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
Is it possible on “xox windows” to control the sizes of their side panels?	No unfortunately. The caller was using w triple sash 17 from the ArchiCAD library and wanted to be able to control the width of the side panels, but couldn’t because the fixed panel needs to be on the outside with the two sides being able to slide towards the centre. Eric says that you could consider ganging the windows: ganging means connecting more than one window together (most of the windows in the ArchiCAD library have this option. Eric goes through the process of ganging windows – window default settings>parameters>ganging. Another alternative would be to create your own window and Eric has produced tutorials on this see link on the right.	0:02:12
Opening an archive file	Remember an archive file (pla. file) includes all the library parts that are in use in the project. Generally there are two reasons to use archives 1) when you are sending a file from one person to another and they may not have all the same libraries and 2) if you are saving a file for the long term, so it can be opened up in a newer version of ArchiCAD.	0:13:50
Transitioning	Go to file>libraries and objects>library manager>add. Eric explains the process. Eric also explains what migration libraries are and why we sometimes need to add them in to ArchiCAD.	0:22:00
The importance of placing objects and elements on their correct layers	Eric explains and demonstrates why this is so important	0:30:35
Eric explains the concept of building materials in ArchiCAD 17. And helps out a caller who had a different fill in his plan (it was showing wood floor boards) to what surface material it was showing in the 3d window (it was showing a stone tile or flag).	Options>elements attributes>building materials. Eric first goes through the various settings for building materials. For people who are new to ArchiCAD 17, Eric explains that in older versions of ArchiCAD (pre-17) what was then known as “materials” is now known in “version 17” as surfaces. And “building materials” in 17 are much more sophisticated than what “materials” was in older versions. “Building materials” have settings for structure and appearance; fill orientation; intersection priority; and physical properties. The caller who was new to ArchiCAD had somehow managed to over-ride some of the settings (for surfaces) and consequently was getting a fill pattern on his plan for wood floor boards and in the 3d window it was showing a stone tile floor. Eric showed the caller what he had been doing wrong. The caller wanted the plan to match the 3d window and to do this you have to – select the element that you want to change>then open floor plan and section> then open the floor plan display>cover fills>and then check the box that says “use fill from surfaces” (in older version of ArchiCAD this box will say “use fill from materials”).	0:34:23
How to change the size and colour of a surface (formerly known as materials)	Options>elements attributes>surfaces>texture. Eric gives a thorough explanation on how to change the size and surface colour. Some surfaces unfortunately don’t allow you to change their surface colour because they are locked in to always be the same colour. In these circumstances you would have to change the particular texture file. Eric shows how to do this. You basically have a choice of using an alternative texture image from the ArchiCAD library or load your own image into ArchiCAD.	0:42:55
Difficulty in bringing in a land surveyor’s survey	The survey was a dwg and due to the large area having been surveyed and the fact the survey was a considerable distance from the origin point was giving the caller difficulties in bringing in the survey and getting it to a legible size (scale) to put on a layout. The caller in-particular wanted the text in the survey to be legible at all the different scales that the survey would be printed off. Eric goes through the various options.	0:53:30
Eric explains and demonstrates the differences between paper and model size in the text default settings		1:16:00
Moving and sorting elements onto different layers (from a land survey)	Thousands of individual elements were on the same layer, so to make the drawing more usable, Eric starts to organize the surveyor’s drawing by layers (grouping similar elements together on a layer, and putting different elements on separate layers). Eric moves many elements very quickly by using the “edit selection set” – go to edit>element settings>edit selection set. Eric advises to work in a separate file and colapse things onto either just one or a small number of layers, and then bring them over into your main file. Because then you can easily turn off your survey by just turning off the layer.	1:27:22
How do you transfer to ArchiCAD 17 things like settings and short cut keys etc.	If you only have a few short cuts to transfer, it is faster to just set them up again at – options>work environment>keyboard shortcuts. To transfer lots of shortcuts you need options>work environment>shortcut schemes. From here you can export your shortcuts. Eric takes you through the process of what to do.	1:34:12
Wall not cleaning up correctly (gypsum board not wrapping correctly). This explanation is primarily for users who have ArchiCAD 17.	A caller sent Eric an email of a 2d AutoCAD drawing showing how the wall should be cleaning up. First Eric troubleshoots and goes through all the most likely issues that can stop a wall cleaning up in ArchiCAD. Eric then opens the problem ArchiCAD drawing and selects the problem wall and right mouse clicks on it, and he selects “edit selected composite” (this command is only available in ArchiCAD 17). The problem with the caller’s drawing was found to be that the caller had manually turned up the gypsum boards “intersection priority” (this function is found in building materials) and this was making the material stronger than it should have been set at.	1:41:50
	Eric put up a pdf on screen that advised on what numbers to set your “intersection priority”, for your different materials	1:59:20

ArchiCAD Training – Coaching Call – July 18, 2013

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DamianTrostinetzky
11 years ago

Eric,

There is a way you could add captions to the videos? I know that there may be some people with hearing problems who can’t fully enjoy your explanations in the videos.

Thanks

Damian