Thank you for visiting the Best Practices Course website. The video lessons are available for members only. If you are an active member and would like to watch the ArchiCAD training video on this page, please login to the website. If you are not currently a member, please visit the following pages for more information and to sign up for the Best Practices Course, the QuickStart Course or for the Best Practices ArchiCAD Coaching Program. Eric Bobrow, Creator of the Best Practices Course

SPECIAL TOPIC FOR THIS SESSION: Renovations and Remodels

Want to download this video, pause or resume playback, jump to a specific point or watch this video in a larger window? Click here for Video Playback Notes...	Select +
While you watch this ArchiCAD Coaching Call, the player controls will disappear. To make them reappear, move your mouse over the playing area. Pause and resume the video by clicking anywhere inside the playing area. This recording was made at a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels but is displayed in a smaller viewing area. While playing the video you may switch to full screen by clicking the little button at the far right of the controls. To return to the smaller size, hit the Escape key on your keyboard. You may download the video as an MP4 file from the Coaching Calls Downloads page. After downloading, you may open file in QuickTime Player or any compatible media player to watch at full native resolution.

Want to download this video, pause or resume playback, jump to a specific point or watch this video in a larger window? Click here for Video Playback Notes...

ArchiCAD Training Session Notes

QUESTION	ANSWER SUMMARY AND NOTES	START TIME
Special Coaching Call Topic – RENOVATION – Remodels and Additions (entire coaching call devoted to this topic)
Working in ArchiCAD 14 (and versions below 14) Eric shows how people approached renovations and remodels before the renovation palette became available	Eric draws a sample building to illustrate what to do. He then shows how to use layers to separate existing parts from new parts of the building. The layers function is used because it allows for turning the visibility of items on and off as required. He creates separate layer combinations to do this. One thing to remember when using layers in renovations is to change the wall priority number, otherwise when you turn a layer visibility off you will find that walls don’t clean up properly (Eric demonstrates what to do at time 0:04:30). As a rule of thumb whenever you have a hidden layer then you will likely change this to a wall priority number 2 for cleaning up purposes. If you feel that you need extra tuition on this topic, you may like to take a look at one of Eric articles (see link on right). Eric discusses strategies for doing renovations in ArchiCAD versions pre-renovation palette.	0:01:56
	Another way to show as-built is to create it as a separate file and then reference it into the new remodel pln project as a “hotlink module”.This is actually Eric’s favourite method of doing it. This can be a more complicated way of doing it (beginners beware, but it is also if you know what you are doing more efficient)	0:11:54
Working in ArchiCAD 15 and above (the versions that have the renovation palette)	This palette is found at windows>palette>renovation. This palette allows you to draw elements showing their different status’s i.e. demolition, existing, new etc. Unfortunately this palette will not show different phases. Eric gives a full demonstration on how to use this palette. You can even override some of the settings for example use different colours and line types (Eric explains what you can and can’t do).	0:12:40
	How to create a note in the renovation palette. This is when you want to create something/information to show up only on one particular drawing. This is done by first writing a message on a particular filter e.g. the demolition filter and then pining the label/message to this filter. So it only shows up on this filter, or if you require there is another option of show only on relevent filters.	0:21:58
How to use the split command		0:14:48
Eric explains that there is a slight difference with the renovation filter in ArchiCAD 15 when compared to ArchiCAD 16 and 17.	The difference is in ArchiCAD 15 in the “new” filter it is set to show demolition elements, whereas in versions 16 and 17 it is set to hide them. If you don’t like the way your ArchiCAD is set up then you are able to either show or hide as per your requirements by adjusting the settings.	0:28:40
Explanation of the differences between drafting, cover and cut fills.		0:33:33
Explanation of the new feature “building materials”, available in ArchiCAD 17	Found at options>element attributes>building materials. Building material is intended to represent something that you build with visually as well as analytically	0:35:03
A remodeled wall where the wall is extended in height.	Strategies on how to give the extended wall a visual appearance in plan view (using the wall selection settings)	0:40:00
How to turn off the dark grey square that shows up when you hover over an element in 3d	Options>surface snap	0:43:05
New ArchiCAD 17 feature – Extra 3d sensitivity	Whilst working in 3d you can actually draw a wall at the point you click in 3d (so you can draw a wall starting half way up another wall that you are joining it to). In older versions the wall would be drawn to the height the wall settings were set to, regardless of where you clicked in 3d.	0:43:30
New ArchiCAD 17 feature – You are now able to right click on an element and select “edit selected composite”		0:50:55
Is there a way to showcase aspects of an object that will be renovated or demolished?	The caller was talking about new casings around windows, but not new windows He currently demolishes the entire window, and then places a new window with new casing information. Eric believes that this is currently the only way to do the operation. Another work around would be to drag copy onto itself and change the status of one, whilst adjusting the other. Unfortunately at this time you can’t have the same element in ArchiCAD in two different states.	0:53:45
Wall textures in elevations	Explanation on how they clean up (when you have multiple walls joined together in an elevation), and how now in ArchiCAD 17 they are known as surfaces and not materials, as they were known in prior versions.	1:05:00
The renovation filter, and clone folders.	Eric explains good practice workflow when using clone folders working with the renovation palette	1:14:41
Do the different renovation filters work in section views	Yes, and Eric demonstrates this.	1:21:30
New ArchiCAD 17 feature – 3d cutaway	Go to – view>elements in 3d view>3d cutaway. This feature enables you to make a cutaway in 3d or plan view by just dragging the cutaway plane and placing it where you want. You can also adjust the height of the cutaway and make cutaways at angles.	1:30:00
How to make a baseboard without using the slab tool and how to create mouldings for putting on top of kitchen cabinets	Eric goes through what options there are in the ArchiCAD library for mouldings. Eric then describes how to create your own personalized moulding using the complex profile tool – go to design>complex profiles>profile manager. Eric says if you want to draw all the walls with a baseboard, then it is an option to draw the walls with the baseboard already attached to it by using the complex profile tool.	1:31:45
Markers in interior elevations show up in existing and new even when the caller only wants them to show up in new. and he can’t put them on different elevations. What can he do?	Unfortunately, there is no way to have the renovation palette interact with the marker, so the marker is visible if the layer is visible. Eric says put the interior elevation markers on a layer that you show when you want to, and you hide it when you don’t want to see it. So instead of it being controlled by the renovation palette it is controlled by your layer combination.	1:46:20
How can you show parts of a composite wall being removed during demolition and then new materials being added to one of the surfaces?	Eric says you have two choices neither of which are ideal. Eric then demonstrates the two choices.	1:49:40
Can we put cameras on a separate layer?	No, but if you don’t want to see cameras just turn them off – go to – camera settings>path>display options>no cameras. Another alternative way is to create a dummy path (that doesn’t contain any camera’s) and Eric shows how to do this.	1:52:26

ArchiCAD Training – Coaching Call – June 19, 2013

Add your comments and questions here.

Let us know how you feel... (7 comments so far)

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Morris Richards
11 years ago

In this training video when you were talking about priorities if you split the wall on the line of the inside face of the new extension and not the outside face then I believe it will clean up without leaving the ‘gaps’ on the skin
- Eric Bobrow
  11 years ago
  
  Morris –
  
  There are different “issues” that can affect cleanup of wall intersections. In the video I talked about one of them, the interaction between elements on hidden layers and the visible elements, which can be managed with the use of the Layer Intersection Priority number. This typically shows up as gaps in the visible elements that should not appear.
  
  Splitting a wall in line with the face of another wall can be useful in certain cases. It is necessary when exterior walls have different materials / surface appearance on the interior. Sometimes this can cause a line to appear on the outside face in the Elevation drawing; this can be removed by carefully adjusting the material intersection priority of the interior wall so that it “recedes” and does not “stick into” the exterior wall as if it was forming a corner. I haven’t studied this behavior in ArchiCAD 17, and this may require a different approach in AC17.
  
  I haven’t tested your suggestion to split the wall to try to avoid having the gaps. It may work in certain cases. I believe that understanding and knowing how to use Layer Intersection priorities is an important skill regardless.
  
  Eric
Roman
11 years ago

Hi, Eric!

In this training movie on 01:04:30 you see a hole in the wall (in the “Demolition Plan” filter) because you added a door to that wall.
When you want to edd a NEW door – it means that you have to “create” or if you want – to “destroy” a hole for this door.
So you will always see all holes in all walls in “Demolition Plan” filter since edding new doors or windows etc.

Roman
- Eric Bobrow
  11 years ago
  
  Roman –
  You are correct. When this happened (the demo indication showing a hole for the new door) at first I was puzzled, but later in the call someone mentioned the same thing you wrote. I appreciate that you pointed this out here in the comments, to make it even more clear to those who are watching this session.
  Eric
RajagopalaHathwar
11 years ago

Dear Eric,
Since June 2013 it is not possible to download coaching call courses.
Please do needful.
RAJAGOPALA
- Eric Bobrow
  11 years ago
  
  Hello Rajagopala –
  
  The download option has been moved to the new Coaching Call Downloads page: http://www.acbestpractices.com/member-home/the-course/coaching-calls/coaching-call-downloads/
  which you will find under the Coaching Call menu.
  
  The reason I have done this is that I now am offering short-term memberships in the course that I’m calling ArchiCAD Training Passes. People who sign up for a 1 day, 7 day or 30 day training pass may watch the videos, but may not download them for permanent reference (they do not have access to the download pages). As a full member, you have easy access to the download page, where you may download the video files.
  
  Eric
  - RajagopalaHathwar
    11 years ago
    
    Thank you.
    RAJAGOPALA