January – June 2012
Coaching Call – March 15, 2012
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 ArchiCAD Training Session Notes

QUESTION ANSWER SUMMARY AND NOTES START TIME
Introduction Discussion on Eric Bobrow’s YouTube channel and his latest video – tracing 2d drawings to create 3d models  
Using cover fills Start 0:05:05
  How to alter the fill in the element attributes 0:07:24
  How to alter a 3d material (w siding) to make it look like the cover fill in the 2d window 0:09:35
  ArchiCAD tip: When you lock all sides of an object with the same material the element attributes material dialog box will open at the exact same material 0:10:22
  Fill of surface material – this involves the 2d fill looking at what the 3d window surface hatch is 0:12:50
Angle of rotation Changing a drawings angle of rotation.This will cause the x and y guidelines to re-orientate and can be very helpful when drawing a building/s at an angle 0:17:00
  How the change of orientation effects the north arrow position 0:19:15
Views onto layouts Solving a problem – when the drawings are dragged onto a layout the pensets switch to a different setting 0:22:17
  ArchiCAD tip: You can set up more than one elevation marker for different drawing types e.g. construction documents and presentations (when they have different settings) 0:25:41
  Changing the default drawing penset settings 0:29:18
  Eric explains the most effective way to set up drawings ready for printing. He explains that it is better to create a view consciously, give it a name and ideally group all related drawings together 0:31:57
  Window marker not showing. Eric goes through the window marker settings and possible reasons why it is not showing. He then explains if the marker still won’t show – copy and paste a window and marker from a job where the marker is showing into your current job.  There is also an option to turn on/off markers in the renovation tool (ArchiCad 15) and this could be another possible reason for a window marker not showing 0:35:20
Editing details Question about when details are edited and then further elements are added to the main model/drawing – how is it possible to stop the detail reverting back to its original unedited state when the detail is rebuilt 0:46:21
  Linework and fill consolidation will make the detail simpler to edit (this command came in ArchiCAD 12) 0:49:15
  If you have called out a detail and haven’t done any or much work on it – you can right click then open detail drawing and click on rebuild from source view. This will update the detail to match the main drawing. But this method will bring back lines and fills that you have previously deleted 0:53:05
  If you have done some or a lot of work editing the detail drawing. Then decide to make some more alterations to your main model/drawing. You should bring up the trace and reference palette to help in updating/coordinating the detail 0:53:55
Publishing drawings to dwg The questioner asks if it is possible to consolidate the lines and fills when sending to dwg format (so as to prevent lines on top of lines occurring) 0:59:55
  Eric’s answer to the above question – Switch the drawing section selection settings status from auto rebuild model to drawing. This will change everything to lines and fills. The linework and fill consolidation tool can then be used before exporting to dwg. When the drawing has been exported you can then change the status back to auto rebuild model. Another option is make a copy of the file and then unlink it and clean it up. And then save a record copy as a separate file. You can also do the above with plans. To do this you would first save a copy of your file and click on explode into current view, and then you would do a linework and fill consolidation 1:04:05
  Making railings – if ArchiCAD hasn’t got the right library part, you can either model them yourself, or get a third party addon such as cadimage or cigraph to give yourself more options 1:10:30
How to show different (historic time periods) phases Create an as built file then create a design project that takes it up from phase A of the construction. So the as built is existing and phase A is new. Then save a copy and redesignate everything that is new as existing 1:18:15
  Layer combinations could also be used to simulate the different time periods and hotlinked modules can be used by updating the module for different phases 1:22:29
Walls with an inconsistent width The two tools for drawing walls with varying widths are trapezoidal and polygonal walls. Note: Windows can’t be placed in polygonal walls and with the trapezoidal wall – window reference lines can’t be flipped with the design>modify wall> reference line tool. The windows have to be perpendicular to the reference side 1:25:32
  Using trapezoidal and polygonal wall tools together to simulate complex walls that contain windows. Note: polygonal walls won’t show skins so you have to manually draw these details in 1:29:15
Problems with MAC Lion OS Problems with ArchiCAD fonts and other issues in Mac OS Lion. Eric’s has heard it is now okay, but there may still be still some issues so proceed with a degree of caution 1:32:14

ArchiCAD Training – Coaching Call – March 15, 2012

 

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  1. Avatar photo
    ScottNewland
    12 years ago

    Eric,
    Thank you (and thank you, Ken) for providing me to the answers to my questions this afternoon!
    On the missing markers, I did not have the renovation filter set correctly. The windows and doors were set to “New Construction”, whereas the filter was set to “Existing Construction”. After reclassifying the elements as existing, the markers all appeared correctly. Being a new feature for 15, it is obviously something I need to learn more about, so your answers pointed me in a better direction.
    On the dragging of drawings and having their settings change when seen on the layout, I was again ignorant of a basic feature: The Drawing Default Settings. By changing the pen set to “by view”, it now works as I want it to. Also, having gotten into the bad habit of right-clicking and using the “Save View and Place on Layout”, I was creating a LOT of new views, unorganized and wrongly ID’s on the View Map. Now, as I do the right thing, I’ll finally be able to use the View Map (and Clone Folders) as intended.
    I’ll keep on listening, and look forward to the new lessons you posted on the Best Practices Course.
    Thank you again.
    Scott J. Newland, AIA (Minneapolis, MN)