Don't.
Remember our layer system is the result of lots of work on lots of simultaneous problems. As such, it is hard to improve but easy to break. Trust me. Further, layer management is far and away the most unpleasant standards task in the whole operation. You don't want to get involved.
OK, sometimes you have to. Maybe you really need a new layer. Maybe I told you you need one. If you're going to do it, you'd better do it right.
Select an existing LC that is similar to the one you need to make. Click 'New'. (The other one. Lower left.) Put in the new name. Make changes to the showing and hiding of layers on the right. Click 'Update' at the bottom. OK and save.
You will probably need to create views for the new LC.
See also:
Creating Layers
Why?
1. Maybe you want to email it somewhere (like home).
2. Smaller files are more reliable. Less chance of corruption.
3. They save and open faster.
How?
I have added a division to the side bar for standards. It is a very narrow, highly refined subset of the standards category. You can't change this stuff.
If you ever read anything more boring than this, I'd be very curious to hear about it.
Because:
They aren't architectural elements.
They interfere with the display of other dashed line elements such as soffits.
The footing line right next to the furring wall line looks ridiculous.
So:
Define the footings using details on the assembly types page. Show them on the structure plans, and call them out by type.
The only difference between a perspective and an axon is in the 3D projection settings. And you usually do more than one axon, so you'll probably want to know about that.
Instead of cutting a hole all the way through the grade mesh, use slabs on the X Site Cutting layer to subtract material to the proper depth.
Location: 01 General : 3 Drawing Tools.
To use in conjunction with grade cutting with SEOs. A U- shaped white stripe which masks the bottom and sides of the mesh in the section. The right end height is the height of the object, and the left-end height is set with an editing hotspot.
Send PLT files to the plotter using PlotFlow. Some day, we will be able to run it on the server. Currently, everyone has to run it locally.
(Update, 2006-10-07) This process is mostly obsolete, but I haven't categorized it that way quite yet.
It applies to sending out PLTs (no longer used) using Reprodesk (don't need it anymore) on Virtual PC (good riddance).
The current method of service bureau printing is to email PDFs. But we still have PLT files as archives. While those could probably be emailed too, Reprodesk would probably be the better way if we could remember how.
If you use Entourage, ignore this post.
To attach a file to an email, you can drag it to the mail icon. Mail will start a new message with the file attached. Nice. (Entourage does the same thing.)
When sending files to Wintellians, don't do this. Start the new message, then click 'Attach'. Select the file, and check 'Send Windows-Friendly attachments'. I don't know what it does, but it sounds good.
If you do the drag and drop thing, you won't get this option.
(I assume Entourage, as a Microsoft product, is Windows-friendly by nature.)
PS: Don't send 'Windows-Friendly attachments' to Mac people.
Mac OS X 10.3, Panther, has built-in ZIP compression functionality in the Finder. Use it instead of stuffit. The ZIP format is more standard, and cuts down on problems with the Wintellians.
To create a ZIP file from anything, select the items in the finder, right-click, and choose 'Create Archive of [something]'. A file is created with the extension .zip. If you archived one item, the zip will have the same name. If you archived more than one, the file will be called 'Archive.zip'. Seriously consider changing this name to something more descriptive.
The original files remain.
An overview of Publisher in AC9, and publishing DWGs. Publisher in AC10 and 11 is here.
Place layout lines where you plan to split the wall.
One or two check plots may be sent directly to the plotter. Any more than that takes forever, during which time you can't do anything else in PM. Usually, create PLT files. Always create PLTs when giving drawings to anyone else.
I've created a new category here called 'Workflow'. In it I am placing howtos for the various project stages.
This category is so special that it has its own division in the sidebar to the left. (If it's not a link, it's not done yet.) Refer to it often.
Leads and pending projects should be placed in 1 Projects / zPending.
These are projects which have no modeling or design data with them. E.g., proposals only.
When a pending project actually begins, create the project folder as normal. Drag any documents in the pending folder to the new project folder. The proposal belongs in '3 Contract & Correspondence / Proposal'. (Old location: 6 Documents) Trash the project's 'pending' folder.
If a project does not go forward, move it to 5 Past Projects / Defunct.
A thorough going over for the existing/addition template complex, which really needed it. Let me know what you think, since I don't work on additions much.
OK I should have done the foundation stuff in the meeting today because it would have given me the opportunity to demonstrate polygon editing for walls, lines, etc.
All the posts in the Objects category have the location given at the beginning, for your convenience. Unless noted otherwise, the location is the R&D Library, Master LIB 8 : 1 Rill & Decker LIB8.
You can't place a detail marker in a detail window. Rats.
You can change the linked drawing of a placed marker by opening the settings and clicking 'Browse' underneath the detail name.
I've updated the other post with this info.
I assume you've fully internalized the regular perspective.
From the ArchiCAD bar stunts file, you can also do this:
Location: 13 Special Construction.
An object for placing a barrel vault ceiling without using roofs.
You can set the radius or the height of the arc, along with the height of the side legs, and the slope of the top surfaces. If the top surface is flat, the side legs will adjust automatically so the arc fits.
Tip: use SEOs to cut the object with the roofs above it, like so:
Like 'Fridge Plain Old JAM8' already can.
Go ahead and replace your titles with Drawing Title JAM81. This object has a new setting, 'Auto Drawing Number'. The default is on. With this setting on, the title in ArchiCAD will appear with 'DRAWINGNUMBER' where the number should be. In PlotMaker, this text will be replaced by a number, which is generated from the position of the drawing in Tree & Subsets view. E.g., If the drawing is listed first, it prints a 1. Move the drawing down in the list, and the number will automatically increase.
This means no more changing numbers in ArchiCAD (Except in weird circumstances; you can turn the setting off and use the ID field as normal).
I have updated the templates with the new object.
UPDATE: More new features.
� Text Sizes: Large, Medium, Small. Presets for text point sizes and expansion. Large is the default, and is the same as the old default. Medium is what I use for wall types and such. Small is really small, I just threw it in. You can also choose 'Custom' and set all the sizes as before.
� Automatic scale in PlotMaker. For typical fraction scales (1/4, 1/8, etc), the scale will come from the frame scale in PM rather than the window scale in ArchiCAD. If you change the frame scale, the title will correct itself. For decimal scales (1"=10.0', etc), the scale is still automatic in ArchiCAD but not in PM: it will not change automatically. (This is because we like the decimal format for these scale, and it can't be set that way.)
� 'Mask': An optional white box behind the entire title, sized automatically. For detail plans, etc. Default: Off
� Automatic minimum length: When the line length is less than the length of the text, the line is automatically extended to the end of the text. The length parameter is represented by a node with a tiny red line, so it's still stretchy.
I have added a link to the links list over there for the Graphisoft Archiguide. It strives to be their technical knowledge base. It's worth checking out.
Solid Element Operations allow you to modify the geometry of one element using the geometry of another. You can add volume, subtract volume, get the intersection of two volumes, or subtract upwards or downwards with a volume.
SEOs make several things that used to be hard easy (true roof thicknesses with nice eaves), and some things that used to be practically impossible possible (differing materials at a slab's perimeter and a hole).
As follows...
Here goes...
When you put a regular hole in a slab, the hole edge material is the same as the slab outer edge. This is a problem, since the slab can't clean up to walls of different materials. Using SEOs instead makes it possible to have a different material at a hole. The key is the option for new surfaces of target to 'inherit attributes of operator.'
On the ArchiCAD Help Menu, beneath the first two items, you will find two lists of items.
The first list consists of links to PDFs, including the ArchiCAD manuals. The PDFs reside in the Documentation folder within the ArchiCAD folder. Any PDF placed in this folder will appear in the menu.
The second consists of links to web sites. The links reside in the WWWLinks folder within the ArchiCAD folder. Any link placed in this folder will appear in the menu.
What it does:
• Limits the area for a Find & Select.
• Limits the area for a Select All, or a tool-specific Select All.
• Limits the model displayed in the 3D window.
• Marquee-stretches. Elements wholly within are dragged, elements partly within are stretched. Groups off!
• Limits the elements to save as a module. With heavy marquee, makes it possible to save a multi-story module.
• Limits the print area, instead of resizing the window.
• Makes it possible to show section perspectives.
Remember that with a marquee placed, everything in side the marquee is selected for any purpose other than changing settings. All the transformations and copy transformations will work. Delete will work. Eek!
See Also:
ArchiCAD 10 Reference Guide pg. 56
Some are redundant. I will probably think of more.
• Use the 'Working Dims Plan' Layer combination.
• Option+click on existing strings to maintain witness line justification as you move in.
• To add one string's ticks to another, select the string to keep and Cmd+click on the string with the points to add.
• Use the arbitrary angle setting when dimensioning walls, for auto-orientation.
• Use the 'place, rotate, drop' construction method with the CL object.
• To graphically justify a group of witness lines: Select the ticks. With the dimension tool, click on the segment and drag it to the desired justification point. Useful for backing up a few witness lines where the plan is very near.
• When you select a tick, the element the tick is connected to will briefly show as selected. To maintain this effect long enough to actually observe it, hold the mouse button down on the tick.
• Ticks can accumulate at a single point. If you try to delete a tick and it stays put, keep trying.
See also:
Dimensioning, General Principles
When dimensioning, strive for stunning, perfect, complete, beautiful clarity. I'm serious.
