July – December 2012
ArchiCAD Training – Coaching Call – September 11, 2012
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
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 ArchiCAD Training Session Notes

QUESTION ANSWER SUMMARY AND NOTES START TIME
Setting up a camera and doing a simple rendering Start 0:04:35
  Eric demonstrates basic camera settings. This is a very basic explanation where Eric goes through how the settings effect the camera’s position (in this particular explanation, Eric doesn’t demonstrate how to make an animation). A little trick, if you want to make the walls truly vertical (i.e. to avoid foreshortening issues) then make sure that both your camera position and your target position are at the exact same height (so you are looking at the building horizontally). 0:07:25
  Eric demonstrates how to render the view the camera is pointing at. To set up the right photorendering settings go to document>creative imaging>photorendering settings. And to render the image go to document>creative imaging>photorender projection. Eric show’s how to create simple rendered camera views, and he highlights that if you then make further changes to the model the rendered camera views will update themselves once double clicked on. You can also place a rendered camera view on a layout sheet, and update any changes made here too. 0:15:30
  Camera paths can clutter up a drawing and there is an option for turning them off. First open up the camera tool, and click on path, and under display options set to “none”. 0:23:21
Find and Select Eric demonstrates this tool and pays special attention on telling people how to use the, “criteria” to get the best out of this tool. 0:24:49
Eyedropper tool Brief explanation on this tool 0:31:32
Masking the background around text names? Sometimes it is hard to read text names due to them merging in with their backgrounds. Here, Eric shows how to set their backgrounds to opaque go to Text selection settings>text block formatting>opaque, you can also give the background a particular color, by clicking on the monitor icon, that is situated to the right of the opaque checkbox 0:35:34
  To remove the little handles that surround “text” go to view>on screen view options>textbox handles. There really is no need to remove these handles unless they annoy you, because these little handles don’t print out. 0:36:57
Masking the background of zones Select the zone stamp that you want to change and then open up the zone category settings>set to basic zone stamp (found under edit selected category)>and finally change the fill background pen from transparency to opaque. If you cant’ find a zone stamp that is suitable in ArchiCAD, it is possible to purchase a more advanced one from a company called masterscript. 0:38:18
How to save/export a 3ds file with textures and at the correct scale File>save as>3d studio file, then a dialog box pops up and that asks, “construct 3d object according to”, from here it gives options such as layers, materials etc. Eric explains what the different options entail. 0:45:52
Roof object showing dashed line on floor plan view. And the caller would like to know if he can show it as a solid line for ceiling plan. Basically, he wants to know can he show two different types of roof linetypes in plan views. Eric goes through a lot of interesting options regarding what you can show, and how you can change what is seen on the different storys and views. Eventually, Eric answers the question and the answer is – Eric shows how to set both solid and dashed lines, but he doesn’t think there is a way to set both at the same time for different views. Here is what to do to change the linetype – options>project preferences>construction elements>here you can change the line type for above and below the home story. But think carefully before you use it; because it also effects everything else that is above and below the home story too. 0:50:16
  Eric puts a colored fill behind a zone stamp, to personalize the zone stamp 1:09:11
How to create your own personalized architectural window that has tracery. This example just has shaped mullions, but the process for creating tracery is basically the same. The caller describes the context of the problem that he is having 1:12:23
  Eric starts to make the personalized window 1:14:39
  Eric shows some new features that are in ArchiCAD 16, and these consist of more controls for designating names to materials of newly created objects. 1:20:10
  Eric shows how to make the newly created object cut its own shape into a wall. This involves giving it a special ID called wallhole. Note: This process is essential for making your window cut out the true shape of your window (e.g. curved top rail) into the wall. If you don’t follow this procedure the window will only cut out a square or rectangle shape that follows the windows maximum dimensions. Note: Eric also mentions that the wallhole shape that you create to cutout your personalized window has to be made using the slab tool. 1:21:03
  You can make all kinds of objects not just windows, and some of the objects you may want to rotate to a different orientation, Eric shows you how to do this. 1:35:00
How to place a detail that comes from a manufacturer (dwg. format) onto a layout Eric shows how to put a detail onto a layout sheet, and goes through some of the settings such as changing the scale and changing the pensets. Note: The detail can’t be edited when brought in this way. To edit first bring it in as a detail and explode it. 1:40:35
Control/command clicking to adjust the roof edge on multi plane roofs Unfortunately, you can’t adjust click on multi plane roofs. First you need to turn them into single plane roofs. An alternative way to join together two connected multi plane roofs is – Eric selects one of the multi plane roofs and right clicks, and selects connect>trim elements to roof/shell. Eric goes through the procedure and also talks about how the pivot line and contours effects how the roof is cut. 1:47:00

ArchiCAD Training – Coaching Call – September 11, 2012

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