On Land

Environment Information
At Rill & Decker Architects we run ArchiCAD on Mac OS X. If you work at Rill & Decker, this is your stuff. If you don't, but you work in ArchiCAD, you may find something interesting. Anybody else, I don't know.
RSS
Tips Archive

« Newer | All Entries | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

I've added a module for Site Plan info to the Modules folder (in 3 Resources). It contains all the elements for contours, boundaries, notes, etc. I did not include separate note stuff for the 120 & 240 Note layers, but you'll probably live. N.B.: 8.1 only!

Don't forget: In AC8, the escape key now performs the cancel function. This makes it consistent with all other software in the solar system. 99% of the time, hitting ESC will be faster than mousing over to the Cancel button, or right-click-canceling.

It's also another beautiful, inspiring, timeless, indestructible tower on the magisterial edifice that is The Keyboard, as compared to the moldy-straw-1st-little-pig-shack of Mousing Around Clicking Buttons, Menus, Sub-menus, and Sub-sub-menus.

In other words, learn the shortcuts, and use them. And we'll plan our escape.

LOON ISLAND, ME -- Due to the wet spring and summer, the lake is a good 18-24" higher this year. Remember that the dock is simply resting on the lakebed and is not tied down in any way. If not kept above the water, it can blow away in high wind/waves. The idea is to elevate the whole thing while moving it closer to the shore. Keep in mind:

The dock is heavy. You will need three or four people.

You will get wet.

Wear shoes that can get wet, and that will stay on your feet; there's some mucky spots on the lake bottom.

There are rocks. This is good, because you will need to put them under the feet of the dock to elevate it. It's also bad, because you will have to lift the dock far over some of them.

The dock is built in sections that can be taken apart and moved separately. The only wrench is an adjustable one, there aren't any sockets in the cabin. The nuts are under the dock, which is awkward. Remember 'Righty Loosey Lefty Tighty' because the nuts are upside down. Try not to drop the nuts in the lake.

What? Oh! No, no, no, not that dock. That's in the System Preferences under 'Dock.'

Perhaps you are looking at an element in an S/E window, and want to find the element in the plan.

Select the element in the section. Drag it somewhere. Undo. Return to the plan. The element will be selected. Or, delete it, and Undo.

Caveat: The plan window must be on a story where the element is showing. Use Zoom to Selection to find it. If Zoom to Selection shows only the S/E element, you're on the wrong story.

Here's a summary of the single key commands in ArchiCAD. I didn't know some of them either. G & C will save you a lot of mouse milage.

  • A - Activates the Angle Coordintate
  • B - Activates the Base Value (in the Info Box)
  • C - Cycles through the Construction Methods
  • D - Activates the Divisions Snap Option**
  • G - Cycles through the Geometry Methods
  • H - Activates the Angle Bisector Modifiers**
  • O - Activates and switches between Offset and Multiple Offset**
  • P - Activates and switches between Parallel and Perpendicular Modifiers**
  • Q - Cycles through the Quick Alignment Methods (when Shift-constraining)
  • R - Activates the Radial Coordinate
  • S - Cycles through the Grid Snap Options (former esc function)
  • T - Activates the Top Value (in the Info Box)
  • X - Activates the X Coordinate
  • Y - Activates the Y Coordinate
  • Z - Activates the Z Coordinate
  • 2 - Pans Left
  • 4 - Pans Down
  • 6 - Pans Right
  • 8 - Pans Up

** Broken in OS X. Too bad, epecially P.

You're in an S/E window and you want to change something in the settings of that S/E. Go back to the plan, right? Nope, double-click the S/E tool in the toolbox!

Update: In AC10, right-click in the section window and choose Section/elevation settings.

« Newer | All Entries | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5