have a Wall in a Section, and you unlink it from the model, Fills generated from the section of the Wall will belong to the Cut Fill category. If you draw additional Fills in the Section window, you can set these fills to be in the Cut Fill category, so that they will be treated the same as the cut fills coming from the construction element.
Every fill type is assigned to one or several of these categories. The fill category determines which element the fill can be assigned to. For example, a Fill Type must be set to Cover Fill if you want it to be available as a Cover Fill choice in Mesh/Zone/Roof/Slab settings. To assign Fill Categories, open the Options > Element Attributes > Fill Types dialog box and check one or more boxes in the Availability and Bitmap panel.
1) Activate the elements tool; or select the placed element. 2) Go to the Floor Plan and Section panel of its Settings (or click
Floor Plan and Section button in the Info Box.)
Notes: When assigning a 3D Vectorial Hatching in the Materials dialog box, you can use only Cover Fills.
3) For the listed Cut Fill and Cover Fill parameters, click the fill
name or icon to access the list of available fill types.
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For Zones, activate the Cover Fill button in the Floor Plan Panel of Zone Settings.
Notes: When assigning a 3D Vectorial Hatching in the Materials dialog box, you can use only Cover Fills.
You can access them from the Options > Element Attributes > Fill Types dialog box where you can define, edit, duplicate, rename or delete them. For more information, see Fill Types Dialog Box in ArchiCAD Help.
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You can modify this set manually or by importing items with the Attribute Manager. You can also combine several fill types to create composite structure attributes for Walls, Slabs and Roofs. Solid Fills include: the Foreground Fill: You see only the Foreground, because it covers up the Background. the Background fill: You see only the Background, because the Foreground is set to zero. Three fills whose foregrounds are of predefined Translucence (25%, 50%, 75%).
These percentages can be adjusted by hand in Options > Element Attributes > Fill Types: In the Fill Appearance Panel of the Fill Types dialog box, set the Translucency percentage (in this case, 65). The new Fill Type will henceforth appear in the fill pop-up.
In addition, you can create a new solid fill type with any translucence value you wish: click New, and choose Solid fill from the Add New Fill dialog box.
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Vectorial Fills can be assigned to construction elements in 2D windows. You can also assign Vectorial Fills to Materials, which are displayed in the 3D window. See Display of Vectorial Hatching on page 372.
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Some properties of vectorial patterns can be adjusted, including their scale, angle, spacing, availability and associated screen-only bitmap display. See Fill Edit Vectorial Pattern Panel in ArchiCAD Help. Symbol Fills can be assigned to construction elements. You can edit the symbol pattern of an existing fill, or draw a new symbol fill entirely. See Create New Symbol Fill on page 375. Gradient Fills and Image Fills are Drafting fills only, and thus are available only from the Fill Tools pop-up. (Drafting fills are drawn by hand, using the Fill Tool.) See Gradient Fills on page 376 and Image Fills on page 376.
Settings. If these Materials include a Vectorial Hatching, this Hatching will be visible in the 3D Window only if you switch the Vectorial 3D Hatching control to On in View > 3D View Mode > 3D Window Settings dialog box, and only if you are using the Internal 3D Engine. For more information, see 3D Window Settings in ArchiCAD Help.
In the 3D Window
Construction elements in the 3D Window are displayed using the Materials assigned to them in the Model panel of the elements
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The orientation of the fill pattern is indicated by its handles. Fill handles appear only if you enable Fill Handles (Drafting and Editing Aids) in View > On-Screen View Options.
Note that the handle does not necessarily have to be located inside the Fill. You can even drag the handle out of the body of the fill after placing it. Clicking on the handle selects the entire Fill; selecting the Fill also selects the fill handle. To change the fill orientation vector later, select the Fill, click the endpoint of the fill handle arrow and rotate it. Make sure the Move Sub-Element icon is active on the pet palette.
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distort the pattern of a cover fill, you can set the Distort with Slope control in the Roof Settings dialog box to automatically distort its cover fill to follow its slope. To do this, select the roof and open its Roof Settings dialog box. Make sure that the Cover Fills checkbox is active in the Floor Plan and Section panel and enable both the Align with Slope and Distort with Slope controls. For more information, see Roof Floor Plan and Section Panel in ArchiCAD Help.
There are two special uses for distorted fills that can greatly enhance the realism of your design. In Drawing-type Sections, construction elements are exploded into lines and fills. If you select those fills and enable the Use Distorted Fills radio button in their settings, they will be displayed according to their real geometric position. Compare the two pictures below: Fills are linked to the project origin on the left and distorted on the right.
Compare the two sets of roofs below, with distortion disabled on the left and enabled on the right.
Cover fills of Roofs can also be represented according to their real geometric positions with this feature. While you cannot manually
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2) Select all the components of the pattern and choose Edit >
Copy.
3) Choose Options > Element Attributes > Fill Types. Click the
New. button, enter a name for the new fill and select the Symbol fill radio button, then click OK to set the name and type.
4) In the Edit Symbol Pattern panel, click the Paste button above
the Preview window. The pattern appears in the Preview window. Check the Show Pattern Unit box to highlight a single unit of the pattern in the preview window of this dialog box. Note: If the selection of copied components includes splines, fills, text or other elements, these will not be pasted into the Fill Types dialog box.
5) Use the controls in the Edit Symbol Pattern panel to set the size,
pattern and rotation angle for the symbol fill. See Fill Edit Symbol Pattern Panel in ArchiCAD Help
Hotspots. Make the pattern fit into a rectangle shape. Make sure the top, bottom, left and right sides of the pattern are in continuation with each other.
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When placing the Fill, you will see that the pattern is a mix of the two colors with a transition area between them.
The text block is created by calculating the area of the Fill. The text settings will be the same as the default values of Dimension texts. Note: If the fill contains holes, they are subtracted from the fill area. To modify the font settings or even the content of the area text, select the text only (not the Fill itself) and edit the Dimension Text Settings (in this case, the last command of the Edit menu changes to Dimension Text Settings). For more information, see Dimension Text Settings in ArchiCAD Help. The measurement unit and accuracy of the area value are defined in Options > Project Preferences > Dimensions. For more information, see Dimensions Preferences in ArchiCAD Help. Area value labels are always readable from the bottom or from the right after a rotation or a mirroring.
The location, angle and the size of the transition area can be modified with the fill handle provided that you enable Fill Handles (Drafting and Editing Aids) in View > On-Screen View Options.
The other type of the gradient fill is of radial, that is, of basically circular shape. In this case, the two pen colors (foreground and background) define respectively the inner (next to the core) and outer colors of the gradient fill. With the fill handle, you can modify the origin of the gradient fill and the extent of both colors as well as that of the transition area.
Gradient Fills
The purpose of Gradient Fills is to enhance architectural graphics; they do not indicate any physical properties, and so they are available for 2D fills created with the Fill tool (Drafting fills) only. Gradient Fills are not available for the surfaces of construction elements (Cut Fills and Cover Fills). To get a linear gradient fill, choose two different pen colors (foreground and background) on the General Settings panel of Fill Settings. For more information, see Fill Tool Settings in ArchiCAD Help.
Note: When moving the fill handle, make sure you select the Move Sub-element icon on the pet palette.
Image Fills
The Image fill lets you use images as the foreground part of Drafting fills.
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Important note: Image fills are available only as Drafting-type fills. Thus, image fills can be applied only to fills drawn with the Fill tool; they cannot be applied to construction elements. By default, ArchiCAD 12 provides two Image fills as Attributes, but you can define your own.
To create a new Image fill, go to Options > Element Attributes > Fill Types. Click New. In the Add New Fill dialog box, choose Image fill. In the appearing Fill Types dialog box, note (in the Availability and Screen only Pattern Panel) that this Image fill is a Drafting fill. Image fills can be Drafting-type fills only - that is, 2D fills drawn by hand using the Fill tool. (Image fills are not be available to apply to construction elements). For Image fills, the second panel is called Fill Texture. For more details, see Fill Texture Panel in ArchiCAD Help. Click the Load Image button to bring up a library directory dialog box. Browse for the desired image and click OK to load it.
Use the Image Size controls to fine-tune the size and pattern of your Image fill.
Note that the Mirroring controls give you different options for setting up the repeating patterns within your Image fill.
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Single straight line segments, series of Chained straight and Curved line segments, Rectangles and Rotated Rectangles. Circular Arcs and full Circles Elliptical Arcs and full Ellipses Straight or Curved Polylines Natural Splines, Bzier curves and Freehand curves
Double-clicking any of the Line type tools will open a dialog box in which you can adjust the settings of the given tool. In each of these dialog boxes, the Uniform Settings for Line Tools checkbox allows you to apply the settings made in this dialog box to all line-type tools: Line, Arc/Circle, Spline, Polyline. For more information, see Line Tool Settings, Arc/Circle Tool Settings, Spline Tool Settings and Polyline Tool Settings in ArchiCAD Help.
Lines
The following straight and curved line elements can be created in ArchiCAD using the different Line tools and geometry methods.
Skin Separator Line: Separator line between skins of composite structures, including walls, columns, slabs and roofs.
Line categories can be useful if, for example, you have exploded a composite wall into its constituent lines and fills. By default, in the Line Tools Advanced Settings Panel, all the contour lines are put into the Cut line category, while all the skin separator lines are put into the Skin Separator category.
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All other lines are placed into the Drafting category by default. However, if you draw lines by hand into a Detail Window, Worksheet, Patch, Section/Elevation/IE or 3D Document window, you can assign categories to these lines according to their function in the plan. This way, when assigning a model view option, even hand-drawn lines can be considered Cut lines or Skin Separator lines. Assigning line categories can also be useful if you save your file in DXF/DWG format: the DXF/DWG Translation Setup dialog box allows you to define a separate layer onto which Skin Separator lines can be exported.
1) Select a line. 2) Click one of the lines endpoints. The pet palette appears. Choose
the stretch icon: Click to define the new endpoint.
1) 2) 3) 4)
Select a line. Choose the Edit > Reshape > Stretch command. Click an endpoint of the selected line and move it. Click again to either define the new endpoint as an extension (or reduction) of the previous length. The line is stretched or shrunk and, if needed, rotated according to the new endpoint. The other endpoint will remain at its original position. Note: Multiple Lines with overlapping endpoints can all be stretched at the same time using the Stretch menu command or with the Marquee tool.
For more information, see Stretching with the Marquee Tool on page 128. When using the pet palette:
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The second option defines the circle by three points on the arcs circumference. The first two clicks define two points that you will probably locate on points connecting other elements, grid intersections or special snap points. After that, a ghost circle follows the cursor until you click a third time to define the third point. A fourth click is needed to define the length of the arc segment.
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Note: Unlike circular Walls, Circles can be fully closed. You will obtain a single element, not two half-circles.
Stretching Curves
The third option only defines full circular shapes based on three tangential edges or points. In this process, you select three initial points: these can be a tangent edge (indicated by the Mercedes cursor), a node (indicated by the Checkmark cursor), or a free-floating point (indicated by the Crosshair cursor.) An endpoint cannot qualify as a tangent edge when using this method, so a maximum of two endpoints are allowed. If more than two are selected, the process will revert to the second method described above. Only linear tangency is allowed: all tangent points must be on the straight edges of Slabs, Lines, Walls, etc. If you click a radial edge with the Mercedes cursor, the resulting Circle will pass through that point rather than being a tangent to the curve. You can modify the circumference or radius of Curved Walls, Arcs and Circles with either the Stretch command or the pet palette icon.
Angular Stretch
Use the Angular Stretch icon to change the elements arc length by dragging its endpoint (or reference line endpoint, in case of a curved wall) along the curve. Alternatively, transform an Arc into a full Circle or the other way around. Note: A curved Wall stretched into a full circle will be transformed into two half-circular elements.
Radial Stretch
Use the Radial Stretch icon to increase or decrease the elements radius by dragging its edge or reference line.
The next step depends on the geometric situation. If there is only one solution, the circle is automatically drawn. If there are two or four solutions, the Eyeball cursor appears and the ghost contour of the Wall flips from one position to the other as you move the cursor around. Click when it is at the right place to complete the circle. If there is no solution (for example, if you define three parallel edges for tangency), no circle will be made.
Stretch Ellipse
You can modify the shape of a closed ellipse or full circle by stretching it.
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Select the ellipse or circle. Click on a node to bring up the pet palette. Choose the Stretch Ellipse icon. Drag the cursor to stretch the ellipse along its axis or stretch the circle into an ellipse. Click to complete.
1) Click the starting point of the imaginary rectangle. 2) By stretching the imaginary diagonal, you get
ellipses of different sizes drawn into the invisible rectangle. size.
3) With the second click you choose the ellipse of the appropriate
The Semi-Diagonal Ellipse method works in the same way as the Diagonal method but here you define the imaginary rectangle by its centerpoint and the endpoint of its semi-diagonal. The Ellipse Radii method defines an elliptical arc by the major and another radius of an ellipse and the angle of the arc.
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3) You get the rubberband line of the second radius, which you can
stretch to different sizes and angles. Notice the accompanying ellipse that fits the length of the two radii. If you stretch the minor radius too far away or right in line with the major radius, you cannot draw the ellipse.
4) In the final phase, ArchiCAD holds the ellipse while you define
the side angle of the arc. First, you use a rubberband line to define the side where the angle starts from. Then you define a different side that closes the angle, while ArchiCAD follows the angle with the Elliptical Arc. Neither side of the angle remains visible when the final arc is drawn.
Bzier splines are somewhat more complex in nature, but they allow more accurate reproduction of specific custom shapes. Bzier splines are defined by nodes, just like natural splines, but they also have editable tangent handles on either side of these nodes, plus one tangent handle at each end (if it is an open spline). The shape of the Bzier spline is affected by the direction of the tangent and the length of each tangent handle. When defining Bzier splines, click once to place a node, and keep the mouse button depressed. By moving away from the node in any direction, you are in effect defining the initial tangent, and the length of the handle that defines the curvature. If you release the mouse button, ArchiCAD will assume that you wish to jump to the definition of the next node with your next click. Keep the mouse button depressed, and then define the next tangent and node as above. You can conclude this operation by double-clicking the last node or by clicking the OK button in the Control Box. Clicking OK always results in a closed spline. You can edit Bzier splines by varying the length of each handle separately: use the pet palette command for Move tangent handle. Note that there is only one angle associated with both handles of a node, but the length of each handle may be different. The longer the editing handle, the smoother the curve will be at the control point. You can pull out the handles from sharp nodes to turn them into curved ones. Note: The visibility of the editing handles of Bzier splines depends on the status of the View > On-Screen View Options >
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The ellipse will be transformed into a circle, whose radius is equal to that of the ellipse at the clicked node.
Drawing Splines
To draw a natural Spline or a Bzier curve, choose the Spline tool in the Toolbox and the first (natural spline) or the second (Bzier curve) Geometry Method icon in the Info Box. Natural splines can be defined by placing nodes, which the program automatically connects, thereby generating a smooth custom curve. The angle of the tangent and the shape of the spline generated with it is affected by each subsequent node defined. You can conclude this operation by double-clicking on the last node or by clicking the OK button in the Control Box. Clicking OK always results in a closed spline.
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Spline Handles toggle. If this toggle is set to Show, then all editing handles are visible on the Floor Plan. If the toggle is set to Hide, then only the editing handles of the spline last selected will be visible; if the selection is removed, no editing handles will be visible. For more information, see On-Screen View Options Commands on page 357.
Editing Splines
When the Spline tool is selected in the Toolbox, you can freely edit selected splines in the following ways. Insert new node: Click a spline with the Mercedes cursor; then use the Add new node to Spline command from the pet palette. Delete a node: Choose the Modify Spline path command from the pet palette, then drag a node onto its neighbor to delete it, thereby modifying the shape of the spline. Move a node: Choose Modify Spline path from the pet palette, then drag a node to move it without changing its handles. Select the splines. Choose the Edit > Reshape > Unify command.
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With either method (Polyline or Chained Line) you produce a series of straight or curved line segments joined at their endpoints. Draw a line segment and click to complete the segment. As you click to complete one segment, you simultaneously begin the next one. Click the OK button in the Control Box or double-click the last endpoint to complete the polyline or chained line. For an illustration of this process, see Create a Chain of Walls on page 222. To cancel the last-drawn segment of a polyline or chained line, use the Backspace key.
With the Rotated Rectangle method, you first define a rotation vector for the rectangles reference line. The rotation vector also defines the length of the two segments parallel to it. By hitting the Shift key once, you can unlock the length component constraint and use only the rotation angle component of the rotation vector.
Decompose a Polyline
To decompose a Polyline: Select the Polyline. Choose Edit > Reshape > Explode into Current View. Note: If the Edit > Grouping > Autogroup command is active, the result will be grouped.
Continue a Polyline
You can extend a completed Polyline from either end: Select the existing polyline. Click on either endpoint of the polyline.
Choose the Continue Polyline icon from the appearing pet palette.
The attributes of the last selected element will be applied to the unified set of elements. You can unify multiple sets of selected, connected items with a single Unify command. Note: To unify items that are Grouped, you must first Suspend Groups. For more information, see Grouping Elements on page 140.
Draw additional line segments, then double-click (or click OK in the Control box) to complete the polyline. Note: When extending the original polyline, you can backspace to delete the last drawn segments, but you cannot delete segments of the original polyline.
Using the Rectangle method with the Line tool will produce four individual Line segments, grouped by default. Using the Rectangle method with the Polyline tool will produce a single Rectangle.
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Hotspots
Hotspots are simple points indicated by a small cross. Their main role is to help position elements in 2D views. Hotspots do not appear on printed and plotted outputs and can be deleted when they are not needed anymore. For more information, see Hotspot Tool Settings in ArchiCAD Help.
Placing Hotspots
When you have made your Pen Color and Layer choice in the Hotspot settings dialog box, you are ready to place Hotspots. Just click at the desired location. In some situations, you may need to continue construction starting exactly on a given point of an element at a location where it has no hotspot or special point. The solution is to generate hotspots that will allow you to snap to this point. Note: Starting with ArchiCAD 10, the Guide Line function is also available for locating intersection points and other useful snap points. For more information, see Guide Lines on page 97. You can automatically generate Hotspots at intersection points on the imaginary extensions of elements. The Hotspot tool must be active.
Note: Ctrl/Cmd-clicking the edge of a Roof while another one is selected will fit the clicked edge to the common ridge (if any) of the two roof planes. With the Wall or Line tool active, selected Walls or Lines will be extended to meet the intersection point with the clicked edge. To place a Hotspot at a remote tangential point, select the arc(s) and Ctrl-click (Cmd-click) with the Checkmark cursor on any element (hotspot or node). Tangential hotspots will be generated on the imaginary extensions of arcs or curved edges. It is also possible to add Hotspots with a Ctrl-click (Cmd-click) to: A parallel projection of a wall, a line or the edge of a roof, a fill or a slab from a selected hotspot.
1) Select a line, edge or arc and place the cursor on top of another
(the cursor will be in the Mercedes form).
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Figures
Figures are image files imported and then embedded into the ArchiCAD project file. They can be inserted in any of the 2D windows (Floor Plan, Section/Elevation/IE and 3D Document window, Detail, Worksheet, Layout). Figures are placed and manipulated by the dedicated Figure tool. For more information, see Figure Tool Settings in ArchiCAD Help. A placed Figure can serve as a background image to the ArchiCAD model by using the Align View function. For more information, see Align View on page 529. You can also place the cropped content of an ArchiCAD window in the plan as a figure. For more information, see Copy Cropped Image File with Marquee Tool on page 88. Note: Drawings, in contrast to Figures, are assigned ID numbers and (optionally) titles. Their frames can be cropped. Unlike Figures, Drawings represent linked files that can be updated. For more information, see Drawings in Model Views on page 386. Figures can be displayed either with or without handles or as simple placeholders. This setting is global, that is, it affects all placed Figures. The choice can be made using the Figure Handle toggle under View > On-Screen View Options > Show/Hide Drafting and Editing Aids.
Placing Figures
When you have made your choices in the Figure Settings dialog box, just click with the cursor to place the Figure. If the result does not satisfy you (for example, the image is too small or too large), open the Figure Settings dialog box again, and adjust the size, resolution or other settings before placing the Figure again. For more information, see Figure Tool Settings in ArchiCAD Help. You can also stretch the placed Figure, using the Shift key to constrain the diagonal and keep the images proportions. If desired, however, you can stretch the Figures X and Y dimensions independently. Before you place the Figure, its ghost contour follows the movements of your cursor showing its proportional size. The ghost contours anchor point is sensitive to element nodes and edges. To make this option inactive, go to Options > Work Environment > More Options > Show Ghost Bounding Box of Objects, Columns, Figures and Drawings. You can also place Figures in ArchiCAD directly, without using the Figure tool, by pasting bitmaps originating either from another ArchiCAD window (for example a PhotoRendered Model picture) or another image-processing software. The pasted element will be handled as a Figure by ArchiCAD. Note: Images imported by this method are always pasted pixel by pixel in the current zoom.
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automatically to reflect all changes in the source file, or you can opt to update them manually. Drawings can be placed into either Model views or Layouts. Drawings placed into Model views are external files (such as DWG, PDF files and image files). They cannot include ArchiCAD views. Drawings placed onto Layouts, however, include ArchiCAD views (from the current project file and other project files), as well as all other external files available to ArchiCAD. For information on Drawings in the Layout Book, see Drawings in the Layout Book on page 427. The Drawing Tool allows you to place Drawings into your project and to access and define the Drawings settings. You can customize some options by default before actually placing a drawing. For more information, see Drawing Tool Settings in ArchiCAD Help.
Drawings placed into a model view (as opposed to onto a Layout) are scale-independent. To place a Drawing into a Model window: Activate the Drawing Tool. Click in the model window where you want to place the Drawing. The Link to directory dialog box opens. Browse for the desired file, select it and click Open. Note: If you are importing a multi-page PDF document, a dialog box prompts you to choose which of the pages you wish to place. The Drawing is placed by the anchor point that you selected in Drawing Settings (by default, its centerpoint).
Deleting a Drawing
To delete a drawing, select it and delete it like any other ArchiCAD element. Note that deleting a drawing is not undoable EXCEPT if the active window is the same type (e.g. Floor Plan or Layout window) as the window which contained the deleted drawing.
Alternatively, use the File > External Content > Place External Drawing command to access the same dialog box.
You can change the settings of placed Drawings in the Drawing Settings dialog box. For more information, see Drawing Tool Settings in ArchiCAD Help.
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Drawings placed in Model Views are listed in the Drawing Manager, and can be updated and managed the same way as those placed on Layouts. For details, see Managing and Updating Placed Drawings on page 433.
You can apply a dimensioning standard or customize it for the current project in Options > Project Preferences > Dimensions. For more information, see Dimension Units on page 23. For a quick way to change the dimension units of your project, use the Dimensions pop-up in the Quick Options Palette. See Quick Options Palette on page 74. Dimensions can be placed in the Floor Plan, the Section/Elevation/IE, the 3D Document, and the Detail and Worksheet windows. The 3D Document window has some unique dimensioning options. See Linear Dimensions in the 3D Document Window on page 393. The following dimensioning construction options are available: Linear Dimensions display element lengths, both curved and straight. Elevation Dimensions (a construction method of the Linear Dimension tool) display height values in Section/Elevation/IE and 3D Document views. Level Dimensions display height values on the Floor Plan. Radial Dimensions display the radius of curved elements. Angle Dimensions display the angle in degrees between pairs of lines or edges.
Annotation
Annotation Elements display numeric or textual data in 2D views, either about the elements they refer to or as standalone informative elements. Dimensions are added to construction elements and drafting elements in the Floor Plan and the Section/Elevation/IE, 3D Document, and Worksheet/Detail windows using Dimension tools. The Grid Tool allows you to place Grid elements individually or in a Grid System. Grid elements are part of the model and serve as an editable framework for placing multiple elements or for identifying locations in the model. Texts are inserted using the Text tool, in text blocks accompanied by a flexible formatting options. Autotext is a text element containing a definition filled in automatically by the program. Autotext can be placed in both Model Views and Layouts. Labels allow you to link text information or a symbol to construction elements and 2D Fills. Freestanding Labels are also available.
Dimensioning
ArchiCADs dimensioning tools give you great flexibility in annotating the Virtual Building with your choice of measurement units and standards. Dimensions are associative, which means that dimension values will be updated automatically if the element they are associated to is modified. Exception: Dimensions you set to be static are not associative. See Static Dimensions on page 390. ArchiCAD supports the use of different Dimensioning Standards.
Placing Dimensions
The general process for dimensioning is as follows:
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these clicks create temporary reference points that indicate exactly where dimension units should begin and end. As you click on the element to be dimensioned, the element will be highlighted, as an aid to help you identify which element you are working on. Note: This highlight functions if the Highlight contours of related element(s) checkbox is active in Options > Work Environment > Selection and Element Information.
Reference points are temporary; they disappear after you click to place the dimension chain.
3) Double-click after placing the final reference point. 4) Click the black hammer cursor where you want the dimension
chain to appear. For some dimension types, a rubberband line follows your cursor to help you choose the correct dimension direction. Linear Dimensions dimensions offer additional options (involving additional clicks) for determining the dimension line location. You can revoke any marked Reference Point by clicking it again.
The Dimension Chain appears after you click the hammer cursor at the end of the dimensioning process. A dimension chain, for Linear Dimensions, consists of a dimension line along the length of the element;
Dimension chain
witness lines (perpendicular to the dimension line), if Dimension Settings are set to display them; dimension points (where the dimension line intersects with the witness lines). Dimension points
If you place a reference point at an ineligible location (or in empty space), the cursor shows a rectangular reference point (as shown in the image below) instead of the regular circular one. This means that the reference point will be a static one and will not follow suit when the dimensioned elements are stretched or dragged. See also Static Dimensions on page 390.
Dimension line Witness line A dimension unit connects two adjacent dimension points and includes the written dimension values. Dimension units
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Static Dimensions
Static Dimensions are an exception to the general rule that dimensions in ArchiCAD are associative. You can opt to make any linear or level dimension a static dimension, by enabling the Static Dimension checkbox in Dimension Settings.
With the Linear method , distances between two adjacent Reference Points are measured and displayed. With the Cumulative method , the first Reference Point is considered the zero point of the dimension chain. All dimension values of the chain will give you the distance between any Reference Point and the zero point. With the Base-line method , measuring the dimensioning distances is the same as with the Cumulative method, but the zero point is not marked. With the fourth icon , you create Elevation Dimensions.
For more information, see Elevation Dimensions on page 394. Geometry Methods for Linear Dimensions are set in the Info Box. The dimension line of a static dimension will not follow any modifications to model elements. Once a dimension has been made static, it cannot be made associative again. If none of a dimension chains markers are attached to construction nodes, the dimension chain will become static. Static dimensions behave like other dimensions in two ways: The default Any Direction method enables you to create dimension chains at a variety of positions relative to the elements position: either parallel to the first two reference points placed, or horizontal/vertical, or parallel to another edge/surface of your choice. The X-Y Only method restricts the dimension line zones to horizontal and vertical only, relative to the screen. The Arc Length method elements. allows you to dimension curved
The Geometry Method you choose applies to the entire dimension chain, and cannot be set unit by unit. Note: There are additional Geometry Methods for use in the 3D Document window. See Linear Dimensions in the 3D Document Window on page 393.
Linear Dimensions
Linear Dimensions measure linear distances along an element, either straight or curved. Four construction methods are available in both the Info Box and the Dimension Settings dialog box. See Linear Dimension Tool Settings in ArchiCAD Help.
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Alternatively, by moving the hammer cursor to another zone, you can choose a horizontal or vertical dimension instead:
However, dimensioning an element in any other position - and if you are using the default Any Direction geometry method - will give you three dimension line options (zones): vertical, horizontal, or parallel to the first two dimension points in the chain. Move the cursor around to get feedback on the possibilities.
An additional dimension line vector is also available: After the black hammer cursor appears, you can move this cursor to any straight line/edge in the project. Note: In the 3D Document window, you must align the dimension to the edge of a construction element - line segments do not work. In the following image, we have dimensioned the slanted roof and the black hammer cursor appears, and the standard three dimension line directions (horizontal, vertical, parallel to roof) are available.
For example, when dimensioning the slanted roof in the Section below with the Any Direction method, use the parallel option to place the dimension line parallel to the roof:
Suppose you want to dimension the roof using the vector parallel to the diagonal, instead of parallel to the roof. Move the cursor over the diagonal. The cursor then changes to the Mercedes + parallel
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dimension cursor shape, to indicate that it has found an edge, to which the dimension line can be parallel:
Click with the Mercedes cursor on a circular arc or a curved edge - you dont have to find the end points, you can click anywhere on the curve.
Click now to constrain the dimension line to be parallel to this line/edge. Now drag the dimension line to its final position and click with the black hammer to place the dimension chain.
ArchiCAD automatically marks the end points of the arc or the edge. This is the edge that arc length will be measured on. You may click any other points you want to add to the dimension chain. Double-click anywhere in the workspace with the Empty Pencil cursor or click the OK button in the Control Box to finish selecting arc points for dimensioning. The Hammer cursor appears, prompting you to place the dimension chain. Click to place the dimension chain.
Note: The Arc Length geometry method cannot be used for elliptical arcs and splines, Curtain Walls, or for (closed) circles. To achieve an approximate dimensioning of an elliptical arc or spline, first select it and turn it into a series of arcs using the Magic Wand tool, then use the Arc Length geometry method to dimension the arcs. For more information, see Magic Wand on page 143.
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Next, choose the plane in which you wish to measure the dimension. Move the cursor onto the roof. The magnet+dimension line cursor appears, indicating that you will select a surface as the dimension plane. Click to measure the dimension along this plane. Now the cursor will move only in this defined plane. Click one more time to place the dimension line at the desired location.
As usual, click at both ends of the roof, then double-click. The black hammer cursor appears.
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(Another way to select one of several overlapping elements is to pre-select one of them, then click TAB until the Info Tag indicates that the required element is ready to be selected.) To activate/deactivate element detection, go to Options > Work Environment > Selection and Element Information, and activate/deactivate this checkbox: Highlight contours of related element(s) when placing or editing element. You can set a unique color for this highlight.
The usual dimension line editing options are also available from the pet palette (insert/merge dimension point, drag or align dimension line.) See Editing a Dimension Chain on page 398.
Elevation Dimensions
A special case of the linear Dimension tool is the Elevation Dimensioning construction method. Elevation Dimensions allow you to place height markers in Section/Elevation/IE and 3D Document windows. You can also use Elevation Dimensions on the Floor Plan, but there they only measure the Floor Plans Y-axis from the current Project/User Origin. Elevation Dimensioning is calculated based on the Dimension Origin, which you can set as needed in the Dimension Settings dialog box. See details in Elevation Dimensioning Settings in ArchiCAD Help.
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A series of Elevation Dimensions behaves as an associative dimension chain. You can select and edit the whole series by clicking on the invisible axis of the chain (where the cursor changes to Mercedes with Arrow) with the Arrow tool, or Shift-clicking with another tool active. Individual markers in the chain cannot be edited. Place individual markers by clicking the point you want to dimension, then double-click, or click OK in the Control Box. Use the Hammer cursor to position the marker. To place a chain of Elevation markers, click multiple points, then double-click (or click OK in the Control Box) and use the Hammer cursor to place the chain. Note: Hotlinked Modules placed in the Project may contain Elevation Dimensions that refer to a User Origin. In this case, the dimension values will be the same as in the source Project. Different rules apply if you move the Elevation Dimensions in the host Project:
If you select and move all elements related to an Elevation Dimension without selecting the dimension chain itself, the dimension chain will move with them. The origin of the dimension values will keep its position, which means that the numbers will change. If you select and drag elements together with the Elevation Dimension they relate to, and the dimension chain has a custom origin, the origin will move with the dimensions, which means that the numbers will keep their values.
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Double-click to complete the dimension chain and place it with the Hammer cursor. If you place a series of wall-thickness dimension markers along a chained wall, only the dimension points located on walls perpendicular to the dimension chain will be displayed.
Note: Deleting the dimensioned element will also delete any Radial Dimensions associated with it.
Level Dimensions
Level Dimensions are point-level elevation markers common to architecture and site planning. They measure the elements vertical height along the Z-axis. They are available in the Floor Plan and in Worksheet/Detail windows. They are not available in the Section/Elevation/IE window or 3D Document. Note: You can place Elevation Dimensions in a Section/Elevation/IE window.
Radial Dimensions
Radial Dimensions display the value of the radius of a curved element. Radial dimensions have two main parts: the Dimension Line and the Label. Click on a point of the curved element. Draw the dimension line, either toward the centerpoint of the curve or in the opposite direction. The radial dimension must always originate from a curved element. Click again to place the label, which shows the value of the radius.
See Elevation Dimensions on page 394. To place a level dimension in your Project, select the Level Dimension tool, then click anywhere in the window. The elevation of the active story is immediately displayed along with a standard level dimension marker. The Level Dimension Marker style can be chosen from the pop-up in the Level Dimensions Info box:
The units used by the Level Dimensions are a project-wide preference set in Options > Project Preferences > Dimensions. Click the Level Dimension icon and choose your preferred measurement unit.
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Level Dimensions placed with Gravity On on top of Slabs, Roofs or Meshes are associated to them. For more information, see Gravity on page 110. You can edit the level dimension text separately as well as drag, rotate, and otherwise modify the text independently of the marker. The Level Dimension markers are individual elements, and each one can be individually edited. They can be dragged, rotated and mirrored, with or without copies, as any other element. If multiplied together with the reference element, the copies of the markers will be associated with the copies of the elements. If you multiply only the Level Dimension, the copies will be associative with the same element (or the story level) as the original. Associated Level Dimensions remain linked to the elements they were placed on top of, even if they are no longer inside the contour of these elements. If a Level Dimension falls outside the contour of the element it is associated to, its value changes according to the following rules: With Slabs, there is no change: the value is the same as if the Level Dimension were still inside the Slabs contour. With Roofs, the value displayed is calculated by a projected extension of the roof (that is, what the value would be). With Meshes, it is the Storys height that will be displayed (but the Level Dimension remains associated to the Mesh).
To dimension an angle, first define the pair of lines or edges by choosing exactly four reference points. These four points will determine two infinite lines that ArchiCAD will use to calculate the angle dimension. Choose reference points in one of the following ways: Click any existing line or edge (wall, slab, roof, mesh, fill). This will immediately place two reference points on the clicked line/edge. Click the hotspots of existing elements.
Click anywhere on the plan or on a Guide Line (in this case, the angular dimensions will not be associative).
Now you have defined two infinite reference lines, which divide the space into four quadrants. With the reference points defined, the Hammer cursor appears. Click to place the angle dimension. The arc of the angle dimension will pass through the point you click. The Angle Dimension Info Box offers two construction methods:
For more information, see Level Dimension Tool Settings in ArchiCAD Help.
Angle Dimensions
Angle Dimensions display angle values between a pair of lines or linear edges. An angle dimension can be either acute or obtuse ; you choose this geometry method from the Angle Dimension Settings dialog box or the Info Box. For more information, see Angle Dimension Tool Settings in ArchiCAD Help. Note: Angle dimensions not available in the 3D Document Window.
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With the Inner Dimension (acute) construction method, only the quadrant of the space in which you click with the Hammer cursor will be dimensioned.
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Note: It is always the arc side of the angle that will be dimensioned, regardless of the geometry method you choose, or which side you click to.
For more information, see Dimension Text Content Panel in ArchiCAD Help. Finally, place the dimension line with the Hammer cursor.
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If the deleted point was at the end of the chain, the last unit disappears and the chain becomes shorter. The existing dimension units will be divided into the necessary number of units. Another way to insert a dimension point is to use the pet palette. Select the dimension chain. Click on the dimension line to bring up the pet palette. Choose the Insert/Merge Dimension Point command.
You can eliminate an entire dimension chain by selecting and deleting it.
The dimension chain becomes longer as needed. You cannot insert points by selecting the dimension units directly; you must select the entire chain. Note: You can insert one reference point at a time into a single dimension chain.
The second chain will be deleted and its Reference Points added to, and dimensioned by, the first (selected) chain. You can use this technique even with dimension chains that are not parallel with one another and/or have no overlapping parts at all.
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Rotate Dimensions
You can use rotation to change the orientation of a Dimension chain after it is completed: use the Rotate Dimension command in the pet palette of a selected Dimension chain. Rotated Dimension Chains will remain associated to the same nodes, so you will see the length and the values change along with the witness lines.
Note that associative Dimension chains can only be dragged along the direction of their witness lines. You can move the cursor anywhere when dragging, but only the perpendicular component of the movement will be applied to the chain.
You cannot drag a Radial Dimension away from the element it dimensions; you can only move it to another location along the elements curve.
After a rotation, all the reference points will automatically be redimensioned and projected along the new direction, with the original hierarchy maintained. Dimension lines will always be kept right side up; if you rotate them upside down, the numbers will move to the opposite side.
Mirror Dimensions
Dimension chains can be moved to the opposite side of a Wall by mirroring. Choose the Mirror Dimension command from the pet palette of a selected Dimension chain.
Click with the cursor on a straight edge or line. The selected Dimension chain will align itself with the clicked element. As when mirroring any other element, click twice to define the mirroring vector and place the Dimension chain in its new position. For more information, see Mirroring Elements on page 116.
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The value positions are always automatically recalculated by ArchiCAD so that you can read them from the bottom or from the right.
Dynamic witness lines will never extend beyond the reference node of the dimensioned element.
See Linear Dimension Tool Settings in ArchiCAD Help. You can edit the length of custom and dynamic witness lines on screen for one or both witness lines of a dimension unit, or for all the witness lines in the chain: select the witness line(s) you want to edit, and drag. To edit all the witness lines, select the Dimension chain and choose the Edit Length of Witness Line command from the pet palette.
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Note the Horizontal checkbox: it is available if you choose the second, Interrupt option to display dimension text. Check the
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Horizontal box if you wish to display dimensions horizontally, rather than in the same direction as the dimension line. When the 3D Document is active, the Horizontal option is checked by default. See also Dimension Type and Font Panel in ArchiCAD Help.
click the Edit > Dimension Text Settings command. (This command is only available when a Dimension Text is selected.)
Use Dimension Text Settings to set a custom value for the selected dimension, if needed. Once you set a custom value, this dimension is no longer associative.
To undo the position changes of all modified dimension text items, open the Options > Project Preferences > Dimensions dialog box. and check the Revert All Dimension Text to Automatic Position checkbox. To reset the position of a selected custom text item, check the Revert to Automatic Position box at the bottom of the Dimension Text Settings.
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Use the Document > Document Extras > Secondary Dimensions > Convert Dimensions dialog box to set the unit and the number of decimals of the converted dimension value. Click OK, and the secondary values will appear on the opposite side of the dimension line. The new values will be placed as a text block, and can be edited as any other text block. If nothing is selected on the Floor Plan, all placed dimensions will be converted. If there are selected dimensions, only their values will be converted.
When a Model type Section is turned into a Drawing type Section, hotspots are generated on the elements to mark the associated dimension points.
For more information, see Assign Section Status on page 178. When the Drawing type Section is updated from the model, the dimensions associated to the hotspots will be regenerated to reflect the changes to the model.
Changes made to dimensioned elements do not automatically update the converted dimensions. Choose Document > Document Extras > Secondary Dimensions > Refresh converted dimensions to update both the value and the location of the dimension. Again, this command will work on either all dimensions (if nothing is selected) or selected ones. If you do not need equivalents any more, simply choose Remove converted dimensions from the Secondary Dimensions menu.
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Next, define the direction of the dimension lines. Do this in one of two ways: Click the side edge of any element (the dimension direction will follow the element direction); or Click in an empty area, then click a second time to define the dimension direction. Finally, click with the hammer cursor to place the dimension line (the one nearest to the selected elements). If you choose to place dimensions on all four sides, this distance also marks the overall distance between the nearest dimension lines and the bounding box of the selected elements.
The Automatic Interior Dimensioning dialog box contains options for dimensioning Columns and composite or profile (complex) elements. Choose preferred dimensioning options. detailsYou then have to draw a line across the selected elements. Walls, Columns, Beams, and Slab, Roof and Mesh edges perpendicular to or crossing the drawn line will be dimensioned. The line can consist of several segments. Double-click to finish drawing the line. An additional click is needed to determine the place of the dimension line. After placing the dimensions, the crossing line disappears.
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edit grid elements even after placing them. Grid elements can be edited using the Grid Tool Settings dialog box. See Grid Tool Settings in ArchiCAD Help. Grid elements can be placed in either the Floor Plan or the 3D window, but they can be displayed in Sections, Elevations, Interior Elevations and the 3D Document as well. A Grid element marks a vertical location in the model. Like other model elements, Grid elements are saved along with views. Grid element on the Floor Plan:
Elements and to place dimensions, beams, columns or optional library parts at the grid intersection points. See Grid System Settings in ArchiCAD Help. This image shows a Grid System in 3D with Beams and Columns placed at intersections:
To place a whole scheme of horizontal and vertical gridlines in one step, use the Design > Grid System command. The follow-up Grid System Settings dialog allows you to configure the system of Grid
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When you stagger the grid markers sideways, a certain line segment will be staggered together with the markers. The length of this line segment is the Staggering value. The default Staggering length for any Grid element can be set in both the Floor Plan and Section/Elevation panels of Grid Tool Settings.
See Section Grid Tool Panel in ArchiCAD Help. 3D window and 3D Documents, if the Grid element is set to appear in 3D: Use the Display in 3D view checkbox in the 3D View panel of Grid Tool Settings.
Detail and Worksheet windows will not display the grid elements, just their exploded views. See Grid Tool Floor Plan Panel in ArchiCAD Help. the Section/Elevation windows, if the Section or Elevation settings allow: Use the Show Grid Elements checkbox on the Grid Tool Panel of Section/Elevation Settings. There are two sets of filtering criteria for display of Grid elements on this Section: You can filter by Grid element Story, and/or you can filter by Grid element Name. By default, Grid elements are displayed in 3D as lines only, and are not displayed in renderings. However, you can choose to display Grid elements as model elements in 3D so that they appear in renderings, with a cross-section and materials: to do so, adjust the options in the 3D View panel of Grid Element Settings. See Grid Tool 3D View Panel in ArchiCAD Help.
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After setting up the element settings or choosing a Favorite, select the Grid Tool. Choose the Straight Grid Element geometry method from the Info Box. Click to place the endpoints and to define the length of Grid Element. The moment you start drawing the Grid Element , a ghost contour appears and it follows the cursor until you click at the second endpoint.
The second option defines the curved Grid by three points on the arc's circumference. You will probably place first two points so that they connect other elements, grid intersections or special snap points. Next, a ghost circle follows the cursor until you click a third time to define the third point.
The first option defines the curved Grid by the arc's centerpoint and radius. Your first click defines the centerpoint. A ghost contour of the circular grid follows your cursor until you click a second to time to define the radius. After that, only a partial ghost curved segment is shown, until you click a third time to define the length of the arc grid s circumference. When all three points are defined, the ghost contour is replaced by the fully displayed Grid Element.
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A fourth click is needed to define the length of the arc segment. The ghost arc is now replaced by the fully displayed Grid Element.
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The number of Grid lines is shown in the axes field below. Click in the Distance field of any Grid line to define its distance from the previous Grid line: If you do not know the distance you will need between your Grid lines, check the Distribute box for either or both Grid line directions (i.e. horizontal and/or vertical grid lines). This will enable you, when you place the Grid system, to set the beginning
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The vertical position (Z-value) of a grid element can be edited in the 3D window or through the Grid Element settings dialog/Info box. See Grid Tool 3D View Panel in ArchiCAD Help.
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and endpoints of the Grid system in the given direction, divided into the number of Grid lines defined in the list. When you are satisfied with Grid System Settings, click OK. You will see a ghost grid system at the cursor, which you can place with two to four clicks: the first click defines the location of the anchor point you selected in the settings the second click defines the rotation of the grid system if you selected the Distribute function as well, then one or two additional clicks are required to define the full distances for distribution in one or both directions, depending whether you checked Distribute for one or both directions.
Note: You can select and edit all or selected elements of a placed grid system by selecting them using any of the ArchiCAD selection methods. See also Selecting a Grid System on page 410.
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the Grid and will not be moved or rotated along with the Grid System.
If your selection meets any of these criteria, it is possible to open the Grid System dialog on this selection and modify the settings. If not (for example, you select several straight parallel Grid Elements which have no perpendicular gridline), you will be advised:
Text Blocks
Using the Text tool, you can create multiline texts with full-scale font options, multiple styles and alignment in any direction. Text blocks can be created in the Floor Plan, in Section/Elevation/IE and 3D Documents, and in Detail and Worksheet windows, and on Layouts. You can format the content of text blocks as a whole (using Tool Settings or Info Box), and you can also individually format characters within the text block (using the Text Editor). Text blocks are always readable from left to right even after a mirroring. The advantages of freely editable text elements are available for the Label tool as well as the Text tool. (Rich text functions are not available for other textual items in ArchiCAD.)
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Depending on the state of the Textbox Handles toggle in View > On-Screen View Options > Show/Hide Drafting and Editing Aids, all text blocks can be framed with brackets at each corner handle. This makes text blocks easy to locate and edit, while keeping the text readable.
Note: The style and formatting of a newly placed Text Block depend on the settings in the Text Settings dialog box and Info Box. If you want different style or formatting for particular characters or paragraphs you are typing, use the Formatting Palette. In addition to typing in text, you can use the controls of the Text Editor to add the following predefined items to the text block - Autotext For details, see Autotext on page 413. - Symbols - Favorites For more information on Symbols and Text Favorites, see Formatting Palette and Text Editor Controls in ArchiCAD Help. Once you reach the end of the text block, additional text will be automatically entered on the next line.
define its corners on the worksheet. This rectangle defines the text block width.
A Text Editor window and a Formatting Palette appear on the screen. For more information, see Formatting Palette and Text Editor Controls in ArchiCAD Help.
You can start a new line at any time by hitting the Return key on your keyboard. Click Cancel (Control Box) to cancel the text editing operation. an empty space on the worksheet; or press Ctrl-Enter (Cmd-Enter).
1) Choose the Text tool. 2) Double-click on the worksheet. An editing window and a
formatting palette appear on the screen.
3) Type the desired text into the Text Editor. A flashing text cursor
indicates your position in the text block.
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3) Type the desired text into the Text Editor. The editing window
(and the resulting text block) will extend indefinitely as long as you keep typing or until you hit Enter. The width of the text block will be determined by the width of the longest line of the block. A flashing text cursor indicates your position in the text block.
To stretch a Text Block, select it and reshape it using any of its corner nodes. A rubberband box provides feedback as you stretch; the text in the block will automatically rearrange itself according to the new outline.
You can start a new line at any time by pressing Enter. Click Cancel (Control Box) to cancel the text editing operation. the worksheet; or press Ctrl-Enter (Cmd-Enter). With Shift still pressed, click to define the new size. The font size will grow or shrink proportionally.
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The Text Editor and Formatting Palette appear as soon as you click on the Floor Plan (with the Text tool active) and begin typing into the text box. The controls of the Formatting Palette and Text Editor apply only to the text you are entering in the Text Editor, or to selections inside the Text Editor. For more information, see Formatting Palette and Text Editor Controls in ArchiCAD Help.
Autotext
An Autotext is a text element containing a definition filled in automatically by the program. After you insert an Autotext definition, the program will fill in the data that apply in the current context. . This data - which can be text or a numerical value - is automatically updated in accordance with the changes made to the model, layout or drawing. You can add Autotext to any window where the Text tool is active (Floor Plan, Section/Elevation/IE, 3D Document, Detail, Worksheet, 2D Symbol of GDL Object, Layout, Master Layout). Autotext is also available as part of the IDs of Interior Elevations. The style of the Autotext can be formatted the same way as for any manually typed text.
The Preview area will either display the relevant value of the chosen Autotext definition, or else a placeholder text plus #. This means either that the information is not available yet (for example, the #Client Name has not yet been filled in the File > Info > Project Info dialog box) or that it cannot be processed for some other reason (for example, because the view has not been placed onto a Layout). The other way to insert Autotext: Right-click at the insertion point in the Text Editor and choose the appropriate command from the Insert Autotext hierarchical menu.
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If the information is already available, the appropriate text will appear in the Text Editor after you have selected it.
Autotext Sources
There are several sources of Autotext Project-specific information such as the name of the project (not necessarily the same as the file name), the name of the architect, the date of issue or any other piece of information entered in the File > Info > Project Info dialog box. Layout-specific information such as the name or ID of the layout, the name or ID of the subset, the number of layouts in the layout book. Drawing-specific information including the name, drawing scale and magnification factor of the drawing. Information that comes from a specified drawing (one which you define as an Autotext Reference.) System-dependent information (file name, path, date of creation and modification, etc.).
If the referenced information is not available, you will see a placeholder text.
When the missing information becomes available, the placeholder text is immediately updated with the relevant data. You can add any number of Autotexts, and type additional static text, in the same text block. The current Text Settings will be applied. To format individual characters or parts of text within a text block, use the Formatting Palette. For more information, see Formatting Palette and Text Editor Controls in ArchiCAD Help.
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To set a drawing as Autotext reference, select a drawing in the Navigator or Organizer or on the layout, then right-click to display a context menu and choose the Set as Autotext Reference command. (The same command is also available from the Drawing Manager.)
Once defined as an Autotext Reference, this drawing will appear as a choice in the Insert Autotext dialog box. The Autotext entries that use the Reference as source will then show values based on the reference drawing. If you later define a different drawing as Autotext Reference, earlier Autotexts referring to the original drawing will remain unchanged.
Autotext Keywords
The following Autotext Keywords are available when using the Autotext commands. Use the keywords in the right-hand column to insert Autotext items into GDL scripts. To show this Autotext Project Info Client Project Name Project Number Company Street City State/Country Postal Code Architect CAD Technician Project Status Date of Issue Keywords Notes Custom 1 Custom 2
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Type this <CLIENT> <PROJECTNAME> <PROJECTNUMBER> <COMPANY> <STREET> <CITY> <COUNTRY> <CODE> <ARCHITECT> <DRAFTSMEN> <PROJECTSTATUS> <DATEOFISSUE> <KEYWORDS> <NOTES> <CUSTOM1> <CUSTOM2> #Client #Project Name #Pln #Company #Street #City #State/Country #Post #Architect #CAD Technician #Project Status ##/##/#### #Keywords #Notes #Custom 1 #Custom 2
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Custom 3 System autotexts Short Date Long Date Time System autotexts (File-dependent) File Name File Path Last saved at Last saved by Layout autotexts Layout Name Layout ID Subset Name Subset ID Layout Number Number of Layouts Drawing autotexts Drawing Name Drawing ID Drawing Scale Original Scale Magnification
<CUSTOM3>
#Custom 3 These autotexts are system-generated and always show the correct value if you have already saved your project file at least once. 11/20/2007 Tuesday, November 20, 2007 3:54 PM These system autotexts will be undefined until you save your project file at least once.
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Labels
Labels are text blocks or symbols optionally linked to construction elements and 2D fills. Labels allow you to identify or comment elements or parts of your design. Labels can be framed or unframed, with leader and arrowhead. They can contain custom text specification, predefined automatic texts, or a symbol. See Label Tool Settings in ArchiCAD Help. There are three kinds of labels: Independent labels are manually placed in the Floor Plan or in a Section/Elevation/IE or 3D Document window using the Label tool. Typically, you will use an independent label to display information that does not come from the model (install snow picks here). Associative labels can be added to placed elements or assigned automatically when the element is created. Typically, you will use associative labels to identify model elements and their parameters. Member labels can be added, in Section/Elevation windows only, to any individual Curtain Wall member. At the top of the Content and Preview panel, click the button at upper right of this panel to choose the type of independent label: If you choose Text, then click OK to close the dialog box, use the Label Tool to place a predefined default text or a custom text in the Labels Text Box as described below. The predefined default text is whatever you type into the Text Label panel. If you choose any of the symbol-style labels, ArchiCAD will insert this symbol object - a predefined GDL object - when you place the independent Label. When such a symbol Label is placed as an Independent Label, it is not associated to any element in the plan.
With the Label Tool active, click anywhere in the workspace to start drawing an independent label. Two additional mouse clicks define the direction and end of the pointer line. If the label content is Text, but no default text has been defined in Label Default Settings: draw a rubberband box after the third mouse-click to define the width of the label text box. If you do not want to predefine the text box width, simply click again at the end of the pointer line.
Or go to the Label Settings Content and Preview Panel and select Independent Label at the top of the list:
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As with the Text tool, the Text Editor and Formatting Palette will appear. Type any length of text in the text box and click OK in the Control Box to complete the label. To format individual characters, lines and paragraphs that have been typed into your label text block, or to insert text symbols, use the Formatting Palette and the indent/tab controls of the Text Editor as described for the Text Tool. See Formatting Palette and Text Editor Controls in ArchiCAD Help. If the label content is Text, and a default text has been defined in Label Default Settings: the label is completed after the third mouse-click. To add an associative label to an element each time you place it: Open the elements Default Settings dialog box. Go to the Listing and Labeling panel. Now activate the Label (element type) checkbox. (To define or change the content of the Label, you can access Label Settings here.) See Tool-Specific Default Labels, below.
If the label content is a Symbol: the label is completed after the third mouse-click. ArchiCAD will insert this symbol object a predefined GDL object - when you place the Label. A Label will be appended every time you place an element of that type.
Activate the Label Tool, set its type to Associative in the Info Box, then click the element to place its label. The Tool-specific default label, if any, is placed. (See Tool-Specific Default Labels, below.)
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The Member Label works just like the Associative Label type. It will automatically append an associative label to the Member you click. If you have defined default text or other default label content for the Curtain Wall Member tools in Label Settings (Curtain Wall Junction, Frame, Panel or Accessory), then this default content will appear in the associative Member Label.
Every time you click a Wall to place an associative Label, or every time you automatically label a Wall when placing it, ArchiCAD will place the Wall Label 12. In addition to Symbol labels, the default Label for any Tool can also be any Text, its ID, or a Unique ID.
To place a Member Label, open a Section/Elevation/IE window which displays the Curtain Wall with the member you wish to label. With the Label Tool active, select the Member Label type from the Info Box.
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Click on the Curtain Wall Member (e.g. Accessory) to which you wish to attach a Label. The Label is placed.
Symbol Labels
Symbol Labels are GDL Objects. They can be scripted and/or graphically defined and can even include bitmaps. They can display all kinds of element information on the drawing, for example the skins of a composite Wall. You can create your own Symbol Labels as you would any other GDL Object by choosing the File > Libraries and Objects > New Object command. For more information, see Scripting Custom Objects on page 323.
The Edit > Search and Replace Text command opens the Search & Replace dialog box. This function lets you search texts in all eligible element types. It works on the Floor Plan and in Section/Elevation/IE, and Detail and Worksheet windows. It does NOT work for Autotext items. Note: The Search and Replace text function is not available for text-type windows. (Text-type windows include all Listing
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windows created with the Calculation function, GDL script windows, Project Notes, and Report windows.) In text type Windows, the Find & Replace command offers similar functions. For more information, see Editing Commands in Text-Type Windows on page 421.
Spell Checker uses Microsoft Words Spelling Check, which means that you must have Microsoft Word installed on your computer together with the dictionary of the language you are using. In Microsoft Word, use Tools > Options > Spelling and Grammar to set your desired preferences. ArchiCADs Spell Checker will also use these preferences. In addition, on the MacOS only, several freeware and shareware applications are available that take advantage of the Word Services spell checker suite. Warning: Spell Checker relies on Microsoft technology. ArchiCAD can only locate Words Spell Checker if its pointer is correctly written in the Windows Registry. If you have properly installed Microsoft Office, Spell Checker will work without any problem. If you have manually modified the location of Microsoft Word, ArchiCAD will not be able to use its spell checking features. Moreover, the Spelling commands must be installed with Word.
Spell Checker
The Document > Spell Checker command allows you to check the spelling of your ArchiCAD project. The available features are similar to those used by Microsoft Word. Note: Spell Checker is not available for text-type windows. Use Spell Checker Preferences (Filters) to define which parts of the ArchiCAD project you want to spell-check.
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The Text Style command opens a dialog box determining how your text will look both on screen and for printing.
For more information, see Text Editing Commands in GDL Script Windows in ArchiCAD Help.
Choosing the Find & Replace command opens the Text Window Find dialog box which offers the searching options used in most word processing applications:
The Find Selection command searches for the selected string in the text according to the direction set in the Text Window Find dialog box. (The default Find Selection shortcut is Ctrl+H; to Find Selection Backwards, use Ctrl+Shift+H.) The Find Again and Replace Again commands repeat the last find or replace operation in the direction set in the Text Window Find dialog box. The Go To Line command allows you to go to the desired line by simply entering a number in the edit box. This feature is especially useful when editing or checking GDL scripts. The last six commands apply to GDL scripts, and are active only if a GDL script window is active.
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Note for earlier users: Earlier versions of ArchiCAD included PlotMaker as a stand-alone application to handle layouting and documentation. As of ArchiCAD 10, these functions are all integrated into ArchiCAD. For tips on adapting your workflow to this integrated environment, see the ArchiCAD 12 New Features Guide, available from ArchiCADs Help menu or the ArchiCAD > Documentation folder. You may wish to activate the Layouts and Drawings toolbar (from Window > Toolbars) to have quick access to frequently used commands. When the Layout Book is active, you can assign a separate pen set applicable to the Layout Book only. When defining these attributes, the Options > Pens and Colors command indicates that these attributes apply to elements placed on layouts in the Layout Book, rather than for the projects Model Views. There is a single Layer set for the entire Virtual Building, but you can define separate layer settings for the Layout Book and for Model views. Note: Layer settings for the Layout Book serve to show/hide elements directly placed on layouts, such as lines, texts and drawings as a whole. Layout Book layers do not affect the drawing content, which is determined by the layers of its associated view.
A pop-up button at top left of the Layout Book map allows you to view the components of your Layout Book according to the current view, that is, Tree by Subsets or Tree by Masters.
Tree by Subsets groups your Layouts according to Subsets and shows the names of the drawings that belong to each. In Tree by Subsets, Drawings are accompanied by icons that correspond to the file type. Tree by Masters lists your Layouts according to the Master Layouts they are assigned to.
You can move and rearrange elements using the drag and drop technique to: Create hierarchical Subsets Move a Layout from one Subset to another Apply a Master Layout to a Layout Move a Drawing from one Layout to another Layout Note: In this case, the proportionate distance of the Drawing from the Layout origin remains unchanged. While you are editing the elements of your Layout Book, the Navigator or Organizer palette keeps track of which element you are working on. Elements selected within the Navigator will be highlighted. When you move over and work in the Layout window, the highlight changes to a box. Important: Operations involving Navigator/Organizer items (such as drag and drop between Navigator maps, deleting items from a map, or adding items to the Publisher set) are not added to the undo queue, and are not undoable. For more information, see Navigator Layout Book on page 74.
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The easiest way to access the settings of any item of the Layout Book is to select it in the Organizer or Navigator palette, then click the Settings button at the bottom of the Properties section. Or use the commands of the context menu of the selected item in the list, or the commands of the Document > Layout Book menu. Note: Another way to gain an overview of Layouts or Drawings in your project, or to sort them by criteria, is the Project Index function. For more information, see Project Indexes on page 217.
The context menu opened by right-clicking an item in the tree view of the Navigator or Organizer palette The commands of the Document > Layout Book menu
When you start a new project, the ArchiCAD Layout Book contains a number of predefined layouts and master layouts that correspond to the needs of your national version. All or some of the layout management functions are available from various locations in the ArchiCAD interface: The icons at the bottom of the Navigator palette The set of icons of the Organizer palettes Layout Editor view
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Layouts
To open a particular layout in the Layout Window, double-click its name from the Navigators Layout Book or the Organizer palettes Layout Editor. You can also choose its name from the Window menu or use the Open Layout dialog box that is available from the Toolbar. Here you can activate the corresponding Layout window. (To open a Layout in a new, separate window, select the Layout in the Navigator and choose Open in New Window from the context menu.) To navigate sequentially among Layouts in the Layout Book, click the navigation arrows at the bottom of the window to move to the previous, next, first or last Layout in the Layout Book. Click the button showing the current Layout number to access the Go to Layout command. The contents of the layout windows are saved with the project. The white area represents the usable print area of the paper delimited by a blue frame. The gray area represents the non-printing area (margins) of the paper.
The displayed size and the margins of the Layout are defined by the Master Layout. When printing the Layout, you can fit it to the actual paper size used by the device, with the Fit to Page control of the Print dialog box. For more information, see Print Layout in ArchiCAD Help. You can place, arrange and transform drawings in the Layout window, and manually add 2D elements as well as Autotext items. For more information, see Drawings in the Layout Book on page 427.
Master Layouts
The Master Layout defines the size of the Layouts (pages) of the Layout Book. The graphic and text items that you place on the Master Layout will appear on every Layout that uses it as a template. Note: You can choose to hide the on-screen display of these elements on all Layouts (but not on individual ones) by turning off View > On-Screen View Options > Master Items on Layout. This option also affects Master items on Layouts used as Traces.
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A Layout Book typically includes multiple Master Layouts, but each layout is assigned to a single Master Layout. ArchiCAD includes several Master Layout templates. You can use one of the predefined Master Layouts, or customize your own. The Master Layout templates include commonly used title blocks which are composed of 2D drawing elements and text items, including Autotext. Autotext consists of special predefined automatic text items that are generated by the program. For more information, see Autotext on page 413. For example, the Title Blocks of the Master Layout template pictured below includes Autotext items for the Project Name, Drawing Name, Project Status and Layout ID, among others, as well as text items and a logo. You can edit a title block by opening the Master Layout and using the 2D editing and text tools to modify it. For more information, see Master Layout Settings in ArchiCAD Help. The Master Layout can also contain a Grid for Drawing IDs and other master items, such as Autotext, that will appear on all of the Layouts assigned to it. Note: If you show a Layout as Trace, all Master Layout items will be shown as part of the Trace. The color of Master items on the Layout, and whether they should be displayed below or above the Layout, are configurable in Options > Project Preferences > Layouts. The Master Layout can be accessed by double-clicking its name in the Layout Book. This will open or activate the corresponding Master Layout. By
default, all Layouts and Master Layouts open in the same window, but you can also choose to open a new window for each one of them. Master Layouts are placed in the Masters folder of the Layout Book and can be given distinctive names. One of the Master Layouts will be applied by default to newly created Layouts. The default Master Layout is shown as earmarked. To choose a different Master Layout that should be used by default, select it in the Navigator or Organizer palette and use the context menu, or check the Set as Default for New Layouts box in its Master Layout Settings dialog box. To apply another Master Layout to a Layout Drag and drop any Master Layout onto the selected Layout Drag and drop a Layout onto any Master Layout Select a Layout, then choose another Master Layout from the pop-up menu at the bottom of the Navigator Palette or in the Settings dialog box of the selected Layout.
The same options are available for creating Master Layouts as for simple Layouts. For more information, see Layouts on page 425.
Subsets
A subset is a folder inside the Layout Book. Subsets allow you to easily organize your layouts and to define numbering rules for them. When working in the Navigator or Organizer, you can place any Layout into a Subset simply by dragging and dropping it into place. If you create a new layout in the Organizer palette when right-clicking the name of a subset, it will be placed automatically in this subset. A Subset folder is indicated by an folder icon with a small number 1.
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Subsets are not required; you can place a Layout into the Layout book without placing it into a Subset. However, subsets are useful in organizing large-scale projects with multiple sets of documentation. When assigning IDs to Layouts, you can reflect the subset hierarchy as part of the Layout ID system, to make it easier to find the right Layout when needed. Subsets can be named upon creation and renamed in the Navigator palette Properties section. For more information on IDs, see Layout and Drawing IDs on page 434. When setting up the contents of a Publisher Set, you can add a shortcut to any Layout Book Subset: this means Publisher Set items are created which are linked to the Subset folder and to its contents. This means that any changes to the contents of the Subset in the Layout Book are also reflected in the contents of the Publisher Set. See Defining a Publisher Set on page 443.
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By default, when placing model views onto a Layout, its drawing frame will be adjusted to show only the zoomed area of the model. (This default setting can be changed in Options > Project Preferences > Layouts.) Once the zoomed view is placed, you can later opt to readjust the frame to fit other parts of the model view, either manually using pet palette commands, or using the Fit Frame to Drawing radio button in Drawing Settings. For more information, see Drawing Tool Settings in ArchiCAD Help.
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Once you have placed a view from an external ArchiCAD project file into the current one, the view map and Layout Book structure of this source file will be at your disposal in the Project Chooser, and you will be able to place additional drawings easily into the current projects Layout Book. See External Projects in the Navigator on page 76. For more information, see Import Drawing/Layout from ArchiCAD Project in ArchiCAD Help.
If the layout onto which you are placing the drawings uses a Grid for Drawing IDs, the drawings will be placed in the appropriate cells. Placing a view from another ArchiCAD project file will launch another instance of ArchiCAD. Note: If you do not wish to launch ArchiCAD with each view placement, go to Options > Work Environment > More Options and check Do not launch new instance of ArchiCAD.
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For more information, see Align and Assign Drawings to a Grid in ArchiCAD Help.
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being imported is password-protected, you will have to provide a password when prompted. If you are importing a multi-page PDF document, a dialog box prompts you to choose which of the pages you wish to place.
A Drawing placed on the Layout can be stretched by dragging one of its boundary hotspots after selecting it with the Arrow tool. You can also drag or rotate placed drawings or their copies. With the Edit > Move > Multiply command, you can create multiple copies of the same Drawing and then customize each copy. The Layout and Model can refer to different pen tables. This means that you can define a separate set of pens to use on Layouts for the best printing and plotting results. Note: The Layouts Pen Set affects elements placed directly on the Layout (such as Master Layout items like the Title Block). The Drawings pen set affects the content of placed drawings and is assigned in Drawing Settings. For more information, see Pens & Colors/Pen Sets on page 33. By default, drawings are displayed using the pen sets defined in their source views.
You can also place PDFs into ArchiCAD 2D windows through drag-and-drop. In the case of multi-page PDFs, the dialog box that prompts you to choose a page will also appear. A PDF file placed on the Layout, like any other item, becomes a Drawing. The Drawing name consists of the PDF file name. The page numbering is displayed in the Source View field of the drawing. Like any other external linked drawing, placed PDFs can be automatically or manually updated in ArchiCAD.
The View Drawings own Pen Set button lets you access, edit, and rename this pen set, if desired. Alternatively, use the Pen Set drop-down in Drawing Settings to choose any other pen set from the projects pen sets. For more information, see Pen Set in ArchiCAD Help. Selecting the Edit > Explode into Current View command will deconstruct selected elements into drawing primitives (points, lines and fills). The appearing dialog box gives you the choice to keep the original elements along with the primitives, or replace the original elements with the drawing primitives. In the latter case, the placed drawing will be deleted.
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Drawing Titles
Each Drawing placed on a Layout can have a title containing graphic elements and information referring to the drawing data, such as Drawing ID, Name, and Scale. Note: Drawings placed in Model Views do not have Titles.
The actual drawing title is based on a Title Type. Title Types are GDL Objects that can be assigned to Drawings by default (automatically) or assigned manually to selected Drawings. To assign a title to a Drawing, select the Drawing and open the Drawing Settings dialog box. In the Title panel, select a Title type from the pop-up menu. To assign a title by default to each newly placed Drawing, open Drawing Default Settings (the Default settings come up if no Drawing is selected) and choose a Drawing title. Drawing Titles are laid out automatically with the associated drawing. A Drawing Title is a sub-element of the drawing. Using the Title panel of the Drawing Settings dialog box, you can define, assign and format Title Types according to your preferences and create new ones as Library Parts.
Drawing Title Reference to Drawing Source (Back Reference to Layout Containing Source Marker)
The Title panel of Drawing Settings gives you access to the Back Reference function. Back Reference allows you to add Layout ID information to the Drawing Title: specifically, the ID of one or more Layouts that
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contain a Drawing that shows the source marker of the current Drawing. Thus, the Back Reference function is useful if the current Drawing is based on a Section, Elevation, Interior Elevation, Detail or Worksheet.
available if you want the Drawing Title to display the IDs of all Layouts listed here.) Click OK to close the dialog box and return to Drawing Settings. The Drawing Title Preview shows an Autotext in the place where the Drawing Title will contain the Layout ID information. In this example, if you have checked Select All available, the final Drawing title looks like this:
Click Back Reference to bring up the dialog box of the same name. Note: Make sure that the parameters of the Drawing Title object you are using have enabled the Back Reference function:
This dialog box lists every Layout that displays the source marker of the current drawing. (Or which would display the source marker if the Drawing Frame hadnt been manually altered.) First check the Enable Back Reference box, then select one or more of the Layouts whose ID you wish to display. (Check Select All
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icon in the Navigator or Organizer palette and choosing the Show Drawing Manager command. This will display a dialog box that lists all the Drawings you have placed in the Project (both Layout Book and Model views), including those referring to external projects and external drawings such as PDF files. The Drawing(s) contained in the active window are listed in boldface. By selecting any drawing in a list, you can use its context menu to access the most important drawing-related commands, such as Drawing Settings and Open Source View. Note: You cannot edit a selected drawings parameters directly in the Drawing Manager. To edit drawing parameters, use Drawing Settings. By default, the Type, ID, Name, Status, Layout (Placed to), Source View and Path are shown for each drawing. You can sort items by any of these properties by clicking on its column header. You can then perform a secondary sorting function: clicking a second column header will further sort within the hierarchy obtained by the first sorting. To customize the list columns, right-click any column header to bring up a list of available columns. Toggle these on and off as needed.The column widths can be graphically resized. Note: If you enable the Cut Plane column, it will display the Cut Plane height of the Drawings source, when applicable. This field will display N/A (not applicable) if the drawing is not based on a Floor Plan viewpoint, and/or if the drawing was created in an earlier version of ArchiCAD that does not use Cut Planes.
You can override the default update type setting for selected placed drawings in their Drawing Settings dialog boxes. For more information, see Drawing Tool Settings in ArchiCAD Help. The Drawing Manager palette is the place where you can check the status of the placed drawings, modify their update type, reestablish, repair or change links.
For more information, see Drawing Manager in ArchiCAD Help. The Drawing Manager can be accessed from the Window > Palettes menu. You can also access Drawing Manager by clicking the top left
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The Status field indicates the status of the placed Drawing in the Layout. OK status means the Drawing is updated. Modified means that the source file has been modified and the placed Drawing requires an update in order to reflect the latest status of the source file. Embedded: This Drawing has no link and cannot be updated. (If it once had a link which has since been broken, the Drawing manager displays its former source view for information purposes only.) Unavailable: The source of the linked drawing cannot be found. To be Updated: Temporary status of a drawing included in the set of Drawings to be updated, but the update process has not affected this drawing yet. Updating: Temporary status of a drawing currently being updated. Needs Checking: ArchiCADs automated background quick-check function cannot determine definitively whether the drawing needs an update or not. If this status appears, you can either: - click the Check Status button to see whether the drawing is either OK or Modified. In the latter case, if the drawings update method is Manual, you can decide whether to update it or not. (A Drawing set to Automatic update will be updated as soon as you activate its Layout.) - click the Update button to achieve an updated status. To update linked Drawings if its source file has been modified: In the Drawing Manager, select one or more Drawings from the list, then click the Update button, or In the Navigator or Organizer Layout Map view, select a Drawing from the tree view, then click the Update button or right-click and choose the Update command from the context menu.
If the Layout Book contains Drawings whose source is a linked PMK file (created in the Publisher out of an ArchiCAD model view), you can re-link all these PMK-based drawings back to their original model view. Select the PMK files in the Drawing Manager (multiselection is available) and use the following command from the context menu: Link to original Model View.
See the workflow description at Larger Projects on page 438. When opening a project that includes drawings whose source views or files have been modified, the Update Drawings dialog box is displayed. You can then either choose to ignore this warning, update all drawing links or go the Drawing Manager and decide to only update selected ones.
Deleting a Drawing
To delete a drawing, select it and delete it like any other ArchiCAD element. Note that deleting a drawing is not undoable EXCEPT if the active window is the same type (e.g. Floor Plan or Layout window) as the window which contained the deleted drawing.
You can also update all drawings at the same time if nothing is selected in the Navigator or Organizers Layout Map view.
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Layout Book. While an automatic logic can be applied to the whole Layout Book, ArchiCAD provides maximum flexibility in customizing the assignment of IDs to meet your preferences.
For more information, see Autotext on page 413. Go to Document > Layout Book > Book Settings. Choose your preferred method for assigning Layout IDs: Use Hierarchy (Tree view by subset): Use this method if you want your Layout IDs to reflect the Layouts location in a particular subset. IDs will reflect the tree structure hierarchy: Layout IDs will inherit the IDs of the subsets in which they are located - as in the illustration below.
However, if you want to use a smart numbering system that accounts for adding and removing Layouts in the Layout Book hierarchy, you should use the Automatic Layout ID assignment logic.
Both the prefix and the style (1-2-3, A-B-C, etc.) of the layout/subset ID can be customized. The resulting layout ID is usually a letter-number combination, such as A-03/a. See also Book Settings Dialog Box in ArchiCAD Help. Note: At any level of ID assignment (Book Settings, Layout Settings or Subset Settings), you can choose a style of No ID. As part of the automated ID system, every sub-item in that group (e.g. every layout in that subset) will be assigned an empty ID, which is like no ID at all. Use Flat Layout Order: This method will assign an ID to Layouts only (not taking subsets into account), from top to bottom in the Navigator Layout Book. Layouts will receive
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sequential IDs regardless of their hierarchical position - as in the illustration below. If you change the order of Navigator items, their IDs will change accordingly.
Another way to assign a custom Layout or Subset ID is by typing it directly into the Properties panel of the selected Layout (Subset) in the Navigator Layout Book. For details, see Book Settings Dialog Box in ArchiCAD Help.
Drawing IDs
Each drawing placed onto a layout is automatically assigned a Drawing ID. The Drawing ID appears in front of the Drawing Name in the Navigator and the Organizer palette. The method of ID assignment is defined in Drawing Settings. Note that the Drawing Name and the Drawing ID are defined separately. For more information, see Drawing Identification Panel in ArchiCAD Help. In the Identification panel of Drawing Settings, choose one of these options for defining the Drawings ID:
By View ID: The Drawing will have the same ID as its source view. This option is often the most useful if your Layouts contain one Drawing each. (This option is only available if the Drawings source is an ArchiCAD view.) By Layout: The Drawing will get an ID based on its Parent Layout: the Drawing ID will have the Prefix/Style you define in Layout Settings, in the IDs of Drawings on this Layout panel. This option is most useful if your Layouts contain multiple Drawings. Custom: Assign any custom ID to this Drawing.
For more information, see Layout Settings in ArchiCAD Help. You can also use the Grid for Drawing IDs feature of your Master Layout to automatically place drawings in cells and assign IDs in a matrix or a flat structure. For more information, see Master Layout Settings in ArchiCAD Help.
Once you have customized a Subset ID, you then have the further choice of making the IDs of Layouts in this subset either follow the new logic (incorporating the subsets custom ID), or else retaining the ID logic of the overall Layout Book structure irrespective of the customized subset ID. For more information, see Layout Settings in ArchiCAD Help and Pens & Colors/Pen Sets on page 33.
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structured, and more often than not the same architect takes care of the entire design process, including layouting. In such cases, the project usually consists of a single file which contains all the drawings that make up the documentation, with the possible exception of a number of external files such as pictures, PDF format tables and descriptions, and standard details. When using the single-file model, you can build up the structure of your layout book by defining the necessary number of subset folders and adding to them the viewpoints and views set up previously in the project file. If the placed drawings are defined as automatically updated, the layout book will be continuously in synch with the design work. The activated layout will reflect the latest changes made on the plans, sections and other drawings.
Mid-Size Projects
Projects of somewhat larger size or complexity usually require a team of architects who will divide the work among themselves using ArchiCADs TeamWork functionality, without breaking down the project into several files. The layouting is best handled by a dedicated team member who, when signing in to the project, will skip all other workspace options and reserve all the layouts instead. This person can also use a special Work Environment scheme defined especially for layouting and plotting purposes. In this scenario, the person responsible for layouting will work basically the same way as in the case above. Updating the layouts will then be connected to the sending and receiving processes of the other team members.
Smaller Projects
Smaller projects typically mean smaller design teams (or solo practices) and smaller drawing sets. Smaller practices tend to be less
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Multiple Project Files, with Separate File for Layout Book Only
If there are many project files of about the same size and complexity, it may make sense to create an additional project file that does not contain any construction elements, just the Layout Book. You can then open the other files one by one and add their views to the Layout Map, possibly by creating a subset folder for each of them or by defining another custom hierarchical structure. When a layout is activated in the multiple file model, ArchiCAD checks whether it contains drawings that originate from project files other than the active one. If there are, it will then start updating those drawings that are set to be updated automatically. If the file containing the given drawing is open in another ArchiCAD session, the update occurs instantly. If the file containing the given drawing is not currently open, then another ArchiCAD session will be launched to open it.
Larger Projects
In larger architectural practices which handle large, multi-building projects, it may be more practical to break down the large project into smaller entities. Each of these subordinate entities (for example, buildings located on the same site) will then constitute a project file, which can still refer to a single set of templates, modules and libraries. However, the documentation will probably extend to the entire project, taking drawings from all the project files. In this case, it makes sense to define a single Layout Book that will accommodate views and files originating from all of the project files that make up the project. There are basically three solutions:
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Multiple Project Files, Separate Layout Book, Separate Drawings (PMK Files)
This workflow can be appropriate if several individuals are working concurrently on the model and documentation through a network. In this workflow, as in the previous one, the model is located in one or more project files, and the Layout Book in a separate project file. The Layouting procedure, however, is different: Layouts will contain Drawings whose source is in an external file, rather than directly linked to project views. The model designer will create views as usual in the ArchiCAD file. Instead of placing these views directly onto the Layout, s/he will use the Publisher function to save or upload the views in PMK format, a native ArchiCAD drawing format which takes up relatively less hard drive space than many other formats. See Defining Output Format on page 444. The architect responsible for the Layout Book will then place these PMK drawings on the Layout, using the Drawing Tool and the Place Drawing dialog box, or the File > External Content > Place External Drawing command. See Using the Drawing Tool: on page 428. These placed Drawings, like any other Drawing, are either Auto-update or Manual-update. Their source is the PMK file. Consequently, it is the model designers responsibility to ensure that every time an ArchiCAD view is modified, the PMK file created from that view is also replaced, so that the Drawings linked to these PMK files can be updated. Advantages of this workflow: Updating documentation may be quicker, because it involves updating a single, small-sized drawing file at a time. Opening the Layout Book might take less time, since the PMK files serving as the Drawing sources are located outside the project file. If the PMK-based Drawings are set to Auto-update, then they will be automatically updated when the Layout is published.
If necessary, you can break the Drawings link to the PMK file and re-link the Drawing to its original model view. To do this, select the PMK file(s) in the Drawing Manager (multiselection is available) and use the following command from the context menu: Link to original Model View.
Layouting in Teamwork
For more information, see Working Inside the Reserved Area on page 463. When working in a team scenario, layouting is often entrusted to one or more dedicated members of the design team. When signing in to the shared project as teammates, these members will skip the first screens of the sign-in wizard and go directly to the Layouts (the one displayed after Details). Only entire layouts can be reserved. Newly added layouts automatically belong to the teammate who has created them. However, any Team Member can place items onto any Layout, even Layouts he/she does not own. Placed drawings cannot be reserved separately. Drawings can be added to any layout by any user, and the owner of the drawing is the person who placed it and who manipulates it on the layout. (Each
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Drawings Navigator icon will indicate whether it belongs to you or to another Teammate.) Note: Upon sending and receiving changes, the user will be prompted to hand over the control over of placed drawings or other layout items to the person who owns the layout. The basic components of the Layout Book (the structure of the Layout Map, the Subsets, the Master Layouts) belong to the Team Leader, and teammates cannot modify them. The owner of the layout can define its settings, modify the elements of the layout and even delete the layout. All other members of the team can view reserved layouts.
For large-scale, planned outputs of one or more publisher sets, the Publisher function is a handy concept dedicated to the architectural design workflow. Using the Publisher palette, you set up and save preferences for any number of publisher sets: you define whether to print, plot, upload them to a server or save them to disk. Once a publisher set is defined, you can publish or republish it at any time, using the same properties, at the push of a button.
Print
The File > Print command will bring up a Print dialog box which varies slightly depending on the view you are printing: Layout, 2D or 3D. For more information, see Print 2D Document and Print Layout in ArchiCAD Help. Note: The following descriptions are based on the Windows interface. For a discussion of the print/plot features unique to MacOS, see Printer/Plotter Settings for MacOS in ArchiCAD Help.
Items to be Printed
The Print command enables you to print the current view, or just a particular Print Area of the view, as set in the Print dialog box. From the Layout Window, you can print just the Layouts which are selected in the Navigator.
Publishing
Outputs are the end result of the architectural design workflow; ArchiCAD gives you a high degree of flexibility in printing, plotting, and electronic publishing. For quick outputs of the current on-screen view, the Print and Plot commands are available directly from ArchiCADs file menu; the Print and Plot dialog boxes contain familiar options. You will normally use printing for creating fast outputs on which you can check various aspects of your design and plotting for creating the final documentation that will be submitted and sent to the client, the building authorities and the subcontractors.
Items that cannot be printed include Hotspots, selection dots, Section depth lines, Roof pivot lines, Cameras and their paths. The lines of the Construction Grid can be optionally printed from the 2D windows by checking the Print Grid checkbox. Note that you can only print the grid if Grid Display is ON. Items on a Trace view can also be printed. Note: Elements that are located on remote stories but individually set to display on the current story will always appear on the output. Use the Document > Set Model View > Model View Options dialog box to specify the display of model items on the Floor Plan, and thereby the printed output. For more information, see Model View Options on page 355.
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Header/Footer
When printing from ArchiCADs 2D or 3D window or Layout window, you have the option to place a Header or Footer on the printed page. You set the content of the Header/Footer in Header/Footer Settings. For more information, see Header/Footer Settings in ArchiCAD Help.
Plot
The File > Plot command brings up the Plot 2D document dialog box. For more information, see Plot 2D Document in ArchiCAD Help. Note: The following descriptions are based on the Windows interface. For a discussion of the print/plot features unique to MacOS, see Printer/Plotter Settings for MacOS in ArchiCAD Help. Plotter drivers shipped with ArchiCAD all use the HPGL vector-graphic language. We refer to any printing device that supports HPGL as a 'plotter'. Graphisoft provides dedicated plotter drivers for most plotters; for printing, you must use printer drivers provided by the vendor. Note: Many current large-format output devices come with printer drivers which make the device function as a system printer. If the device is also HPGL compatible, you can use the dedicated plotter drivers provided by Graphisoft.
Output Color
If you are using a printer that supports color or grayscale output, the color of the printed elements is defined by:
1) The setting made in the Print dialog box. Checking the Black and
White box will print all colors in black independently of any other setting. For more information, see Print 2D Document in ArchiCAD Help.
Plotter Setup
When outputting documents to a plotter, you first need to set up the plotter for ArchiCAD. The communication with the plotter device is ensured by specific plotter drivers stored in the PlotWare folder located by default in the same directory as ArchiCAD. Choose File > Plot Setup to open the Plot Setup dialog box. For more information, see Plot Setup in ArchiCAD Help. Note: The ReadMe file also contains extensive information on issues related to plotting, such as recommendations on the choice of drivers and cables, and network plotting. When first using a plotter with ArchiCAD, you need to connect to it by clicking the Setup button in the Connection area. You can only plot graphic data from ArchiCAD. If a text window is in front, both the Plot Setup and Plot commands appear in gray in the File menu.
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Each Publisher item refers directly to a View or to a Layout. The View or Layout settings of the item are displayed at the bottom of the Publisher, but are not editable. The only additional settings controlled in the Publisher are the output format and related options (these are accessible in the Format tab page at the bottom of the Publisher). The icon of each Publisher item corresponds to its output format. In the image here, each of the Floor Plans is set to a different output format: DWG, DXF and PDF. Publisher Sets are stored with the project, so you can access them any time, adjust settings if needed, and re-publish them. By clicking the Publish button, you can publish a single set or all defined publishing sets or even selected views. The Publisher function is controlled by the Publisher map of the Navigator or the Organizer. You can also access the Publisher from the Document > Publisher > Publish menu command.
Publisher Function
ArchiCADs Publisher feature automates and simplifies the repeated and consistent output of a larger number of documents (Publisher items). You set up Publisher Sets, predefine some options and properties and then can publish them at any time and any number of times by simply clicking a button. This function is vitally important in the documentation phase but it also comes in handy when preparing a project for review by contractors or clients.
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Planning to Publish
While Publisher automates and simplifies the publishing process, publishing all or part of a project can be a major task. All of the views to be published must be generated or updated, which can require considerable computer time. When planning to publish via the Internet, you should give some thought to the files you are going to send. For example, if you publish extensive 3D views of a Project, this could create very large files, which not only could take a long time to send but might be too large to be easily downloaded by your target users. In general, plan your publication carefully, making sure that you publish all that is required but nothing that is unnecessary. Note: When you use the Publish function to output a publisher set, previously saved or uploaded files of the same name will be overwritten without warning. If you have finished setting up the publication but do not want to actually start publishing, you can simply close the palette without clicking the Publish button. All Publisher settings are preserved with the project.
click the Add Shortcut command at the bottom of the View Map/Layout Map. drag and drop the selected items into the Publisher set Note: If you select a Subset from the Layout Book or a View Map folder, the Add Shortcut button will create a shortcut linking the selected Subset/folder to a corresponding folder in the Publisher Set at the right. Any changes to the contents of the Subset will also take place in the linked Publisher Set folder (similar to a cloned view map folder). In contrast, if you drag and drop a Subset or folder into the Publishing Set, a corresponding folder is created, but it is not linked and does not follow any subsequent modifications to the Subset/folder contents. In this image, the first Publisher Set item was created by selecting a Subset in the Layout Book and clicking the Create Shortcut button. Similar to a cloned folder in the View Map, it is a shortcut to the Layout Book Subset: all modifications to the Subset contents will be reflected in the Publisher Set item. Use Create Shortcut to ensure that Subsets and View Map folders are recreated in updated form in the Publisher Set.
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The second Publisher Set item was created using drag and drop. It is not a shortcut, just a one-time copy of the Subset folder.
You have four options here: Print Save files Upload to Internet Plot Depending on your format choice, you will set specific output options. For details, see Publisher Set Properties Dialog Box in ArchiCAD Help.
Once the Publisher set is assembled, you can click on any of the Publisher items (i.e. views or layouts in the Publisher set) to view its Properties in the Properties panel below. These properties are view-only and not editable. For more information, see Publisher Controls in ArchiCAD Help.
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For some formats, a variety of options are available - in these cases, an Options button is displayed, and you can choose among compression settings, color depths, and other options depending on the chosen format. If you choose PDF format, the Format options change significantly. For more information, see PDF Output on page 446. If the selection contains several files with different file formats, the Format field displays Various. When uploading files, enter the host or FTP server name, your user name and password. You can also type the explicit server address in the Path field. You can also send an email message to one or several recipients of the uploaded file, or even attach the files themselves to the e-mail. First, enable the Send an email checkbox. Note: You must first define your own email options in Options > Work Environment > Publisher. In the appearing E-mail dialog box, enter the recipient information and set other options as desired. Recipients can be typed in, or accessed using your own customized Contacts list (Document > Publisher > Contacts). Note: The email will not be sent if the publishing process fails.
be viewed through the Internet or an intranet with the Java-based Project Reviewer web environment by anyone who can access the files location via a LAN or an FTP connection, without having to install or even be familiar with ArchiCAD. Colleagues, contractors, subcontractors or clients can view the design in a web browser application, add their remarks by redlining it, and send back their corrections or suggestions to the author of the project. Project Reviewer can be included with the published file set. For more information, see Project Reviewer on page 503. Redlined DWF files can be incorporated in the ArchiCAD file by using Project Mark-Up. For more information, see Project Mark-Up on page 508. See also Publisher Set Properties Dialog Box in ArchiCAD Help.
Publishing Process
Use the scroll-down list at the bottom of the Publisher to choose which item(s) to output: If you choose this set, the entire active publication set will be published. If you choose selected items, only the items currently selected in the active publication set will be published. If you choose all the sets, all currently defined sets will be published.
Click the Publish button at the bottom of the Publisher to begin the publishing process. The icons next to the view names inform you whether the job is completed, under way or failed. You can also click Stop, which will end the whole publishing procedure, or Pause, which will cause publication to pause, and change the Stop button to read Continue, allowing you to continue publication later.
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A log file containing information on each publishing process is saved to the location you specify in Options > Work Environment > Publisher (Publisher log location).
PDF Output
On the MacOS, PDF output is integrated with the System software. The interface described in the sections below is used with Windows only.
2) Choose Publisher item(s) from the Publisher Set. 6) At the bottom left of the Document Options dialog box, click
PDF Options to create an optional password.
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Click Page Options to set the Paper Size and Orientation of the resulting PDF Document.
Note: The Arc resolution setting reflects the fact that the PDF format does not recognize arcs/circles and must approximate them by converting them to polygons. The Arc resolution setting defines the accuracy of these polygons.
Click Document Options to define your preferred settings for the content of the resulting PDF Document. At the bottom left of the Document Options dialog box, click PDF Options to create an optional password.
Note: The Arc resolution setting reflects the fact that the PDF format does not recognize arcs/circles and must approximate them by converting them to polygons. The Arc resolution setting defines the accuracy of these polygons. Document Options will vary depending on the type of the active window you are saving from. For a 2D or 3D document, Document Options are similar to the options in the Print 2D/Print 3D dialog boxes. When saving to PDF, you can save the contents in Color, Black & White, or Grayscale.
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1) From the 3D window, save the desired model view as a file using
the Save as command. Choose the U3D file format from the list of available formats. It is recommended to clear unnecessary detail from the 3D model as much as possible, in order to optimize the navigation speed in the resulting PDF document. a 3D view. If you prefer, add the 3D view to a Layout.
2) In the Navigator or Organizer Palette, save the desired model as 3) Next, add the 3D view (either on its own or as part of a Layout) 4) Set the Publisher Set Properties to PDF format. (This is the
For a formatted list, you have Scaling options and the ability to place each zone or page of the list onto a new sheet. (No Document Options button is available when saving to PDF from a formatted list window.) default publishing format.) to a Publisher set. Select the 3D view (or Layout) in the Publisher Set.
6) Check the Embed 3D content checkbox. 7) Click the Browse button to select the file you saved in U3D
format (in Step 1 above).
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9) Click OK. 10) In the Publisher, select the desired publisher item and publish it
in PDF format. The resulting PDF file will contain an embedded, navigable U3D file. The U3D model embedded in the PDF can be navigated only by using Adobe Reader 7.0 or later.
However, most users will prefer ArchiCADs Interactive Schedule function. Interactive Schedules are part of the Project Map, and the schedules produced can be saved as views and output on layouts. As its name indicates, an Interactive Schedule is a two-way editable item which is linked to the project elements that it contains. For more information, see Interactive Schedule on page 209.
Calculation Sources
When performing calculations, ArchiCAD can take raw information from the following sources: The construction elements placed in the project. Construction element information includes the size, surface, volume, ID number, and the attributes and parameters defined for the elements in their settings dialog boxes or through graphic input. Property Objects assigned to construction elements. Property Objects are special GDL Object-type files without a 3D Script or a 3D view. Property Objects can include references to databases as well as Component and Descriptor data explicitly defined for that individual item. Property Objects are generally used to describe specific structures for the purposes of calculation: for example, the quantities and the detailed description of reinforced concrete beams used in the project. Calculation Databases organized by Keys and containing Components, Descriptors and measurement Units. Construction elements refer to these data directly, through Property Objects. Property Objects may be assigned to construction elements. Afterwards, Components and Descriptors created within the assigned Property Objects can be linked directly to database items, hence the connection between a construction element and a database entry. Components can either be the material ingredients (steel, concrete, etc.) of a structure, or anything (price, man hours, etc.) that can be measured in proportion to elements of the structure type. Each Component has a name, a code, a quantity definition, a unit and a reference to its proportion to related construction elements.
Calculation
ArchiCADs integrated database of construction elements can be used to display, in list format, the number, quantities and components of elements in a project and the elements spatial disposition (zones). The following chapter sums up the basic concepts involved in the calculation process and enumerates the list types that can be obtained. The report-generation process described in this section is a simple output function; use predefined list templates to generate simple lists. Advanced users may wish to use customized formatting and define customized filtering properties. The entire process is described in detail in the ArchiCAD 12/Graphisoft Documentation/Calculation Guide.pdf , also available from the ArchiCAD Help menu. Some of the commands referenced in this section are not visible in ArchiCAD 12s default work environment profiles. If you plan to configure lists (recommended for advanced users only), first use Options > Work Environment > Menus to add the following commands to an existing menu (i.e. Document > Schedules & Lists): Set up List Schemes Edit Database New Properties Edit Properties Last Selections Properties Link Properties to Criteria
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Descriptors are text elements related to structure types, e.g., finishing, security, shipping, assembly or handling information. Descriptors are simply displayed in reports: they are not used in calculations and are not linked to components or element parameters. Each Descriptor has a name (also called short text), a code and the full description (long text).
Properties can be associated with construction elements either through criteria or individually. Each Property Object can be linked to a unique combination of element selection criteria, e.g., the Property Object called Concrete Wall can be associated with all walls of concrete block fill that are drawn in pen No.12 and placed on the Exterior Walls layer. When this option is active, ArchiCAD filters the projects construction elements and automatically links the Property Object in question to all elements matching the given Criteria. Criteria sets are saved within the active Library so that they can be used in multiple projects. You can create criteria in the Link Properties to Criteria dialog box. Property Objects available in loaded libraries may be linked to criteria or you may create your own Property Objects and link those. You can also choose to assign Property data directly, individually for each element. In this case the link is established manually item by item in the Listing and Labeling panel of each eligible elements Settings dialog box.
Component is defined locally in Property Script. Number of parameters show that it is linked to a Database item. Components defined outside of the Property Script will not be listed. A Construction element (Wall, Column, Beam, Slab, Roof, Mesh, plus Fill) can be assigned a Property Object. A Component in a Property Object can be defined in four different ways:
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of a Library Part, there are 8 possible ways to define Components/Descriptors. Property Object mainly exist because Construction elements do not have their own GDL Scripts where Component/Descriptors can be defined, hence the need for Property Objects.
Calculation Setup
4) Defining a Local Component/Descriptor using the Property
Script of the Property Objects that is not linked to a Database item. The sorting and analyzing of data, the calculation of required results and the formatting of reports are all done in accordance with the configuration of the selected List Scheme. List Schemes are predefined sets of instructions on how the ArchiCAD listing engine should process project information to present the required results. List Scheme formats can be of two types: Plain Text reports display calculation results in editable tabulated text format. The reports appear in text windows and can be saved as plain text files, tabbed text files for use in spreadsheets or tables in HTML files. Graphic outputs allow for both alphanumeric and image information, including element symbol drawings, logos and other bitmaps. Graphic output reports can be saved as RTF List files, or ArchiCAD Project files. It is also possible to copy all or part of these lists into an ArchiCAD plan.
Component is defined locally in Property Script. Number of parameters show that it is NOT linked to a Database item. Components defined outside of the Property Script will not be listed.
Though the contents of each language version are different, some predefined list schemes are embedded in ArchiCAD and available even if ArchiCAD is running without an active Library. When at least one Local Component/Descriptor is defined in the Property Script, Components and Descriptors created elsewhere in the Property Object are ignored and will not be listed. Either write a Property Script, or define Components/Descriptors. Do not mix the two kinds, as only one kind will be listed always. A Library Part-type element (Wall End, Window, Door, Corner Window, Skylight, Object, Lamp, Zone) can have a Property Object assigned to them with Components defined in one or more of the above 4 ways, or Components/Descriptors can be defined using the Library Parts own Component/Descriptor area or Property Script. So in the case
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If you need to define custom data or assignments, read the detailed instructions in the ArchiCAD 12/Graphisoft Documentation/Calculation Guide.pdf .
List Types
ArchiCAD can generate three types of calculation reports: Element Lists, Component Lists and Zone Lists. Element Lists are best used when creating schedules and inventories, and to display the parameters of construction elements in a project. To generate Element Lists, ArchiCAD filters the project or the selection set for construction elements according to the
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configuration of the selected List Scheme. Elements matching the filter settings will be listed together with element Parameters, Components and Descriptors, if so defined in the List Scheme.
Zone Lists are generally used to create room schedules and finish schedules. Zone Lists can include parameters of Zones and related construction elements. When related construction items are listed, the report is in fact an Element List where the range of calculated elements is limited by the Zones they belong to.
Component Lists are generated when bills of materials, quantity takeoffs or price lists are required. These reports typically sum up and display component type properties; however, certain element parameters can also be listed.
Depending on what you want to appear listed in your list, you may choose the type of List you need to use. Some common examples are: You want construction elements listed with basic data and parameters about them listed: You want parameters specific to construction elements (such as: Door Sill Height, Number of holes in Slab) listed: You want to create Door/Window schedules You want quantities of components associated with construction elements listed: You want descriptors associated with construction elements listed You want to create room schedules Element List Element List Element List Component List Component List Zone List
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You want Zones or detailed Zone parameters (such as: Zone List Zone Extracted Area, Zone Area Reduction) to be listed: You want main Zone parameters (such as: Zone Element Name, Zone Number) listed for Zones where listed List construction element is located:
If you choose the Show Alert option, a warning of conflict will appear. You will then be able to choose between the two options described above.
Example:
Displaying Lists
The range of elements that will be used in calculation depends on the current selection made on the Floor Plan. If there is no selection made, all elements will be used and filtered by the listing commands List Scheme by type or other criteria; If there is a selection made, only selected elements will be used.
For more specific element ranges, use the Setup List Schemes command and define filters. When you activate a list type window while elements are selected in the project, there may be a conflict between the listing commands criteria and the selection. (For instance, if you choose a Window schedule when the current selection also contains Walls and Doors.) In Options > Work Environment > Imaging and Calculation, the Selected Elements to be Calculated pop-up menu offers three options for managing this situation. If we have a basic text list scheme that will list walls, their layer and User ID, the result would be the following. However, if you make the above selection with the Marquee and list it, the following alert appears (if that was your choice in Options > Work Environment > Imaging and Calculation).
If you choose the List All option, all the selected elements will be calculated in the list, even though they do not correspond to the filtering criteria. If you choose the Use Filters option, the filters defined for the list scheme will be applied to the selected elements; elements that do not correspond to these criteria will be ignored.
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If you choose Use Filters, ArchiCAD takes all elements of the selection, and lists only those among them that fulfill the listing criteria (list Walls), so the result is the following.
The six buttons display, from left to right: ID, Layer and Linked Property information
In case you choose List All, all elements falling into the current selection (2 Walls, 1 Window and 2 Doors) will be listed regardless of the filter with the below result. Note: The multi-story selection method (thick Marquee) works here as well. With the thick marquee, all elements within the Marquee will be included in the selection and the resulting list.
Element Information
The Element Information Palette displays information about the dimensions of element(s) selected on the Floor Plan. (Use Window > Palettes > Element Information to display it.) With this feature, you can get instant feedback on some simple quantities that do not appear in the elements settings dialog boxes, without having to use any listing commands. The Information Content buttons in the top section of the palette define what information will be shown. If none of the buttons is active, only the number and type of the selected elements is displayed. Area values
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Height values
Surface values
See also Element Information Highlight on page 80 and Element Information Pop-up (Info Tags) on page 81.
ID Management
The ID field is located on the Listing and Labeling panel of all construction element type tools as well as the Fill and Zone tools.
Volume values
The ID serves to identify and group elements in list views. You can also use the ID in the Label associated to elements. You can combine these pieces of information and save and print them by choosing from the pop-up menu commands in the top right corner of the palette. The text string within the ID field cannot exceed 15 characters. Any character can be used. Note: All construction elements also have a unique, automatically generated, unique ID (GUID) which is conserved throughout the life of the Project. You can also use this identifier for labeling or in lists. Filtering or grouping elements by their IDs is used by many List Schemes. Totals obtained in calculations can refer to elements that
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have the same ID. Therefore, the content of the ID may be significant. If a number is included anywhere in the ID field, drawing successive elements will add one to this number for each new element, provided that the Auto ID Increase checkbox is enabled the Options > Project Preferences > Miscellaneous dialog box. If there is no number in the ID field, each new element of the given type will have the same ID. If elements are duplicated or multiplied, the IDs of the replicas will remain the same as those of the originals. If you paste elements into a Project, you may have elements with conflicting IDs. When working on a shared Project (Teamwork), Teammates working in different workspaces may also generate dissimilar elements with the same ID. The Element ID Manager in the Document > Schedules and Lists menu allows you to set the ID numbers of the projects elements based on their characteristics (attributes). You can also use it to modify automatically generated ID numbers. Settings can be saved and stored for future use.
The dialog box includes two tab pages: Sort Elements for defining attribute choices, and ID Format for defining custom ID sets.
When the Sort Elements tab is active, the pop-up under the tabs allows you to choose an element (Tool) type. In the top right corner of the dialog box, the figures show how many of the Project elements belong to the active element type. If any elements are selected on the Floor Plan, Element ID Manager works on selected elements only. In this case, two figures are displayed: the number of selected elements and the number of elements of the active type. If nothing is selected on the Floor Plan, the command works on all placed and visible (not on hidden layers) elements.
The configurations you create and save with the Element ID Manager help you prepare Project elements for a clearer reading of quantity takeoffs. Note: This command is only available when viewing the Floor Plan Worksheet. When you choose Document > Schedules and Lists > Element ID Manager, a dialog box appears. At the top of the dialog box, a pop-up menu lists the different settings you saved for the different element types. You can define several settings for any element type, or simply work on the current element choice. The Edit Settings pop-up allows you to save, rename and delete settings. Note: To change a saved setting, select and edit it, then save it again under the same name.
The list on the left contains the criteria that can be chosen for the given element type. This list is the same as the one used by the Edit > Find & Select command. Select the criteria you need in the list and click the Add button. This will place the selected criteria in the list on the right.
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For any of the parts, you can type plain text, a counter or a story number into the ID Components field. You can also opt not to use one or more of the four parts. When choosing the Text type, you can type custom text up to the number of characters defined. When choosing the Counter type, you can type either numerals or letters such as aa that will change incrementally in the ID. When choosing the Story No. type, you cannot enter custom text; the ordinal number of the story will be used. Note: Story No. is only available as a type if youve selected Story as a Grouping criterion. When you have finished configuring the settings and ID formats, click the Change ID's button in the bottom right corner of the dialog box. The Element ID List dialog box appears. You can validate the changes made by clicking OK or return to the configuration dialog box by clicking Cancel and make further adjustments. You can save your settings using the Edit Settings pop-up menu on top of the dialog box.
Elements that have the same grouping criteria will get the same ID. When youre finished choosing criteria, click to open the ID Format tab page, which allows you to define custom ID Formats.
IDs can contain up to 15 characters or numerals. Element ID Manager allows you to subdivide the ID into four parts.
The name of the saved set then appears in the Settings field and can be accessed at any time from that pop-up menu. These settings are saved by ArchiCAD in a separate file and can be reused for further Projects, even after choosing New and Reset.
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COLLABORATION
Architects often need to work together with each other and with professionals of other disciplines who use other software. Moreover, interactive communication with clients is also a growing concern. ArchiCAD offers a solution to all of the above by allowing teams of architects to work simultaneously on the same project, by automating the inclusion of repetitive structures that may originate from different compatible programs, by implementing an intelligent import-export and merge process, and by supporting an on-line redlining process that does not even require the installation of ArchiCAD. This chapter describes these collaborative functions of ArchiCAD: Teamwork; Hotlinks; Data Exchange; and Consultation. When this is done, the project Administrator can Share the project (using the Teamwork > Share this Project command) and the members of the ArchiCAD team can Sign In to it. (Teamwork > Sign in). The sign-in process is detailed at Sign in in ArchiCAD Help. Note: Once a project has been shared, the file will have the extension .plp. However, no teammate can open the .plp file directly. To work on a Teamwork project, you must use the Teamwork > Sign In command. For more information on file types in Teamwork, see Teamwork Files on page 473.
Teamwork
With ArchiCADs Teamwork functionality, several members of a team of architects or related professionals can work simultaneously on various aspects or parts of the same project.
Team Roles
The team using the Teamwork functionality can be organized along a wide variety of principles. The flexibility of the software makes it equally possible to use rigorous sets of house rules by defining strict hierarchical access privileges in larger offices, and to leave a large amount of freedom in smaller practices, where the people working on the same project are in face-to-face contact. There are five possible roles in Teamwork: Administrator, Team Leader, Teammate, Mark-Up and View Only. The first two have to be defined in advance by the person sharing the project, who can either allow free access by any teammate or set up a strict cast of members who may access the project with centrally set passwords. Role definition takes place during the project sharing process. See Sharing the Project on page 460. The Administrator is the person who coordinates the team and first shares the project. It is his sole privilege to: Allow the signing in of other Team Members Disconnect Team Members Alter other Team Members passwords
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Handle the Administrator and Team Leader passwords Define or modify backup options The Administrator can alter Project Sharing parameters using Teamwork > Project Sharing Setup. For more information, see Project Sharing Settings in ArchiCAD Help. There can only be one Administrator for a project, but he or she can reach the project from any computer, provided that the proper name and password is used. Important: When signed in as the Administrator, it is not possible to work on the project or reserve areas. The Team Leader is the person responsible for the project. It can either be a physical person (a given member of the team or even the same person as the Administrator provided that he/she is also registered as a team member), or a fictitious person identified by a password only. In practice, this means that any member of the team can assume the role and acquire the rights of the Team Leader when using the latters unique password. The Team Leader has exclusive rights to: Modify and delete Layers Modify and delete Layer Combinations Create, modify and delete Stories Modify and delete Pen Color, Material, Fill Type, Line Type, Zone Category or Composite attributes Define or modify measurement Units and methods Create or modify the structure and the basic components of the Layout Book, including Subsets and Master Layouts Reassign abandoned Mark-Up Entries Modify the loaded Library set used by the Team There can only be one person signed in as Team Leader at a time. Some attribute modifications are permitted only with exclusive access to the Project, which means that nobody else can be signed in at that moment and that the Team Leader reserves the entire project. A Teammate is any team member working on any part of the shared project. When signing in to the shared project, the Teammate is prompted to reserve a part of it by making the appropriate choices
in the Sign In Wizard windows. The part of the shared project reserved by a Teammate is called a Workspace. For more information, see Teamwork in ArchiCAD Help. The following options are available for making reservations: Working on any or all stories Working on any or all layers Working on any or all sections/elevations Working on any or all detail drawings Working on any or all camera/animation paths Working on any or all layouts Working on a physical area defined by a rectangular or polygonal marquee Any combination of the above Teammates can either be defined by the Administrator or self-registered. Registered Team members can also sign in to the project in the special Mark-Up role. In this case, they cannot create any new elements, only add corrections or highlight elements that need to be checked or modified by other Teammates. Note that Teammates and the Team Leader can also use Mark-Up tools; this special role prevents any accidental modification of the Project. For more information, see Teamwork and Project Mark-Up on page 510. Viewers (using the View Only option), that is, anyone able to access the shared project through the network, can open a copy of the project, save it in Single-user project format to his own computer and work on this copy. Modifications made to this copy by the Viewer do not appear in the Team Project.
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Careful preparation is of the utmost importance, since changing the basic settings requires that all currently signed in users stop their work in progress. When the Administrator is satisfied that the prepared plan or template file is ready, he or she opens it in ArchiCAD, chooses the Teamwork > Share this Project command and sets up the project in the dialog box that opens. For more information, see Project Sharing Setup in ArchiCAD Help. All teammates can view project sharing information in Teamwork > Project Sharing Info. For more information, see Project Sharing Info in ArchiCAD Help.
sign-in ID that would result from placing elements in someone else's workspace. On larger projects, it is worth considering a Login related to discipline. These logins can be preset by the CAD Manager (or the project architect) who would create the logins. The Local Draft file could then be saved under the combined names of the Project and the Discipline. For example: the project entitled myproject with discipline structure would be saved as myprojectStructure.plc.
Passwords
Teamwork provides the opportunity to protect both user logins and the Administrator and Team Leader logins. Password definition takes place during the Project Sharing process. For more information, see Project Sharing Setup in ArchiCAD Help. Administrator and Team Leader passwords are mandatory. The Administrator must be named. The Team Leader can be any user logged in with the Team Leader password. For small, straightforward Teamwork projects, you can set all the mandatory names and passwords to admin and avoid having to remember passwords. User passwords are generally unnecessary. Individual users do not have to have a password; they need not be named prior to sharing the project. On larger, more complex projects involving contractors, it may be critical to password-protect the various user logins. In this case, one person (usually the CAD Manager) should be made responsible for managing ALL user logins and passwords and keep these documented in a secure place. For information on handling lost or forgotten passwords, see Human Errors on page 474.
Reservation
Team members need to reserve a part of the project when signing in. They will have the exclusive right to work on this part of the project
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as long they keep this reservation. Every single element of the project either belongs to a specific teammate or to none of them. The reservation is performed by choosing the Teamwork > Sign In command and by making the appropriate choices in the dialog box that appears. For more information, see Sign in in ArchiCAD Help. All along the sign-in process, the Teammate is informed about the options that are not available to him or her (that is, stories, layers, sections, etc. that have already been reserved by another Teammate). Views cannot be reserved as part of the sign-in process. The teammate who reserves a particular viewpoint (such as a Story) as part of the Sign-in process will also own the view created from that viewpoint. See also View Maps and Publisher Sets in Teamwork on page 464.
Changing Workspace
Once you are signed into a Teamwork project, you can reconfigure your reserved workspace by using the Teamwork > Change My Workspace command. The Sign in palette appears, allowing you to redefine your workspace. Notes: Before changing your workspace, you must first send recent changes from the current draft. Changing your workspace will make all your other draft files (if any) obsolete, and you will not be able to send any changes from them. If you want to change your workspace without sending changes, first sign out, then sign in again with a different workspace reservation.
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Detail
If you are the owner of a Detail, this means that you have the exclusive right to modify the detail drawing (e.g. add new elements and modify existing elements), and to update the drawing. The Detail marker, however, belongs to the teammate who owns the Floor Plan or Section on which it is located. That teammate can make changes to the detail content, but changes will not be reflected in the detail window until you (the Detail owner) issue an update.
Layouts
Layout settings are managed by the Layouts owner, but other Teammates can place drawings and other elements (and move them and crop them) on a Layout owned by a different Teammate. Layouts can be deleted by the Layout owners (or by the Team Leader with exclusive access). You cannot create elements outside your reserved workspace, with this exception: when working on a reserved story limited by a marquee and in a reserved layer, you can still create elements outside the physical boundary of the marquee. All elements that have at least one hotspot inside or on the boundary of the area reserved with the marquee are considered to be inside the reserved area. If an element has hotspots in two or more workspaces, that element belongs to the person who first reserved it. Elements partially included in different workspace marquees can only be edited by one Teammate at a time. To hand over these elements, select them and choose Teamwork > Send & Receive Changes. You will be prompted to release these elements as in the previous case.
ArchiCAD 12 Reference Guide
Note: Drawings themselves cannot be reserved as part of the Sign-In process. For more information, see Layouting in Teamwork on page 439.
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Note: Master Layouts in Teamwork behave similarly to Attributes in Teamwork: any team member can create a new one; following Send & Receive, the new item is henceforth owned by the Team Leader, who must use exclusive access to delete it.
Mark-up
Any teammate can use the Mark-up feature to add Mark-up items to any part of the shared project, regardless of its reservation status. For more information, see Teamwork and Project Mark-Up on page 510.
Hotlinked Modules
Using Hotlinked Modules can be combined with the Teamwork functionality for working on complex projects shared by several architects. Modules can be reserved by Story, Layer and Area. For more information, see Hotlinked Modules and Teamwork on page 492.
Additional Information
Elements that are locked (whether reserved by others or not reserved at all) cannot be modified, but can be viewed in all window types (Floor Plan, 3D Window, Sections/Elevations, lists). These elements can be selected, their settings dialog boxes can be viewed, their parameters can be copied from there or picked up by using the Edit > Element Settings > Pick Up Parameters command or the corresponding shortcut (Alt-click on the element in Windows, Cmd-click on the element in MacOS). The owner of a Drawing, Detail or Section (Manual-rebuild and Drawing-type) has the exclusive right to update these elements. When updating the Team Project, you have the option of either releasing the elements created outside your area for use by other Teammates or keeping them reserved. If somebody else has created an element in your reserved area and has released it for your use, you can choose either to keep it or to discard it.
For more information, see Send & Receive Changes in ArchiCAD Help.
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The view map that will form the basis for the documentation should be created either by the team leader or by the documenting team. A possible workflow: the documenting team signs into the Team Project without reserving any workspace other than the layouts. This way they will not interrupt the work of the architects, and will still be able to create views.
Workflow in Teamwork
The following sections describe the functions and features specific to the work on a shared project.
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save changes in a state of the Project that is not yet ready for sending and receiving changes and made visible to other Teammates. In this case, the solution is to make a local Draft copy of the Shared Project, preserving the Sign-In reservations made. To create a local Draft copy of the Shared Project, choose the File > Save command. The created file can be opened similarly to a Solo Project, by choosing File > Open and the ArchiCAD Teamwork Draft format option. This file contains all the relevant data about the Team Project, including the reservations made by the Teammate. Note: Sending in changes to the Shared Project does not mean that your local copy is also saved at the same time. However, sending changes does trigger an Autosave, which will allow you to reopen the Draft in case of any error during the send-receive process. Since the Draft contains all the information available at the time of its creation, you can continue working on it as you normally would if you were still connected to the network. Of course, changes can only be sent in once you are reconnected to the network, and the same applies for updating changes made by other team members. This way, subcontractors and consultants can also be made part of the team by incorporating them as off-line team members with reserved workspaces. If you save multiple Drafts with variations of the design, you can send changes from any of them. You cannot continue to work on changes made to different Drafts with this option.
copied back to the central project and will be lost. You can however still include these changes later by choosing the File > File Special > Merge command. ArchiCAD will remember your last Workspace reservation and, when you next Sign In, offer you the same options by default.
Teamwork Techniques
Workspace allocation is the first crucial point of working in a team. It is crucial that the right person reserve, at the right time, the appropriate areas, layers, stories or sections/elevations. The importance of timing may not be so obvious at the moment of the Sign In, nevertheless, it must be carefully weighed and managed. Timing has the most significance when using Marquee selection on long or extensive elements. The reason is that all elements having at least one selection point inside or touching the area reserved with Marquee will be allocated to the user making the selection first. For instance, if a long wall has one selection dot - that is, five centimeters - inside the Marquee and 15 meters outside, it will still belong to the team member defining the Marquee area (unless another teammate signed in and reserved the other part of that wall earlier). Grouped elements are also individually reserved. If any part of the group is not in the workspace of a teammate, he or she will not be able to edit the group as a whole. The group must be suspended to be able to edit the individual elements that are included in the workspace. The risks of careless workspace reservation are more obvious: unnecessary monopolization of entire stories or layers can be a nuisance in the design process, whose correction may delay the work of the entire team, especially when working off-line. Note: If the team chooses to use the marquee to define workspaces, the team leader can define the workspaces with draft
ArchiCAD 12 Reference Guide
Signing Out
Choosing the Teamwork > Sign Out command breaks contact with the Team Project and releases your reserved workspace for other teammates who may wish to sign in to it. If you have made any changes, you are prompted to send them in. Choosing No in this dialog box means that your changes will be lost. Note: If you have saved a Local Draft copy of the project and then signed out without sending in your changes, they will not be
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lines prior to sharing the project. When the teammates first sign in, they can use the magic wand ('space'-click) to select a predefined workspace. This is very helpful when the geometry of the building requires arched workspace boundaries. Naturally, the correction of already allocated workspaces or the exchange of elements might also be necessary simply because of the modification of the project, which is the very nature of architectural work. If you plan to place elements at a considerable distance from the Project Origin (e.g. you are working in real-world coordinates), you should make some preparations your plan before sharing the project. In case of an empty plan, place at least one distant element before sharing the project. In case of an existing project, place an element at the desired distance, then save it, open it and save it again before sharing the project. (This is necessary to allow ArchiCAD to perform a background algorithm that improves the accuracy of large-scale projects.) Both the correction of mistakes and modifications can be carried out in various ways, some more sophisticated than others. We detail these methods in the following examples.
Extending Workspace
User A has a wall entirely inside his marquee-defined Area, on which B should work from now on. A would like to reallocate this element by releasing it. At this moment, A cannot put the wall onto a layer belonging to B, since the layers reserved by others are inaccessible for him or her. Similarly, B cannot do anything at all with the elements in the Area of A.
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wall, it is reserved by B. B sends and receives changes in order to see only one wall in that position belonging to him or her. Advantages: Fast and efficient, no auxiliary layers, no need to sign out and sign in again, no chance of misplacement, and the element remains on the same layer. It works with any kind of element. Drawbacks: Risk of creating unintended duplicates, which can alter calculations, resulting in false values in the call-offs.
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Drawbacks: Needs very good communication between team members. Only works with elements that are inside the Marquee reservation areas of both teammates.
Area Modification
During the design and drafting process, it might be necessary for team members to change their workspace allocation (either the Marquee Area or the layer-story settings, or both). However, this change is often temporary and the user needs to return to the originally reserved workspace.
Situation 1
Advantages: Very simple, fast and efficient, no auxiliary layers, no need to sign out and sign in again, no chance of misplacement, and the element remains on the same layer. In addition, both team members can work on the element. Drawbacks: Needs extremely good communication in order to avoid different modifications of the same element. (For instance, A and B should not set different colors, hatches, height etc. for the two halves of the wall.) Cannot be used with all element types, at least not easily. For instance, in the case of roofs, fills or slabs, cutting an element results in a border line displayed along the cutting line, which can spoil the drawing. With walls, the only problem is placing an opening to that spot. A needs to temporarily work on some additional layers and on a separate area, outside the Marquee Area allocated to him or her. The needed workspace is entirely free (no one has reserved it). A does not sign out. He or she saves a Draft and signs in to the same project under a different, yet typical name (for instance A1) reserving the necessary workspace. This way A can keep his or her original workspace setup untouched; moreover, the temporarily occupied area can be freed by A1 simply signing out.
Situation 2
A needs to temporarily work on some additional layers and on a separate area, outside the Marquee Area allocated to him or her. The needed workspace is not free; it is entirely or partly in the workspace of B. This means that A will have to temporarily take over a segment of the area of B, who needs to continue working in the remaining space. B signs out. He or she then signs in for the remaining part under a different, yet typical name (for example B1). A also signs out, then signs in to the same project under a different, but typical name (for example A1), reserving the necessary workspace. Alternatively, A does not sign out, instead saves the Draft and signs in to the same project under a different, but typical name (for example A1), reserving only the extra workspace necessary. This way, both A and B can keep their original workspace setups untouched, which means that signing in under the old user name (A or B) can be done right away. Moreover, the temporarily occupied area can be freed when A1 signs out.
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Working Off-Line
During a longer period of off-line work, many Draft copies of the Draft might be saved for safety reasons. The appropriate management of these files can save time and unnecessary work, and prevent data loss. Organizing the files is tricky and must be done according to your individual needs. When saving a Draft file, it will contain all the information of the Team Project at the moment of last choosing the Teamwork > Send & Receive Changes or Receive Changes command. From that point on, the teammate can work on this Draft as on a Solo Project. This means that the work might be continued on a different (usually remote) computer onto which the file can be transferred via any portable data storage device. Though this is similar to the single-user ArchiCAD environment, there are a few important issues worth mentioning.
Archive File
In any of the previous cases, an archive file can be saved by using the File > Save As command. Before returning to the office, a new archive should be saved, which, on opening, will recreate the archive library on the local computer. The new or modified elements must be copied manually to their source library, according to the library management method employed.
Off-Line Libraries
Depending on the library management solution used in the office and to the data storage device available, the library can be any of the types detailed in the Techniques section. For more information, see Libraries on page 41.
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The sections below describe three ways to address library management, depending on the type and speed of the computers and the network being used.
Central Library
With fast and efficient networks only. All teammates use the Central library on the server via network. When working with a Central Library, new elements created by any user can be immediately used by the other teammates after reloading the libraries, while modifications of the library parts can be seen after pressing Option/Alt while choosing View > Refresh > Rebuild in Floor Plan view. Advantages: There is only one copy of all elements; easier to administer; changes are more apparent because of the live connection. Drawbacks: It can increase the communication time.
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Other teammates using their own Satellite Libraries can see the changed or newly created library parts after choosing the Send & Receive Changes, Receive Changes, Sign In or after reloading the library with Library Manager. However, if any additional library is loaded next to the originally generated Satellite Library folder, the elements in this library will not be transferred to the Central Library automatically. This either has to be done manually (see Separate Libraries on page 472), or the library part should be opened with the File > Libraries and Objects > Open Object command and saved into the Satellite Library folder. If a library part is deleted from a central library, a warning appears. It is possible to either delete the part from the local cache, keep it in the local cache, or copy the part from the local cache back to the central library. Advantages: Easy-to-use, can be used in a mixed computer platform environment, supports off-line work, does not put an extra burden on the network Drawbacks: The preparation takes longer, it needs local computers with large hard disk capacity - every library for every project must be on every computer during the projects life-span.
Separate Libraries
The traditional method, works with any kind of network (or even without a permanent network). The Central Library is copied onto the local computer manually before signing in. During the first sign-in, the local library has to be specified in the Library Manager. (If Library Manager does not appear during the sign-in process, it has to be manually opened and the loaded libraries checked.) After selecting the local Library, the Draft will have no link to the Central Library, which means that all changes must be followed up and administered by the user, manually copying the modified and new library parts from the local computer to the Central Library and vice versa. Advantages: Does not put an extra burden on the network and can be used in a network-down situation. Modifications are easier to monitor and manage. This is the traditional ArchiCAD method and thus more familiar to users.
ArchiCAD 12 Reference Guide
If there is a live connection to the network, newly created or modified and saved library parts will appear in the Central Library immediately. If there is no live network connection, the new or altered elements will only be copied into the Central Library after choosing Send & Receive Changes, Sign In or after reloading the library with File > Libraries and Objects > Library Manager. For more information, see Library Manager Dialog Box in ArchiCAD Help.
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Drawbacks: The preparation takes longer; requires local computers with very large hard disk capacity; requires disciplined workflow.
ACScratch.tmp is a temporary file during the save process which contains the same data as the plp. If this file is renamed to <project>.plp, there is a good chance that it will fully recover an up-to-date version of the lost plp file. orig_########## is a temporary file during the save process which contains the same data as the previous version of the plp. If this file is renamed to <project>.plp, there is a good chance that it will fully recover the previous state of the lost plp file. <user project>.prf is the Teamwork preferences file specific to the user and the project.
When you send and receive changes or connect to the central project file (plp) for any other action, Teamwork goes through the following steps.
1) <project>.lck is created. 2) A scratch file for the project file is created (ACScratch.tmp). 3) Information is saved into ACScratch.TMP and
Scratch_##########.
Teamwork Files
When you set up a Teamwork project and work with it, the following files are created and used. <Project>.plp is the Teamwork file. <Project>.plc is a local draft of the signed-in user. <Project>.bpc is the backup of local draft. <Project>.pca is a local draft archive. <Project>.lck is the lock file. It appears when a teammate starts a Teamwork process (sign in, send, receive, sign out) and prohibits other teammates from accessing the plp file. It disappears after the process is finished. If such a file does not disappear after the teamwork process is finished, administrator should delete it manually. <project>.txt is the log file recording teamwork processes.
4) The old <project>.plp is renamed to orig_######. 5) ACScratch.TMP is renamed to <project>.plp. 6) If the renaming is successful, orig_###### is moved to the
backup folder and renamed to <project>.plp.
7) <project>.lck is removed.
Troubleshooting in Teamwork
When working with Teamwork you have to take care of proper workflow organization and administration. In the Human Errors section we cover the most typical user errors. Since working with Teamwork also involves network operations, the possibility of computer errors is more significant than in single computer environments. The Hardware/Software Problems section deals with the most typical computer errors.
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Compatibility Note
You cannot work with different versions of ArchiCAD on the same Team Project. This means that you should only start using Teamwork with a Team Project when all of the potential Team Members have been equipped with the same version of the program. To use an earlier version Team Project with a more recent version of ArchiCAD, the Team Leader must sign in with exclusive access. Before the sign-in process, ArchiCAD will warn the Team Leader that the Team Project will become inaccessible to users of previous versions. After this, the Team Leader should sign out. The Team Project is now updated and ready to be used by all Team Members. It cannot be accessed any more with an earlier version of the program. The last used workspaces of the Team Members are preserved in the process. After the Team Leader has finished, all Team Members can sign in again with ArchiCAD to their workspace as it was.
Human Errors
Users can make errors when they do not perfectly understand processes and rules in Teamwork, or when they make simple errors such as forgetting a password. The following section lists the most common user errors.
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Version Problems
During teamwork, unwanted data might be transferred due to opening a new file, or, as quite often happens in architectural work, users might realize that an earlier version of the file contains a better solution to a given problem. Unfortunately, going back to previous versions is sometimes very difficult, if not impossible. The basic rule is that every user has a Sign In ID. This is an integer which increases with every subsequent Sign In. Once you signed in again to the same project under the same user name, the data from the previous Sign In can no longer be transferred to the Team Project. (In other words, data from a Draft with a smaller Sign In ID cannot be sent to the Team Project.) This is because a smaller Sign In means that you have previously discarded your reservations by signing out. After this, any other teammate was free to make reservations in the same area. Using the Sign In ID of an outdated Draft could create conflicts in some items of this area. Nevertheless, data from files with the same Sign In ID might be sent to the Team Project, although ArchiCAD keeps track of the modifications via the Send Changes ID. This is another integer which gets a higher value after each Teamwork > Send & Receive Changes command. If sending data from a file with a smaller Send Changes ID (that is, from an earlier phase of your work), the program will prompt you to validate the overwriting of the newer data and ID. Note: You can find the Sign In ID of the file either in the Get Info (MacOS)/Properties (Windows) window, in the Project Sharing Info dialog box, in the Preview part of the File > Open dialog box, or in the <project>.txt file.
Hardware/Software Problems
Most computer errors come from unstable computer networks resulting in interrupted Sign In, Sign Out and Send & Receive Changes processes. We give you solutions to the most common computer errors in the next section.
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If you try to send your changes then, a message will appear stating that you cannot sign in, sign out or send changes because such an action is under way by another user. Check in your computers file system whether the Project file is locked. If it is, unlock it, and try sending in your changes again.
If there is no Backup copy available, then the latest of the previous versions of the file with the same Sign In ID - should be used. You can find the Sign In ID of the file either in the Get Info (MacOS)/Properties (Windows) window or in the Project Sharing Setup dialog box. Note: Data from a Draft with a smaller Sign In ID cannot be sent to the Team Project. If there is neither a Backup copy nor a previous file with the right ID, all changes since the last one will be lost. In this case, you can either sign in again with the same name and password and discard your previous connection, or the Administrator can clear your signing in by choosing the Force Sign Out option in the Project Sharing Setup dialog box.
Corrupted Draft
Open the last Backup copy of the current Draft. Team Project backup copies are stored in the Backup folder next to the Team Project. Do not open the backup file from the Backup folder directly; you should first copy it to another location, then open it.
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Important: Use this method only if all project elements have been reserved to someones workspace, because any unreserved elements will be lost.
during which someone signed in as Team Leader with full access can correct the error. All other employees are Teammates. At this office size, labor management is flexible, so access should be open for any colleague to sign in. Note: If for some reason you feel that the controllable Registered Members Only access is necessary, you can modify the list of users at any time by signing in as Administrator and choosing the Teamwork > Project Sharing Setup command.
Teamwork Strategies
Architectural firms of different sizes may have different concerns when working on a shared project. The sections below detail possible solutions for small, medium and large firms.
Small Firms
The office is too small to have a CAD Manager, the network is a simple workgroup solution, connecting 2 to 7 machines, or there is no coherent network at all. Every employee is responsible for the maintenance of his or her own computer and software. The projects are small or medium sized and, if teamwork is necessary, all the architects work on the same project during a given period. Everyone knows about the others work, colleagues are in close contact, in most cases they are in the same room. There is usually only one or two senior architect(s); the other architects are at the same level, and responsibility is shared.
Sign In
As in all cases, the Sign In must be coordinated, since only one person can sign in at a time. Obviously, in such a small office with good communication among the staff, coordination should not be a problem. The design and drawing parts are assigned to the architects and draftsmen after previous discussions. However, they can sign up and arrange the final details of the sharing together, thus diminishing the chances of bad workspace allocation. Even so, should correction be needed, workspace reservations can easily be changed here at any time by signing out and signing in again with modified workspace parameters. All the teammates involved in this process can be informed without too much trouble.
The Team
The Administrator is a fictional person, in fact a name and a password only. Since security is not an issue, both should be very simple and easy-to-remember and might be known to everyone. Anyone can assume the role of the Administrator, if necessary. The password is stored in a safe and accessible place and under normal circumstances is not used. The Team Leader is probably the senior architect of the office, at least at the early design stage. He or she develops the design to its conceptual phase, then shares it with the others. Later, someone else can take over this role, if needed. Since communication is easy within the team, and off-line work is improbable, good pre-sharing file preparation is important but not vital. Should the teammates have any problem with the settings and options, a general Sign Out and a new Sign In can be organized easily,
ArchiCAD 12 Reference Guide
Network
With such a limited number of computers, there is no server machine and the Team Project is usually stored on the computer from where it was shared. In fact, it can be stored on any of the computers, provided that it can be accessed by the other machines. (A server, if one exists, is the best location.)
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library parts many times. These items should be in a custom library on the master computer, where Satellite Libraries can be created. The network may not be fast enough to use a Central Library. In this situation, either Satellite Libraries or local Libraries extracted from Draft Archives should be used. The basic parameters (preferences) of similar projects are often identical (materials, layers and layer combinations, dimension settings, etc.). For these projects, preset but empty files may be created and saved under typical names, for example Supermarket, Cottage, Garage, etc. These files are called Project Templates. When preparing a Team Project, you can simply open such a Template file and save it under the actual name of the project.
but off-line work may occur. The senior architect is in charge of the actual project and takes responsibility for it.
The Team
The Administrator is the Senior Architect. Security is an important issue since the Senior Architect takes full responsibility for the project; he needs to be in full control of the basic changes. The password is stored in a safe place and under normal circumstances is rarely used. The Team Leader is again the Senior Architect. He develops the design to its conceptual phase then shares it with some of the other architects of the team. The Sharing may be multilevel (see later under Sign In). Later, other architects and draftsmen can join the project. Communication is easy within the teams; however, if there is off-line work, good pre-sharing file preparation is very important. Should the teammates have any problem with the settings and options, a general Sign out and a New Sign In can be carefully organized, during which the Senior Architect as Team Leader with full access can correct the error. Note: Do not Force Sign Out Teammates when working off-line. Generally speaking, use Force Sign Out only as a last resort for disconnecting illegal users or for avoiding duplicates. All other employees are Teammates. Depending on the project size and on the number of projects running simultaneously, access might be Registered Members Only but usually (and preferably) Open Access. The Open Access mode is better since the senior architect is not a proper Administrator, so correcting the user list would mean an unnecessary task when the workspace allocation could be easier controlled personally. Note: If for some reason you feel that the more official Registered Members Only access is necessary, you can modify the list of users at any time during the teamwork session by signing in as Administrator and choosing the Teamwork > Share this Project command. For more information, see Project Sharing Setup in ArchiCAD Help.
ArchiCAD 12 Reference Guide
Third Parties
The consultant partners are usually small offices or even one-man bands working manually or with specific CAD systems. ArchiCAD can flawlessly read and write DXF and DWG files, the most widely used CAD file formats. Assuming that the software used by the consultant is also capable of reading/writing DXF or DWG files, their work can be incorporated into the team project. During the Sign In session, sign in for the consultant (under his/her or a fictional name), reserving certain layer(s). Save a Draft, from which DXF/DWG files can be saved for the consultant partner. His or her changes can simply be merged or copied back to this file, then be communicated to the others by choosing Teamwork > Send & Receive Changes.
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Sign In
The Sign In, as in all cases, must be coordinated, since only one person can sign in to the same project at a time. Obviously, when working in small teams with good communication among the team members, coordination should not be a problem. In case of larger projects, multilevel sharing is recommended. In this case, the Team Leader (senior architect) prepares and then shares the project, with only a few senior office members signing in. They take the design further until it reaches a point at which more colleagues need to join. At this point they have to sign out and a new Sign In session can take place. This process is repeated as many times as necessary until the whole team can work on the project. At each level of sharing, it is advisable to make a thorough check of the design. This way the complete design process is better controlled. The design and drawing parts are assigned to the architects and draftsmen after preliminary discussions. Should correction be needed, workspace reservation can easily be changed any time by signing out and signing in again with modified workspace parameters. Note: If you would like to reassign some elements to your teammate without having to change the workspace, or to sign out, please refer to the section Teamwork Techniques on page 466 for additional information.
many times. These items should be in a custom library on the server, where Satellite Libraries can be created. The network may not be fast enough to use a Central Library. In this situation, either Satellite Libraries or local Libraries extracted from Draft Archives should be used. The basic parameters (preferences) of similar projects are often identical (materials, layers and layer combinations, dimension settings, etc.). For these projects, pre-set but empty files may be created and saved under typical names, for example Supermarket, Cottage, Garage, etc. These files are called Project Templates. When preparing a Team Project, you can simply open such a Template file and save it under the actual name of the project. For more information on template files, see Template Files on page 17.
Third Parties
The consultant partners are small offices or independent contractors, usually working with specific CAD systems. ArchiCAD can flawlessly read and write DXF and DWG files, the most widely used CAD file formats. Assuming that the software used by the consultant is also capable of reading/writing DXF or DWG files, his/her work can be incorporated into the team project. During the Sign In session, sign in for the consultant (under his/her or a fictional name), reserving certain layer(s). Save a local Draft, from which DXF/DWG files can be saved for the consultant partner. His or her changes can simply be merged or copied back to this file, then be communicated to the others by choosing Teamwork > Send & Receive Changes.
Network
There is a server machine. The Team Project can be prepared and shared on any of the computers, then saved to the server. For integrity reasons, it is strongly recommended that all local Drafts (of all currently signed in users) be saved to the server into a separate folder at certain design stages. This way, a sort of history of the design can be created, which can help correcting any errors. The server is used only for storing the Team Project file, so it does not require a copy of ArchiCAD. The server must be accessible at all times from all the computers of the team (or even the entire office).
Large Practices
There is a CAD Manager responsible for the proper operation of the CAD systems used at the office and for the seamless management of the connections and the files created. The computers, other software and the network are maintained by the technical group. The network is a client/server solution with a high capacity remote server, or servers, connecting all the machines, which may even be in different locations. There are several different size teams organized in a multilevel hierarchy, all led by a senior architect, who is personally
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responsible for the work of the team. The teams are in separate zones of the network with preset access privileges. The senior architects report to the partners and managers of the office. The CAD Manager organizes the work of all the teams and is in close contact with the senior architects. The projects are usually large, the architects in each team work on the same project during a given period, though many teams may work on the single, large project. The employees in the team do not necessarily know about the work of the others, and off-line work is frequent.
Leader with full access can correct the error. The Team Leader also has an important role during the Sign In session. Note: Do not Force Sign Out Teammates when working off-line. Generally speaking, use Force Sign Out only as a last resort for disconnecting illegal users or for avoiding duplicates. All the other employees are Teammates. Because of the project size and the number of projects running simultaneously, access is Registered Users Only. Teammates work with ArchiCAD as single users, using only the Teamwork > Send & Receive Changes and Receive Changes commands. All crucial actions like Sign In or Sign Out are performed by or with the help of the Administrator. Because of this, Teammates also have and use their own passwords. For more information, see Project Sharing Setup in ArchiCAD Help.
The Team
The CAD Manager is the Administrator of all teams. The CAD Manager shares the projects prepared by the Team Leader, creates the necessary space on the server, establishes the links, makes sure that the Loaded Libraries are saved to the right location, and sets the necessary file and operating system access rights. Note: If there is only one server for the entire office (for all the teams) and the work does not involve multiple teams, then the Project File and the Library may be saved instead to a computer belonging to the given team. Security is an issue of utmost importance since it is the key to comprehensive job allocation. The CAD Manager (with the help of the Team Leader) creates the team list using the Registered Users Only access option and giving passwords to each Teammate. The password is known only to the Administrator and stored in a safe place. The Administrator plays a vital role during the Sign In session. The Team Leader is the Senior Architect of the team or, in case of multi-team work, one of the senior architects as Deputy Project Architect. He or she develops the design to its conceptual phase, then shares it with other architects of the team. The Sharing may be multilevel. Later, other architects and draftsmen can join the project. Because of the large number of participants, communication inside the team is not always simple. This is why thorough and well thought-out file preparation is particularly important. Should the teammates have any problem with the settings and options, a general Sign Out and a new Sign In with the help of the Administrator can be carefully organized, during which the Senior Architect as Team
Sign In
The coordination of Sign Ins at this office and team size can be difficult and prone to errors. Not only do Teammates have to select the appropriate layers, stories, sections/elevations and areas, but they also have to do it at the right time. In addition, the Administrator and the Team Leader have to keep track of workspace allocations since they take all the responsibility for the project. The best solution for avoiding these conflicts is that the Administrator and the Team Leader handle signing in for all Teammates. After preparing the Project file, the Team Leader copies it onto the computer of the Administrator with the list of architects and draftsmen he or she would like to involve in the project. The Administrator then shares the project with the Registered Members Only access option and signs in under the name of each user onto the arranged workspace in the right sequence. After each Sign In, the Administrator saves a local Draft (or Draft Archive) onto the actual users machine, then gives the Teammates their passwords. In case of these large projects, multilevel sharing is almost inevitable. This means that the Administrator, after the preparations made by the Team Leader, shares the project and signs in for a few senior office members only. They take the design further until it reaches a point at which more colleagues need to join. At this point they have to sign out and a new Administrator Sign In session can take place.
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This process is repeated as many times as necessary until the whole team can work on the project. At each level of sharing, the Team Leader should make a thorough check of the design. This way the complete design process is better controlled. Should correction of the work allocation be needed, workspace reservations can easily be changed any time by signing out and signing in again with modified workspace parameters.
save them under typical names, for example Commercial, Office, Hospital, etc. These files are called Project Templates. When preparing a Team Project, the CAD Manager or the Team Leader can simply open such a Template file and save it under the actual name of the project. Using Templates can significantly reduce the risk of making mistakes.
Hotlinked Modules
Modules are useful for very large projects. Such projects can be divided into modules, for example by wings or by stages of design development. Each module is considered a shared Team Project. The Team Leader is responsible for managing the central host project and the sharing of the modules. For more information, see Hotlinked Modules and Teamwork on page 492.
Network
Selecting the computer to house the Team Project, Libraries and backup copies is the task of the Administrator. The Team Project can be prepared and shared on any of the computers, then saved to this machine (usually the server). For integrity reasons, it is strongly recommended that all Drafts (of all currently signed in users) be saved to the server into a separate folder at certain design stages. This way, a sort of history of the design can be created, which can help correcting any errors. The chosen computer is used only for storing the Team Project file, so no copy of ArchiCAD is necessary. This machine must be accessible at all times from all the computers of the team (or even the entire office).
Third Parties
The consultant partners are usually large offices themselves, working with specific CAD systems. ArchiCAD can flawlessly read and write DXF and DWG files, the most widely used common CAD file formats. Assuming that the software used by the consultant is also capable of reading/writing DXF or DWG files, their work can be incorporated into the team project. In addition, ArchiCAD can interpret AutoCADs XREF files, meaning that if the members of the consultant company work in a group, their referenced file can be read into ArchiCAD without losing its link. During the Sign In session, sign in for the consultant partners (under their or a fictional name) reserving certain layer(s). Save a local Draft, from which DXF/DWG files can be saved for the consultant partner. His or her changes can simply be merged or copied back to this file, then be communicated to the others by choosing Teamwork > Send & Receive Changes.
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Hotlinked Modules
About Hotlinked Modules
Hotlinked Modules allow you to insert the contents of external ArchiCAD files (sources) into the currently open Project (host). A Hotlink is a logical pointer to an external source file. A Module is a set of construction elements placed on the Floor Plan using a Hotlink. Hotlinked Modules can be used, for example, to manage the repetitive structures of buildings such as hotels or offices with a large number of identical rooms: if rooms are placed as a hotlinked module file, you can modify all the rooms in one step, by just updating the modules source file. Moreover, the same structures can be used in multiple projects. This is also a good way to subdivide large projects into easier-to-handle smaller files.
For details on converting legacy hotlinks, see the Migration Guide for ArchiCAD 12 in the Getting Started booklet. The host file can include any number of Hotlinks. The Modules content can be updated upon command if the hotlinked source file changes. The elements of a hotlinked module are included in the host Project, which means that even if the hotlinked source file is not currently available, the Module is still present and visible, but cant be updated as long as the referred source file is absent. Elements belonging to a selected Module have hollow square marks on their hotspots. If several Modules are selected, their selection dots will have different colors to help you distinguish them.
Multiple instances of the same Hotlink can be placed, each instance being a separate Module. The placement parameters of each instance can be different even though they share the same Hotlink. The Module can only be edited as an entity (similarly to Library Parts or Groups). They cannot be ungrouped and their elements cannot be edited as long as they remain part of a placed Module. You can use the Find & Select command to locate Module elements by Hotlink.
The source file of a Module can be a Solo Project, a Team Project or a Module-type file from ArchiCAD 12. If you would like to use an older-version file as a hotlink source, you must first open and save the source file in ArchiCAD 12.
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For more information, see Find and Select Elements by Criteria on page 84. Managing (modifying, updating, breaking, deleting) a Hotlink will have an effect on all of its placed Modules.
Library Parts: Placing a Module does not import any of the Library Parts it refers to. Make sure that the Library Parts used by the source are also available to the host, by either using the same Libraries for both source and host, activating the sources Libraries in host file or putting an alias/shortcut to the sources Libraries into the hosts Libraries. Stories: When you create a Module that contains multi-story elements, or which includes several stories, you have the option of including all stories or selected stories as part of the module. Pen Colors: The settings of the current Project will be applied to the Module. Materials, Line Types, Fill Types and Composites: If the elements of the Hotlinked Module use attributes that have the same names as those of the current Project, they will use the attributes of the host file. If no material, line type, fill type or composite of that name exists, new attributes will be added to the host file. However, once an attribute is part of the host file, that attribute will not be updated by any modifications to the same attribute in the Hotlinked Module file. Note: Attributes imported with the Hotlinked Modules are added permanently to the Project, i.e., they will not be removed when deleting Hotlinks or Modules.
For more information, see Modules Involving Multiple Stories on page 486.
There is a difference between Modules placed in Projects and Module type files. Modules placed in Projects are sets of elements coming from Solo Project, Team Project or Module type files. Module type files are a simplified type of ArchiCAD file (with extension .mod). They contain no Section/Elevation/IE or 3D Document data, active Library or preferences information and only refer to attributes actually used by their elements. Module-type files can either be placed as Modules or merged into a project through the File > File Special > Merge command. Merged elements cannot be updated from the source file. For more information, see Merging Files on page 20.
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Create Module
There are two ways to create a module: to save a module-type file, and to save selected elements as a module file.
By checking the Replace selection with this hotlinked module file, you can immediately replace the selected elements with the module file. If you have selected certain elements and copied them to the clipboard, you can save a module that will include those elements only: use File > Save As, then choose the Module File from Clipboard file format. Note: If the selection contains elements that cannot be modified (e.g. they are locked, located on a locked layer or reserved by another Teammate), an alert will warn you. You will then have the choice of either creating the module with the editable elements only, or canceling the operation altogether.
Save Selected Elements as Module 1) Draw some elements in the Floor Plan and select them. You can
select elements from several stories by using the Marquee tools multistory option. 2) Go to File > External Content > Save Selection as Module. A directory dialog box will appear, prompting you to save the selected elements as a module file.
The Apply offset/rotation of most recently broken hotlinked module checkbox is only available in this dialog box if a hotlinked file has been broken; otherwise it is gray. See Apply Offset and Rotation of Edited Module on page 487.
Place Module
To place a module, choose File > External Content > Place Hotlinked Module. The dialog box allows you to choose a hotlink and edit its placement settings (e.g. layer, orientation, mirror effect, elevation), then place the module.
For more information, see Place Module Dialog Box in ArchiCAD Help.
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The controls in this dialog box apply to the currently chosen Hotlink, as displayed in the Hotlinked to field in the bottom half of the dialog box. To choose a different hotlink, click the Choose Hotlink button to open the corresponding dialog box. For more information, see Choose Hotlink in ArchiCAD Help. If the desired Hotlink does not exist yet, click the New Hotlink button to add a new file to the list. The elements of the module keep their element-specific layer assignment and are placed on the corresponding layers of the current Project, if layers with these names exist. If necessary, new layers will be created. The Master Layer controls the visibility and locking of a module as an entity. This Master Layer is an ordinary layer of the host file and can include any other elements. A directory type dialog box will appear. Choose the desired file to use as the hotlink, then click Place Module to place it in the project. If the desired hotlinks source file is in an older version of ArchiCAD, you will be directed to open and save that file in ArchiCAD 12 before using it as a hotlink source. Different instances of the same module can be assigned to different Master Layers. Element-specific layers control the visibility of the elements within the module. Locking a Master Layer has priority over the Delete and Break Hotlink commands in the Hotlink Manager dialog box. These commands only act on modules with an unlocked Master Layer.
For more information, see Hotlink Manager Dialog Box in ArchiCAD Help. Layer Combinations of the source file are not imported with the modules. Note: For best results, use the same layer structure in both the source and the host file.
Modules are placed in grouped mode. They cannot be ungrouped, and their elements cannot be edited individually.
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Note: If you try to place a multistory module into a project that contains fewer stories than the module you are placing, a warning will appear. The module stories which do not fit in the host project will not be placed.
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In Hotlink Manager (File > External Content > Hotlink Manager), choose the desired source file from the Hotlink Sources list. Then click Open in Separate ArchiCAD. Another ArchiCAD opens on your machine, with the source file. Edit the file as needed, then save it. Hint: If you want to see the Floor Plan context of the placed module while editing its source in the second ArchiCAD, use the Trace function: save the Floor Plan (in the first ArchiCAD) as a view and place it onto a Layout. In the second ArchiCAD, use the Organizer to access the first ArchiCAD and copy this Layout into the second ArchiCAD. Select this Layout in the second ArchiCADs tree structure and choose Show as Trace from its context menu. Return to the first (host) project. Go to File > External Content > Hotlink Manager. In the Hotlink Source list, note that the Status of the edited modules Hotlink Source now reads Modified. (If needed, click Refresh Status to get the latest status messages.) Click Update to update the hotlink. This action is carried out once you click OK to close the Hotlink Manager dialog box.
4) Edit the elements as needed. (Use Edit > Grouping > Suspend
Groups to enable editing.) Save Selection as Module.
5) Select the elements again and choose File > External Content > 6) Give the new module file a unique name.
Note: If you choose the old name of the module file, you will overwrite the previous source file and thereby overwrite all placed instances of the module file, not just the selected module.
1) Select the module to edit on the Floor Plan. 2) Choose File > External Content > Hotlinked Module Settings.
For more information, see Module Settings in ArchiCAD Help.
7) Click Save. The new, edited Hotlinked module is placed. Apply Offset and Rotation of Edited Module
When several instances of a module have been placed with different rotation and offset values, and you edit the source file after breaking its hotlink, a relocation effect occurs when you save the modified source file.
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To correct this: Follow the steps listed above to break the hotlink and edit it.
Managing Hotlinks
Use the Hotlink Manager (File > External Content > Hotlink Manager) to gain an overview of and manage all the modules in your project. See Hotlink Manager Dialog Box in ArchiCAD Help for a description of each control. The Hotlinked Modules list (in the top half of the dialog box) displays the hierarchy of modules hotlinked into the current project. Each module listed here represents a vertical slice (that is, one or more stories) of its source file. When saving the edited selection as a module in the Save Selection as Module dialog box (see step 5 above): Check both the Replace selection with this hotlinked module file and Apply offset/rotation of most recently broken hotlinked module boxes. Click the Save button. The list is hierarchical, indicating any nested modules at a lower level in the tree structure. The following image shows three single-story modules placed from source file A.pln, and a multistory module (from B.pln) which also contains the nested module C.mod.
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Nested Modules
It is possible to have several levels of hotlinked modules nested into each other. Nested Modules are listed in the Hotlink Managers Module list according to their location in the module hierarchy. If you do not want to include elements from nested modules in your project, you may choose to skip the nested modules by checking the corresponding box in the Hotlink Manager dialog box.
Select any module in this list to view the hotlink type (single- or multistory), the names and numbers of the story it contains, and the number of placed instances of this module in the project. Hovering your cursor over any hotlink displays an information tag with the modules location in the host file. Note that selecting a module in this list also highlights the name of its source file in the Hotlink Sources list further down in this dialog box. The Hotlink Sources list displays the source files of the hotlinked modules, together with the status of each of these files. Use the buttons at the right of the Hotlinked Modules list and the Hotlink Sources list to manage the modules, their links and their source files.
In this case, the elements coming from nested modules will be excluded from the instances placed on the Floor Plan (but will, of course, still be present in the source file). If you select such a nested module in the Hotlinked Modules list, you cannot change or break the hotlink (these commands and the module name itself are greyed), but you can save it as a new file. You can also open or update the nested hotlinks source file in just one step, by clicking the Update button in the Hotlink Sources section below. However, the Relink command is available only for the source files of modules at the top of the hierarchy, not for nested modules.
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disabled; that is, the module should be in grouped mode.) All the elements making up the module will be cleared from your Project. If you want to clear all the instances of the same Hotlinked Module, you can go to the Hotlink Manager dialog box, select a Hotlinks name and click the Delete button.
Breaking Hotlinks
To break the hotlinks and preserve the elements of ALL instances of one or more modules, select the module in the Hotlinked Modules list in the Hotlink Manager dialog box (File > External Content > Hotlink Manager). Then click the Break Hotlink button. The result: the elements contained in the module are now regular editable ArchiCAD elements, no longer part of a module and no longer linked to any other source file. To break the hotlink of any single instance of a placed module, select the module and use the Break Hotlink of Selected Module in File > External Content > Hotlinked Module Settings. Once the hotlink is broken, the placed elements can be edited. See Edit Module: Break Link, Edit Elements, Replace Hotlink on page 487. After you break the Hotlink of a placed Module, the elements will be automatically grouped. However, restrictions on grouping will be valid (e.g., Dimension Chains will not be included in the group).
If two files refer to each other (for example, each containing one of the wings of a two-wing building), the Skip Nested Modules checkbox in the Hotlink Manager dialog box is checked automatically, in order to avoid recursion resulting in the duplication of elements. It is also possible to hotlink a file to itself. Here again, the Skip Nested Modules box will be checked. Note: Since this method will also ignore all other nested modules, use it only with files that do not contain any other placed module.
Updating Hotlinks
If the source file of a hotlinked module is changed, the placed instance of the module will be updated only if you use the Update command in Hotlink Manager. (File > External Content > Hotlink Manager.) The Hotlink Sources list indicates which source files, if any, have been Modified and thus are out of date. Select the file and press Update.
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To set update preferences when opening a file containing hotlinks, go to Options > Work Environment > Data Safety > Hotlink Update. For more information, see Hotlink Update in ArchiCAD Help.
Once you press OK to close the dialog box, the module instances originated with this source file will be updated in your project. If you click the Update, Relink or Relocate commands for selected Hotlink Source files, these scheduled actions are noted in the files status column with a yellow triangle (at this point, you can still cancel the operation). The actions are not carried out until you press OK to close the Hotlink Manager dialog box. Warning: Carrying out these actions means that your ArchiCAD projects entire Undo queue will be cleared!
1) Choose File > External Content > Hotlink Manager. 2) In the list of Hotlinked Modules, select the name of the hotlink
which needs a new source file.
3) Click the Save as file... button and name the newly created file (it
will be a module-type file with extension .mod). To redefine the location of a Hotlink Source listed as Missing in Hotlink Manager: Click Relink and use the appearing New Hotlink directory dialog box to provide the location of the Hotlink Source (which is probably missing because it was moved to a new location.) As long as a Hotlinked Source is missing, ArchiCAD cannot update its module instances.
When pasting or merging data containing placed modules into a file containing instances of the same Hotlinks but with different update times, it is always the more recent module content that will be used, forcing the updating of the older instances. Warning: After this operation, the Hotlink may still be outdated.
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Note: Relink is available only for source files of top-level hotlinked modules; you cannot relink the source file of a nested hotlink. If the source of a nested hotlink is shown as Missing, open the file into which the nested hotlink is placed, and relink the source file.
The Relocate command is available only if you have selected multiple Hotlink Source files.
Replacing Hotlinks
To replace an existing hotlink with a different hotlinked module, select the hotlink from the Hotlinked Modules list at the top of the Hotlink Manager, and click Change Hotlink. From the appearing dialog box, choose another hotlinked module from this project, or click New Hotlink to create a new one. You can also replace a Hotlink Source file with another one: in the Hotlink Sources list in Hotlink Manager, select the source file to replace and click Relink. All module instances based on the original source will now be replaced by modules based on the new source you relinked here. If the new source file has a different story structure than the host file, you will be warned that some dimensions may be lost if you continue the relink process:
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When reserving a module by Layer, you must select the Master Layer of the module, not the layers of the elements making up the module.
When reserving a Marquee area, each module that has at least one element inside your workspace will be entirely reserved by you.
Teammates can manage the module instances inside their own workspaces. You can Delete and Break Hotlinks to your reserved instances. Note that the Hotlinks dialog box will show that all instances have been changed, not just yours. Click OK and open the Hotlinks dialog box again to see the real situation. You can update every instance of placed modules, both those reserved by you and by other Teammates. If you choose Teamwork > Send & Receive Changes or Receive Changes, ArchiCAD will update all instances with the newer versions. Note that your update can only act on the Team Project if your
Workspace actually did include such a module. Otherwise, all modifications will revert if you choose Send & Receive Changes. You can change the Hotlink of your instances of placed modules. When you then choose Send & Receive Changes, you will see that only your own instances will actually change, while those reserved by other Teammates will revert to the original Hotlink (resulting in more Hotlinks). Important: To avoid confusion, it is recommended that Hotlinks be changed in Exclusive Access mode by the Team
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Leader. If this is not feasible, all teammates should change to the same hotlink independently of each other. Choosing Check and update Hotlinks automatically from the Hotlink Update choices in Options > Work Environment > Data Safety is not effective when choosing Sign In > Sign Out or Send & Receive Changes. On the other hand, it will be effective when opening Draft Copies.
For more information, see XREF Management Dialog Box and Attach XREF in ArchiCAD Help. The XREF Management dialog box displays information about the attached files, including the name of the reference (usually the same as the attached file), its status (Loaded, Detached, Reloaded, Unloaded or Bound), size, type (Attach or Overlay), Date and the number of instances. Note: If any of the functions described in this chapter do not work properly, the DXF/DWG Add-On may be missing, or the DXF/DWG Translator is not set. You can check this easily by choosing File > Open and looking for the appropriate file types in the Files of type field. The missing Add-On can be loaded with the Add-On Manager command in the Options menu.
XREFs
External reference files (XREF) are similar to Hotlinked Modules, except that they are DXF or DWG files and not ArchiCAD files. External referencing is a way of saving disk space and work. You can attach a DWG or DXF file to your drawing, which will be loaded into the Project and displayed. You can, for example, snap to all drawing elements within the XREF and print or plot them. A common use for XREFs is to draw elements that are common to several kinds of drawings within a Project (e.g., the outlines of exterior and interior walls). If you have a file containing this data, you can attach it to other drawings that can use the geometric information contained in the XREF file without the Project file actually having to contain the data. Also, if the source of the data in the external reference (the DWG or DXF) is changed, then these changes can be updated immediately so the latest data is always available. XREF is available in both ArchiCAD and AutoCAD - both applications can detect circular references. In ArchiCAD, external reference files work much as they do in AutoCAD. ArchiCAD XREFs can display 2D elements from DWG files, but three-dimensional AutoCAD elements (such as Solid elements) are not visible in ArchiCADs 3D window. You can attach and detach XREF files in ArchiCAD, unload and reload them, bind them to the project file and view information about them. These functions are available from the File menu under the External Content > XREF Manager and Attach XREF commands.
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XREF layers are not available from layer selection pop-ups in other parts of the user interface (e.g. Tool Settings dialog boxes and Info Box). However, if an XREF element is included in the last selection, its XREF layer does appear - for information purposes only (in italics) - in the Layer chooser pop-up. If you want to do not want to import unused attributes of the XREF: click the Settings button in the Attach Xref dialog. In the appearing Settings dialog, check the Purge all unused Attributes box on the Miscellaneous page of the Settings of the Selected Translator.
If you do not want XREF layers to appear in Layer Settings, use the display filter pop-up at the top right of the dialog box and choose Hide Xref layers.
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The XREF model preserves the master AutoCAD file: each team member works only on his/her own part without being able to
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modify others work, because externally referenced files dont have to be sent back to their original sources. Due to essential differences between ArchiCAD and AutoCAD, perfect round-trips are not possible. (For example, if you import and then export something, polylines and structures are lost.) In practice, however, you can rely on the suggested XREFs, which do not involve overwriting the other partys original file, so that you dont need to rely on a perfect round-trip. If you work in round-trip communication, your file never gets overwritten. The specialist gets new DXF/DWG files from you from time to time, which contain imperfect reproductions of his modifications. You can avoid these imperfections if you keep his additions in a separate XREF file, attached as an external reference to the file you send back to him.
Set up Translators to make it easier to apply a customized set of conversion rules to the equivalent elements and functions of ArchiCAD and DXF/DWG files.
Data Exchange
ArchiCAD is fully prepared to work in collaboration with users of other CAD systems, especially those supporting AutoCADs native DWG and the industrial standard DXF formats. The DXF/DWG Add-On is installed together with the ArchiCAD package and is smoothly integrated in the ArchiCAD user interface. It allows you to: Open AutoCAD drawings as ArchiCAD Projects or ArchiCAD Library Parts. Merge AutoCAD drawings with your ArchiCAD Project file. Place AutoCAD drawings as ArchiCAD Drawings to Layouts or Model Views. Add AutoCAD drawings as external references (XREFs) to the ArchiCAD Project. Import BLOCKs from an AutoCAD drawing and create ArchiCAD Library Parts out of them within their own newly created Library. Save your ArchiCAD Floor Plans, Sections/Elevations, Detail Drawings and 3D Views in AutoCAD formats. Save your ArchiCAD Layouts in AutoCAD formats.
You can perform translator management every time the Translator dialog appears whether during data exchange (open and save) or through translation setup.
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Note for Teamwork users: Using common Translators ensures that all team members have access to the same conversion options. It is therefore recommended that the CAD Manager (or a person filling the same type of role in your office) manage the set of Translators and place them on a server. To use the translators, each team member must first introduce them into their list of Translators. For more information on Translator settings, see DXF/DWG Translation Setup in ArchiCAD Help.
Drag-and-dropping a DXF/DWG file onto a Layout will place the Drawing onto the Layout.
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The default location of this folder on Windows is: C:\Documents and Settings\<USER>\My Documents\Graphisoft\Dropped Objects
You must regularly weed through the object libraries created during DXF/DWG import, to eliminate duplicate and unnecessary items Some editing functions available for details stored in blocks will not be available for the library part instance
ACIS Import
A new function allows you to convert AutoCAD 3D Solids, Regions and Bodies into GDL Objects. Opening or merging such objects brings up a Browse dialog box, where you choose the folder to which to save the GDL objects you will create.
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references may be followed by their window dimension block references and attached label references if they have any. Note: the contours of an arc wall aren't arcs, but polylines made up of straight segments. Columns are drawn in blocks named COLUMN_<n> where n is the index of the column element. The block contains the visible contour lines, the fills (see notes to the polygon fills) and the block references to the attached label. Windows are drawn in blocks named WINDOW_<n> where n is the index of the window element. Doors are drawn in blocks named DOOR_<n> where n is the index of the door element. Objects are drawn in blocks named OBJECT_<n> where n is the index of the object element. Lights are drawn in blocks named LIGHT_<n> where n is the index of the light element. Note on windows, doors, objects and lights: when the library part doesn't have any 2D script, it may have up to 8 different looks depending on Use Symbol Colors, Use Symbol Linetypes and the possible mirrored state. So one library part of this kind cannot have more than 8 blocks exported. Others (with 2D scripts) may have any number of different looks and they will have exactly as many blocks as looks occur on the exported floor. Since more than one instance may share the same detail block, the attached labels cannot be put into these blocks they follow the block references. Slabs are drawn in blocks named SLAB_<n> where n is the index of the slab element. The block contains the contour and hole polygons and the block reference to the attached label. Roofs are drawn in blocks named ROOF_<n> where n is the index of the roof element. The block contains the contour and hole polygons and the block reference to the attached label. Beams are drawn in blocks named BEAM_<n> where n is the index of the beam element. The block contains the contour and hole polygons and the block reference to the attached label.
Entity Conversion
Simple ArchiCAD elements get converted into the corresponding AutoCAD entities: Hotspots to points Lines (without arrowheads) to lines Circles to circles Arcs (without arrowheads) to arcs Ellipses to ellipses Elliptic arcs (without arrowheads) to elliptic arcs Texts to multiline texts. Fills to hatches. Note: fills in walls, columns and library parts are treated the same way. Pictures to images Dimensions (all kinds) to dimensions Note: ArchiCAD and AutoCAD dimensions have different aspects of appearance to be configured, so your dimensions will often appear differently. The possible locations of the dimension text relative to the dimension line is the most apparent difference. Arrowheads make these elements (the lines and arcs) complex elements. Complex elements: their drawing details are made up of more than one AutoCAD entity. Unless you choose Explode complex ArchiCAD Elements, they are drawn into a block each and an insert is placed into the entity section. Walls: they are drawn into blocks named WALL_<n> where n is the index of the wall element. The block contains visible contour lines, fills (see notes to the polygon fills), block references to windows and doors and an attached label. The window and door
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Meshes are drawn in blocks named MESH_<n> where n is the index of the mesh element. The block contains the contour and hole polygons, the mesh level lines and the block reference to the attached label. Zones are drawn in blocks named ZONE_<n> where n is the index of the zone element. The block contains the solid fill, the zone stamp and the block reference to the attached label. Note: since the default zone-fill colors are light pastel colors and the AutoCAD color set does not contain an equivalent, they all will be RGB-matched to a light gray. If you prefer, pick a saturated color (e.g. red or yellow) for zone fill color and blue or black for zone stamp color.
Note on Fonts vs. Shapes: AutoCAD uses SHX files not only as fonts but for other purposes as well. Complex line types insert shapes into their patterns. The shapes may be added to the drawings as simple symbols. It may cause problems if you select an SHX of this kind instead of a font so when the Add-On requests you to locate an SHX file, use the Skip option if you are not sure an SHX file you found is the right kind. The requested filename should give you a clue about which kind is needed font or shape.
Attribute Purge
When saving an ArchiCAD file as DWG, only those ArchiCAD attributes will be included which are actually used in the project. This is an automatic process, reducing file size. You can opt to purge further attributes: the checkbox in DXF-DWG Translation Settings (Miscellaneous) enables you to Purge all unused attributes that originate in the DWG template file.
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saved it. Smart Merge allows you to work at the same time on the same project in ArchiCAD and AutoCAD and exchange the additional information with minimal loss and interference. Smart Merge allow you to deal with: New elements added in ArchiCAD or AutoCAD. Elements created in ArchiCAD or AutoCAD and modified (stretched, dragged, rotated, mirrored) in the other application or both applications. Elements created in ArchiCAD or AutoCAD and deleted in either or both applications.
If you cooperate with someone using AutoCAD (or any other CAD program that can communicate via DXF or DWG format), the process will be something like this:
point where it can present an overall layout for your partner to add details (at this point, you need not be completely finished with your part). ArchiCAD-specific info to support merging. You can merge the DXF or DWG file back into the same ArchiCAD file from which you saved it: Note: You must first save your ArchiCAD Project (save a PLN) so that it contains the necessary information for the merge process. If there is no Merge information in a DWG/DXF file, you wont be able to rebuild ArchiCAD model elements, only simple AutoCAD-native data. In case the ArchiCAD file was not saved before, this option is grayed. For more information, see DXF/DWG Translation Setup > Save Options > Saving Floor Plan in ArchiCAD Help.
2) Then you save a DXF or DWG file for your partner with
Use File > Save as, then click the Settings button to access the DXF-DWG Translation Setup dialog box. In the Settings in Selected Translator panel, use the Saving Floor Plan option: Prepare File for Smart Merge.
the DXF/DWG file. That is, while you are elaborating the architecture, he adds his own details (e.g. electric, plumbing etc.); but he may find it necessary to change something you created. For example, he may move a wall or duplicate an object. together. Activate the File > File Special > Merge command and select the appropriate DXF/DWG file. If you have saved an ArchiCAD file as dxf/dwg format in the right way (step 2), you
4) Now the time has come to bring your separately made additions
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can merge it into the same ArchiCAD file using the Smart Merge Options: File > File Special > Merge > Open From the Merge DXF-DWG dialog box, choose the Merge Content of Model Space into Current View option From the DXF/DWG Merge dialog box, choose Merge Options.
The Smart Merge Options dialog box appears, allowing you to modify the Smart Merge configuration file and the translator options (if desired). Note: You can also set up these options in advance with the File > File Special > Smart Merge Options command which opens the same configuration dialog box.
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Consultation
ArchiCAD includes two sophisticated features that allows architects to take into consideration remarks and suggestions made by other members of the design team or even customers who can only view the plans without running ArchiCAD.
Project Reviewer
Project Reviewer is a Java applet that lets you view DWF, JPG, GIF, and TXT files saved in ArchiCAD using the Project Publisher command. It also allows you to add redline information to DWF files.
This is an extremely convenient way of communicating with clients and decision-makers without forcing them to learn to use ArchiCAD or even having to install the program. Reviewer runs in an internet browser environment and displays the views that you published. For more information, see Project Reviewer Environment in ArchiCAD Help. Comments, corrections and other information added with the tools of the Redlining palette can be incorporated in your design by importing them with the Project Mark-Up feature described below.
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The Drafter goes to Publisher in ArchiCAD. Here he selects the 2nd Story for Publishing in DWF format. The DWF file is part of the 'Apartment B26 Review' Publisher Set. He sets the path for the saved files in the Publisher Set Properties Dialog. Also here, he checks the 'Include Project Reviewer web environment' checkbox so the necessary Java application is included with the saved files.
into one file (ZIP for example) if necessary, and sends them over to the Architect via e-mail or by uploading the files to an FTP site from which the Architect can download them. It may be
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advisable for the Drafter to open the saved HTML file before sending it to ensure everything is OK and data were saved correctly.
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the Drafter on what to change. For example, he might want a design option for the Apartment in which the wall between the Kitchen and the Living is removed, enabling him to rearrange the placement of the Kitchen counter and the Dining table. Also he wants the wall between the Living and the Vestibule to be moved downward to increase the Living area. He marks all these changes using the various Redlining tools of Project Reviewer, such as the Ellipse Tool, the Freehand Polyline Tool, the Arrow Tool or the Text Tool.
7) After this step he can Upload the redlining data to the file, save
his modifications, then go to the E-mail Tab Page of Reviewer and send the modified DWF containing the Redline file to the Drafter. Reviewer automatically attaches to uploaded DWF redline files to the mail sent. He may also attach any other files to the e-mail he sends to the Drafter. Also, it is not necessary although handy - to use Project Reviewer to send the e-mail. The Architect may send it from his e-mail program, but in that case he needs to manually locate and attach the Redlining DWF files to his mail.
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10) Now that all needed modifications are visible to him, the Drafter
makes the necessary modifications. After he is finished, the cycle begins anew. After he is finished with the modifications, he again sends the file to the Architect who ensures that all modifications were done as requested. If not, or if new modifications are necessary, he sends another Redlining DWF file. They do this until all modifications are correctly carried out to the Architect's specifications.
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Project Mark-Up
About Project Mark-Up
The Mark-Up features facilitates communication between designers during a Project. It allows you to point out problematic elements with a color highlight or to add new elements. You may wish to mark up a design for many reasons - for example to correct and manage a colleagues errors or deviations from a projects guidelines, or to make alternative design suggestions.
More than one person can mark up a drawing. Project Mark-Up supports several different commentaries by allowing the use of different colors for each separate redline.
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When Project Mark-Up is switched on (Document > Mark-Up Tools), you can use any tool from the Toolbox to redline your drawing. For more information, see Mark-Up Tools Palette in ArchiCAD Help. There are also special redlining objects provided in the ArchiCAD Library. When using Teamwork, you can add corrections and suggestions to the workspace of other members of the design team who can then check them and, if appropriate, incorporate them into their part of the design. You can also import redline data created in Project Reviewer as additions to your published project and incorporate them into your design. Mark-Up Entries are view-specific. They cannot contain elements belonging to several different Stories, Section/Elevation/IE or 3D Document windows or Detail/Worksheet windows. Mark-Up Entries can be shown or hidden one by one in the Mark-Up palette or globally with the corresponding control of the Document > Set Model View > Model View Options dialog box. If an Entry is hidden, the applied corrections will disappear and highlighted elements will appear with their real pen color and line type. Note: Single Mark-Up Entries can be shown or hidden in the Mark-Up palette. Mark-up tools are useful for large teams where face-to-face discussions are not always possible, or when architects working on the project are remotely located and the teamwork is based on exchanging local draft files.
or she assigns all the mark-up entries to the senior architect who is in control of the project. The project leader still does not have to reserve workspace. He or she signs in as Mark-Up user and gets the Mark-Up entries assigned to him/her. After the final decision is made, the project leader changes the style of the chosen version to approved and assigns the entry back to the teammate who created that. The teammate can turn the approved set into final elements. The discarded versions can be deleted or marked as rejected and kept as hidden mark-up entries for later use.
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Mark-Up Concepts
Fixed. You can draw Corrections marked by different style appearances to suggest the proper arrangement of Project elements or to add any kind of 2D graphics or text as annotations. Mark-up Styles are project attributes, which can be defined and edited in Options > Attributes > Mark-Up Styles. For more information, see Mark-Up Styles Dialog Box in ArchiCAD Help. You can Highlight any existing element to call attention to it, without actually modifying it. Highlighting is like applying a special skin of marking attributes to elements without altering their original ones.
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Reassigning a Mark-Up Entry can happen in two ways: By the Teammate who created the Mark-Up Entry, if he or she has made suggestions in another persons workspace: in this case, this Teammate will activate the Mark-Up palette, select the corresponding Entry on the Mark-Up Entries panel, and choose the other persons name in the Assigned to pop-up menu in the Teamwork panel. Reassignment is actually performed when next sending and receiving changes. If your Mark-Up Entry contains not only highlighted elements, but also new, correction elements in the other persons workspace, you will be warned about this. In this case, sending changes requires that you get a new Sign-In ID. After this, any local drafts you created of this Project will be outdated. Save a new draft and continue working on that one. By the Team Leader, if there are Mark-Up Entries abandoned by their owner. This can happen, for example, if a Teammate has been removed from the Team by the Administrator in Project Sharing Setup. In this case, on signing in, the Team Leader is automatically offered the list of entries without an owner, and he or she can choose among the registered Teammates the one who will receive this information. If there are Mark-Up Entries reassigned to you (by either of the above ways), you will be informed of this on signing in or when receiving changes.
When offered the Get Mark-Up Entries panel, both the Team Leader and the Teammate can either choose to accept the reassigned entries immediately or to postpone this until later. In the latter case, the dialog box will reappear when they next sign in or choose to receive changes.
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VISUALIZATION
Visualization in ArchiCAD encompasses all the tools and techniques that allow you to display and present your architectural design to your customer even at an early stage of your work. Presentations can be of various types (photorendered still images, animation, virtual reality) and may serve different purposes. You can visualize your entire project or parts of it using numerous built-in views or by adding dedicated cameras to the floor plan and then viewing the data from that vantage point. Some of the special views (for example virtual reality scenes) require the use of dedicated tools. ArchiCADs default 3D perspective and parallel (or axonometric) views can be activated and customized with menu commands and by using the Navigator palette. Cameras and their settings play a key role in the definition of the different visualization modes and views. Although the built-in visualization possibilities of ArchiCAD are quite extensive, you may want to further improve on the output images or insert them into foreign environments. ArchiCAD offers various options for exporting the entire model into a number of common file formats used by professional rendering software. Artlantis is a cutting-edge rendering solution developed by Graphisofts French distribution partner, Abvent SA. It can handle still images, animations and VR Scenes exported directly from ArchiCAD by choosing the appropriate file format. Moreover, an intelligent link is established between the original model and the Artlantis file. You can also export the floor plan or 3D view into a variety of applications such as Piranesi, 3D Studio or Photoshop for fine-tuning it or adding special effects. The most commonly used commands related to Visualization techniques can be found on the predefined 3D Visualization toolbar. Choose Window > Toolbars > 3D Visualization to display this toolbar as needed. (This toolbar also contains 3D Window display and 3D Navigation commands.)
ArchiCAD 12 Reference Guide
With ArchiCAD 12, multi-core processors are recommended to support 3D navigation and 3D model generation.
Cameras
You can place any number of Cameras in the Floor Plan for generating perspective views in still image or animation (fly-through) format as well as Virtual Reality panoramic scenes, a path for VR scenes, and navigable VR object movies. There are three types of Cameras available from either the Camera Settings dialog box or the Info Box: Perspective Cameras, VR Objects, and VR Scenes. For more information, see VR Objects on page 526 and VR Scenes on page 527 and Camera/VR Tool Settings in ArchiCAD Help. Perspective Cameras allow you to view and edit the entire project or a selected part of it in the 3D Window and to create renderings that represent a snapshot of the current state of the project. They are defined by a viewpoint, a target point and an opening angle.
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On the Floor Plan, all Cameras are shown with their target points and paths, and the handles that can be used to manipulate them. Only one camera is active at a time, as indicated by the sun and view angle markers.
PhotoRendering
The ArchiCAD PhotoRendering feature allows you to create photorealistic images of the model as a snapshot of the current state of the project. PhotoRendering allows you to go far beyond the possibilities offered by the views created in the 3D Window. This feature includes sophisticated effects that give you photorealistic or stylized images of the entire project or a selected part of it. Photorealistic images are an ideal presentation and communication tool of architects and contractors; these images are the most understandable for customers and show an accurate, life-like view of the final building. PhotoRendered images (or Model Pictures) are generated in a separate PhotoRendering window and cannot be edited. To keep them, you need to save them as separate files, independent from the model. Choosing Save when a PhotoRendering window is active will save the image file; the Project remains unaffected. Closing the PhotoRendering window without saving it discards the rendered image. Important: PhotoRendered Model Pictures are not saved with your Project. If you wish to keep them, you have to save them manually. Closing a Model Picture Window that you havent saved means you wont be able to access this image again. Model Pictures are listed in the Window menu. You can keep several pictures open at the same time and compare them. You can also use the Marquee tool to select and copy parts of Model Pictures. For more information, see Copy Cropped Image File with Marquee Tool on page 88. Various types of picture files can be opened as model pictures: all QuickTime based image files and a number of additional formats are available. ArchiCAD includes several engines that create different styles of photorendered pictures. The preferred engine can be selected in the pop-up menu on top of dialog box opened with Document > Creative Imaging > PhotoRendering Settings. For more information, see PhotoRendering Settings in ArchiCAD Help. Note: It is possible to use a different rendering engine for different parts of the project view - one engine for the top half of
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the window, another for the bottom half - and then splice the resulting images together in a photo editing program. To create a rendered image, choose the Document > Creative Imaging > PhotoRender Projection command. This will instruct ArchiCAD to make a photorealistic picture of the current projection according to the settings defined in the PhotoRendering Settings dialog box. The rendering engines are: LightWorks Rendering Engine: This engine allows the most sophisticated rendered views, even if you rely only on the preset settings. LightWorks offers ray-tracing, soft-shadows, reflection features and complex shader editing capabilities. This engine creates expert renderings of the best quality available in ArchiCAD. LightWorks takes advantage of multi-processor systems and is thus generally faster than the other engines.
For more information, see LightWorks Rendering Engine (Add-On) in ArchiCAD Help. Internal Rendering Engine: The Internal Engine is suitable for producing draft-quality or simple renderings offering shaded surfaces, simple shadows and transparencies. Z-buffer Rendering Engine: This engine is similar to the Internal Engine but can work faster if the model is large and the shadow effect is switched on. However, a large amount of physical memory is recommended. Sketch: This produces non-photorealistic renderings that replicate sketched lines - best suited for draft views in the early project stages. Effects include felt tip, pencil, graphite and marker. Files used for sketch rendering are placed in the Add-Ons folder inside the ArchiCAD folder. In the SketchTextures subfolder, you can find the predefined style file named SketchPreset.txt as well as the line texture files, each placed in a separate subfolder of SketchTextures. Below, the same building rendered with two different Sketch styles.
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When working with LightWorks, the usual procedure after building the 3D model is to define materials, then load and modify shaders connected with these materials using the LightWorks Shader Settings panel in the Options > Element Attributes > Materials dialog box. For more information, LightWorks Shader Settings in ArchiCAD Help. There are archive files storing hundreds of predefined shaders. Most of the time you can find the shader you like among the predefined ones. LightWorks shaders can have textures like the ones used with the ArchiCAD Internal Rendering Engine. Another feature is the use of so-called procedural shaders in which patterns are defined by a set of parameters. Image-based shaders can easily exhibit tiling when patterns are repeated across a surface, lose their definition when viewed close up, and can use up large amounts of memory. LightWorks procedural shaders do not exhibit tiling, give a unique appearance at each point of the surface, are more memory efficient, and offer more flexibility because of their adjustable parameters. Important notes for users of Projects created in ArchiCAD 8.1 or earlier: Although ArchiCAD materials all have Reflection values defined for them, rendering engines in earlier versions did not use these values. Since the LightWorks Rendering Engine understands and uses these values, this might lead to unexpected results if these values are not adjusted. So you might have a material named Concrete that is very shiny with a lot of diffuse light around it. This can come from those Ambient, Diffuse and Shininess values. In such a case, adjust these values until they give a satisfactory result. Also, ArchiCAD materials can have a texture assigned to them as well as a LightWorks shader (which is also, in effect, a texture). The ArchiCAD texture will be displayed in the 3D Window when OpenGL is being used as the 3D Engine, and in PhotoRendering when the ArchiCAD Internal Engine or the Z-Buffer Engine is being used. But if you use OpenGL in the 3D Window and LightWorks Rendering Engine in PhotoRendering, the textures might look completely different, which can be
The same Project rendered with the LightWorks Rendering Engine appears below. Thanks to ray tracing, you can see reflective glass surfaces and nicer shadows in this rendering.
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misleading. There are two solutions to this if you plan to create your PhotoRenderings with the LightWorks Rendering Engine. The first one is not to use the OpenGL engine in 3D so it will not mislead you as to how it will look like in PhotoRendering. The second is to remove ArchiCAD textures from any materials to which LightWorks shaders are assigned. Then these materials will not display any texture in 3D even with the OpenGL engine, and misleading preview images are thereby avoided.
The Latitude Resolution and Longitude Resolution parameters along with Light Intensity will define how many lights will be distributed evenly on the surface of a hemisphere. This object is basically a hemisphere with a radius large enough so it is larger than the whole 3D Model. The Number of Light Sources field shows how many lights will be generated based on the above values. There are parameters for turning Shadow Casting and Soft Shadow on. You can also set Shadow Quality and a Contour Pen for display in 2D. These shadow-related parameters will only affect shadows created by the light sources coming from this lamp object. To use this object, just place one copy anywhere in your Project. Note: LightWorks Rendering doesnt produce proper image quality if the 3D data structure is generated from a selection (e.g. with the Arrow tool or with the Marquee tool) and if this selection does not contain the SkyObject (or other) lamp object(s). In the following picture you can see Soft Shadows. See how fine the transition of the shadow is on the floor of the corridor. This effect is possible because the SkyObject contains many lamps, with the result that the lighting is diffuse, creating soft shadows, rather than concentrating the entire light source at a single location, which would create hard shadows.
SkyObject
SkyObject simulates the diffuse light effect of the sky (in the form of a large half-dome with a number of individual distant light sources) for a daylight effect without having to add artificial lighting manually. Its effect is so expansive that it doesnt matter where you place it on the plan. This object takes into account the sun direction as set in general rendering settings, so you need not define this separately.
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These two methods have different effects. The major difference is that the light intensity of the SunObject lamp can be varied in a much larger range. Although both can be used at the same time, it is advisable to use only one of them at a time so it is easier to identify their effect on the rendering.
WindowLight
While the SkyObject and SunObject lamps are used to simulate exterior light, WindowLight simulates diffuse light in interior rooms that are generated by incoming light. WindowLight comes close to simulating a radiosity effect. This type of lamp must be placed on the inner side of any Window or Door. You can do this in 2D or 3D. The width and height of the WindowLight lamp object should be the same as those of the Door/Window it is linked to. Make sure that the arrow representing the sun direction points into the building. The object will be shown on both the Floor Plan and in 3D.
SunObject
Another lamp used to simulate exterior light is the SunObject lamp. It can be placed anywhere on the Floor Plan, just like the SkyObject lamp. This lamp is used to simulate the effect of the Sun in the rendering. In the case of this lamp, the light is coming from a distant source. Its use is also very similar to the SkyObject lamp. You can set light intensity, the color of its light, shadow quality and make it cast Soft Shadows as well. Unlike in the SkyObject lamp, where the program automatically calculates the number of light sources from the longitude and latitude resolutions you entered, here you can directly specify the Number of Light Sources. As you can see, with LightWorks, you can simulate the effects of the Sun in two ways:
WindowLight also has the Cast Shadow, Shadow is Soft and Shadow Quality parameters to control how shadows created by this
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light source are generated. The Rotation Angle parameter is used when the object is placed next to a Skylight object in a Roof. See the effect of the Shadow Quality parameter below. On the image on the left, Shadow Quality = 1. See the crude graduation of shadows on the wall on the left and on the ceiling. In the image on the right, Shadow Quality = 3. See how much smoother shadow tones are on the wall and ceiling.
Editing Shaders
You can also enhance your images by editing the applied shaders. Shader editing is possible both for the entire image and for individual materials. Shader parameter controls can be of various types: color tables, sliders, text and numeric fields, buttons or menus. You can apply and modify shaders for the Sun, the Foreground and the Background of the image on the LightWorks Environment panel of the PhotoRendering Settings dialog box. These shaders include parameters that affect the aspects of the shadows cast by the sun and the appearance of elements in the foreground or the background. To modify the appearance and behavior of a given material, activate the Options > Element Attributes > Materials dialog box. Each material can have up to six shaders associated to it that will define its Color, Reflectance, Transparency, Displacement (or bumping), Texture Space and Pipeline (or emission) attribute. You can also load predefined settings from a large number of archive files that replicate real-life materials such as stretcher bricks, polished plastic, galvanized metal or mown grass.
In the following picture you can see effects created by the SunObject and WindowLight lamp objects. See the light areas on the ceiling of the corridor and the room close to the outside windows, which is caused by the light generated by these lamp objects.
For more details on shader editing, see Exterior LightWorks Example on page 520.
LightWorks Tips
Since the LightWorks Rendering Engine is both hardware and memory-intensive, here follow some suggestions for speeding up your work while using it. Uncheck the Reflection checkbox in the Effects field of the LightWorks Effects panel of the PhotoRendering Settings dialog box. Reflection is probably the one factor increasing rendering time the most. If you turn Reflection off, you will still be able to set lighting correctly, yet generate faster renderings. Choose the Off checkbox in the Antialiasing field of the LightWorks Effects panel of the PhotoRendering Settings dialog box. This will also decrease rendering time while showing the effects of lights correctly.
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When setting lights and materials select a small model piece with the thick (multi-story) marquee and experiment with that. Then, when all is set, you can render the whole model. The SkyObject and SunObject lamps work quite well even when the number of light sources is set to low numbers (even as low as 4). At the same time, setting them to such low values will substantially decrease their memory requirements and increase rendering speed. You can experiment with your setting choosing hard shadows. This will increase speed over using soft shadows while the character of the rendering will not change markedly. You can check the settings of your picture on a smaller rendering, thereby saving time. You may want your final rendering to be 1600x1200 pixels, but you can check and set your settings on a 400x300 pixel rendering as well. You can also zoom on details and create small detail renderings of those. Here we have some textures and shadows, but we would like reflections, better shadows coming from ambient and diffuse light sources and procedural shaders. Let us start with the materials. We can select the material of wooden frames and work on that. In Options > Element Attributes > Materials, you can choose a shader in the Color category or load one from hundreds of predefined shaders located in the Archives. We used the Oak shader and modified it a bit. For more information, see Materials on page 36. It may be useful to create a Wall in your project and then assign your currently edited material to it. Then you can create renderings of only this one Wall while modifying the material shader, thereby saving rendering time in this phase.
Besides a good camera position, a good rendering requires good lights and good material shaders. You should set lighting on a small model or partial model without Reflection and Antialiasing, few light sources and Hard Shadows. Setting materials can also be done on a partial model. Then, when all is set, Reflection, Antialiasing and Soft Shadows can be turned on a full model.
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Let us say we have the following shader displayed on the side surface of our wall:
We can make it a bit denser by reducing the RingWidth parameter and also reduce its relative size by lowering the value of the Scale parameter.
The above Wood shader is a procedural shader. The surface created by the shader will be unique, calculated from a set of parameters which provide great variability and ensure that the surface will not show a tiled effect (a tiled effect means that, if the surface is large enough compared to the texture size, you can see where the pattern ends and then is repeated). In the above wood shader the wood is too curvy, which we want to make more realistic. The Gnarl parameter defines this curviness. After reducing its value, the texture will look like this:
When you are satisfied with the result you can go on to the next material. Of course you may set other shaders as well, such as Reflectance or Transparency to produce a more sophisticated texture. Next we can place light sources on the Floor Plan. You can simulate the Sun by either checking the Sun checkbox under LightWorks Effects in the PhotoRendering Settings dialog box or placing a SunObject lamp on the Floor Plan. These two light sources achieve different effects and have different sets of parameters. We chose the SunObject lamp for this example, as it has a much wider range of light intensity that can be influenced by its Light Intensity slider or its Number of Light Sources parameter. This produces better-lit surfaces and better shadows. Ambient lighting coming from the environment can be turned on with the Ambient checkbox in the PhotoRendering Settings dialog box. Diffuse light effect coming from the sky can be achieved using the SkyObject lamp. Check the Lamps checkbox in the PhotoRendering Settings dialog box for the SunObject and SkyObject to have an effect on the rendering. You may also enable Camera lighting and place additional individual lamps and light sources. In this example, a SkyObject and a
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SunObject lamp was placed, plus Ambient light was used for renderings. There is great variability using these two lamps objects. Both can have different strengths of light, the color of their light may be defined, shadow quality and softness may be set. Both can cast shadows as well. In the illustration below, the color of the SkyObject lamp was set to light yellow (similar to the color of the Sun).
After the general scene is done, you can check where you want to improve your image. For example, you may not like the brick texture: It could have a little more depth or roughness or bumpiness added to it. You can use the Rough Scale, Rough Amplitude and Fuzz parameters to make it more so. Alternately, you can use the Wrapped Bump Map shader of the Displacement shader group. With it you can select an image file which will become a map for defining the bumpiness of the surface just like alpha-channels in ArchiCAD textures. In our example, we used the image shown below as a bump map.
ArchiCAD 12 Reference Guide
Then the color of the SkyObject lamp was set to light blue (similar to the color of the sky). Compare the two images to see the difference this one setting makes in the result.
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After applying this map, the Brick wall looks rougher, as if it really had those inequalities on its surface. While trying to improve the image, you may also encounter the case where certain areas of your image are too dark (underexposed) or too light (overexposed). You can either change ambient and diffuse light (SkyObject lamp) settings to lower or higher strengths, or you can edit your materials, especially their Reflectance shaders Ambient Factor and Diffuse Factor parameters. In the example below, the Diffuse Factor parameter is set to 1,00, meaning all light is reflected back from the surface as diffuse light. Surfaces can become overexposed this way. In such a case, decrease the value of the Diffuse Factor parameter. When you are finished with your adjustments, you can generate your final rendering with the LightWorks Rendering Engine.
A SkyObject and SunObject are both placed on the Floor Plan for exterior lighting. The way their parameters are set is very similar to the Exterior example. Also, material shader definitions are done the same way. Since the rendering will show the interior corridor of the house, we placed two WindowLight lamps on the two large window panes separating the inside corridor from the exterior space. Their purpose is to simulate the diffuse light coming through the window panes.
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automatically calculated and is influenced by the Light Intensity and Light Resolution parameters of the lamp.
Make the WindowLight lamps Width and Height the same size as the Window it is placed for. Place the WindowLight lamp in front of the Window frame so it is closer to the interior than the Window. Note: these light source spheres are visible in 3D only if the 3D Engine is set to OpenGL Engine. The purpose of this rendering was to create fine soft shadows. The final settings of the WindowLight lamp for this particular scene include Shadow Quality set to 4, which is almost the maximum value. The next image shows the final rendering. Note the fine reflections on the ceiling of the corridor. Also, see the softness of the shadow cast by the divider column between the two Windows. See how the shadow is harder close to the column and softer toward the inner side of the corridor as more and more diffuse light from other areas of the windows reaches it. We needed the SunObject lamp placed to achieve this since Ambient and Camera lights do not cast shadow, and the SkyObject lamp casts shadow from various points on a hemisphere. The SunObject provided the necessary amount of concentrated light to achieve this effect.
ArchiCAD 12 Reference Guide
If you look at it in 3D, you can see the small spheres that show the individual light sources of the WindowLight lamp. Their number is
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If you save the Fly-Through as an external file, you can even show it on a computer on which ArchiCAD is not installed. Note: A large number of frames means a smoother movie but also a much larger file. Choosing Document > Creative Imaging > Create Fly-Through creates a series of simple 3D or PhotoRendered pictures defined by the parallel projection set or the current camera path. You can either show the resulting animation immediately on screen, or save these pictures in the desired file format and show them later using a movie viewing utility. The Create Fly-Through command will only be active if you have at least one Preset Parallel Projection or an animation path with at least two Cameras. The name of this command changes according to the type of camera currently selected in the Camera > VR Settings dialog box (Camera, VR Object, VR Scene). For more information, see Create Fly-Through and Camera/VR Tool Settings in ArchiCAD Help.
Visualization Extras
You can enhance your visualization output with dynamic content such as fly-throughs or virtual reality. This section is devoted to these extras.
Defining Fly-Throughs
Placing several Cameras defines a Fly-Through path whose parameters you can adjust in the Path Options dialog box (opened from the Camera Settings dialog box or the context menu of the Path item in the Navigators Project Map.) For more information, see Camera/VR Tool Settings > Path Options in ArchiCAD Help. Only one camera will be active at a time. This is the only camera displayed with its sun and view angle markers. The active camera is always the one that was last placed, unless you select another one. Any cameras placed on the Floor Plan will be attached to the current Fly-Through path after the active camera.
Fly-Through
Creating a movie of the project allows you to present your final design to your clients under a variety of angles. This ArchiCAD feature is called a Fly-Through. To create this animated view of your project, you place a series of Cameras that define a path along which images will be recorded. At each camera point (or key frame) a snapshot is taken. The series of pictures is then merged into an animated movie file by adding a number of extrapolated views (or in-between frames).
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panoramic views allows you to step from one location to another, as if you were walking from room to room in a building. For more information, see VR Scenes on page 527. Note: These commands are located in the Document > Creative Imaging hierarchical menu. They appear only after you have selected the VR Object or VR Scene tab page in the Camera/VR Settings dialog box. VR Objects take advantage of Apples QTVR (Quick Time Virtual Reality) technology. They are defined by a spherical path along which the viewpoint can be positioned and navigated. This viewpoint is represented by a view cone. The navigable object can be viewed in Apples QTVR Player application.
Note: Collections of 3D parallel projections can also be linked to create a Fly-Through, but these are handled differently from perspectives. Only a single set of parallel projections can exist, and you edit it in the View > 3D View Mode> 3D Projection Settings > Parallel Projections > Pre-Sets dialog box, and not through the Camera Settings. Also, since the viewpoint distance is infinite for parallel projections, you cannot display them on the Floor Plan worksheet.
VR Objects
Virtual Reality in ArchiCAD encompasses two functions: VR Objects and VR Scenes. With the VR Object function you create a navigable view of an model object and examine it from any angle. This is best used for exterior views of an entire building or site. With the VR Scene function you essentially place yourself inside the project and can look around in this space. Linking various To define a VR Object and create a VR Object Movie: Select the Camera Tool. Choose the VR Object option (either open the VR Object tab of the Camera Settings dialog box, or choose VR Object from the Cameras Info Box.)
ArchiCAD 12 Reference Guide
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VR Scenes
For more information, see VR Object Settings in ArchiCAD Help. With a single click on the Floor Plan you can place a VR Object camera with default parameters. Further clicks on the Floor Plan will not create new cameras; you can only have one camera active at a time. If the VR Object is selected and you go to the 3D Window, you can check its perspective elevation view from the viewpoint indicated by the view cone. To modify the location of the view cone, select it with the Camera tool active, then use the Move Sub-Element command of the pet palette to drag its node and position it onto another node of the object. Choosing Create VR Object from the Document > Creative Imaging hierarchical menu will open the Create VR Object dialog box where you can set a few options for creating a navigable object. For more information, see Create VR Object in ArchiCAD Help. Clicking Save in the dialog box will prompt you to name your navigable object file. All the 3D data you need will be exported into this new format. You can view the result by launching QTVR Player. To change the position of the placed VR Object, use the cursor or the Drag, Mirror or Rotate commands in the Edit menu. If the Camera tool is active, you can reposition any of the selection nodes to change the objects 2D position. The sun and the camera can be repositioned by their respective selection nodes. Panoramic cameras define navigable VR Scenes using Apple QTVR or RealSpace technology. You place one or a series of cylindrical panoramas to be viewed in the corresponding player application. For information on VR Scenes settings, see VR Scene Settings in ArchiCAD Help.
support VR Objects. VR Scenes created with RealSpace share the features of QuickTime VR Scenes. To take advantage of the RealSpace features, you need to have a player installed on your computer or a plug-in for your favorite web browser.
The first click on the floor plan places a panoramic camera for the VR Scene. Draw a rubberband line and click again to define the view direction. This is your initial camera, which defines your starting position and view direction in the VR Scene. The initial camera is distinguishable from subsequent cameras by its double-circle icon. Every time you place a panoramic camera, the panorama name and the sun icon appear with default settings. The panorama name takes the form of Panorama-x (x is the cameras sequence number) by
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default. (The name can be changed in the Panorama name field in the middle section of the Camera /VR Settings dialog box.) If you do not add additional cameras to the current scene, you can generate a single node QTVR Scene. To define a multi-node VR Scene, place a sequence of panoramic cameras. One camera, the one displayed with its sun marker, will be active at a time. The active camera is always the one which was last placed, until you select another one. Each position has to be connected to at least one other, otherwise a warning will prompt you to do so when you try to generate the VR Scene using the Create VR Scene command in the Document > Creative Imaging hierarchical menu. The connections will define how you can change your position in the final VR Scene. The connecting line between two positions can be drawn either when placing a panoramic camera or after unconnected cameras have already been placed. To place a new camera connected to a placed camera, first click the center node of the placed camera, then pull the cursor to draw the connecting line and click a second time to place the new camera.
Any connection can be cleared by selecting and deleting the connection lines center node.
The view direction and the sun position can be changed by moving their nodes with the Checkmark cursor while the Camera tool is selected.
To define another camera as the initial one, select the current initial camera (with the Camera tool active) and drag the circle representing the starting position onto another cameras centerpoint. If the VR Scene tab page is selected in the Camera Settings dialog box, the Create VR Scene command is added to the Document > Creative Imaging menu.
You can insert a detour in a connection line by pulling its center node with the Checkmark cursor when the Camera tool is active. This allows you to define a connection that makes sense between two positions, for instance on opposite sides of a wall. Instead of jumping through the wall, you can go through a door before reaching the next position, without having to place an extra Camera at the door opening.
Note: If the Camera/VR Settings is switched to VR Scenes, no placed Cameras or VR Objects will be visible on the Floor Plan. Choose the appropriate camera mode from Camera/VR Settings to make theses visible again. Choosing Document > Creative Imaging > Create VR Scene will open the Create VR Scene dialog box where you can set a few options for creating panoramas or pictures that you can then view in the appropriate player applications. For more information, see Create VR Scene in ArchiCAD Help. You can also set the image height and length as well as the Window size in QTVR Player.
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Sun Study
Sun Studies allow you to view an entire project or a selected part of it in a real-life situation by choosing a geographic location and defining the time period over which you wish to examine lighting and shadow casting. What you actually see is a series of simple or photorendered 3D pictures defined by the current 3D Projection Settings, the current 3D Window Settings or PhotoRendering Settings and the Sun position settings defined in the Create Sun Study dialog box. For more information, see Create Sun Study in ArchiCAD Help. The geographic location of your project can be chosen from a preset list of cities in View > 3D View Mode > 3D Projection Settings > More Sun > Set City or by defining a new one with the appropriate latitude and longitude values. In the Sun dialog box, you can also redefine the orientation of your project by modifying the project North which points by default to the top of your window. You can either have the resulting animation shown immediately on the screen, or save these pictures in the desired file format and show them in the future using a movie viewing utility. The pictures below show the same detail of a building at the same location at sunrise, one hour later, two hours later and in the afternoon.
Align View
When using a scanned photograph as the background of your rendering, you may want to fit your ArchiCAD model into the photographs environment. In the photorendering made from the Camera placed by the Document > Creative Imaging > Align View command, the perspective of your building in ArchiCAD will match the perspective of the background. For more information, see PhotoRendering on page 514. For this feature, you need to select two clearly visible vertical segments on the photograph (e.g., the sides of a door or a window, two vertical edges of a wall, or two flagpoles), and connect them with their exact position in the virtual model or its environment. This is done by connecting each of four points on the placed photograph (the tops and bottoms of the two vertical segments) with their position on the Floor Plan, and then entering their Z coordinates in the Align View dialog box. Note: This function is mainly useful in refurbishing, when a photograph of the existing environment is available.
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1) Select the placed photo. 2) Choose the Document > Creative Imaging > Align View
command. ArchiCAD will prompt you to make six clicks on the Floor Plan with the Pencil cursor, identifying the corresponding points between the picture and the plan. The connection lines are drawn automatically. 3) The Align View dialog box appears, prompting you to enter the height values for the four points. 4) Click OK. The camera will be placed on the Floor Plan on a new path. To draw the connection lines manually: 1) Using the Line tool, connect the tops and bottoms of two vertical lines visible on the photograph with their location on the Floor Plan (e.g., the sides of a door or a window, two vertical edges of a wall, or two flagpoles). This will give you four lines, each extending from a floor plan location to a point on the photograph, with the two line pairs connecting where they meet on the Floor Plan. 2) Select the photo and the four lines. 3) Choose the Align View command. The dialog box appears, prompting you to enter the height values for the four points. 4) Click OK to close the Align View dialog box. The camera will be placed on the Floor Plan, on a new Path. Select the elements you wish to display on the image, then select the Camera, and choose the Document > Creative Imaging > PhotoRender Projection. In the picture below, only the Object type elements have been selected on the Floor Plan and they appear against the backdrop of the scanned photograph.
Note: For greater precision, you can enter the horizon of the photograph by simply rotating the picture on the Floor Plan so that the horizon is exactly parallel to the unskewed x-axis (otherwise the command will calculate the horizon for you). The precision of the result depends largely on that of the entered points, but even very careful preparation may result in a Camera that is slightly off position. In this case, set the photograph as the background of your 3D window, and fine-tune the Cameras position in Wireframe or Hidden Line mode using ArchiCAD's 3D navigation tools.
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itself, otherwise the horizon is assumed to be horizontal. You need to know the height values of two vertical lines (four points in all) on the building and their locations on the photo.
Two black hotspots on the Floor Plan and the heights of two distinct points of the building below each are shown on the illustration. Zoom in on the photo and place four hotspots at the locations of the four points with known height values. Select the photo and choose Document > Creative Imaging > Align View. To link the hotspots, click first on the point on the Floor Plan that corresponds to hotspots on the photo. (In the above example, the side of the window on the left where you see the black hotspot with two heights, +2.64 and -2.21.) Now click the pair of hotspots on the photo, one after the other. Repeat this operation with the other point on the plan and the corresponding pair of hotspots. It does not matter which point on the Floor Plan you start with. In addition, after marking a point on the Floor Plan, you can select the two corresponding points on the photo in either order.
When correctly done, the result will look as shown above, and the Align View dialog will appear. Type the height of the hotspots in the appropriate fields in the dialog box. The upper points are located along the same vertical line as the lower points. In this example, these will be 2.64 and -2.21 meters (left upper and lower) and 3.08 and -3.40 meters (right upper and lower). After you click OK, a new camera will be placed on the Floor Plan. Select the original scanned photo to be the background picture in the PhotoRendering Settings dialog box. Make sure the width-height ratio of the resulting PhotoRendering is the same as that of the original photo. You can also modify the size of the photo to suit the size of your PhotoRendering window. Note: You cannot crop the photo. If you must, crop it in a way that the original proportions of the photo stay the same (i.e. cover a part of the photo with a solid white fill), because Align View needs the original proportions of the picture to locate the
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original target point of the photo. The view will not be aligned precisely if the proportions of the photo have been changed. For example, if you have a scanned picture of 1200 x 900 and you want a 3D window or PhotoRendering window image of 600 x 450, you would reduce the size of the background photo to 50 percent in the PhotoRendering Settings dialog box. (You can choose this same background in the View > 3D View Mode > 3D Window Settings dialog box: click the Background: As in PhotoRendering radio button.) By selecting the created camera and generating a 3D View or a photorendering, you will see the result - the building is accurately placed in the existing environment.
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INDEX
3D Cutaway Sections 174 3D Cutting Planes 174 3D Document 192 Create 193 Dimensions 393 Model Display 198 Redefine 194 3D Engines Internal 3D engine 170 OpenGL engine 171 3D Navigation 62 3D Navigation Extras 174 Add current projection 174 Edit pre-set projections 174 Go to the previous/Go to the next 174 Horizontal View 174 Insert a new camera after the selected one 174 Look to 174 source of 3D Document 194 Stories to Show in ~ 170 Trim Elements to Story 158 3D Zone Shape 261 3Dconnexion Enabler 65 Artlantis 513 At all Grid points 303 Attribute Manager 40 Attributes 25 Composite Structures 31 Fill Types 31 Layers 26 Line Types 30 Materials 36 Pens & Colors 33 Attributes of GDL Objects 40 Auto ID Increase 456 Autogroup 140 Auto-Hide Navigator/Organizer 67 Automatic Dimensioning 403 Exterior 403 Interior 404 Automatic Pen Color Visibility Adjustment 36 Autosave 113 Autotext 413, 426 Keywords 415 Reference Drawing 414 Auxiliary Grid 96
A
Absolute Display Limit 165 Add bounded area 191 Add Fill to Boundary 292 Add New Fill 371 Add Shortcut 68, 443 Add to Polygon 127 Add-On Manager 21 Add-Ons 21 anchor point in ArchiCAD menus 21 Adjust 131 Align 3D Texture 38 Align dimension line 400 Align Elements 118 Align to Surface 105 Align View 529 Align with Slope 374 Anchor Point for Doors/Windows 329 Angle Bisector Constraint 103 Angle Dimensions 397 Annotation 388 Autotext 388 Dimensions 388 Labels 388 Texts 388 The Grid Tool 388 Any Direction 390, 393 Any Plane 393 Apply to All Corners 132 Arc Length 390 Archive Files 18 Arcs 379, 381 editing ~ 381 Area Text 375 Arrow tool 77, 78
perpendicular 174
Modify the selected 174 Put a camera into the path 174 Reset Roll Angle 174 Revert view to the selected 174 3D Projections 172 axonometric 172 parallel 172 perspectives 172 3D View Modes 172 Hidden Line 172 Shading 172 Wireframe 172 3D Visualization toolbar 513 3D Window 167 3D Navigation Extras 174 3D Navigator Preview Palette 173 3D Projections 172 3D View Modes 172 Commands Related to ~ 167 Filter Elements to Show in ~ 169 Open the ~ 167 Projections 172 Show All in ~ 168 Show Previous Selection/Marquee in 3D 168 Show Selection in ~ 168
ArchiCAD 12 Reference Guide
B
Back Reference 431 Background fill 371 Background images 41 Backspace Key 111 Backup Files 18 Beam 233 Complex Profiles 237 Display on Floor Plan 233 modifying holes 235 Priority 233, 236 Reference Axis 233 By Limit Lines 190
C
Calculation 449 Components 449 Descriptors 450
533
Index
Displaying Lists 453 List Types 451 Properties 450 Property Objects 449 Setup 451 Sources 449 Camera mode 65 Cameras 513 ~ Path Options 514 Fly-Through 525 Perspective ~ 513 VR Objects 526 VR Scenes 527 Cancel Edit System 288 Cancel Operations 111 Capture elements profile 238 Capture Window for 3D Document 193 chain icon 37 Chamfer 132 Change Hotlink 492 Check Markers Palette 207 Circles 379 Cities 529 Clone Folder 71 Column and Other Elements 233 and Wall relationship 233 Complex Profiles 237 creating 232 in 3D 231 in composite Walls 231, 232 modifying slanted 124 Priority 233 Unwrapped 230 Wrapped 231 Command Layout Schemes 54 Company Standard Schemes 54 Compatibility ~ in Teamwork with older versions 474 Complex Profiles see Profiles 237 Component Lists (Interactive Schedule) 210 Components Custom 324 for Calculation 449 Composite Structures 31 Construction Elements Beam 233
Columns 230 Curtain Wall 266 Mesh 257 Roof 240 Slab 255 Wall 219 Zone 259 Construction Grid 95 Continue a Polyline 384 Control Box 50 Convert Dimensions 403 Coordinates Palette 50 Copy 112 Copy Cell Pattern 298 Core 32 Corner Windows 332 Create Common Frames 299 Create Patch 319 Create Stair 336 Cursor 82 Projection Mode of ~ 102 Cursor Snap Range 108 Cursor Snap Variants 102 Curtain Wall 266 3D Input Plane 278 Accessories 270 Add a New Gridline 291 Add Boundary 293 and Zones 307 Base Surface 268 Boundary 268 Chained 271 Commands 267 Create 270 curved 271 Cylindrical 278 Display 279 Edit Boundary 291 Edit Grid 289 Edit Mode 285 Edit Mode Display Palette 288 Edit Reference Line 295 Frame 269 Frame classes 295, 296 Frame Intersections 298 Free Rotate 310 Grid 268 Junction 269
Label all Members 311 Member Labels 419 Members 268 Model View Options 285 Multiselect Panels and Frames 288 Overview 266 Panel 269 Panel classes 299 Position in Section 272, 276 Reference Line 268 Reference Surface 268 Scheme 269 Selection Grip 288 Slanted 271 Tool Settings 286 Curtain Wall Reference Line 295 Custom Components 324 Custom Settings 313 Cut 112 Cut line 378
D
Data Exchange 496 Decompose Polyline 384 Delete 113 Descriptors ~ in Calculation functions 450 Deselecting Elements 84 Details 198 Boundary 201 Contents of ~ Window 199 Define Reference for Linked Marker 181 Define Reference for Source Marker 177 Icons in the Navigator 201 Independent 200 Linked Detail Marker 200 Marker 198 Unlinked Marker 181 updating 201 Viewpoint 199 Dimension Chain 389 Dimension Grid System 410 Dimension Text 401 Horizontal 402 Dimension Units 23 Dimensioning Standards 388 Dimensions ~ of Curved Elements 392
ArchiCAD 12 Reference Guide
534
Index
3D Document 393 Angle 397 associative ~ in Sections/Elevations 402 Automatic Exterior ~ 403 Automatic Interior ~ 404 Elevation 394 Level 396 Linear 390 reference points 389 Secondary (Add-On) 403 Static 390 Witness Line 401 Display in 3D view 406 Display Order 141 Custom Stacking Order 142 Distort with Slope 374 Distribute 408, 409 Distribute Elements 121 Documentation 367 Doors and Windows in Polygonal/Complex/Slanted Walls 327 placing 329 saving custom shapes from the Project File 322 saving rectangular shapes from the Project File Drafting Elements 367 Arcs, Circles 379 Elliptical Arcs, Ellipses 381 Fills 368 Line Type Elements 378 Drafting line 378 Drag & Drop 138 Drawings 138 DWG/DXF Objects 139 Floor Plan Elements 138 GDL Object Files 138 Pictures 138 Text 138 Dragging Elements 115 Drag a Copy 136 Drawing IDs 436 Scale 416 Status 434 Title 431 Title Type 431 Updating 433 Drawing and Layout IDs 434
ArchiCAD 12 Reference Guide
Drawing Manager 433 Drawing Scale 25 Drawing Title Reference 431 Duplicating Elements 135 DWF files 445 DXF/DWG Add-On 496 DXF/DWG Conversion 496 Entity Conversion 499 Opening Blocks as Library Parts 498 Opening DWG/DXF Files 496 DXF/DWG Translation Setup 496
Elevation Tool 184 Ellipses 381 convert to Circle 382 Email sending from Publisher 445 Enable all informational messages 63 Enable Back Reference 432 Entire Original Structure 361 Entire Structure Display Esc Key 111 Exclude View Blocking Walls 192 Explode into Current View 135, 430 Explore Model 62 Extract Boundary to Fill 292
149
E
Edge Curve/Straighten 134 Edit Menu in Text windows 421 Edit Selection Set 84 Edit Story Levels 159 Edit System 287 Element Attributes see Attributes 25 Element ID Manager 456 Element Information Highlight 80 Element Information Palette 454 Element Information Pop-up 81 Element Lists (Interactive Schedule) 210 Element Snap 106 Elevate command 117 Elevation 109 create ~ Viewpoint 176 Create Independent ~ Viewpoint 182 Define Reference for Linked Marker 181 Define Reference for Source Marker 177 Display of Elements 179 Display of Lines and Markers 184 Distant Area 177 Horizontal/Vertical Range 177 moving Marker 185 Place a Linked ~ Marker 180 Unlinked Marker 181 window status 178 Elevation Dimensions 390 ~ and Hotlinked Modules 395 Elevation of Elements and Gravity 110 and Reference Levels 110 and Stories 111
F
Favorite Text Settings 412 Favorites 46 in Tool Settings 46 Load ~ 46 Preferences 46 Figure Handle 386 Figures 386 placing ~ 386 File > Close 16 File > New 15 File Compression 17 File Types Recognized by ArchiCAD 16 Fill Categories 368 Cover Fill 369 Cut Fill 368 Drafting Fill 369 Fill Consolidation 154 Fill Types 31 Defining 370 Fillet/Chamfer 132 Fills 368 Display Modes 372 fill handle arrow 373 freehand 370 Gradient 376 Show Area Text 375 Translucence 371 Filter Elements in 3D 169 Find & Replace in Text type windows 422 Find & Select 84 Find Library Part 314
321
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Index
Find Linked Markers 207 Find Selection 422 Finish 32 Finish Edit System 288 Fit in Window 60 Flip 304, 305 Floor Plan Cut Plane 160 Floor Plan Display 163 Floor Plan Display pop-up 163 Floor Plan Window 156 Fly-Through 525 Foreground Fill 371 Frame classes 269 Free Rotate 310 Full Screen 156 & Hide All Palettes 156
rotated 96 Snap 95 Grouping 140 Suspend Groups 140 Ungroup 140 Groups and Layers 141 Groups and Teamwork 141 GUID 45 Guide Lines 97 Lock to 103
H
Hide Cut Elements 192 Hide Zone Stamp 260 horizontal range 190 Hotlink 482 Hotlinked Modules see Modules 482 Hotspots 385
Create Single ~ Viewpoint 186 Define Reference for Source Marker 177 Display of Elements 192 Editing ~ Limit Line 190 Editing ~ viewpoints 189 Horizontal and Vertical Range 190 IDs and Names 188 updating 182 window status 178 Internal Rendering Engine 515 Intersection Auto ~ 228 of Walls 226 Two Elements 131
L
Label All Members 311 Labels 417 associative 417 independent 417 member 419 Symbol 417 Layer Combinations 28 Layer Intersection Group 29 Layers 26 ~ Combinations 28 ~ Intersection Group 29 lock/unlock 27 Quick Layers 27 show/hide 27 Layout 425 Create New 425 Flat Layout Order 435 IDs 434 Importing PDF files 429 Master Layouts 425 Modifying Drawings 430 Multiple Drawings 429 Numbering 435 Placing Drawings 427 Use Hierarchy 435 Layout Book 74, 423 Components 423 Drawings in 427 Publisher 442 Tree by Masters 423 Tree by Subsets 423, 425
G
Gable Walls 226 GDL Objects Custom Attributes 40 Drag & Drop 138 Model View Options 355 see also Parametric Objects 311 GDL Web Control 313 Global Unique Identifier (GUID) 45 Go to Layout 425 Go to Library 320, 323 Go To Line 422 Go To Story 157 Goodies 22 Gradient Fills 376 Graphic Reports (Calculation) 451 Gravity 110 Grid 268 Grid Marker 405 Grid Snap 97 Grid System 405, 408 Dimension 410 Place object/column/beam 409 Grid Tool 404 edit Grid Element 408 Grid Element components 405 Stagger Markers 408 Visibility 406 Grids 95 Construction 95 printing 440
I
ID Management 455 ID Numbers changing 456 customizing format 457 internal unique ~ 455 IE see Interior Elevation 185 Image Fills 376 Import Drawing/Layout 429 Importing PDF files 429 Independent Details 200 Independent Elevation 182 Independent Section 182 Independent Worksheet 204 Info Box 48 Info Tag 81 Inject Parameters 139 Insert/Merge Dimension Point 399 Interactive Schedule 209 Define 212 Editing and Updating 211 Format 214 Restructure to Fit Layout 215 Sort Fields 213 Interior Elevation (IE) 185 ~ and Zone Shape 191 Create Multiple ~ Viewpoints 187
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Index
Layouting 422 in TeamWork 439 Work Environment 422 Level Dimensions 396 editing text 397 Library 41 ~ Loading Report 45 Container (.lcf) 42 loading 44 Startup 42 Library Manager 44 Library Parts duplicates 45 locating 313 missing 45 see also Parametric Objects 311 LightWorks Options 515, 517 Shaders 516, 519 LightWorks Rendering Engine 515 Line Types 30 Line Types of Construction Elements Displayed Across Stories 163 Line Weight 30 Linear Dimensions 390 Lines 378 categories 378 chained 383 Line Weight Display 30 Polylines 383 Line-type elements 378 Unify 384 Linework Consolidation 153 Link Materials 37 Link to Fill Origin 373 Listing Templates 41 Locking Elements 141 Log Wall 225
M
Magic Wand 143 Magnet 83 Make Backup Copy 18 Managing Projects 15 Archive Files 18 Merging Files 20 Opening Projects through a Network 19 Template Files 17
ArchiCAD 12 Reference Guide
Use a Template 15 Use Latest Project Settings 16 Marker Range (On-Screen View Option) 358 Markers 204 Find Linked 207 Managing 204 Navigation 206 Range Lines 205 Source ~ Highlight 205 Mark-Up 508 ~ Styles 510 and Teamwork 510 concepts 510 Publishing and Retrieving 510 show/hide Entry 509 Marquee 85 Area Definition Options 86 Copy Cropped Image with 88 Geometry methods 86 removing 88 stretching elements with 128 Master Layout 425 apply to Layout 426 Grid for Drawing IDs 436 Set as Default 426 title blocks 426 Materials 36 Assign 37 create or modify 40 display in 3D 38 display in Renderings 39 display in Section/Elevation/3DD windows 38 Measure Tool 94 Member Labels 419 Member labels 417 Menus 49 Merge a DXF/DWG file 500 ArchiCAD files 20 dimension chains 399 Mesh 257 create a hole 259 Geometry 257 Mesh Point Height dialog box 258 Mini-Navigator 59 Mirror Dimension 400 Mirroring Elements 116 Mirror a Copy 136 Model Pictures 514
Model View Options 355 Combinations 356 Fill Display 355 for Construction Elements 355 for GDL Objects 355 Model View Options for Curtain Walls 285 Model Views 155 Modify Wall 229 Modifying Element Sizes 123 Module 482 and Multiple Stories 486 Apply offset/rotation of most recently broken hotlinked ~ 488 Break Link, Edit Elements, Replace Hotlink 487 Breaking Hotlinks 490 Deleting Modules from the Floor Plan 490 Edit in Separate ArchiCAD 486 Edit Parameters of Placed 485 File from Clipboard format 484 Master Layer 485 multiplatform issues 492 Nested 489 Place ~ 484 Place Single Story 486 Replace selection with this hotlinked module file restoring missing Hotlinks 491 Save File as 484 Save Selected Elements as 484 updating 490 Modules Source File Data Interpretation 483 Mouse Constraints 101 Move Polygon Node 126 Moving Elements 113 Multiplying Elements 136
488
N
Navigation 59 Among ArchiCAD Windows 59 inside the Active Window 59 Pan 61 Navigation in 3D 62 Commands 62 Explore Model 62 Orbit 63 Navigator 65 Color Codes 68
537
Index
display of ~ 66 Layout Book 423 opening windows from 66 Organizer Palette 67 Project Map 69 Project Workflow 66 View Map 71 Navigator Preview (2D) 61 Navigator Preview (3D) 64 Network opening projects from 19 New Create new project 15 New 3D Document 193 New and Reset All 16 Nodes 133 Editing 134 North 529 Nudge 96
Orbit (3D Navigation) 63 Organizer Palette 67 Original Scale 25, 416 Origins 90 Edit 90 Project ~ 90 User ~ 90 Outlines Only 164 Output Color 441 Overhead All 164 Override Zone Fills 260
P
Palette Schemes 54 Palettes 50 Docking ~ 51 Palette group 51 Palette Schemes 50 Snapping ~ (MacOS Only) 52 Pan 61 Panel fixed 300 Panel classes 269 Parameter Transfer 139 between Objects 318 Parametric Objects 311 Corner Windows 332 Custom Components 324 Doors and Windows 326 Parameter Transfer Between Objects 318 placing 315 Saving 2D Symbols as Library Parts 320 saving 3D Models as objects 320 Saving Custom Shape Doors and Windows from the Project File 322 Saving Library Parts from the Project File 320 Saving Rectangular Doors and Windows from the Project File 321 Scripting Custom Objects 323 Skylights 332 Stairs 333 stretching 316 Wall Ends 333 Partial Structure Display 358 Paste 112 Patch Object 319 PDF Output 446 Pen Sets 33
O
Object Depository 313 Object mode 65 Object Settings of Library Part Elements 312 Objects see Parametric Objects 311 Objects On Line 313 Offset and Multiple Offset 104 Offset Dimension Plane 394 One by one 303 On-Screen View Options 357 Bold Cut Lines 358 Clean Wall & Beam Intersections 357 Drawing Frames (Show/Hide) 358 Highlight Source Markers 358 Marker Range 358 Master Items on Layout (Show/Hide) 358 Roof Pivot Lines 357 Show/Hide Drafting & Editing Aids 358 True Weight/Hairline 358 Vectorial Hatching 358 Walls & Beams Reference Lines 357 Open Archive Project 19 through a Network 19 Operators in Solid Operations 352
Pens & Colors 33 Pet Palettes 111 PhotoRendering 514 Internal Rendering Engine 515 LightWorks Rendering Engine 515 Pick Up Parameters 139 Place Curtain Wall 271, 272, 275, 277 Place Curtain Wall on Section 276 Place Drawing 68 Place External Drawing 387, 429 Plot 441 PlotWare 441 PMK 439, 444 Polygons adding shapes to 127 Move Node 126 Offset Edges 127 Reshape 126 subtracting ~ shapes 127 Polylines 383 and Chained Lines 383 Continue 384 Decompose a 384 Open closed 384 Unify into ~ 384 PolyWall Corners 228 Preferences see Project Preferences 22 Print 440 Profiles (Complex Elements) 237 Creating or Editing 238 Merge Parallel Elements 240 Store or Apply 239 Profiles (Work Environment) 56 Apply a Profile 57 Default ~ in ArchiCAD 11 57 Project Chooser 67, 76 Project Indexes 217 Project Map 69 Project Mark-Up see Mark-Up 508 Project Notes 70 Project Origin 90 Project Preferences 22 Dimension Units 23 Working Units & Levels 22 Project Reviewer 503 ~ & Mark-Up 510
ArchiCAD 12 Reference Guide
538
Index
~ Environment 503 Projected with Overhead 163 Projections in 3D 172 Property Objects 450 Publisher 442 and Mark-Up 510 and Project Reviewer 445 in Teamwork 465 Viewing and Redlining DWF files 445 Publisher Set defining 443 Publishing Properties 444 Purge all unused Attributes 495 Purge all unused attributes 500
Barrel-Vaulted 243 Create Hole 246 Dome-Shaped 243 drawing in 3D 242 Geometry 241 Level Lines 247 Trim Element to 248 Roof Wizard 255 RoofMaker 251 ~ Toolbox 252 Rotating Elements 116 Rotate a Copy 136 Round-Trip Conversion (Smart Merge) 500
S
Save as DWG/DXF Files 498 Save view 67 Save view and place on Layout 427 Scale 24 Scaled vs. Fixed Elements 24 Schedules 70 Schematic 285 Scheme 269 Scheme (Work Environment) Apply ~ 56 Search and Replace Text 420 Secondary Dimensions 403 Section adjusting or breaking ~ lines 184 create ~ Viewpoint 176 Create Independent ~ Viewpoint 182 Define Reference for Linked Marker 181 Define Reference for Source Marker 177 Depth and Distant Area Limit 177 Display of Elements 179 Display of Lines and Markers 184 Distant Area 177 Horizontal/Vertical Range 177 Place a Linked ~ Marker 180 Unlinked Marker 181 updating 182 window status 178 Select in 3D 211 Select on Floor Plan 211 Selection ~ Dots 79 Add Elements to ~ 78
Q
QTVR Player 527 Quick Layers Palette 27 Quick Options 24, 28, 74 Quick Selection 77 Click and Drag with ~ 78
R
Railings (StairMaker) 344 Rebuild summary of ~ commands 183 Redefine Boundary from Fill 292 Redefine the 3D Document 194 Reference See Trace Reference 145 Reference Levels 110 Reference Line of Wall 219 Reference Surface 268 Refresh 183 Relation to Zones 264, 307 Relative Coordinates in Tracker 92 Relative Floor Plan Range 164 Relink 492 Relocate 492 Report Window 70 Reset Texture 38 Resize (Enlarge or Reduce) Elements 129 Revert to Automatic Position 402 Roof 240 ~ Pivot Lines (Show/Hide) 357
ArchiCAD 12 Reference Guide
Area Shape Options for ~ Rectangle/Polygon 78 Highlight 80 Marquee ~ and Stories 86 of multiple elements using polygon 78 of Overlapping Elements 79 Quick ~ 77 Select All 77, 85 using Marquee 85 Selections Palette 85 Shortcuts 50 Schemes 54 Show Grid Elements 406 Show on Stories 162 Show Pattern Unit 375 Show Selection/Marquee in 3D 87, 168 SHX Fonts 500 Sketch Rendering Engine 515 Skin Separator Line 378 Skylights 332 SkyObject 517 Slab 255 creating 256 holes 256 Smart Merge 500 Snap Grid 95 Snapping to Existing Elements 106 Solid Element Operations 352 Solid Fill 371 Sort Elements 456 Source Markers see also Create a Section Viewpoint 176 Show/Hide Highlight 358 Special Align 120 Special Distribute 122 Special Snap Points 106 Spell Checker 421 Splines Add new node to ~ 383 Bzier 382 drawing 382 editing 383 freehand geometry method 383 Modify ~ Path 383 Move tangent handle 382 Natural 382 natural 382 unify 383 Split Curtain Wall 307
539
Index
Split Drawing into Multiple Layouts 216 Splitting Elements 130 Split and Adjust Shortcut 131 Stacking Order 142 Bring Forward 142 Bring to Front 142 Reset Default Order 142 Send Backward 142 Send to Back 142 Staggering 406 Stair Scale Sensitive 335 StairMaker 335 Stairs 333 based on Manually Drawn Elements 336 Create New Stair 336 Create Stair Using Selection 348 Custom using Standard Stair Type 336 Custom with StairMaker 335 displaying 334 Stories 157 Create a New Story 158 Display in 3D 158 Display in Section/Elevation/IE 158 Navigate Among ~ 157 Story Level Lines 159 Story Editing Mode palette 160 Stretch angular 380 Beams 125 Ellipse 380 Height 129 Lines or Arcs 379 Objects 316 radial 380 Slanted Columns 124 Slanted Walls 124 Walls 123 with Marquee 128 Stretch Trapezoid Wall 124 Subsets 426 Subtract Fill from Boundary 292 Subtract from Polygon 128 Sun cursor 84 Sun Study 529 SunObject 518 Symbol Fills 31, 372 Symbolic Cut 164 Symbolic with Overhead 164, 285
T
Teamwork ~ Techniques 466 ~ Workflow 465 Administrator 459 Archive file 470 Change My Workspace 462 Cutting the Element 468 Exclusive Access 460 Library Management 470 My Views 464 Project Setup 459 Public Views 464 Security Options 461 Sending and Receiving Changes 465 Signing Out 466 Strategies 477 Troubleshooting 473 View Maps in ~ 464 View Only mode 460 Working Inside the Reserved Area 463 Working Off-Line 470 Working on a Local Copy 465 Template Files 17 Text ~ Editor 411 Drag & Drop ~ 138 see also Text Blocks 410 Text Blocks 410 Applying Favorite Text Settings 412 breaking ~ 411 Formatting 412 non-breaking ~ 411 placing ~ 411 Resizing Text 412 Text Formatting ~ of Individual characters and paragraphs 412 ~ Palette 411, 418 of Text Block Components 412 Text Window Find dialog box 422 Textbox Handles 411 Text-Type Windows 421 Textures 40 3D Alignment 38 Title block 426 Drawing 431 Type 431
title blocks 426 Tool Schemes 54 Toolbars 49 Toolbox 47 customize 47 Top Direction 302 Trace Choose 148 Color/Visibility Options 149 Compare with Active 151 Displace 153 Display Order 152 Intensity 152 Make Fills and Zones Transparent 151 Move 149 printing 440 Related Commands 147 Show/Hide 147 Splitter 152 Switch ~ with Active 150 Update 150 Trace & Reference Palette 147 Trace Options 147 Tracker 91 Coordinate Input 93 Defining Tracker Coordinates 92 Expert Options 94 Parameters 92 Translucency 371 Transparency in Shading 172 Trim to Roof 249 Trim Zone 263 Trimming Elements 133 TrussMaker 350 editing trusses 350 in Section/Elevation Windows 351 on the Floor Plan 350
U
Undo/Redo 113 Uniform Frame Classes 284 Uniform Panel Classes 285 Unify Line-type elements 384 Unlock 141 Update Zones 265 Dialog Box 265 Upload to Internet 444 User Preference Schemes 54
ArchiCAD 12 Reference Guide
540
Index
Vectorial Fill 31, 371 Vectorial Hatching 372 vertical range 190 View 71 modify ~ settings 74 save 73 Settings 73 View Map 71 Clone Folder 71 in Teamwork 464 Virtual Building 155 Virtual Reality 526 Virtual Trace 145 Visualization 513 Visualization Extras 525 VR Objects 526 VR Scenes 527
W
Wall 219 chained 222 Complex Profiles 237 curved 220 direction 219 Display 220 Gable 226 Intersections 226 Log 225 Modify Wall 219 modifying slanted ~ 124 Polygon 224 Priority 226 rectangular 223 Reference Lines 219 Slanted 225 Trapezoid 223 Wall Ends 333 WindowLight 518 Windows see Doors and Windows 326 Witness Line 389 modifying 401 Work Environment 53 ~ Dialog Box 53 Apply a Scheme 56 Creating an Office-Standard ~ 56 Profiles 56 store customized Scheme 56 Working Inside the Reserved Area 463 Working Units & Levels 22 Worksheet 202 Boundary 201 Contents 203 Create ~ with Model Source 202 Define Reference for Linked Marker 181 Define Reference for Source Marker 177 Independent 204 Unlinked Marker 181 vs. Detail 202
X
XREFs 494 and Layer Structure 494 in Round-Trip Communication 495 X-Y Only 390, 393
Z
Z-Buffer Rendering Engine 515 Zone Area 264 Zone Lists 452 Zones 259 creating 261 displaying in 3D 261 Trim to Another Element 263 updating 265 Zone Boundary 264 Zone Categories 259 Zone Stamp 260 Zone Volume 264 Zoom 59
541
Index
542
Index
543
Index
544