03 ac 12 reference guide

ArchiCAD 12 Reference Guide

GraphisoftVisit the Graphisoft website at http://www.graphisoft.com for local distributor and product availability information.ArchiCAD 12 Reference GuideCopyright © 2008 by Graphisoft, all rights reserved. Reproduction, paraphrasing or translation without express prior written permission is strictly prohibited.TrademarksArchiCAD is a registered trademark and PlotMaker, Virtual Building, StairMaker and GDL are trademarks of Graphisoft. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders.

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Introduction

INTRODUCTION

The ArchiCAD 12 Reference Guide contains six main chapters, providing a concise overview about ArchiCAD features and functions. This material is also available through the electronic Help system.The User Interface Reference section of this Reference Guide, providing more detailed descriptions of each setting and dialog box, is available in the electronic Help system only.

Chapters in this book:

Configuration summarizes what you need to know to set up your ArchiCAD program.

Interaction introduces you to ArchiCAD’s basic operations. It has three main sections: Navigation, Editing Concepts, and Techniques.

Virtual Building describes the model views and windows you will use to create your Virtual Building using the ArchiCAD design tools.

Documentation describes ArchiCAD’s drafting and annotation tools, as well as the integrated Layouting process for producing a complete, final documentation for your project.

Collaboration presents the Teamwork function which allows teams of architects to work simultaneously on the same project. This chapter also covers how to include repetitive structures efficiently; an intelligent DXF/DWG import-export and merge process; and an on-line redlining process.

Visualization encompasses all the tools and techniques that allow you to display and present your architectural design to your customer.

ArchiCAD 12 Reference Guide 3

Introduction

4 ArchiCAD 12 Reference Guide

CONTENTSIntroduction_______________________________________________ 3

Configuration _____________________________________________15Managing Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Start ArchiCAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15Create New Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15Close a Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16File Types Recognized by ArchiCAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16File Compression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17Template Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17Backup Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18Archive Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18Opening Projects through a Network. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19Merging Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20Add-Ons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21Project Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22Working Units & Levels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22Dimension Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25Layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

About Layers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26Quick Layers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27Create and Use Layer Combinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28Use Layers to Prevent Wall/Column/Beam Intersections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29Use Separate Layer Settings for the Layout Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29Place All Elements on a Single “Active Layer” (Simulate Autocad Work

Methods). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30Line Types. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30Fill Types. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

Available Fill Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31Composite Structures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

Assign a Composite Structure to a Wall, Roof or Slab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31Define a Custom Composite Structure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32Components of Composite Structures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

Pens & Colors/Pen Sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33Apply a Pen Set. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Redefine a Pen Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35Transfer a Pen Set to Another Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35Automatic Pen Color Visibility Adjustment for Model Views. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36Predefined Pen Sets for Specific Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36About Materials. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36Display of Materials and Textures in 3D Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38Display of Materials in Section/Elevation/IE Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38Display of Materials in the 3D Document. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39Display of Materials in Renderings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39Create or Modify a Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

Attribute Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40Custom Attributes of GDL Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40Libraries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41About Libraries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41Startup Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42Library Updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43Library Management Workflow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43About Library Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44Identifying Duplicates Among Library Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45Missing Library Parts and the Library Loading Report Palette . . . . . . . . . . .45Favorites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46About Favorites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46Storing and Applying Favorites in Tool Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46The ArchiCAD User Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47Toolbox. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47Info Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

About Menus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49Toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

About Toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50Palettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50Pet Palettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52Customizing your Work Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53About the Work Environment Dialog Box. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54


Saving Your Customized Work Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56How to Use Your Personalized Work Environment Settings on Another Computer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Interaction________________________________________________ 59Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59How to Navigate Among ArchiCAD Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59Navigation Inside the Active Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Zoom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59Fit in Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60Pan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61Navigator Preview (2D) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Navigation in the 3D Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62Accessing 3D Navigation Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62Explore Model (3D Navigation). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62Orbit (3D Navigation) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63Navigator Preview (3D) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 643Dconnexion Enabler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

The Navigator Palette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65About the Navigator Palette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65Using the Navigator to Open Project Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66Project Workflow in the Navigator. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66Organizer Palette (Special Navigator View) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67Navigator Color Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68Navigator Project Map. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69Navigator View Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71Setting up a View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72Saving a View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73Modifying View Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74Quick Options Palette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74Navigator Layout Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74Navigator Publisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75External Projects in the Navigator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Editing Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76Selecting Elements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Quick Selection of Surface Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77Select Multiple Elements Using a Selection Rectangle/Polygon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78Selection of Overlapping Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Selection Feedback. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79Selection Dots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79Selection Highlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Element Information Highlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80Element Information Pop-up (Info Tags) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81The Intelligent Cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82Deselecting Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84Find and Select Elements by Criteria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84Edit Selection Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84Store and Access Selection Sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85Marquee Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

About Marquee Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85Marquee Area Definition Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86View Marquee Area in 3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87Removing a Marquee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88Copy/Paste Marquee Area from Project Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88Copy Cropped Image File with Marquee Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88Drag or Stretch Multiple Elements Using Marquee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89Other Editing Operations within the Marquee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Origins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90About Origins in ArchiCAD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90Create a User Origin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90User Origin in the 3D Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Use Tracker to Display and Input Coordinates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91About the Tracker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91Parameters Shown in Tracker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92Defining Tracker Coordinates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92Coordinate Input in Tracker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93Coordinate Input Logic: Expert Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

The Measure Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94The Grid System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95Grid Snap Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97Guide Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

About Guide Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97Turn Guide Lines on or off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97Types of Guide Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98Defining Your Preferred Guide Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99Placing Guide Lines During Input. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100Removing Guide Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100Examples for Using Guide Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100


Mouse Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101Using Mouse Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101Projection Mode of Cursor with Mouse Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102

Coordinate Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102Relative Construction Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103

Parallel and Perpendicular Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103Angle Bisector Constraint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103Offset and Multiple Offset (Relative Construction Methods) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104Aligning Elements to a Surface in 3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105

Snapping to Existing Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106Special Snap Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106

Special Snap Points on Temporary Vector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107Cursor Snap Range. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108Elevation and Gravity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108

About Elevation of Elements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108Elevation Values in the Tracker. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109Gravity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110Reference Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110Elevation and Stories in the 3D Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111

Cancel Operations with Esc and Backspace Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111Pet Palettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111Techniques. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111Basic Editing Techniques. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111Moving Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113

Nudging Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114Dragging Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115Rotating Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116Mirroring Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116Elevating Elements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117

Align Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118About the Align function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118How to Align Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118Special Align . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120

Distribute Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121Special Distribute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122

Modifying Element Sizes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123Overview of Modifying Element Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123Stretching Walls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123Modifying Slanted Walls and Columns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124

Modifying Beams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125Modifying Complex Profile Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126Reshaping Polygons and Chained Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126Stretching with the Marquee Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .128Stretch Height . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129Resize (Enlarge or Reduce) Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129Splitting Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .130Adjusting Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131Intersect Two Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131Create a Fillet or Chamfer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .132Trimming Elements to Intersection Point(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133Adding Element Nodes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133Editing Element Nodes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .134Curve/Straighten Element Edge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .134

Explode into Current View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .135Creating Element Duplicates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .135

Drag, Rotate, Mirror Element Copies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .136Multiplying Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .136

Drag & Drop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .138Parameter Transfer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .139Grouping Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .140Lock/Unlock Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .141Display Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .141Magic Wand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143

About the Magic Wand. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143How to Create an Element with the Magic Wand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .144Using the Magic Wand in 3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145Using the Magic Wand to Add/Subtract Polygon Shapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145

“Virtual Trace:” Using References to Edit and Compare Model Views and Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145

About Trace References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145Access Trace Reference Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147Show/Hide Trace Reference. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147Choosing a Trace Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .148Set Color/Visibility Options for Trace Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149Move Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149Switch Reference with Active: How to Access Elements within the Reference for

Editing or Copying. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150Rebuild Trace Reference. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150Compare Reference with Active . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .151


Consolidating Lines and Fills in Drawing Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153Why Consolidate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153Linework Consolidation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153Fill Consolidation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154

Virtual Building __________________________________________ 155ArchiCAD Model Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155About Model Views in ArchiCAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155Floor Plan Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156Stories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157

About Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157Navigate Among Stories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157Defining Story Display in 3D. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158Defining Story Display in Section/Elevation/IE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158Manage Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158Story Level Lines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159

Floor Plan Cut Plane (Global Setting) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160How to Display Individual Elements on the Floor Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161

Set Home Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161Control Element Display by Story (Show On Stories) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162Define Element’s Floor Plan Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163Define Range of Element’s Projected Display (Show Projection). . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164Examples of Floor Plan Display Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165

3D Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167Show All in 3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168Show Selection in 3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168Show Marquee Area in 3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168Default Display in 3D. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169Filter Elements to Show in 3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169Save Contents of 3D Window as a View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1703D Engines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1703D View Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1723D Projections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1723D Navigation Extras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1743D “Cutaway” Sections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174

Sections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175About Sections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175Create a Section Viewpoint. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176Define Horizontal/Vertical Range of Section Viewpoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177Define Marker Reference for Source Marker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177

Assign Section Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178Display of Elements in Section Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179Open a Section Viewpoint. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179Place a Linked Section Marker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180Define Marker Reference for Linked Marker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181Place an Unlinked Marker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181Create an Independent Section Viewpoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182Updating Sections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182Summary of Rebuild Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183Display of Section Lines and Markers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184Adjusting or Breaking Section Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184

Elevations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184Interior Elevations (IE) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185

About Interior Elevations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185Create Single Interior Elevation Viewpoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186Create Multiple IE Viewpoints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187Interior Elevation IDs and Names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188Editing Interior Elevation Viewpoints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189Editing the Interior Elevation Limit Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190Vertical and Horizontal Range of the Interior Elevation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190Interior Elevations and Zone Shape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191Display of Elements in Interior Elevation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192

3D Document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192About the 3D Document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192Create a 3D Document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193The 3D Document and its 3D Window Source. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194Redefine the 3D Document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194Model Display of the 3D Document. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198

Details. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198About Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198Create a Detail Drawing Viewpoint with Model Source. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199Contents of the Detail Viewpoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199Place a Linked Detail Marker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200Place an Unlinked Detail Marker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200Create an Independent Detail Viewpoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200Display of Detail/Worksheet Boundary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201Update Detail/Worksheet Marker Boundary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201Display of Detail Drawing Icons in the Navigator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201Updating the Detail Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201


Worksheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .202About Worksheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .202Worksheet vs. Detail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .202Create a Worksheet Drawing with Model Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .202Contents of the Worksheet Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .203Editing in the Worksheet Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .204Create an Independent Worksheet Viewpoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .204Place a Linked Worksheet Marker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .204Place an Unlinked Worksheet Marker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .204

Managing Markers in ArchiCAD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .204About Markers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .204Display of Marker Range Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .205Source Marker Highlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .205Changing Marker Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .205Transfer Marker Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .206Copying a Marker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .206Navigation Using Markers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .206Find Linked Markers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .207Check Markers Palette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .207Deleting a Viewpoint/View/Drawing with a Marker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .208Deleting a Marker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .209

Interactive Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .209About Schedules. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .209Open a Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .210Show Schedule Data for Selected Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .211Editing and Updating Schedules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .211Define a Schedule Using Scheme Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .212Sort Schedule Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .213Format a Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .214Schedule Headers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .215Restructure Schedule to Fit Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .215Split Schedule into Multiple Layouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216

Project Indexes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .217About Project Indexes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .217Index of Published Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .218

Construction Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218How to Place a Construction Element in ArchiCAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .218Walls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .219

About Walls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .219Create a Straight Wall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .220

Create a Curved Wall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .220Create a Chain of Walls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .222Create a Rectangle of Walls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .223Create a Trapezoid Wall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .223Create a Composite Wall. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .224Create a Polygon Wall (PolyWall) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .224Create a Slanted or Double-Slanted Wall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .225Create a Log Wall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .225Create a Gable Wall. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .226Wall-Wall Intersections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .226Modify Wall Geometry (Add-On) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .229Walls and Other Elements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .229

Columns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .230Column Display on Floor Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .230Column Display in 3D. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .231Creating Columns. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .232Create a Slanted Column . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .233Columns and Other Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .233

Beams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .233Beam Reference Axis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .233Beam Display on the Floor Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .233Create a Beam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .234Create a Hole in a Beam. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .235How to Change Angle of Beam End Faces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .235Beams and Other Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .236

Place a Wall/Column/Beam with a Complex Profile. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .237About Complex Profile Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .237Creating or Editing a Complex Profile Element. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .238Store or Apply a Modified Complex Profile. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .239Create Complex Profile from Parallel Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .240

Roofs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .240About Roofs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .240Create a Simple Roof on the Floor Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .241Create a Simple Roof in 3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .242Create a Polyroof or Curved Roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .242Create a Dome-Shaped Roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .243Create a Barrel-Vaulted Roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .243Create a Hole in a Roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .246Modify the Roof Slant Angle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .246Create Roof Level Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .247


Set Custom Roof Edge Angle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248Intersect Roof Planes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248Trim Element to Roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248Create Special Roof Objects with RoofMaker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251

Slabs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255Creating Slabs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256Placing Holes in Slabs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256

Meshes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257Display of Meshes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257Create a Mesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257Edit Elevation of a Mesh Point. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258Add New Points to the Mesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258Create a Hole in the Mesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259

Zones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259Zone Categories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2592D Display of Zone Fills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259Zone Stamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2603D Display of Zone Spaces. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261Creating Zones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261Trim Zone to Another Element. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263Calculating Zone Area and Zone Volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264Updating Zones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265Update Zones Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265

Curtain Wall: A System Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266Working with Curtain Walls: Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266Curtain Wall Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268Create a Curtain Wall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270System-Level Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284Curtain Wall Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285Curtain Wall Edit Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285Edit Grid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289Edit Curtain Wall Boundary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291Edit Curtain Wall Boundary in Section. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292Add Additional Curtain Wall Boundary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293Edit Curtain Wall Reference Line. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295Curtain Wall Frames . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295Curtain Wall Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299Curtain Wall Junctions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302Curtain Wall Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304

Curtain Walls and Other Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306Free-Rotate Curtain Wall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310Attach Labels to Curtain Wall Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311

Parametric Objects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311About Parametric Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311Object Settings of Library Part Elements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312Where to Find Objects for Use in ArchiCAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313Locating a Library Part . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313Placing an Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315Selecting a Placed Object. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316Stretching Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316Customizing Object Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317Parameter Transfer Between Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318Graphical Editing Using Editable Hotspots. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318Create Patch Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319Graphic Creation of Custom Objects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319

Saving Library Parts from the Project File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320Saving 2D Symbols as Library Parts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320Saving 3D Models as Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320Saving Rectangular Doors and Windows from the Project File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321Saving Custom Shape Doors and Windows from the Project File . . . . . . . . . . . . 322

Scripting Custom Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323Custom Components. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324Dedicated Object Tools: Doors, Windows, Skylights, Wall Ends, Stairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .326Doors/Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326

Floor Plan Display of Doors/Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327Setting the Window/Door Plane in Slanted or Complex Walls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327Anchoring Sill or Header Heights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328Placing Doors or Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329Creating an Empty Opening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330Moving Wall Openings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330

Corner Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332Skylights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332Wall Ends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333Stairs (Predefined Stair Objects) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333

Displaying Stairs on the Floor Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334Custom Stairs with StairMaker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .335StairMaker Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335


Custom Stair Based on a Standard Stair Type. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .336Geometry and Flight Settings (StairMaker). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .337Structure and Landing (StairMaker) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .341Tread Settings (StairMaker) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .343Railings (StairMaker) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .344Symbol Settings (StairMaker) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .346Listing Settings (StairMaker) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .347Check and Save Stair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .348

Custom Stair Based on Manually Drawn Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .348Element Extras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349TrussMaker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .350

Creating Trusses in the Floor Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .350Editing Trusses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .350Creating Trusses in Section/Elevation/IE Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .351

Solid Element Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .352About Solid Element Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .352Solid Operation Types. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .353Solid Operations: Element Display and Calculation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .353Solid Operation Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .353

Model View Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355Set Model View Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .355Model View Options Combinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .356

On-Screen View Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357Partial Structure Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358

About Partial Structure Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .358Choose Partial Structure Display Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .358Partial Structure Display Settings in ArchiCAD Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .359Save Partial Structure Settings by View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .360How to Define Skins of a Composite Structure as “Core” or “Finish”. . . . . . . . .360How to Define Components of Complex (Profile) Elements as “Core” or “

Finish”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .361Visualizing the Entire Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .361Columns In Partial Structure Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .362Zones and Partial Structure Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .363Floor Plan Cover Fills in Partial Structure Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .363Dimensions in Partial Structure Display. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .363Partial Structure Display Settings in Windows Based on a Source Marker. . . . . .364Intersections of Partially Displayed Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .365Doors and Windows in Partial Structure Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .365

Documentation __________________________________________ 367Drafting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367Fills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .368

About Fills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .368Fill Categories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .368Assign a Fill to a Construction Element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .369Draw a Freehand Fill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .370Defining Fill Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .370Fill Display Mode: Vectorial vs. Bitmap. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .372Display of Vectorial Hatching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .372Set Orientation of Vectorial Hatching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .372Model View Options: Global Settings for Fill Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .375Create New Symbol Fill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .375Adding Area Text to a Fill. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .375Gradient Fills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .376Image Fills. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .376

Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .378Line Categories in ArchiCAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .378Drawing a Single Straight Line Segment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .379Stretching or Shrinking Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .379Drawing Circular Arcs and Full Circles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .379Stretching Curves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .380Editing an Arc Using its Tangent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .381Drawing Elliptical Arcs and Full Ellipses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .381Convert Ellipse to Circle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .382Drawing Splines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .382Editing Splines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .383Drawing Freehand Curves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .383Drawing Polylines and Chained Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .383Decompose a Polyline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .384Unify Drafting Elements into Polyline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .384

Hotspots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .385Figures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .386Drawings in Model Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .386

Placing Drawings into a Model window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .387Annotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 388Dimensioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .388

Placing Dimensions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .388Glossary of Dimensioning Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .389


Static Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390Linear Dimensions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390Linear Dimensions in the 3D Document Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393Dimensioning Overlapping Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 394Elevation Dimensions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 394Dimensioning Wall Thickness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395Radial Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 396Level Dimensions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 396Angle Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 397Editing a Dimension Chain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398Modify the Witness Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401Dimension Text Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401Move or Edit Dimension Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402Associative Dimensions in Sections/Elevations/IE and 3D Document. . . . . . . . 402Secondary Dimensions (Add-On) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403Automatic Exterior Dimensioning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403Automatic Interior Dimensioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 404

The Grid Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 404About the Grid Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 404Components of a Grid Element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405Visibility of a Grid Element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406Creating a Straight Grid Element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407Creating a Curved Grid Element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407Editing a Grid Element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408Place a Grid System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408

Text Blocks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410Placing Text Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 411Formatting Text Blocks As a Whole . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 412Resizing Text Graphically . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 412Applying Favorite Text Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 412Formatting Individual Components of Text Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 412

Autotext . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413How to Insert Autotext . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413Autotext Reference Drawing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414

Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 417Placing Independent Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 417Placing Associative Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 418Tool-Specific Default Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 418Placing Member Labels on Curtain Walls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 419Define Default Text Content of Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 420

Symbol Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 420Text Editing in ArchiCAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 420

Search and Replace Text. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 420Spell Checker. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 421Editing Commands in Text-Type Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 421

The Layout Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .422Layouting Work Environment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 422Layout Book Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 423

About the Layout Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 423Layouts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425Master Layouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425Subsets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 426

Drawings in the Layout Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 427Placing Drawings Onto the Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 427Arranging Multiple Drawings on the Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 429Importing PDF Files As Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 429Modifying Drawings on the Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 430Drawing Titles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 431Managing and Updating Placed Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 433Deleting a Drawing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 434

Layout and Drawing IDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 434Simple Layout Numbering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 435Automatic Layout ID Assignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 435Custom Layout/Subset IDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 436Drawing IDs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 436

Layouting Workflow Schemes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 437Smaller Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 437Mid-Size Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 437Larger Projects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 438Layouting in Teamwork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 439

Publishing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .440Print . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 440Plot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 441Publisher Function. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 442

Planning to Publish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 443Defining a Publisher Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 443Defining Output Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 444Defining Output Format. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 444Viewing and Redlining DWF Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 445


Publishing Process. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .445PDF Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .446

Create PDF Output Using the Publisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .446Save Document in PDF Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4473D Content in PDF (WIN only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .448

Calculation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 449Calculation Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .449Calculation Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .451List Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .451Displaying Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .453Element Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .454ID Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .455

Collaboration _____________________________________________459Teamwork. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 459Project Setup in Teamwork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .459

Team Roles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .459Sharing the Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .460Reservation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .461Changing Workspace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .462Working Inside the Reserved Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .463View Maps and Publisher Sets in Teamwork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .464

Workflow in Teamwork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465Sending and Receiving Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465Working on a Local Copy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465Teamwork Techniques. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .466Working Off-Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .470Library Management in Teamwork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .470Teamwork Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .473

Troubleshooting in Teamwork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .473Teamwork Strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .477

Small Firms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .477Medium Size Firms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .478Large Practices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .479

Hotlinked Modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 482About Hotlinked Modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .482Create Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .484Place Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .484Modules Involving Multiple Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .486

Editing Module Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .486Edit Hotlink Source in Separate ArchiCAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .486Edit Module: Break Link, Edit Elements, Replace Hotlink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .487

Managing Hotlinks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .488Modules: Multiplatform Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .492Hotlinked Modules and Teamwork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .492XREFs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 494XREFs and the Layer Structure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .494Using XREFs in Round-Trip Communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .495Data Exchange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 496Opening DWG/DXF Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .496Saving DWG/DXF Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .498Merge a DXF/DWG File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .500

Round-Trip Conversion (Smart Merge) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .500Consultation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 503Project Reviewer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .503

Project Reviewer Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .503Project Mark-Up. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .508

About Project Mark-Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .508Version Management with Mark-Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .509Mark-Up Concepts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .510Publishing and Retrieving Mark-Up Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .510Teamwork and Project Mark-Up. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .510Mark-Up Example in Teamwork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .511

Visualization_____________________________________________ 513Cameras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 513PhotoRendering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 514Basic LightWorks Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .515Expert LightWorks Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .517Exterior LightWorks Example. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .520Interior LightWorks Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .523Visualization Extras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 525Fly-Through . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .525VR Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .526VR Scenes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .527Sun Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .529Align View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .529

Index___________________________________________________ 533


Configuration

CONFIGURATIONThe first section of this chapter, Managing Projects, contains information about creating, opening and saving projects.Next, the Project Preferences section describes how to set up a project by defining preferences, for example, the units of measure used in the project.You will set a scale for your project window by using the Document > Scale command. Then, by looking through the Options > Element Attributes submenu, view the Attributes that are loaded by default - these include Layer Settings, Line Types, Fill Types, Composites, Pens & Colors, Materials, Zone Categories, and Mark-Up Styles.If you plan to edit an existing project, make sure you have loaded all the object libraries needed to be able to display and edit all placed objects.The next section describes an easy way to re-use preferred settings, by defining and using Favorites.After an overview of the ArchiCAD User Interface, the section on Customizing your Work Environment shows you how to save your personal working preferences on your computer, and how to export and import them to other machines if necessary.

Managing ProjectsArchiCAD’s main native document type is the .pln file, the “solo” Project. It includes all model and Layout Book data, the views generated for the project, as well as project preferences, attributes and library references.The following sections include information on managing projects in ArchiCAD.

Start ArchiCADDouble-click on the ArchiCAD icon in your program folder to start the program. The Start ArchiCAD dialog box appears.For more information, see “Start ArchiCAD Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.

Create New ProjectEvery time you create a new project (File > New), you can choose among saved sets of project settings: Use a Template: Use the predefined ArchiCAD 12 template to enable the Default Project Settings shipped with ArchiCAD. Use a customized template if you have developed your own template files with predefined options. A template is a read-only project file, which contains all preferences settings, placed construction and drawing elements and tool default settings of the project. (When starting a new project based on a template, you are in fact opening a copy of this template file as “Untitled”).


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At the top of the list is the default template shipped together with the current version of ArchiCAD. (It is saved to the Defaults folder when you install ArchiCAD.) Defaults folder locations:

On PC: C:\Program Files\Graphisoft\ArchiCAD 12\Defaults\ArchiCAD

On MacOS: \Applications\Graphisoft\ArchiCAD 12\Defaults\ArchiCAD

The next section contains any additional template files saved to the “Templates” folder, located here:

On PC: Documents and Settings\user\Graphisoft\ArchiCAD Templates.

On MacOS: Library\Application Support\Graphisoft\ArchiCAD Templates.

In the bottom section of the pop-up list, you will find up to three of the last template files chosen.

Select Browse Template to choose a template file from any other location.

Use Latest Project Settings: You will continue working with all the project-specific options, and a few general preferences, that were in effect when you last quit ArchiCAD. This can be the perfect solution for you, if you always work with the same standard definitions. However, if you last opened and worked on a project that was created by another person, you may find that your preferred settings are off. If you do not wish to return to the program’s default settings, open a project that you are familiar with, then close it and start the new project again: this time, Latest Project Settings will mean the settings you are familiar with.

• If you press Alt (Opt) key when choosing the New command, its name changes to New and Reset All and ArchiCAD will automatically use the default project settings.

Launch a new instance of ArchiCAD: Check this box if you want to open an additional ArchiCAD in addition to the currently running program, if any.

Setup Work Environment

Choose one of the Work Environment Profiles (a predefined Profile, or one that you customized and saved yourself.)For more information, see “Default Profiles in ArchiCAD 12” on page 57 and “Customizing your Work Environment” on page 53.

Close a ProjectIf you use File > Close to close the Floor Plan, you close the entire Project. You will be prompted to save recent changes, if any. External files (GDL Object windows, pictures) will remain open.When you save and close a project with many windows open simultaneously, ArchiCAD will reopen these windows the next time you open the project. Re-opening all these windows may take time, especially if they must be rebuilt. If the number of windows to be re-opened exceeds 20 (not including PhotoRendering windows, which are not saved with the project), then ArchiCAD will show a warning dialog in which you can opt to re-open just the frontmost window (plus the Floor Plan), instead of all of the previously open windows.

File Types Recognized by ArchiCADUse File > Open to open a saved project. Use File > Save to save it.See the following sections in ArchiCAD for details:File Types Opened by ArchiCADFile Types Saved by ArchiCAD


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File CompressionWhen saving certain file types from ArchiCAD (.pln, .plp, .tpl, .pla, .mod), the Options button in the Save dialog box presents you with the option to “Compress file.”This option is enabled by default, and is recommended in most cases, since file compression reduces file size considerably (by 60-70%). Using this option also increases download speed if you are working from a slow network, because the files are smaller.However, note that using the Compress file option means increased file saving time (about 30% longer), as a consequence of increased calculation needs. If the saving procedure takes too long, try turning this option off.

Note: If you are using a computer with dual processors, file saving time should increase by only 5-10%.

Template FilesA template is a read-only project file with extension tpl. It contains all project preferences settings, placed elements and tool default settings of the project. ArchiCAD 12 is shipped with a default template file together with the default library. Upon installation, the default template is located in the Defaults folder. When you create a new project in ArchiCAD using a template file, this default template is at the top of the pop-up list when you choose a template:

See also “Create New Project” on page 15.To create a customized template, open a new empty project file. Edit your project preferences, set up the project structure and/or place elements. Save this project file as a template: use File > Save as, and choose “ArchiCAD Project Template (*.tpl)” as the file type.To open a copy of the template, choose the New command and select the Template option, then select the desired template file. When starting a new project based on a template, you are in fact opening a copy of this template file as “Untitled.”

Note: Settings of the Work Environment Profile used to open your project will override Template file settings.


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Backup FilesOpening a Backup Project file (.bpn) allows you to recover the latest backup copy of a damaged project file, provided that the Make Backup Copy checkbox is active in Options > Work Environment > Data Safety.See also “Data Safety” in ArchiCAD Help.

Archive FilesArchive (.pla) files are similar to Solo Projects, but may also include the following:• Library parts, background images and linked textures used in the

Project, not just references to them• Properties in loaded libraries• Placed DrawingsTo save a Project in the Archive format, use the Save as command.The Archive format is recommended for:• Moving a Project to another computer• Storing a completed ProjectArchiCAD Projects may refer to Library Parts, stored as outside files in Library folders or directories. If you want to ensure that all files referenced in the Project are included, you should save the project as an Archive. Documents saved as Archives are stored together with all the Library Parts (in a library container file, with extension lcf) and properties contained in and defined with the Project.

Note: If you add a .pla file to your Active Libraries using Library Manager, make sure you add the explicit .pla file itself, not a folder that contains the .pla. Otherwise the parts located within the .pla will not be read.

For more information on Library Containers, see “Startup Library” on page 42.Warning: If any Library Parts are missing from your Project at the time you save the Project as an Archive, these missing parts will not be included in the Archive document either.

If you choose the Archive format in the directory dialog box when saving the project, an Options button appears. Clicking it opens a dialog box, in which you can specify which types of library parts should be included in the archive.Because of the larger volume of information it stores, an Archive file is somewhat larger than the corresponding Project document.

Important: Archives store the font information used in the project, but not the fonts themselves. This means that if you wish to display textual information the same way as it appears in the original environment, you have to install the appropriate fonts.


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Archive files do not store Add-Ons. Therefore, if your project contains elements affected by Add-Ons, these elements may lose certain features or behavior if these Add-Ons are not present.

When you open an Archive type document, the Open Archive Project dialog box appears.

Choose one of the three options:• Read elements directly from archive: this means that the

library parts will not be extracted from the archive file. You can place Objects referring to the embedded elements in the Archive file, but you cannot edit the embedded Library parts themselves (unlike the elements in an .lcf file). This also applies to list schemes used in calculations. This method saves a lot of disk space, but limits the modification possibilities.

• Extract elements to a new folder: the external library parts required for the project will be extracted from the archive and placed in a new folder that you can name. This solution is recommended if you need to actually work on the GDL Objects of the Project.

• Select a library: instead of extracting the library parts saved with the project, you can indicate a folder that houses the required elements. This solution is recommended if you wish to update the Project’s GDL Objects with their latest versions.

Opening Projects through a NetworkIf the file that you wish to open is already in use by someone else on the local network, ArchiCAD will warn you about this and let you know the name of the user, that is, the name defined in the Sharing Setup Control Panel (MacOS) or as the User Name (Windows).

You have the following choices:

• Open the file with exclusive access

• Cancel opening the file

• Open the file as read-only

If you choose to open the file as read-only, you can see and modify the whole file, but you can only save it under a different name or into another location. If you try to overwrite the original file, you will again be notified that it is in use and that you cannot replace it with your modified Project.

You can also choose to open the file with exclusive access. However, you should be very careful about using this option.

There are a number of reasons why ArchiCAD may state that a file is in use although it actually is not:

• The person who last used the file did not properly open and close the file in ArchiCAD, e.g., because of a system crash.

• You have made a copy of a file that was in use at the moment, and the copy of the file also includes the name of the person who was using it during the copying operation.


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Note: If you do open a file with full access while another person is using it, you will both overwrite each other’s work without getting any further warning message from ArchiCAD. Therefore, be extremely careful when opening a file with exclusive access in any situation other than the emergencies mentioned above.

Merging FilesThe File > File Special > Merge command allows you to paste the elements of another Project, or a Module, DWF/DWG/DXF, PLT or image file into ArchiCAD. Files can be merged into either the current Floor Plan, the currently open Section/Elevation/IE, 3D Document or Detail/Worksheet window.

When merging a Project or Module file, ArchiCAD matches the stories of the merged (imported) file to the current (open) one. When you merge a multistory building into your current Floor Plan, ArchiCAD will ask you to define which story from the imported file will match the story you are working on, and it will also suggest a possible match. If you do not have enough stories in your current plan to accommodate all the merged ones, ArchiCAD will automatically create the missing stories.

Note: You cannot merge multistory elements or modules into 2D windows other than the Floor Plan.

Note: When merging a Module into a Section/Elevation/IE or 3D Document window, only 2D Elements will be pasted.

Note: There is a difference between merging a multistory project, and placing a multistory Hotlinked Module. If the host project that contains fewer stories than Hotlinked Module you are placing, the module stories which do not “fit” in the host project will not be placed.

See “Modules Involving Multiple Stories” on page 486.Since attributes (Layers, Materials, Line Types, Fill Types, etc.) are identified by their names, the following rules are observed:

• If the name of the attribute is the same in the two Projects, the merged (imported) elements will inherit the attributes of the current Project.

• If the name of an attribute for the merged Project is not present in the current one, this attribute is appended to the current Project’s attribute set to accommodate the new names.

When merging a Project or Module, you can drag, rotate and mirror it before placing it to the final location. Until the file is placed, its elements will be surrounded by a dashed rectangle. Click within the rectangle to move the elements to the desired position. Click outside the rectangle, or click OK from the context menu (or the Control Box) to place the elements.The elements of the merged files will become independent of each other after being placed. You can place the same elements repeatedly with the Paste command.If you choose dxf/dwg file format, the Merge DXF-DWG dialog Box appears.For more information, see “Merge DXF-DWG Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.

Merging Image-Type FilesYou can merge an image-type file into your ArchiCAD Project. (These include documents created in drawing or painting programs; 3D views and elevations saved in picture format; PhotoRenderings saved only in picture format.) Before choosing Merge for an image-type file, you can define its size on the plan in advance: Choose the Marquee tool and draw a Marquee of the desired size and position.

The merged image will fit into this rectangle.


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Note: Be careful to draw the Marquee with the same proportions as the original picture, otherwise the figure will be distorted.

Add-OnsAdd-Ons are small applications that extend ArchiCAD’s core functionality. Many add-ons are integrated as ArchiCAD menu commands. You can freely customize visibility and the menu and toolbar location of these integrated add-ons in the settings dialogs of Options > Work Environment > Menus/Toolbars.The location of these additional add-ons in the menu structure depends on where the Add-On Anchor Point is located for that menu.You can move this Add-On Anchor Point to any menu location, again using the controls in Options > Work Environment > Menus and Toolbars.If the Add-On Anchor Point is not part of your customized menu structure, then the additionally loaded Add-Ons will not be displayed either.Open the Add-On Manager using Options > Add-On Manager command.

Use the Add-On Manager to• Load Add-Ons from any location. They will be loaded after the

next startup of ArchiCAD;• Permanently remove Add-Ons while ArchiCAD is running;• Control which Add-Ons should load automatically when

ArchiCAD is started;• Show information about the loaded Add-Ons.For more information, see “Add-On Manager” in ArchiCAD Help.


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Goodies

“Goodies” are another source of ArchiCAD Add-Ons. They are not integrated into ArchiCAD’s default interface. To access them, go to ArchiCAD’s Help menu and choose the Goodies command, from which you can access a web page containing information on available add-ons and how to install them.

Once you have installed a Goody into the program, you can then customize the location of the associated menu commands using the Work Environment interface, as for any other Add-On, and manage it with the Add-On Manager.

For more information, see “Add-On Manager” in ArchiCAD Help.

Project PreferencesThe Options > Project Preferences command contains settings which are specific to the project you are working on, and which are saved along with the project. These preferences are crucial standards and working methods applicable to the whole project.

The Project Preferences dialog box contains a pop-up menu at top left listing each preference category (which you can also access directly from Options > Preferences.) Clicking the Next and Previous buttons allows you to go from one screen to the other

• Working Units & Levels

• Dimensions

• Calculation Units

• Construction Elements

• Zones

• Layouts

• Miscellaneous

The most important Project Preferences which you can set in this dialog box are Working Units & Levels, and Dimension Units; these are described in the sections below.

The other Project Preferences are described in detail in ArchiCAD Help.

See Calculation Units Preferences, Construction Elements Preferences, Zones Preferences, Layouts Preferences, and “Miscellaneous Project Preferences” in ArchiCAD Help.

Working Units & LevelsTo set working units for the current project, open Options > Project Preferences > Working Units & Levels.


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Use the controls of this dialog box to set a project standard for such units as length measurement, angle units and Reference Levels for calculating elevations.

Note: This dialog box allows you to set different length measurement units for editing Layout Book items (Layout Unit) and Model items (Model Unit).

The unit standards you choose here are Project Preferences: specific to the Project you are working on and are saved with it. If another user opens the Project on his or her own computer, the same settings will be applied.

Note: Length measurement units for ArchiCAD dimensions are set in a separate dialog box, at Options > Project Preferences > Dimensions.

For details on each control of this dialog box, see “Working Units & Levels Preferences” in ArchiCAD Help.

Dimension UnitsTo set dimension unit preferences for the current project, open Options > Project Preferences > Dimensions.For details on each control of this dialog box, see “Dimensions Preferences” in ArchiCAD Help.Each project can be assigned its own Dimensioning Standard. These are predefined sets of units that affect the entire project at a single click. This is useful if you are working on several projects requiring different levels of accuracy (construction details versus site plans) or projects being built in countries other than those in which they are designed.For a quick way to change the dimension units of your project, use the Dimensions pop-up in the Quick Options Palette.

See “Quick Options Palette” on page 74.However, you can fine-tune any of the dimension unit types in the project. For example, if you are working with the millimeter standard, but decide to display Door/Window dimensions in centimeters, choose Door/Window as the dimension type and change its units to centimeters.The project Standard is now “Custom.” You can save this new standard under its own name by clicking “Add.” Dimension unit standards you set here are saved along with your project.While the Dimension Standard set here applies to the Project globally, you can apply a different dimension standard to any view of the Project, if needed. To change the dimension standard for any single view, open its View Settings and adjust its Dimensions setting.


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ScaleTo set the scale of the currently active window, choose the Document > Floor Plan Scale command. (The name of the command varies depending on which window is active.)You can have a separate scale in effect for each window.Select either a standard scale from the pop-up list or type a nonstandard scale into the numeric input field. The name of the given window is displayed in the caption of the dialog box.

Standard scales are shown according to either metric or US standards, depending on the Length Unit setting made in the Options > Project Preferences > Working Units & Levels dialog box.

You can also use the Scale pop-up from the Quick Options palette to reset the scale of the current window.For more information, see “Quick Options Palette” in ArchiCAD Help.After setting a scale, what you see is a preview of the Project if printed or plotted at that scale. To make a zoomed view match the view at the currently set scale, choose View > Zoom > Actual Size (or click the zoom button) after setting the scale.Actual Size is the equivalent of the 100% scale value. The 2D Symbol of some GDL Objects (such as Stairs) can be set to be sensitive to the current scale: the symbol varies depending on the current scale.

Scaled vs. Fixed ElementsAccording to their behavior at different scales, there are two types of elements in ArchiCAD.Scaled elements are rescaled along with the model whenever you change the project scale. Scaled elements include all construction elements such as walls, objects, slabs etc.Fixed Size elements are printed or displayed on the screen at the size you specify, regardless of the scale selected for the Project. For elements that do not have any real size, such as dimensions and arrowheads, you can specify a fixed size defined in either points or millimeters.Either fixed or scaled: Text Blocks created with the Text tool, dashed and symbol line types, and vectorial, symbol and image fill types can be defined as either fixed scale (Scale independent/paper size) or scaled (Scale with plan/model size). You can set this characteristic for each line type or fill pattern in the Line Types and Fill Types dialog boxes (Options > Element Attributes menu), or in the Text Settings dialog box for Text blocks.

Set a Different Scale for Each ViewAs you save views of your project, the scale is saved along with the view. Naturally, you will vary the scale as your project develops and you save multiple views at different scales for different purposes, using the Scale option in View Settings.For more information, see “View Settings Stored with the View” on page 73.


Configuration

Set a Separate Printing Scale for 2D DocumentThe ArchiCAD Print and Plot dialog boxes (File > Print and File > Plot) allow you to specify a custom printing scale each time you print or plot your work from a Floor Plan or other 2D window. You can also choose whether you want the program to reduce or enlarge text and markers as the printing scale is changed, or keep them at a fixed (paper) size.For more information, see Print 2D Document and “Plot 2D Document” in ArchiCAD Help.

Drawing ScaleDrawings based on an ArchiCAD view have a Drawing Scale. By default, this Drawing Scale is the same as the Original Scale (the scale of the Drawing’s source view), but you can customize the Drawing Scale in Drawing Settings.Customizing the Drawing scale has no effect on the scale of objects within the drawing; it is equivalent to a graphical resizing of the Drawing, like the effect of magnifying a document with a copy machine.See “Drawing Tool Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.

AttributesArchiCAD Attributes are groups of defined settings available to your project. For example, Line Types and Materials are Attributes which you can apply to many project elements as you create them. You will access these attributes in the appropriate dialog boxes: for example, when assigning Wall Settings, you will choose from the project’s Fill set and Line Type set, using the appropriate pop-up menus in the Wall Settings dialog box. What you see in these pop-up menus are defined in Options > Element Attributes.

ArchiCAD comes with a default set of Attributes. For most users, these default attribute sets are amply suited to their design needs. If you wish, you can customize Attributes or create new ones. For


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example, you can draw a new fill type, or customize a default material to give it a new look. Attributes are saved with your project, so if you open the project on a different computer, your customized Attributes are available.To open and (if needed) edit Attribute sets, use the commands from Options > Element Attributes. Three other attribute types - also accessible from the Options > Element Attributes menu - are discussed elsewhere:“Zone Categories” on page 259,“Mark-Up Concepts” on page 510,“Profile Manager Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.

Layers

About Layers

Layers are used to separate elements logically. Related groups of elements, such as dimensions, furniture, electrical symbols and so on, are placed on common Layers.An element can only belong to a single layer.For each layer, you can set different settings (lock/unlock, show/hide, 3D view mode, layer intersection group).Layers are global, which means that the same layers are available on all stories and in all windows. Each ArchiCAD project has a single layer set, which is accessible from Options > Element Attributes > Layer Settings, as well as Document > Layers > Layer Settings (shortcut: Ctrl+L).Although your ArchiCAD project contains a single Layer Set, you can set the visibility and locked/unlocked status of the layers separately for model views and for layouts. (The title bar of the Layer Settings dialog box reflects which type of window is active in ArchiCAD - a Model View or the Layout Book.)

See “Use Separate Layer Settings for the Layout Book” on page 29.ArchiCAD comes with a predefined set of layers. Each tool has a default Layer assignment, so if you place an element using that tool, the new element is automatically placed on the corresponding layer (e.g. External Wall, Column, Beam).Layers can be deleted; in this case, you will delete all the elements on it. However, the ArchiCAD Layer is a special layer that cannot be deleted, hidden or locked, since an ArchiCAD project must always contain at least one layer. In case of a file error, any elements that may have lost their layer definitions will be placed on the ArchiCAD layer.

Use Layers to Lock Elements to Prevent EditingClick the lock icon to toggle between locked/unlocked status for the selected layer in the Layer Settings dialog box.If a layer status is locked, then elements on that layer cannot be edited - this is useful if you want to prevent unintended changes.

Use Layers to Show/Hide ElementsTo show/hide a layer, toggle the “eye” icon open or shut for the selected layer.


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If a layer is in hidden status, elements on that layer are not displayed on your plan.

Use Layers to Show 3D Elements in Wireframe Mode.

Click the shaded/wireframe icon for the selected layer to toggle between these display mode options for 3D.This setting is independent of the current 3D mode set in the View > 3D View Mode menu.For more information, see “Layer Settings Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.

Quick Layers

The Quick Layers palette lets you quickly change the state of the Layers in your Project without having to open the Layer Settings dialog box.Choose the Window > Palettes > Quick Layers command.

• The Show/Hide Toggle inverts the visibility of all layers.• The Lock/Unlock Toggle inverts the state of all protected and

unprotected layers.• The Hide/Lock/Unlock Selections’ Layers commands invert

the state of the Layers belonging to the currently selected elements, while Hide/Lock Others’ Layers does the same for the elements that are not selected. Both explicit selection and Marquee areas are taken into consideration.

• The Undo Quick Layer Actions command undoes the last Quick Layer action (up to 10 actions).

• The Redo Quick Layer Actions command redoes the last undone QuickLayer action (up to 10 actions).

For example, suppose you want to edit this roof in the Floor Plan:

You don’t need the Section and Elevation markers; to temporarily hide them, select all the Section/Elevation markers...

... then click the Hide Selections’ Layers command.


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Now the unneeded markers and lines are hidden.

Once you are done working on the roof and want to show the hidden layers again, click the Undo Quick Layers button.

All Section and Elevation markers are now shown again.

Create and Use Layer Combinations

To automate the process of displaying and locking layers, you can store various setups as Layer Combinations using the Document > Layers > Layer Settings command. See “Layer Settings Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.The current Layer Combination is indicated by a checkmark in the list. ArchiCAD comes with several default Layer Combinations.

To change the active Layer Combination, use the Layer Combination pop-up control in the Quick Options palette, or the Document > Layers hierarchical menu, where Layer Combinations are listed by name.For example, you can set up a “Show All, Lock 3D Elements” Layer Combination, all the layers are visible, yet all Layers assigned to 3D model elements are locked, making those elements uneditable. You might use this Layer Combination when working with 2D only functions, such as dimensioning, to prevent inadvertent modifications to the building elements.Since the settings of layers for Model Views and for the Layout Book can differ, the Layer Combinations saved from these views can also be different.

Note: Layers and Layer Combinations are handled by ArchiCAD as attributes.


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Use Layers to Prevent Wall/Column/Beam Intersections

Another way to use layers is to vary their Layer Intersection Group numbers. Intersecting elements that belong to the same Layer Intersection Group will be joined to each other, provided they are drawn correctly. Elements on different Layer Intersection Groups will not be joined. The numbers under the intersection icon in the Layers panel (Document > Layers > Layer Settings) indicate the number of the intersection group the elements on that layer belong to.Only elements on the same intersection group will connect to each other.By default, every layer is set to Group 1, so all intersecting elements will be joined according to the regular intersection rules for ArchiCAD. You may want to prevent this intersection - for example, to show the details of composite walls that have not been joined. In this case, place the intersecting walls on different layers, and then give one of these a layers a different Layer Intersection Group number.For example:Wall Layers Have Identical Intersection Group Numbers:

Wall Layers Have Different Intersection Group Numbers:

Note on Intersection with Hidden Layer: Elements having identical intersection groups will intersect even if one of the layers is hidden. This may result in “missing” lines, indicating an intersection with an element on a hidden layer. To avoid this, go to Layer Settings, select one of the layers, and assign it any different intersection group.Exception for Level 0: Elements which are both on intersection group 0 (whether on the same or different layers) will NOT intersect.

Use Separate Layer Settings for the Layout Book

While each ArchiCAD project has only one Layer set, the settings of any particular layer (for example its show/hide or locked/unlocked status) can be different in the Layout Book and in Model Views. The settings variation you see in Layer Settings (either Layout Book or Model Views) depends on which window is active when you open Layer Settings. The Layer Settings command and its dialog box are labeled accordingly.


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Important: Layer settings for the Layout Book serve to show/hide elements directly placed on layouts, such as lines, texts and drawings as a whole. Layout Book layers do not affect the drawing content, which is determined by the layers of its associated view.

Place All Elements on a Single “Active Layer” (Simulate Autocad Work Methods)

If you wish to simulate AutoCAD work methods, the Active Layer command is an easy way of placing all of your elements on a single layer, rather than using ArchiCAD’s default layer set-up.Choose Document > Layers > Layer Extras > Active Layer from the menu and choose the One Active Layer for all Element Types option from the appearing palette.This will set the default layer of all element types to the layer of the currently active tool (regardless of any selection). All Tool Settings dialog boxes will now use the same default Layer definition and successive elements will all be placed on that layer, regardless of type. You can override this setting manually for selected elements. If you wish to return to the previous layer state, choose the Individually Set Layers option. The last set of manually defined layers will be used.

Line TypesYou can assign line types to each ArchiCAD construction element in its own Tool Settings dialog box, depending on the element type. For example, when defining how a Column should be displayed in a 2D window, you can apply different line types for its core outline, for its overhead display and for its crossing symbol. The line types available in the Settings dialog boxes are defined and managed as the project’s Line Type attributes, in Options > Element Attributes > Line Types.Use this dialog box if you wish to modify the standard line types (solid, dotted, dashed, etc.) and define customized line types.

For more information, see “Line Types Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.

Line Weight DisplayBy default, all lines will be displayed at Hairline width, at one pixel wide.In addition, you can enable Bold Cut Lines (View > On-Screen View Options); this will show all Cut lines as bold (two pixels wide, regardless of the line’s true pen weight). All other lines will be shown at Hairline width.The alternative to Hairline weight is display each pen’s True Line Weight: enable Line True Weight in View > On-Screen View Options. Each line’s pen weight (depending on its pen weight value as defined in the Pens and Colors dialog box) will be displayed accurately.See also “On-Screen View Options” in ArchiCAD Help.


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Fill TypesFill Types are used to define the appearance of fills applied to construction elements.For details on Fills and how to use them, see “Fills” on page 368.Use the Options > Element Attributes > Fill Types dialog box to define and/or edit fill types and patterns, and determine the category of each particular Fill (Drafting Fill, Cut Fill, and/or Cover Fill).

Available Fill Attributes

Solid Fill TypesSolid Fills include:• The Background Fill (in earlier ArchiCAD versions: Empty):

You see only the Background, because the Foreground is set to zero.

• The Foreground fill (in earlier ArchiCAD versions: Solid): You see only the Foreground, because it covers up the Background.

• Three fills whose foregrounds are of predefined Translucence (25%, 50%, 75%).

These percentages can be adjusted by hand in Options > Element Attributes > Fill Types.For details, see “Fill Appearance Panel” in ArchiCAD Help.Vectorial Fills can be assigned to construction elements in 2D windows. You can also assign Vectorial Fills to Materials, which are displayed in the 3D window. See “Display of Vectorial Hatching” on page 372.Some properties of vectorial patterns can be adjusted, including their scale, angle, spacing, availability and associated screen-only bitmap display.See “Fill Edit Vectorial Pattern Panel” in ArchiCAD HelpSymbol Fills can be assigned to construction elements. You can edit the symbol pattern of an existing fill, or draw a new symbol fill entirely.See “Create New Symbol Fill” on page 375.Gradient Fills and Image Fills are Drafting fills only, and thus are available only from the Fill Tool’s pop-up.See “Gradient Fills” on page 376 and “Image Fills” on page 376.

Composite Structures Walls, Slabs and Roofs can be defined as composite structures.

Assign a Composite Structure to a Wall, Roof or Slab

1) Select the element, or open the Default Settings dialog box for the element type.


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2) In the Floor Plan & Section panel, open the “Structure” pop-up list, and click on “Cut Fills.”

The Structure’s “Cut Fills” pop-up list of Wall, Slab and Roof Settings includes a number of predefined Composite Structures (in addition to the uniform structures).

Note: Composite Structures are defined for specific element types: Wall, Slab, and/or Roof. Therefore, a composite element available from the Wall’s “Structure - Cut Fills” pop-up may not be available in the Roof Settings “Structure - Cut Fills” pop-up. If necessary, you can customize these definitions in the Options > Element Attributes > Composites dialog box.

For more information, see “Composite Structures Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.3) Choose the desired composite structure. This composite

structure will be applied to the currently selected or created element.

Define a Custom Composite Structure

Customize any composite structure, or create a new one, using the Options > Element Attributes > Composite Structures dialog box.

Components of Composite Structures

The layers of the composite element are called “skins”; the skins are separated by “separator lines”; and the outline of the composite is the “contour line.”All composite elements include structural, load-bearing skins called Core, which play an important role when connecting Walls and Columns. See “Wrapped Columns on the Floor Plan” on page 231.The skins you define as “Core” or “Finish” will also affect views in Partial Structure Display. See “Partial Structure Display” on page 358.However, a Wall skin’s Core or Finish status has no relation to its 2D intersection priority, which is set separately.For composite elements (Wall, Slab, Roof): skins can be checkmarked “Core” or “Finish” in Options > Element Attributes > Composite Structures. You can check multiple skins as “Core,” but these skins must be adjacent to each other.You can define multiple adjacent skins as “Finish”, but they must include one or both of the outermost skins.A skin cannot be both “Finish” and “Core.”Core/Finish checkboxes are available in the Edit Skin and Line Structure panel of Composite Structures. For any skin you select in this panel, you can also set its Core or Finish option in the Edit Selected Skin panel.


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When drawing a trapezoid Wall with a composite fill, only the outermost Core skin’s thickness reflects the trapezoidal shape of the Wall. In the image below, two of the skins are marked as Core, but only the Insulation core skin - the outermost Core - has a trapezoid shape.

By default, the core skin is the thickest one, but you can also define other skins as Core (in the Core column of the list).

Pens & Colors/Pen SetsPens are simulated drawing instruments which have a specific color and line weight. You assign pens to ArchiCAD elements in their own tool settings dialog box. Each pen has a color and a pen weight. Assigning a pen to an element (or a part of an element) means that the element will appear in that pen’s defined color and pen weight.

Note: Your current On-Screen View Options (Bold Cut Lines, True Line Weight) may affect the on-screen display of your lines.

For more information, see “On-Screen View Options” on page 357.


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To assign a pen to an element, open the pencolor pop-up (in the element settings dialog box or in the Info Box of a selected element) and choose the desired pen for the element or one of its components - such as the cut line pen assigned to the slab in the following image:

Apply a Pen Set

To choose and apply a pen set, use:Options > Element Attributes > Pens & Colors orDocument > Pen Sets > Pens & Colors. Both commands open the identical dialog box.Select a pen set from the “Available Pen Set” list and click OK.For more information, see “Pens & Colors Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.For a quick way to change the pen set of your model view, use the Dimensions pop-up in the Quick Options Palette.See “Quick Options Palette” on page 74.

Apply a Separate Pen Set for the Layout BookYou can use a separate pen set for your Model Views and your Layout Book: the name of the dialog box includes either “Model Views” or “Layout Book”, depending on which type of window is active.

The Pens & Colors (Layout Book) settings are applied only to items placed onto the Layout (such as Autotext and Master Layout items), but not to the content of placed Drawings.

Apply a Pen Set to a DrawingWhen you place a view onto a Layout, it becomes a Drawing. By default, the Drawing placed in the Layout Book uses its own pen set (the one saved in the source view’s View Settings - by default, the pen set defined for the project’s Model Views). However, you can override this pen set in Drawing Settings Properties panel: click the Pen Set drop-down menu and choose a different pen set, for this drawing only.


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Of course, Drawings that have their source in external files - such as DWG/DXF/PDF files placed using ArchiCAD’s Drawing tool - can be assigned pen sets the same way, in the Drawing Settings dialog box.See also “Pen Set” in ArchiCAD Help.Or you can change the source view’s pen set, in its View Settings Dialog Box.

See “View Settings Stored with the View” on page 73.

Redefine a Pen Set

The predefined pen sets shipped with ArchiCAD are based on common workflows, but you can redefine or rename any pen set together with its description, and redefine any pen’s line weight or color, using the Edit Color control within the Pens and Colors dialog box. Pen numbers remain constant even if you change pen sets.For more information, see “Pens & Colors Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.

After redefining a color or changing the Pen Set, the ArchiCAD construction elements immediately change to the new colors on the Floor Plan. The 3D window, 3D Document and Section/Elevation/IE/Worksheet windows may require that you rebuild the view.

Transfer a Pen Set to Another Project

Pen Sets are attributes, and can be transferred among different ArchiCAD projects using the Pen Sets tab page of the Attribute Manager (Options > Element Attributes > Attribute Manager). Similarly, each pen set's individual definitions can be copied among projects in the Attribute Manager (“Pens and Colors” tab page).


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Automatic Pen Color Visibility Adjustment for Model Views

When the luminance value of a particular background color falls below a threshold value - that is, if your background is sufficiently dark - black pens will be shown as white on your ArchiCAD screen. (This is useful if you use a dark or black background to imitate AutoCAD methods.)

However, when printed, pen colors will print according to their actual settings in the pen set.

Non-black pens that would be difficult to see against a particular background will automatically shift to a similar, but more easily visible color. On a white background, elements in white pens are adjusted to a light gray to enhance visibility. Again, when printed, pen colors will print according to their actual settings in the pen set.

To disable this automatic color adjustment, uncheck the Automatic Pen Color Visibility Adjustment checkbox in Options > Work Environment > More Options.

Predefined Pen Sets for Specific Functions

Architects often wish to output the same model in several versions, using different pen colors or pen weights each time to meet different requirements for scale, color or emphasis.

To aid users in this effort, ArchiCAD comes with several predefined pen sets. This way, you can switch pen sets for the entire project with a single click: you might prefer to use the “architectural plans” pen set when outputting plans for approval, then switch to the “electrical” pen set to output layouts for a subcontractor. When you change the pen set of a given project, the pen index numbers assigned to individual elements remain the same, but the colors and line weights associated with those pen indexes may change in accordance with the definitions in the new pen set, and your display and output will get a whole different look.

When you assign a pen to an element, you are assigning a pen index number to that element. ArchiCAD’s default pen indexes assigned to element parameters correspond to the element function. For example, slabs are assigned a default cut line pen with index 29, which corresponds to the function “Slabs - Cut Structural.”

Note: Depending on your localized version of ArchiCAD, your default pen sets and pen index assignments may vary.

For more information on pen sets in ArchiCAD, see http://www.archicadwiki.com/Pen_Sets.Since each pen index number has a distinct function definition, it is worth paying attention to the pen function when assigning a pen to an element. (Or you can simply use the default element pens that are shipped with ArchiCAD.) If you assign pen index numbers consistent with the function of the element, then switching from one pen set to the other will ensure a consistent display that is in line with the purpose of your output.

Materials

About Materials

To display your plan realistically, you can apply materials to your elements. Materials contain color, texture and light effects. Materials can be displayed in the 3D Window, Section/Elevation/IE and 3D Document windows, and in PhotoRenderings.


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Materials are defined in the Material Settings Dialog Box (Options > Element Attributes > Materials). Materials defined here can then be assigned to elements in their Element settings dialog boxes (Model panel). Some materials have vectorial hatching and/or textures as part of their definition, as indicated by icons. This material, for example, uses both vectorial Hatching and a texture:

Important: Vectorial Hatching is only displayed when using the Internal 3D engine. Textures are displayed only when using the OpenGL 3D engine. To switch between 3D Engines, use the commands in View > 3D View Mode.

For more information, see “3D Engines” on page 170.Vectorial Hatching is a vectorial fill pattern used with a Material. In the Material Settings dialog box, you can choose a vectorial hatching for any material, selecting one of the project’s defined vectorial fill types.See “Material Vectorial Hatching Panel” in ArchiCAD Help.Textures are image files that can be assigned to materials to give them a more realistic “look and feel”. By default, many ArchiCAD materials have textures assigned to them (such materials will have a texture icon next to their name.) You can load additional textures from the ArchiCAD library, or load other custom images. Textures

are assigned and edited in the Texture Panel of the Material Settings dialog box.See “Material Texture Panel” in ArchiCAD Help.

Assign a Material to a Construction Element1) Select a placed element, or open the Default Settings dialog box

for the element type.2) Use the Model panel to access the available materials for the

element’s top, bottom and side surfaces in the 3D window. 3) Choose the desired materials to apply them to the current

element. (Apply a single material to all surfaces using the Chain icon, or apply separate materials, as needed.)Note: Wall geometry and the direction of its reference line affect the assignment of materials to each surface of the Wall. For more information, see “Wall Model Panel” in ArchiCAD Help.

Note: Clicking the Chain icon (“Link Materials”) in this or other element settings dialog boxes means that the group of materials next to the chain icon are linked: each of the linked surfaces will use a single material; changing the material for one surface will change the material for all surfaces. To set a separate material for each surface, unlink them by clicking the chain again.


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Suggested Workflow for Using Materials

1) Edit the default set of materials and/or create new materials. (This step is optional and recommended for advanced users.)

2) Choose a material for each construction element, using the material pop-up in the Model panel of the element’s Settings dialog box. (For Wall Ends, materials are set in the 3D Representation section of the Parameters panel.)

3) In the PhotoRendering Settings dialog box, choose a Rendering Engine, then adjust the relevant settings (transparency, effects, background, etc.) to define how the materials will be displayed in the final rendering.

For more information, see “PhotoRendering Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.

Display of Materials and Textures in 3D Window

The 3D Window displays the material’s colors, vectorial hatching and applied textures, if any.

Important: Vectorial Hatching is only displayed when using the Internal 3D engine. Textures are displayed only when using the OpenGL 3D engine. To switch between 3D Engines, use the commands in View > 3D View Mode.

For more information, see “3D Engines” on page 170.

To display vectorial hatchings, the Vectorial 3D Hatching control in View > 3D View Mode > 3D Window Settings must be On.

3D Texture Alignment

The orientation and origin of construction element textures can be fine-tuned in 3D views with the commands of the Design > Align 3D Texture hierarchical menu.

These commands are only available in the 3D Window on selected construction elements whose Material attribute includes a Texture assignment (Options > Element Attributes > Materials).

For details on these commands, see “Align 3D Texture” in ArchiCAD Help.

For each individual element, you can discard the customized texture alignment by clicking the “Reset Texture” button in the Model panel of its element Settings dialog box.

3D Textures are visible only when using the OpenGL 3D engine (View > 3D View Mode > 3D Window Settings), and if the Textures box is checked in OpenGL options as in the image below:

See also “3D Window Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.

Display of Materials in Section/Elevation/IE Window

The Section/Elevation/IE window can display an element’s material’s colors and/or vectorial hatching on the element’s uncut portion.

To display material colors:

1) Open the Model Display panel of the Section/Elevation/IE Settings dialog box.

2) Choose “Fill Uncut Surfaces” and activate one of these two options.


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• Elements’ Own Material Colors (Shaded): Surfaces will display the elements’ own material colors. The display colors will reflect shading effects, as in the image below.

• Elements’ Own Material Colors (Non-Shaded): Surfaces will display the elements’ own material colors. The display colors will not reflect any shading effects; each material color will be uniform over the whole surface.

3) Check “Vectorial 3D Hatching” to display the material’s vectorial hatching, if any.

Material colors and vectorial hatching can be displayed only on uncut surfaces of elements in the Section/Elevation/IE windows.

Display of Materials in the 3D Document

A 3D Document has its own Settings dialog box. Use the Model Display Panel of 3D Document Settings to define how materials will be displayed. Unlike in Section-type window, the 3D Document’s Model Display settings enable you to choose materials, element-specific fills and shaded or non-shaded colors to display cut surfaces.

The Vectorial Hatching in 3D and Transparency options for the 3D Document are specific to the 3D Document, and are not connected to the same options set for the 3D Window.

Display of Materials in Renderings

Different Rendering Engines have different capabilities for displaying materials. Thus, when editing a Material in the Material Settings dialog box, some of the available controls may not have any effect on the material’s rendered appearance. To streamline the process, choose your intended Rendering Engine as the Preview Engine in the Material Settings dialog box and check the Disable unrelated Controls box.

This way, only those controls will be available in Material Settings that will actually affect the final rendered appearance. If you intend to render with LightWorks, choose the LightWorks Rendering Engine in Material Settings, and check Disable unrelated controls. The LightWorks Shader Settings panel is now the only one you need to edit in Material Settings.For more information, see “LightWorks Shader Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.Renderings display all material characteristics except vectorial hatching. The general appearance of your renderings is defined in the PhotoRendering Settings dialog box, whose settings apply to all materials in the rendering.For more information, see “PhotoRendering Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.


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Create or Modify a Material

Materials can be created or modified using the Material Settings Dialog Box (Options > Element Attributes > Materials).For more information, see “Material Settings Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.

Assign a Vectorial Hatching to a MaterialUse the Options > Material Settings > Vectorial Hatching panel to assign a Vectorial Hatching to a Material.For more information, see “Material Vectorial Hatching Panel” in ArchiCAD Help.

Assign a Texture to a MaterialUse the Options > Material Settings > Texture panel to assign a Texture, if desired.For more information, see “Material Texture Panel” in ArchiCAD Help.

Attribute ManagerThe Attribute Manager command (Options > Element Attributes > Attribute Manager) allows you to copy (append, overwrite) attributes (Layers, Layer Combinations, Pens & Colors, Pen Sets, Line Types, Fill Types, Composite Structures, Materials, Profiles, Zone Categories and Cities) between two opened files. It can also duplicate or delete attributes in either of the two files. On choosing the Attribute Manager command, the following dialog box appears (since it has to list all the attributes of the project, displaying the dialog box might take some time):

Custom Attributes of GDL ObjectsSome GDL object scripts include custom attributes. These attributes may be defined either as part of their individual object scripts or defined in the MASTER_GDL script. When you load such objects into a project, their custom attributes are automatically merged into the project’s attribute set as follows: • If the Attribute definition is contained in the MASTER_GDL

script, then once the library containing the MASTER_GDL script is loaded, the attributes are merged into the ArchiCAD project attributes. Attributes with the same names are not replaced.

• If the Attribute definition is contained in the individual library part scripts, then- Fills and Line types are merged into the ArchiCAD project. - Material and Texture attributes are not merged into the ArchiCAD project attributes.


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Libraries

About LibrariesArchiCAD Libraries are folders containing the external files used by ArchiCAD or referred to by construction elements.

Normally, library elements are arranged hierarchically within the main Library folder/directory.

Some of the library type files contain geometric data that allow you to place instances of the given item into the ArchiCAD Project, while others only contain graphic or text information that can be attached to other library items or to the entire Project.

Libraries contain geometric library parts collectively called GDL Objects (or Parametric Objects). They can be placed in the Project

• using one of ArchiCAD’s dedicated tools (Object, Lamp, Door, Window, Skylight, Corner Window, Stair, Wall End, Curtain Wall Accessory or Junction)

• automatically by specific commands or Add-Ons (Markers, Labels, RoofMaker and TrussMaker elements)

• or only used as a reference by other elements (macros, Zone stamps, Property Objects)

See “Parametric Objects” on page 311.

When you place an Object (as opposed to other elements in ArchiCAD), you are placing an instance of an external file located in an object library. ArchiCAD is shipped with a standard object library containing hundreds of preconfigured, editable objects (also known as GDL objects or Library parts). For the most part, you will use ArchiCAD tools to place objects from this standard library.

All of these files can be opened in ArchiCAD with the File > Libraries and Objects > Open Object command and they can be created in ArchiCAD with the File > Libraries and Objects > New Object command.

The Library also contains files of different formats that are referred to by ArchiCAD elements:

• Listing Templates are plain text files that are used to customize the content and the look of quantity calculations.

For a detailed description, see “Calculation” on page 449.

• Textures are picture files that can be attached to Materials to provide added realism in rendered views, and in the 3D Window when using the OpenGL engine.

See “Assign a Texture to a Material” on page 40.• Background images are additional picture files used to provide

the 3D model with a lifelike environment.

You can use specialized Libraries for different applications (e.g., residential Projects and industrial building design) to avoid the need


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for extremely large Libraries. There are also different Libraries corresponding to different national standards.

• You can define different or additional libraries for your Projects in the Library Manager dialog box. When opening a saved Project, ArchiCAD looks for the libraries that were last defined for it.

• When creating a new Project with the latest settings, ArchiCAD will keep (or look for) the last used library.

• When creating a new Project with default settings, ArchiCAD will again look for your default “ArchiCAD Library”.

Individual items from libraries not in the active Library set can be used in your Projects via the Load Other Object commands in the corresponding tool settings dialog boxes (Window, Door, etc.).

You can also use the drag & drop feature of ArchiCAD to place Library Parts. Objects placed into your Project using drag & drop does not add the items to the active Library.

Startup LibraryWhen you start ArchiCAD for the very first time, it searches for a Library under the name “ArchiCAD Library 12.lcf.” The extension .lcf identifies a “Library Container file”. The default ArchiCAD 12 Library is stored in an .lcf, but you can also create your own Library

Container file, or extract its contents, using the File > Libraries and Objects > Create/Extract a Container command.

Since the Library Container file is a single file, yet contains all the objects used in your project, it lets you keep all the objects used in your projects in one place, while keeping hierarchies intact within the .lcf.

If ArchiCAD’s default Library is found on the hard disk in the same folder/directory as ArchiCAD, it is opened and used as the Active Library. Otherwise, the Library Manager dialog box appears, prompting you to choose a folder/directory to be the startup Library.

For more information, see “Library Manager Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.• If you have already used ArchiCAD and start the program by

double-clicking its program icon, the Library set used in the previous session will be active.

• If you have modified the name of a folder/directory in the active Library set, or changed its location in the file hierarchy, it will not be found and the Library Manager dialog box will be displayed, so you can find and select the library you need.

• When you open a Project from within ArchiCAD (with the Open command), or by double-clicking a Project file in the file manager, it is opened with the Library set it was originally created with.

If you have modified the name of a folder or directory in the Active Library set, or changed its location in the file hierarchy, the Project opens using one of the following protocols:

• If the currently Active Library set includes folders with the same names as the original ones, the Project is opened using this current Library set.

• If the original Library set included folders with names different from those in the current one, ArchiCAD will search for Libraries containing folders or directories with these names. If there are folders with those names, the Project is opened using these folders.

• If there are no folders bearing the original names, the Library Manager dialog box is displayed. You can either specify a


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Library set to be used with the Project or Cancel reading altogether.Note: If you click Done, the Project is opened without a Library. All Library Parts placed in the file will then be missing.

Library UpdatesGraphisoft updates its standard library parts on a regular basis. To check for the latest library updates, you should enable the Check for Updates option in Options > Work Environment > Web Options. This means you will be notified, upon starting ArchiCAD, if a new library version matching your ArchiCAD language version is available, which you can then choose to download if needed.For more information, see “Web Options” in ArchiCAD Help.

Library Management WorkflowThe following diagram illustrates a library management scheme involving the ArchiCAD Standard Library and a separate Company Standards Library. Both are located on a server. Each Project has a project-specific library that is loaded into the project.• The ArchiCAD Library is installed on the client machines. • The Company Standard library is copied to each client machine. • The project-specific libraries are loaded when opening each

project and kept updated.


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About Library ManagerLibraries are made available to ArchiCAD through the File > Libraries and Objects > Library Manager command.

The Library Manager allows access to complete Libraries and individual Library Parts, both from local volumes and through a network. At startup, ArchiCAD automatically loads the last used Library. In the course of your work, you may need additional Library Parts or set up your own user libraries. Typically, each Project file uses a different library including all the external files it refers to (objects, doors, windows, lamps, textures, property data, etc.).

The Library Manager dialog box has four tab pages:

• The Local/LAN tab page allows you to manage complete Libraries and individual Library Parts stored on local disks or on

remote volumes connected to your computer through a local area network.

• Using the FTP Sites tab page, you can add Libraries and single Library Parts stored on FTP servers.

• The History tab page lists all the Libraries and Library Parts loaded while using ArchiCAD.

• The Web Objects tab page allows you to download GDL Objects from websites and to add them to your local Libraries.

For more information, see “Library Manager Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.

Loading Libraries

When you have finished making your library choices on the tab pages, click the Done/Reload button in the bottom right corner of the Library Manager dialog box.


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A status box will appear on the screen to inform you about the loading process. By clicking Stop, you can abort loading the libraries.

When starting a new Project, you can also use the Library Manager dialog box to check which libraries are currently used, and then either click the Use Active Libraries button to continue working with the current set, or define a new library set as described above.

Note: When working on a shared Project (Teamwork) only the Team Leader with exclusive access can define the libraries to be loaded for the Team Project. Teammates can load other libraries, but only for their own local use.

Identifying Duplicates Among Library PartsArchiCAD uses an internal identifier system to track the evolution (creation, modification, and/or renaming) of each library object. Each object is assigned a Global Unique Identifier (GUID) consisting of two sets of 36 characters each.

Every time you load a project containing library parts, the program will search the loaded libraries for an exact match based on the object’s GUID. This means that even if two or more library objects of the same name are loaded, if they are actually different objects, ArchiCAD will use the correct one based on its GUID.

This way, library parts having identical names but different GUIDs do not conflict. Such objects are listed in the Status Report Dialog as “Duplicate Names.” Since duplicate names don’t cause problems, work on the project can be continued.

Library parts having identical GUIDs conflict; these items are actually identical, and are listed under “Duplicate Library Parts.” To avoid conflicts in the project, you must remove one of the two identical parts from the library.

For a complete description of how GUID works, see http://www.ArchiCADwiki.com/guid.

It is advisable to use projects with their original libraries.

If you use newer versions of a library, the objects will be matched based on their GUID. If GUIDs don’t match, ArchiCAD looks for objects with identical names.Objects placed from libraries of ArchiCAD 7.0 or earlier do not have GUIDs. Consequently, the system will identify library parts based on name only. If the loaded libraries contain two objects with the same name as the placed version, the object to be used will be randomly selected from the two possible locations.

Missing Library Parts and the Library Loading Report PaletteIf you open a Project file and the Library Loading Report appears with a listing of missing items, this means that the Library used when creating the Project is not available.For details, see “Library Loading Report” in ArchiCAD Help.The missing items cannot be displayed on the plan. (The place of missing library parts is indicated by nondescript spots.)The Library Loading Report Floating Palette shows you the names of the Library Part files that present problems and the download status of web objects. (To view the palette if it doesn’t appear automatically, activate Window > Palettes > Library Loading Report.)The problem of missing library parts usually occurs when you open the Project on a different computer. To make sure that no files are missing, it is recommended to save Projects in Archive format before moving them to another computer. Another solution - within a single office - is to use a common standard library that is continuously updated on each computer.For more information, see “Archive Files” on page 18.


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Favorites

About FavoritesThe Favorites feature allows you to save and easily recall default tool settings. If you choose a stored Favorite, you can create an element that has the same parameters and attributes as the Favorite.Favorites can be accessed from two locations:• The Favorites palette that stores all saved favorite settings

regardless of the tool that created them. The palette is hidden by default; choose Window > Palettes > Favorites to display it. It remains visible on top of the other Windows.

• The Favorites button in the top left corner of all tool Settings dialog boxes (except Camera). The dialog box that opens will list the favorite settings saved for that tool only.

The stored settings include:• The element’s attributes, including the line type, fill pattern and

pen color, as well as surface material choices• In the case of Library Parts, the name of the Library Part• All of the element’s dimensions that can be entered in the

settings dialog boxes for the element, e.g., wall thickness and height (but not length)

Favorites are saved with your Project file. You can also save a separate Favorites file for reuse in other projects.• If you close the current Project and create a new one, stored

favorites will remain at your disposal just like materials, pen colors or line types.

• If you choose New and Reset, Favorites will be cleared.• You can restore saved favorites by choosing the Load Favorites

command from the Favorite palette’s pop-up menu.Note: When importing Favorites from another Project, remember that element attributes are identified by name.

• If the Favorites refer to attributes that do not exist in the target Project, the necessary attributes will be missing.

• If the Favorites refer to attributes that do exist in the target project but are different from those of the original project, they will take on the attributes of the target project.

To customize the storing of Favorites for each tool or parameter type, choose Favorite Preferences from the Favorite palette’s pop-up menu.(You can also access the Favorite Preferences dialog box from Options > Project Preferences > Miscellaneous.)In the Favorites Preferences dialog box that appears, use the Parameter Exclusion list to check the names of the parameters that you DO NOT want to apply with Favorites.

Storing and Applying Favorites in Tool SettingsTo apply Favorite settings to a placed element, select the element and open its Settings dialog box. Click the Favorites button. Choose the Favorite you need, then click Apply to apply to the selected element. The Apply Favorites dialog box lists only the Favorites defined for that given tool.


Configuration

You can either:• Select a stored Favorite in this

list and click the Apply button to load that Favorite’s settings in the tool’s dialog box, or

• Click the Save Current Settings as Favorite button on top and create a new Favorite by naming it in the appearing dialog box.Note: Favorites are identified by their names. If you attempt to use the name of an existing Favorite when creating a new favorite (even if it belongs to another tool), ArchiCAD will warn you about this. Also, some characters are invalid as Favorite names. If you enter an invalid character, a Warning message will prompt you to type a new name.

For more information, see “Favorites Palette” in ArchiCAD Help.

The ArchiCAD User InterfaceThis section introduces the main customizable palettes and menus in ArchiCAD.

ToolboxThe Toolbox shows a variety of tools for selection, 3D construction, 2D drawing and visualization.By default, the Toolbox is divided into Tool Groups -Select, Design, Document and More - to make it easier to locate the tool you need.Besides the standard set of tools, additional tools can appear in the Toolbox depending on the installation and the available Add-Ons.

Display the ToolboxIf the Toolbox is not visible on screen, activate the Windows > Palettes > Toolbox command.

Customizing the ToolboxUse the controls of the Options > Work Environment > Toolbox page to customize the contents and arrangement of your toolbox.An easy way to access this dialog box is to open the Toolbox context menu by right-clicking anywhere in the Toolbox, then click the icon representing the Toolbox customization page.Specifically, you can customize your toolbox by organizing the tools into groups. For details, see “Toolbox Customization Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.Then store your customized Toolbox settings as part of a Tool Scheme in your Work Environment.For more information, see “Customizing Palette Schemes” in ArchiCAD Help.

How to Open and Close Tool Groups Within the ToolboxBy default, the Toolbox shows all tools in all Tool Groups simultaneously. If the Toolbox becomes too unwieldy, use the open/close arrows at the top of each Tool Group to temporarily open and close these groups as needed. If the open/close arrows are not displayed, go to Options > Work Environment > Toolbox.Click on Tool Group Options, then uncheck the “Always Keep Tool Groups Open” option.

Now you will be able to open or close each Tool Group in the Toolbox separately.


Configuration

Info BoxAn Info Box is available for each tool in the toolbox. When you activate a tool or select a placed element, its Info Box palette will display current settings for that tool/element. If several elements are selected, the Info Box displays the controls for the last selected element.

The Info Box contains a condensed collection of input and parameter controls that are specific to the selected tool/element. While some of these controls are also available in the Tool Settings dialog box, the Info Box is a quicker way to access these controls, because it stays on screen while you work.

By default, the Info Box is docked at the top of your workspace in a horizontal position. To show it vertically, dock it at either side of your screen.

Let your cursor hover over an Info Box item to provide a Tool Tip if you are not sure what the icon represents.

You can use a scroll-mouse or the scrollbar to scroll through the contents of your Info Box.

• Selected/Editable: The current Info Box gives you feedback on the number of Selected Elements, as well as how many of those are Editable. Changes made to Info Box settings will affect the Editable elements. On the Floor Plan below, all Walls are selected; four of them have been locked for editing, as reflected in the Info Box.

• Default Settings: If there is no selection, the Info Box displays the active tool’s Default Settings.

Displaying the Info BoxIf the Info Box is not visible on screen, activate the Windows > Palettes > Info Box command. The Info Box will show controls specific to the active tool or the selected element.

Customizing the Info BoxYou can customize the order and visibility of panels in each Tool’s Info Box: go to Options > Work Environment and open the Info Box page.An easy way to access this dialog box is to open the Info Box context menu by right-clicking anywhere in the Info Box, then click the icon representing the Info Box customization page:For details, see “Info Box Customization Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.Also available from the Info Box context menu (pictured here): click a display preference for the Info Box Header location: at the left edge of the palette, or on top.


Configuration

Menus

About Menus

When starting ArchiCAD 12 with default settings, you will load the Standard Profile, which - along with other Work Environment settings - defines the default menu structure.See “Default Profiles in ArchiCAD 12” on page 57.However, there are some commands and menus in ArchiCAD 12 which are not displayed as part of this standard profile.Use the settings in the Options > Work Environment > Menus dialog box to customize the content of your menus.

Customizing MenusUse the Options > Work Environment > Menus dialog box to customize any ArchiCAD menu. Any command or menu can be placed into or removed from any menu; the order of the commands within any menu is entirely customizable.

Exception: Context menus are not customizable.For details, see “Menu Customization Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.You can store your customized menu command settings as part of a Command Layout Scheme in your Work Environment.For details, see “Scheme Options” in ArchiCAD Help.

Toolbars

About Toolbars

A toolbar is a collection of commands and/or menus displayed in icon or text form and grouped by topic. The predefined toolbars are:3D Visualization, Arrange Elements, Attributes, Classic 3D Navigation, Drafting Aids, Edit Elements, Edit GDL Library Parts, Layouts and Drawings, Mini Navigator, On-Screen View Options,

Simple 3D, Standard, Standard for Low-Res Screens, Teamwork, Toolbox Tools.

Displaying Toolbars

To display a toolbar, choose its name from Window > Toolbars; or right-click the title bar of any toolbar on screen to display the list of defined toolbars. Click any toolbar in the list to display it.

Creating or Customizing Toolbars

Use the Customize Toolbar dialog box, accessed from Options > Work Environment > Toolbars, to create a new toolbar, or customize any of the available ones. You can also set whether a given command is represented on a toolbar by its name, its icon, or both.

An easy way to access this dialog box is to open any Toolbar’s context menu by right-clicking anywhere on the Toolbar, then click the icon representing the Toolbar customization page:

You can store your customized toolbars as part of a Command Layout Scheme in your Work Environment.

For details, see “Scheme Options” in ArchiCAD Help.


Configuration

The content of named toolbars are saved as part of a Command Layout Scheme. The on-screen display of toolbars is saved in a Palette Scheme.For details, see “Toolbar Customization Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.

ShortcutsArchiCAD is shipped with several predefined shortcut schemes. To view or print out a list of the shortcuts of the Work Environment, go to Options > Work Environment > Keyboard Shortcuts, and click the Show Shortcut List in Browser button at the bottom of the Keyboard Shortcut Preview Panel.

To customize a shortcut command, use the Options > Work Environment > Keyboard Shortcuts: choose a command from the list on the left, then enter the desired shortcut combination in the field at the right, then click Assign.For details, see “Shortcut Customization Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.Apart from a few non-customizable shortcuts (listed at the bottom of the Show Shortcut list), all shortcuts in any scheme are customizable. Changes to the selected Shortcut scheme are applied when you press OK and close the dialog box. You can store your customized Shortcut settings as part of a Shortcut Scheme in your Work Environment.For details, see “Scheme Options” in ArchiCAD Help.

PalettesArchiCAD’s palettes help you construct, modify and locate elements. Each palette can be shown or hidden separately using the Window > Palettes command.

The main palettes (Toolbox, Info Box, Quick Options and Navigator) can be enabled all at once, using the Window > Palettes > Show Main Palettes Only command.Each of these palettes is described in detail in the ArchiCAD documentation.Two palettes - the Control Box and Coordinates - are familiar from earlier versions of ArchiCAD. They are not displayed by default, because their commands are available from other parts of the interface. To display either of these palettes, go to Window > Palettes and choose the desired palette(s).

Customizing Palette SchemesTo customize your palette scheme (a saved configuration of palettes), set up your palettes manually in the ArchiCAD workspace by doing any or all of the following:• Show or hide palettes as needed (click its name on or off from

Window > Palettes).• Show or hide toolbars as needed (click its name on or off from

Window > Toolbars).• Change the shape of a palette by

choosing a shape option from its context menu. The Info Box, Coordinates Palette and Control Box palettes have shape options - for example, extended or compact - that you can set using the context menu opened by right-clicking the palette on screen.

• Change the position and size of a palette by dragging the palettes to a desired position.

• Dock palettes as needed (Windows only).Use the Palette Schemes “Schemes Options” page to manage (Store, Rename, Delete, Redefine, Export, Import) and apply Palette Schemes: go to Options > Work Environment > Palette Schemes.


Configuration

For details, see “Scheme Options” in ArchiCAD Help.Palette Schemes differ from the rest of the Work Environment schemes: the settings they contain are defined not in the Work Environment dialog box; instead, Palette Schemes settings reflect the way you manually set up your palettes in your workspace.

Note: While the show/hide status of a toolbar is saved in a palette scheme, its content is defined as part of a Command Layout Scheme.

Docking Palettes (Windows Only)

Palettes can “float” over your workspace, and if a floating palette is in the way, you can either close it or drag it away. However, many ArchiCAD palettes can also be docked (in Windows only) at an edge of the workspace. A docked palette is fixed at the edge of your screen, with no workspace underneath it: this way, if you maximize the active window, the entire workspace is visible. A docked palette can be made to “float” again at any time.

To dock a palette, click on its title bar (the drag symbol will appear) and drag it to one side or the top or bottom of the screen until the drag symbol hits either the side or the top/bottom limit. Release the cursor to dock the palette.

Note: When dragging a palette in Windows, its anchor point is the drag symbol (not a palette edge).

How to Un-Dock a Palette To pop a palette out of its dock and into a free-floating position, just click and drag on its header. Alternatively, double-click the palette; double-click it again to re-dock.

Docking Groups of PalettesYou can dock several palettes at either side of the screen and snap them to each other, forming a palette group.• Click and drag to dock the first palette.• To insert a second palette above the first, click and drag the

second palette onto the title bar of the first.• To insert a second palette below the first, click and drag the

second palette to the line at the bottom of the first one.• You can also place two (or more) palettes side by side, sitting

atop a single palette (or vice versa), as part of the same group.• If you resize any palette that is part of a palette group, the rest of

the palettes in the group will be resized automatically.• The width of all palettes in the group are resized simultaneously

(by dragging the edge to the right or left).


Configuration

To set how much of each palette should be visible on screen, drag the splitter bars up or down, for palettes stacked on top of each other, or right/left, for palettes grouped next to each other. (The splitter bars are the lines which divide each palette from the others.)

Limitations on Docking Palettes• Not every palette can be docked to all sides of the screen.• The following palettes/dialog boxes cannot be docked: Mark-Up

Tools; Selections; Library Loading Report; Pet Palettes; Element Information; Find and Select; Roofmaker; Solid Element Operations; Sign in; Text Formatting; Profile Manager; Quick Layers.

Suspend Docking FunctionTo suspend the docking function while dragging a palette, press Ctrl (Windows).

Snapping Palettes (MacOS Only)On a MacOS, you can snap ArchiCAD floating palettes to each other, to the edge of the screen.Palettes will snap to each other if you pull them within a given range of each other. The palette edge (not the cursor) is the docking anchor.• If a palette is snapped to the bottom or to the right of another,

then both palettes can be dragged as a single object. • If a palette is snapped onto the top or to the left of another

palette, then they will not “stick together” when you move them.

Suspend Snapping FunctionTo suspend the snapping function while dragging a palette, press Cmd (MacOS).

Pet PalettesA pet palette is a collection of icons (representing commands and relevant options) which pops up during graphical input and editing operations. In some cases, the pet palette appears during input (as when inputting a polyline), but in most cases the pet palette appears after you have placed an element, then selected the element for further editing. To access the pet palette, place your cursor on an editable edge, node, or surface, and left-click.The contents of the pet palette depends on the following:• The selected element • The part of the element you choose to act on (edge, node or

surface)• The active windowMove your cursor over the icons to read the tool tip for each one, and click on the icon for the function you need. Use the shortcuts “F” and Shift+F (Opt+F) to move to the next/previous icon in the current pet palette.

You cannot customize the contents of a pet palette.You can change your mind and choose a different function from the pet palette as long as you have not completed the editing operation.The pet palette automatically disappears when the operation is finished.The pet palette will either follow your cursor around on screen as you work (like a pet on a leash), or be placed in a preferred spot (and told to “stay”), depending on which pet palette movement option you specify.To set these preferences, go to Options > Work Environment > Dialog Boxes and Palettes.


Configuration

You can store these Pet Palette settings as part of a User Preference Scheme in your Work Environment.

Customizing your Work Environment

As you get used to working with ArchiCAD, you will develop personal preferences for using the program’s features and arranging the various palettes, toolbars and menus on screen. You will set most of these options using the Options > Work Environment dialog box.For a brief description of every available setting in the Work Environment Dialog Box, see “Work Environment Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.You can customize any of these settings while you work: just open the Work Environment dialog box, change the setting you need, and press OK. The setting will take effect.Work Environment settings are saved not as part of the project, but in a local folder on your computer.


Configuration

About the Work Environment Dialog BoxWork Environment settings (Options > Work Environment) are divided into six self-contained schemes. Each scheme is a thematic collection of settings.• User Preference Schemes.

These include a wide variety of your preferences for functions such as Guide Line functions, coordinate input, and how certain dialog boxes should appear.

• Company Standard Schemes. These settings are typically standardized within a firm.

For more information, see Data Safety, Web Options, and “Special Folders” in ArchiCAD Help.See also Creating a Custom Install Package in Getting Started, accessible from ArchiCAD’s Help menu.• Shortcut Schemes

For more information, see “Shortcuts” on page 50.• Tool Schemes. A tool scheme includes settings for the Toolbox,

the Info Box and the Tool Settings dialog boxes.• Palette Schemes. These settings are defined outside the Work

Environment dialog box; a palette scheme saves the current on-screen status of your palettes.

For more information, see “Palettes” on page 50.

• Command Layout Schemes. Command Layout Schemes include your Toolbar and Menu settings.

For more information, see “Toolbars” on page 49 and “Menus” on page 49.Click on the name of the settings you wish to alter (for example, “Selection and Element Information”).

As soon as you make a change to any Work Environment setting, the scheme name at the top of the settings page changes to Custom.


Configuration

Use the splitter bars within each page to display the text as needed.

When you finish making changes, press OK to close the dialog box and apply current settings.The latest Custom settings will remain intact even after you close and restart ArchiCAD.However, every new settings change redefines the “Custom” scheme according to your latest change. If you want to keep your modifications saved on the long term, it is advisable to store the settings of your Custom scheme in a named scheme.For more information, see “Saving Your Customized Work Environment” in ArchiCAD Help.

Saving Your Customized Work EnvironmentIf you have customized a number of settings in Options > Work Environment, you may wish to save them for future use in other projects, so that your personalized Work Environment is ready for you when you start to work. Individual settings are organized into six Schemes; saving settings occurs at the Scheme level. Unlike Project settings, which are saved with the project file, Work Environment Schemes are saved in a local folder on your computer. The Scheme Options screen appears in the Work Environment dialog box if you have selected one of the six scheme sets from the tree structure at the left side of the dialog box. There is one Scheme Options page for each of the six schemes.You can store any or all of the schemes by name; you can also combine any of the schemes into a Profile, and store the Profile under its own name. Using the ArchiCAD interface (Options > Work Environment > Work Environment Profiles), you can export and import Schemes and Profiles: this enables you to transport your favorite settings to other computers, or to keep them after installing a new version of ArchiCAD.

Note: It is entirely possible to use ArchiCAD successfully without saving schemes and profiles; you can just adjust settings as you work. However, the option to save settings according to named schemes, and then to combine schemes into profiles, is useful for CAD managers, for offices working in teams, and for individual users who might want to alternate among several different sets of customized settings.


Configuration

Store a Customized Scheme

To store the settings of a Scheme, choose the scheme set whose settings you want to store, using the left-hand tree structure of the Work Environment Dialog Box. (For example, if you have changed shortcuts and want to save them, click on Shortcut Schemes.) This brings up Scheme Options, where you can store, rename, delete, redefine, export, or import schemes.

For detailed information on saving scheme settings, see “Scheme Options” in ArchiCAD Help.

Apply a Scheme

To apply a stored scheme, choose the desired scheme from the Apply Scheme pop-up at the top of any of Work Environment’s settings pages.

You can also apply a scheme using the Scheme Options page of Work Environment: choose one of the defined schemes, then either double-click it, or click the Apply Scheme button.

Once you apply the scheme and press OK to close the Work Environment dialog box, your ArchiCAD program will adjust itself to reflect the settings you have stored in that scheme.

Creating an Office-Standard Work EnvironmentThe ability to save and rename any combination of Work Environment Settings can be useful not only for the individual user, but also for encouraging consistency among multiple users on a particular project. CAD managers can create office-standard Work Environment Profiles and install them as defaults when installing the ArchiCAD program at multiple workstations.For more information, see the Getting Started booklet.

ProfilesIf you have customized and saved multiple schemes, you may want to store and apply them together: in this case, combine any of the schemes into a Profile, and store the Profile under its own name. Using the ArchiCAD interface, you can export and import Profiles to use on other computers.For details on configuring and applying profiles, see “Profile Options” in ArchiCAD Help.Profiles themselves do not contain settings; they are just a collection of schemes. Profiles do not have to contain all six scheme possibilities. Once you start working, you don’t have to apply entire profiles at once; you can apply schemes one by one.


Configuration

Define and Store a New ProfileTo assemble any combination of schemes into a profile, go to Options > Work Environment and click “Work Environment Profiles” (the top item in the list at the left.) This opens the Profile Options dialog page.Click the “New Profile” command at the right and follow the instructions for selecting the schemes for the new profile.For details on configuring and applying profiles, see “Profile Options” in ArchiCAD Help.

Apply a Profile1) Go to Options > Work

Environment and click “Work Environment Profiles” (the top item in the list at the left.) This opens the Profile Options dialog page.

2) From the list of Stored Profiles, choose the desired Profile. Double-click to apply the profile, or click Apply Schemes of Profile button.

3) Click OK to close the Work Environment dialog box.

Default Profiles in ArchiCAD 12ArchiCAD 12 is shipped with three default Profiles: Standard, Visualization and Layouting. When you first start ArchiCAD, the default Work Environment Profile is set to Standard.These predefined profiles are designed to get you up and running with ArchiCAD 12. Naturally, you or your office CAD manager can reconfigure these profiles as needed.• The Standard profile is designed to reflect the workflow in

common architectural practice. Menus, commands, palette layout, and toolbar visibility are optimized to give you easy access to the tools and functions you need to build up your Virtual Building. The Standard toolbar and Mini-Navigator toolbar (for

easy switching between windows) are visible, and your Toolbox displays each tool individually.

• The Layouting Profile places commonly used layouting and publishing commands within reach. The Layout Book menu now appears, the Toolbox is minimized to show only the Documenting tools, and the Navigator/Organizer is located at the left edge of the screen. Two specialized toolbars are now visible: “Layouts & Drawings”, and “Standard for Layouting”.

• The Visualization Profile is useful when you reach the stage of setting up and creating output from 3D images, such as Fly-Throughs and PhotoRenderings. The 3D Visualization menu now appears, so that all commands related to the 3D window, 3D navigation and 3D output are collected in a single menu. The 3D Visualization toolbar provides quick access to many of these same commands. In this profile, the Navigator is not displayed, and the Toolbox displays only Selection and Design tools.

For details on configuring and applying profiles, see “Profile Options” in ArchiCAD Help.You can save a Custom scheme as part of a profile, but the Custom scheme will be given a name when the profile is created.Schemes named “Custom” cannot be exported.

How to Use Your Personalized Work Environment Settings on Another ComputerTo make your schemes or profiles available to a network or other users, or to transfer them to another computer, you can export them. Use Options > Work Environment > Work Environment Profiles to export and import profiles to/from folders of your choice. In this operation, profiles are .xml files which refer to the schemes (also .xml files) contained within them.For details, see “Profile Options” in ArchiCAD Help.Use Options > Work Environment > Scheme Options to export and import schemes (as .xml files) to/from folders of your choice.


Configuration

The Scheme Options screen appears in the Work Environment dialog box if you have selected one of the six scheme sets from the tree structure at the left side of the dialog box. There is one Scheme Options page for each of the six schemes.For details, see “Scheme Options” in ArchiCAD Help.


Interaction

INTERACTIONThis chapter will introduce you to ArchiCAD’s basic operations. It has three main sections: Navigation, Editing Concepts, and Techniques.

NavigationIn this section you will learn how to navigate among different windows and views of the Virtual Building. You will use zooming and panning techniques to locate and display specific areas of the project, in both 2D and 3D. You will use the Navigator to move around in the project structure to reach the window you need.

How to Navigate Among ArchiCAD Windows1) The easiest way to switch

among the different windows is to use the maps in the Navigator Palette. Just double-click on the item you want to see.

2) The predefined Mini-Navigator toolbar (available from Windows > Toolbars) is another way to quickly switch windows

3) Or use the View > Navigate hierarchical menu.

Navigation ShortcutsYou can also use keyboard shortcuts to navigate among windows:• go to Floor Plan Window: F2

• go to 3D Window: F3• go to 3D Window (Perspective): Shift+F3• go to 3D Window (Axonometry): Ctrl+F3• go to last Section window: F6• go to last opened Layout: F7

Navigation Inside the Active WindowThe following techniques work in both 2D and 3D windows in ArchiCAD.For information on special navigation techniques for the 3D window, see “Navigation in the 3D Window” on page 62.

Zoom

You can zoom in on details, or use zoom out to display more elements. The Zoom control on the bottom scrollbar gives you feedback on the current zoom.

To return to Actual Size (zoom at 100%), double-click the Zoom button.There are several techniques you can use to achieve Zoom effects:

Zoom with Wheel-MouseIf you have a mouse with a scrolling wheel, use it for zooming in on (or out of) the area where the cursor is located.If you don’t have a wheel-mouse, you can still emulate its operation: First click the Scroll-Zoom button on the bottom scrollbar. Then then click anywhere in the window; move the cursor upwards to zoom in, downwards to zoom out. The greater distance you move the cursor, the greater the scope of the zoom. Click again to activate the zoom.


Interaction

Zoom with KeyboardYou can use numeric keypad shortcuts to achieve the scrolling zoom effect: press the ‘+’ key for zooming in and the ‘-’ key for zooming out.

Zoom with Scrollbar ButtonsClick the Zoom In or Zoom Out button on the bottom scrollbar of the active window to activate the corresponding shortcut. Draw a rectangle around the detail you want to enlarge with the Zoom In cursor. The area enclosed by the rectangle is enlarged to the size of the current window. With Zoom Out, the entire current view is squeezed into the rectangle that you have defined. The operation is optimized so that no distortion will result.

Note: To double the current magnification or reduction level, double-click the appropriate icon.

Zoom with Menu CommandsChoose View > Zoom > Zoom In or Zoom Out.

Note: If these commands are not available in the View menu, you can use Options > Work Environment > Menus to add them.

For more information, see “Customizing Menus” on page 49.Draw a rectangle around the detail you want to enlarge with the Zoom In cursor. The area surrounded by the rectangle- is enlarged to the size of the current window. With Zoom Out, the entire current view is squeezed into the rectangle that you have defined. The operation is optimized so that no distortion will result.

• Zoom to Selection: Use this command (View > Zoom > Zoom to Selection) to move in on only selected elements.

• Previous/Next Zoom: If you wish to move one step back from your previous Zoom In, Zoom Out, Pan, Home Zoom or Fit in Window operations, you can click its shortcut button in the bottom scrollbar of the active window. Up to 20 previous steps are stored. To go to the next zoom, use the Next Zoom command or shortcut button .

Set Home ZoomIf you need to return frequently to a part of your project, you can define it as the home zoom by choosing the View > Zoom > Set Home Zoom command. You can return easily to this view by choosing the View > Zoom > Home Zoom command. This home zoom is saved with the project.

Save ZoomsYou can save different zooms for further use by clicking the arrow pop-up button in the bottom scrollbar of the active window. The pop-up menu commands allows you to access, rename and delete predefined zooms. Home zooms are not included in the list of saved zooms.

Fit in Window

You can size your view to accommodate all the currently visible construction elements. This provides a good way to check whether you have placed something in the far corners of your window by mistake during numeric input or a multiply operation.Choose the View > Fit in Window command or click the corresponding shortcut button on the bottom scrollbar of the active window.Listing windows have an additional shortcut in their bottom scrollbar allowing you to Fit the Width of the generated list to the current window size.


Interaction

Pan

Use the Pan function to scan the worksheet as a whole, usually to display elements or details that do not fit in the current view. Enable the Pan function, then move the cursor to “move” the view around in the window along with the cursor.• With Pan Button: Click the Pan button on the bottom

scrollbar of the active window. Click into the active worksheet and pan it by moving the Hand cursor with your mouse. The whole on-screen area will move, while the current zoom level is preserved.

• If you have a three-button mouse, you can use it for panning by pressing down the middle button while moving the Hand cursor over the worksheet.

• With Wheel Mouse: If you have a mouse with a scrolling wheel, you can use it for panning by pressing the wheel continuously while moving the Hand cursor over the worksheet.

• With the numeric keypad (Windows only): Press the following keys: 4 (left), 2 (downwards), 6 (right), 8 (upwards). (Make sure Numbers Lock is off.) The up/down and left/right keys achieve the same result.

• With the Navigator Preview PaletteFor more information, see “Navigator Preview (2D)” on page 61.

What to Do if Panning Produces “Jumpy” Screen EffectWhen panning a large and complex project in a 2D window, you may experience fits and starts in model display. To remedy this, try switching among the choices in Options > Work Environment > Advanced Redraw Options: Model Display in 2D Navigation.For more information, see “Advanced Redraw Options” in ArchiCAD Help.

Navigator Preview (2D)

The Navigator Preview Palette makes it easier to locate and zoom in on certain parts of your project, especially when working on larger projects.For more information, see “The 2D Navigator Preview Palette Controls” in ArchiCAD Help.

To display the Navigator Preview Palette, click the shortcut button in the bottom scrollbar of any window ; or use Window > Palettes > Navigator Preview.For 2D Windows, the Preview Palette displays a miniature copy of the entire contents of the current view. The frame inside the Preview Palette represents the active window at its current zoom. Use this frame to zoom and pan within the Preview Palette; this has the same effect as zooming and panning in the active window, while simultaneously giving you an overview of the entire window contents.When previewing a 2D window in the Navigator Preview, you have the following zooming and panning options:• To change the location of the frame, drag its

enclosed area with the Hand Cursor (this lets you pan in the active window).

• To change the size of the frame, drag its sides or corners (this has the effect of zooming in and out within the active window).

• At the bottom of the palette, the plus and minus buttons and a sliding switch are additional zooming techniques: they allow you to zoom the current view in and out. Clicking the buttons increases the zoom level in about 10% increments.


Interaction

• At the bottom right corner, a pop-up menu contains three options for controlling the zooming techniques of the Navigator Preview. The default is Real-time zoom: as you move the cursor, the zoom is adjusted. Auto zoom will adjust the zoom after you finish moving the cursor. Double-click to zoom means you must double-click or press the Go button at top right to execute the chosen zoom.

• Use Redraw Preview if you have made changes in the current window that are not yet reflected in the Navigator Preview.

Navigation in the 3D WindowNote: For general information on accessing the 3D window, and how to set up Perspective and Axonometric (Parallel) views, see “3D Window” on page 167.

The 3D window can be navigated using most of the basic 2D navigation methods. The keyboard, wheel-mouse, fit in window, panning and command-based zoom techniques work the same way as in 2D.See “Navigation Inside the Active Window” on page 59.The 3D window also contains unique navigation possibilities for exploring the model and orbiting around in it. These are described in the following sections.

Accessing 3D Navigation Commands

Special commands for navigating in 3D are displayed in the 3D Visualization and the Simple 3D toolbar, and can be assigned shortcuts. Choose Window > Toolbars > 3D Visualization or Simple 3D to display these toolbars as needed. If the 3D window is active, its bottom scrollbar contains icon shortcuts to 3D Navigation commands.

Note: The 3D Navigation controls familiar from earlier versions of ArchiCAD can be accessed by choosing Window > Toolbars > Classic 3D Navigation toolbar.

For more information, see “Classic 3D Navigation Toolbar” in ArchiCAD Help.The 3D Navigation commands are available only in the 3D Window.

Explore Model (3D Navigation)

In Perspective views only, you can explore the model either by choosing the View > Explore Model or access the same command from a toolbar, or from the bottom scrollbar of the 3D window.In Explore mode, use the mouse and the arrow keys of the keyboard for navigation (as when playing a video game on a PC.) When in this mode, you cannot edit the model or use any of the commands.The “Fly” option and speed slider also appear at the bottom of the screen as long as you are in Explore mode. To exit Explore mode, click with the left mouse button or use the Esc key.

Note: Exploring the model is optimized for the OpenGL engine.When choosing the Explore Model command, an informational dialog box opens to give you a visual prompt on what you can expect from your various actions with the mouse and the keyboard.

Note: If you don’t need to see this information every time you enter Explore mode, check Do not show this information next time at the bottom of the dialog box.


Interaction

To enable this or any other dialog box you have marked as “do not show,” use the Enable all informational messages command at Options > Work Environment (bottom of menu).

“Rotate” camera in Explore modeMoving the mouse around will rotate the camera in the directions indicated by the arrows next to the camera on the picture above.

“Walk” forward and backward in Explore modePressing the arrow keys, or the W-A-S-D keys, will walk you forward/backward and laterally in the directions indicated by the arrows in the picture above. Note that

the Up arrow brings the model closer to you while the Down arrow moves it further away.

“Fly” around the modelIn Explore mode, click “F” for Fly mode. Again, use the arrow keys or the W-A-S-D keys to move around, but this time the Fly mode combines the lifting effect with the rotating and lateral movements to simulate a walking movement on a horizontal plane or in space.

“Lift” the model up and downUse the PageUp (shortcut: spacebar) and PageDown (shortcut: C) keys to simulate a lifting effect.

Speed Up/Slow Down in Explore ModeClick the Plus and Minus keys on your numeric keypad to change the speed in which you explore the model. For a temporary speed increase, press Shift, then release it to return to your basic speed.

Orbit (3D Navigation)

For Orbit mode, choose View > Orbit, or access the same command from a toolbar or from the bottom scrollbar of the 3D window. Once you enter Orbit mode, press the left button and drag the mouse to turn the model around its centerpoint (axonometry) or target point (perspective).If you are in Orbit mode, you cannot edit the model. Click ESC to exit Orbit mode and return to editing mode.

Temporary “Orbit” effects while in editing modeWhile in editing mode (not in Orbit mode), you can temporarily simulate Orbit mode by pressing Shift together with the mouse wheel to orbit the model. Release the keys to stop orbiting. This type of temporary Orbit requires the model to be redrawn and can result in slowed-down navigation.


Interaction

Navigator Preview (3D)

To display the Navigator Preview Palette, click the shortcut button in the bottom scrollbar of any window ; or use Window > Palettes > Navigator Preview.This palette allows you a quick way to modify your 3D Projections, whether perspective or parallel (axonometric)The options of the Navigator Preview depend on whether you are looking at a Perspective or Axonometric view. For Perspective 3D views, edit the camera and target positions directly by clicking them in the Preview window and dragging them to a new location.

Note: Make sure that Show from Top is chosen from the pop-up menu in the Preview’s lower right corner.

In the image below, we “turn the building around” simply by clicking and dragging the camera represented in the Navigator Preview Window.

If you choose Show from Side view from the Preview options pop-up, you can easily re-set the camera height relative to the stories of the project: just click in the Navigator Preview and move the camera up or down.

Or you can change the view cone, using the sliding switch or the small icons at its ends, in 5 degree incrementsFor Axonometric (parallel) projections, the 3D Navigator Preview has two pop-up menus at the bottom right. From the left button, choose one of the 12 predefined projections to quickly switch to that view. (These are the same predefined axonometries available from 3D Projection Settings). To customize the projection, use the right-side pop-up button, then move the small camera icon inside the Preview window to set up a custom view.

For detailed information, see “The 3D Navigator Preview Palette Controls” in ArchiCAD Help and “3D Projections” on page 172.


Interaction

3Dconnexion EnablerThe 3D connexion Enabler is an add-on functionality that allows you to use your 3Dconnexion device for navigating in ArchiCAD’s 3D window.If you are using a 3Dconnexion device, use one of the two options at View > 3D Navigation Extras > 3Dconnexion:• Camera mode: Move the device to navigate in the model by

moving the camera position.• Object mode: As you move the device, the model is moved

accordingly. The camera viewpoint is fixed, while the model moves.

The Navigator Palette

About the Navigator Palette

The Navigator Palette (Navigator) is a tree structure that lets you build up the entire logical structure of your project and navigate within it. You can create folders, then copy, drag and drop views and other project items depending on their particular purpose. The Navigator also lets you access views and layouts from external ArchiCAD files and place them into the Layout Book of your current project. Finally, you can configure the outputs for publication using Navigator controls.

Important: Operations involving Navigator/Organizer items (such as drag and drop between Navigator maps, deleting items from a map, or adding items to the Publisher set) are not added to the undo queue, and are not undoable.

The Navigator displays the whole project’s tree structure in four different maps.• The Project Map provides a tree structure of the components

(viewpoints) of your Virtual Building Model.• The View Map includes all the predefined and custom-created

Views of the Project File. • The Layout Book contains the layouts defined for the entire

architectural project.• The Publisher Sets map is a tree structure in which you define

sets of views for various output purposes (printing, plotting, saving to a local disk or uploading to the internet or an intranet).

To switch from one map to another, click among the four buttons at the top of the Navigator. The palette’s title bar indicates which map is currently displayed.The Navigator item currently open in the window is shown in bold.The Navigator has special features for shared projects: for more information, see “View Maps and Publisher Sets in Teamwork” on page 464.


Interaction

How to Display the NavigatorThe Navigator is displayed by default.

If it is hidden, choose Window > Palettes > Navigator, or click the Navigator icon from the horizontal scrollbar at the bottom of the ArchiCAD screen.

Using the Navigator to Open Project Windows

Double-click the desired item from any map of the Navigator.By default, ArchiCAD will open the item in existing windows, replacing the previous view in that window. To open a new view in a new window instead, use the context menu command from the Navigator item to be opened.

If you would rather open a new window by default each time you open an additional view or layout (from a menu or by double-clicking in the Navigator), change the window-opening default preference in Options > Work Environment > More Options.

Project Workflow in the Navigator

A Viewpoint represents a window onto a particular part of your project, but its settings have not been saved yet. Viewpoints are listed in the Navigator Project Map.A View is a stored version of a Viewpoint; each view is defined by its adjustable View Settings that you configure for a particular purpose as you construct your Virtual Building. Every saved view is listed in the Navigator View Map.The Navigator Layout Book contains the layouts defined for the entire architectural project, and can contain Drawings originating from multiple ArchiCAD project files and other source files. A view placed on a Layout is called a Drawing.


Interaction

Use the Navigator Publisher Sets to set up the items you want to publish, and set the publishing method and format. Each Publisher item refers directly to a View or to a Layout (in effect, the Publisher item is a shortcut to the View/Layout).

The following diagram summarizes the project workflow as reflected in the maps of the Navigator:

Organizer Palette (Special Navigator View)

The Organizer is related to the Navigator palette and opened from the Navigator. It houses essentially the same controls, but has a double-tree structure to make it easier to move and copy views and files from one map to the other.To display the Organizer, choose Window > Palettes > Organizer, or the Show Organizer command from the Project Chooser at top left of the Navigator.Both Navigator and Organizer Palettes have an Auto-Hide feature: if you turn this on, you can use the Navigator/Organizer as usual, but once you click outside the palette, it will disappear.

The Auto-Hide command is found in the Navigator/Organizer palette’s context menu (right-click in the gray area at the top of either palette.)Click the desired map icons on both sides of the Organizer to bring up one of the three modes of the Organizer: The Organizer’s title bar shows the name of the right-side tree structure.

• View Editor mode (Project Map on the left, View Map on the right): Save views by selecting a viewpoint from the Project Map and clicking Save view , or drag and drop it into the View Map.


Interaction

• Layout Editor mode (Layout Map on the right): Place Drawings onto Layouts in the Layout Book by selecting a view from the Project or View Map (on the left), then clicking Place Drawing, or drag and drop it onto a Layout (on the right).

• Publisher (Publisher on the Right): To add a view or layout (on the left) to a Publisher set (on the right), select a view or layout and click Add Shortcut.

If you select a Subset in the Layout Map, the Add Shortcut button will create a folder in the Publisher Set which corresponds to that Subset: if you change or add items in the original subset, the Publisher Set folder will reflect these changes automatically. However, if you drag and drop a Subset into the Publishing Set, a folder is created, but this folder is not linked to any subsequent modifications to the Subset.

Note that the Project Map is available only on the left side. Certain combinations are not possible, and ArchiCAD will always adjust to one of the three possible Organizer modes. (For example, if you choose the Publisher on the right, then the left side will switch from Project Map to View Map, because you cannot place items directly from the Project Map to the Publisher.)

It is possible to have the same map open on both sides of the Organizer; this enables you to make copies of items within a single map.

When you click any item in the Navigator/Organizer, its preview is displayed in the Navigator Preview palette (if applicable). Double-clicking the item activates the corresponding window.

For more information on the Navigator/Organizer interface, see Navigator Palette Controls and “Organizer Palette Controls” in ArchiCAD Help.

Navigator Color Codes

A color-coding system makes it easier for you to identify items in the Navigator palette.

• Items of the Project Map are colored orange.

• Items of the View Map are colored yellow.


Interaction

• Items of the Layout Map are colored white.

• In Teamwork mode, public View Map and Layout Book items that you haven’t shared yet by sending and receiving changes are colored green .

• In Teamwork mode, items belonging to other team members include a head icon .

Navigator Project Map

The Project Map provides a tree structure of the components (viewpoints) of your Virtual Building Model.For details on Project Map controls, see “Project Map Controls” in ArchiCAD Help.A Viewpoint represents a window onto a particular part of your project, but its settings have not been saved yet. The Project Map Viewpoints are:• Stories• Sections• Elevations• Interior Elevations• Worksheets• Detail Drawings• 3D Documents• 3D• Schedules• Project Indexes• Lists

• Info• HelpDouble-click a viewpoint to open it in the project. Once you save a viewpoint’s settings, it becomes a view (listed in your View Map) and can then be placed onto a Layout for editing.At the top level of the project map hierarchy, the house icon represents the project and is followed by the project name. (The project gets a name once you save the project file, but if you assign a Project Name in File > Info > Project Info, that is the name that will be shown in the Navigator.)Below, folders store the available viewpoints of the project (one folder named for each type of viewpoint). Project Map folders are a fixed list of item types; you cannot add or delete folders here. You can display the contents of each folder by clicking the plus sign in front of it (in Windows) or the little arrow (in MacOS). In Windows, double-clicking the folder icon or name also opens the folder.The Stories folder contains all the Stories defined for the project. When you first start a new project, your Stories folder contains three items, whose names will vary depending on the local version of ArchiCAD being used.The Sections, Elevations, Interior Elevations, Worksheets, Details and 3D Documents folders contain the list of corresponding windows. If there is no plus sign in front of a folder, this means that no such viewpoint has been created yet in the project.The Detail, Section, Elevation and Worksheet viewpoints have different icons depending on the type of viewpoint (e.g. Independent; Independent with Marker, etc.).The 3D folder contains five types of elements for the various projection and camera types. • By default, two items are

present on starting the project: Generic Perspective and Generic Axonometry.


Interaction

• When you place Cameras in the Project, their names appear in the 3D folder of the Project Map, grouped under the Path. The Path can be renamed in the Camera Settings dialog box, and more Paths can be added. All these additions and changes are updated in the Project Map.

• Creating a VR Object-type Camera automatically adds its name to the Project Map. All the created VR Object type Cameras are listed one by one.

• Creating a new VR Scene automatically adds its name to the Project Map. Placed panoramic Cameras’ names appear below the name of the VR Scene, and more Scenes can be added. All changes are updated in the Project Map.

The Schedules folder contains the interactive schedules (Elements and Components) created as part of the project documentation that will serve as a basis for ordering doors, windows, and other construction elements from the manufacturers and for checking the consistency of elements based on a set of criteria.

The Project Indexes folder contains three sets of table of contents type items. Project indexes include view list indexes, layout sheet indexes and drawing list indexes based on a set of filtering criteria.

For more information, see “Project Indexes” on page 217.

The Lists folder contains three items: Elements, Components and Zones. When opened, all three show the list of predefined list schemes available for the project. All these items also appear in the Document > Schedules and Lists menu.

For more information, see “Calculation” on page 449.

The Info folder contains two items: Project Notes and Report. They represent the corresponding windows also available from the Window menu.

For more information, see “Project Notes” in ArchiCAD Help and “Report Window” in ArchiCAD Help.

If you click an item with the right mouse button, a set of relevant commands appear in a context menu (for example story-related commands for Stories or 3D-related commands for Perspectives).

Double-clicking any of the items of the Project Map activates the corresponding window and shows its contents with its last used zoom and display settings. (These zoom and display settings can be checked in the Quick Options palette.)For more information, see “Quick Options Palette” on page 74.When you have set up the viewpoint settings as desired, you can save it as a view. Remember, a viewpoint’s settings change along with edits in the window.


Interaction

Navigator View Map

With the second button in the Navigator Palette, you will display the Navigator View Map: the list of saved Views available in your project file.For details on View Map controls, see “View Map Controls” in ArchiCAD Help.A View is a stored version of a Viewpoint; each view is defined by its adjustable View Settings that you configure for a particular purpose as you construct your Virtual Building. Every saved view is listed in the Navigator Palette’s View Map. The Properties section at the bottom of the View Map provides feedback on the settings of the selected view. To modify view settings, select the view and click Settings at the bottom of the View Map to access the View Settings dialog box. Views can be created within the active project or imported from other ArchiCAD projects.For more information, see “Saving a View” on page 73 and “View Settings Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.See also “Managing View Maps in Teamwork” on page 464.In the View Map, several view folders are predefined; you can rename or delete these, and add new folders as needed.To gain an overview of View Map items or to sort them by criteria, use the Project Index function.For more information, see “Project Indexes” on page 217.Even if the project content changes, the settings of your saved views - will remain unchanged unless you expressly modify them.

Note: You can create a dynamic connection between project viewpoints and views if you clone a folder.

Creating a Cloned Folder in the View MapCloning a folder means that you recreate a Project Map folder inside the View Map. To do this, click the Clone Folder at the bottom of the View Map. This opens the Clone a Folder dialog box.

Choose the folder to clone from the list at the top of the dialog box. The rest of the controls are identical to those of the View Settings dialog box. The settings you define here will be applied to the views of the cloned folder. Click Clone to create the cloned folder.For more information, see “View Settings Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.


Interaction

The resulting cloned folder in the View Map will be identified by a special “clone” folder icon , rather than a regular folder icon.Another way to create a clone is to drag the folder from the Project Map to the View Map, using Ctrl+Shift (Windows) or Opt+Cmd (MacOS) within the Organizer’s View Editor. The result of cloning a folder is that for each new viewpoint you create in the Project Map, a counterpart new view will be created in its cloned folder in the View Map. For example, if you have cloned the Project Map’s Stories folder, then the cloned folder in View Map will always show all Stories of the Project, even new ones added after the creation of the clone folder. Moreover, the newly created views in the cloned folder will be assigned View Settings that are defined for the clone folder. The following two diagrams illustrate the difference between views in regular folders in the View Map (which are not affected by changes in the Project Map structure), and views in cloned folders in the View Map (whose contents change in tandem with changes in the Project Map viewpoints.)

Views in regular View Map folders:

Views in Cloned View Map folders:

When you create a clone, the Clone a Folder dialog box lets you define view settings for all the views in the cloned folder.

Setting up a View

To set up a new view, open the project in the appropriate window (Floor Plan, Section/Elevation/IE, 3D Document, Detail, Worksheet, 3D, Interactive Schedule, or List) and adjust any or all of its settings as needed. For example, you can change the scale and layer combination to fit your output needs, in one of the following ways:

• in the active window, using the usual editing commands

• changing the options of the Quick Options Palette, which always show the settings of the currently active (frontmost) window

For more information, see “Quick Options Palette” on page 74.• in the Organizer, using the “View Settings and Storing Options”

at the bottom of the Project Map

Interaction

View Settings Stored with the ViewThe View Settings of each view are accessible in the View Settings dialog box.

See “View Settings Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.Once you save the view, it will store the combination of the following settings:• Layer Combination• Scale• Structure Display• Pen Set• Model View Option Combination • Floor Plan Cut Plane

• Dimensions• Zooming• Image Settings (for 3D Window views): these include 3D

projection settings (including zooming), filtered elements in 3D, 3D window settings, 3D cutting planes, 3D Cutaway and PhotoRendering Settings.

• Existing selection (3D only)

Saving a View

To save the view, do one of the following:• Use the Organizer to drag and drop the viewpoint from the

Project Map into the View Map. The current settings are saved as view settings.

• Click the Save Current view button at the bottom of the View Map. (The View Settings dialog box appears, allowing you to modify the settings before saving the view.)

• Select the Viewpoint in the Project map, then right-click and execute the Save Current View command. (The View Settings


Interaction

dialog box appears, allowing you to modify the settings before saving the view.)

• Drag and drop the viewpoint from the Project Map into the Layout Book. The current settings are saved as view settings.The new view will appear both in the View Map and in the Layout Book.

• Use the Save View and Place on Layout command, available in the active window’s context menu, the item’s context menu in the Navigator/Organizer, and as a command in the Document menu. The current settings are saved as view settings.The new view will appear both in the View Map and in the Layout Book.

Modifying View Settings

To change the settings of an already saved view, open the View Settings dialog box and make any changes needed. Or click Get Current Window’s Settings to overwrite the original view settings with the current viewpoint settings (i.e. those of the active window).

If you have opened a saved view from the View Map, and if, while working in the active window, you have changed any of its View Settings, a triangular yellow “warning” icon will appear at the bottom of the Navigator, next to the changed settings, alerting you that “The settings in the frontmost window no longer correspond to the original view settings.” For example, the image below indicates that the current window’s zoom and layer settings are different than in the saved view.

If you wish, you can save the current window settings as a view: Click Settings to open the View Settings dialog box, then click Get Current Window’s Settings.See “View Settings Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.

Quick Options Palette

The Quick Options Palette displays the current settings of the active (frontmost) window: The current window settings as reflected in Quick Options are the currently effective project settings, but they have not necessarily been saved as part of any view; they merely provide feedback on what you are currently seeing in the active window, and offer a quick way to apply changes among these settings.For more information, see “Quick Options Palette Controls” in ArchiCAD Help.The Quick Options Palette is displayed by default at the lower right corner of your screen. (You may have to drag the palette to a new position or stretch it to see all six of the Quick Options.) To hide/show this palette, use Windows > Palettes > Quick Options Palette or the corresponding button in the bottom scrollbar of the model window.

Navigator Layout Book

The Layout Book contains the layouts defined for the entire architectural project, and can contain Drawings originating from multiple ArchiCAD project files and other source files. A view placed on a Layout is called a Drawing. You can view the list of layouts in two formats: Tree by Subset or Tree by Master.


Interaction

Tree by Subset (the default display) lists layouts according to the Subsets you have created - a freely defined logic. (The primary function of Subsets is to enable you to assign a customized numbering system. See “Subsets” on page 426.) Tree by Master lists the Layouts in categories according to its Master Layout.See “Master Layouts” on page 425.At the bottom of the Layout Book, the Properties section displays the settings of the current Layout, some of which are editable directly. To access the Layout Settings of the selected Layout placed Drawing, click the Settings button at the bottom of the Layout Book.Drawings are accompanied by icons that correspond to their file type. Views imported from ArchiCAD project files retain their icons (for example, floor plan or detail) but are shown in white.For more information on creating and outputting Layouts, see “The Layout Book” on page 422.

Navigator Publisher

Use this map of the Navigator/Organizer to set up the items you want to publish, and set the publishing method and format. You can access this palette from either the Navigator or the Document > Publisher > Publish menu command.Each Publisher item refers directly to a View or to a Layout (in effect, the Publisher item is a shortcut to the View/Layout). The View or Layout Properties of the item are displayed at the bottom of the Publisher, but are not editable. The only additional settings controlled

in the Publisher are the output format and related options (these are accessible in the Format panel at the bottom of the Publisher).

.You define Publisher sets by simply dragging and dropping any combination of items from the View Map or the Layout Book.Publisher sets are stored with the project, so you can access them any time, adjust settings if needed, and re-publish them.By clicking the Publish button, you can publish a single set or all defined publishing sets or even selected views.See “Publisher Function” on page 442.


Interaction

External Projects in the Navigator

The Project Chooser pop-up menu at top left lists, first of all, the “active” ArchiCAD project which you are working on. By default, it is this project whose tree structure appears in the Navigator and on the left side of the Organizer.To access the tree structure (View Map and Layout Book) of any other ArchiCAD project, click the Browse command. The tree structure of the “running” project you choose here will now be shown in the Navigator, and its name is listed in the Project Chooser.

To open the external project in the ArchiCAD window, double-click any of its items in the Navigator.To place layouts or views from an external ArchiCAD projects onto a Layout of the active project:• Make sure you have a Layout open (the Layout onto which you

want to place a view or Layout from an external project).• Click the Browse command in the Project Chooser.• Choose an ArchiCAD project whose content you want to use in

the active project.• Click Open. The external project is now displayed in a tree structure on the left side of the Organizer, in one of two available map options (View Map or Layout Book). You can add any of its views or layouts to the

Layout Book of the active project by dragging and dropping it directly onto the Layout, or dragging the item into the Layout Book tree structure on the right side of the Organizer.

Project Chooser

Projects accessed in the Navigator/Organizer are listed in the Project Chooser (the pop-up menu at the top left of the Navigator/Organizer) as follows:

• Active: Your current project.

• Linked: An external project from which you have already added a view or layout to the active project.

• Running: An external project which you have accessed and browsed as a separate instance of ArchiCAD.

Also in the Project Chooser, you can show the Navigator or Organizer, and display the Drawing Manager.

Editing ConceptsTo aid you in editing the elements of your Virtual Building, ArchiCAD has built-in interface features that give you constant feedback as you edit.

• Selection methods and related feedback ensure that you lose no time in choosing the right element to edit.

• The Coordinate System ensures that you always find the exact location for placing and editing elements.

• The intelligent cursor gives you feedback as you draw, so that you avoid drafting mistakes and join elements properly.

• Setting up your grids is another way of ensuring that element placement is exact.

• Keyboard shortcuts and context-sensitive Pet Palettes make it easy to reach the commands you need while editing.

The following sections provide details on all of these editing concepts.


Interaction

Selecting ElementsWith the Arrow tool active: Point at the desired element and click; or drag the mouse to draw a rectangle around the element you want to select.With any other tool active: Press Shift, then point at the desired element and click; or drag the mouse to draw a rectangle around the element you want to select.For more information on cursor shapes, see “The Intelligent Cursor” on page 82.

Select All Elements (in Window or in Marquee)To select all elements on screen (either in the entire window or inside a previously defined Marquee area) with the Arrow or Marquee Tool active, use the Ctrl/Cmd+A shortcut or the Edit > Select All command.

Note: Select All will only select elements on the currently displayed story.

Select All Elements of a Single TypeTo select all elements of a single type (for example, all Walls, or all Windows), activate the corresponding tool, then use the Ctrl+A shortcut.To learn about additional Arrow tool selection options, see “Select Multiple Elements Using a Selection Rectangle/Polygon” on page 78.To learn how to highlight an element before selecting it, see “Element Information Highlight” on page 80.

Select Elements Based on Multiple CriteriaUse the Find and Select function to select elements defined by a wide variety of criteria.See “Find and Select Elements by Criteria” on page 84.

Add/Remove Elements to/from SelectionYou can add elements to the selection by shift-clicking them. Shift-clicking an already selected element will deselect it.

Quick Selection of Surface Areas

Quick Selection is the easiest way to select single elements which have a surface area (such as slabs and roofs).To activate Quick Selection as the default working mode, turn on the Quick Selection icon in the Arrow tool’s Info Box. Now, to use Quick Selection, either the Arrow tool must be active, or you must press the Shift key.Move the cursor over any surface of the element you want to select. You will note that every time the cursor hovers over a selectable element, it will change shape . Click to select.As shown in this image, you need only move the cursor over any part of the roof area; (if the Arrow tool is not active, press Shift to change to the Quick Select cursor), and click to select the roof.

Quick Selection works on all construction and text elements, fills and objects.To temporarily suspend the Quick Selection method while the icon is activated, press the Spacebar with the Arrow Tool active, or Shift-spacebar if any other tool is active.Quick Selection is active by default, but it can be deactivated in the Arrow tool’s Info Box by releasing the button.To use Quick Selection on a temporary basis (while the Quick Selection icon is deactivated in the Arrow Tool’s Info Box), press Spacebar with the Arrow Tool active (or Shift+Spacebar with any other Tool).


Interaction

Click and Drag with Quick SelectionWith the Arrow Tool and Quick Selection active, you can drag any element by clicking on it and holding down the button while you drag it, without having to use the Drag command. (With any other tool active, press Shift, then click and drag.)

Note: All selected elements will be dragged simultaneously.

Select Multiple Elements Using a Selection Rectangle/Polygon

A useful method for selecting multiple elements is by drawing a selection polygon or rectangle around the items. These will be explicitly selected items, displaying selection dots. To use this method, activate the Arrow tool and a geometry method for the selection rectangle/polygon.

Note: To select an area instead of explicitly selecting elements, use the Marquee tool as detailed at Marquee Area.

Click on the screen and draw the selection rectangle/polygon.

This will select all the elements inside the area and deselect all other currently selected elements. If you keep the Shift key pressed, enclosed elements will be added to the selection while already selected ones will be subtracted from it.If you want to use a selection rectangle or polygon within a quick-selectable area, press the spacebar to temporarily suspend Quick Selection, then draw the selection polygon - keeping the spacebar pressed.

Selection Methods for Selection Rectangle/PolygonThe Arrow tool’s Info Box offers a number of selection methods when using a rectangular or polygonal shape.With the first (default) Selection Method

any element that has at least one of its nodes, edges or curves in the selection polygon or rectangle will become selected.

• With the second method , only elements that are entirely within the selection polygon or rectangle will become selected.

Area Shape Options for Selection Rectangle/PolygonIn the Arrow tool’s Info Box, you can choose among three selection area shapes.The options are Polygonal, Rectangular and Rotated Rectangular.Double-clicking while drawing the polygon automatically closes it if at least two segments have already been defined manually. The double-clicked point becomes the last apex of the polygon.


Interaction

Selection of Overlapping Elements

When the nodes of several elements overlap at a single point, the Element Information Highlight indicates which element will be selected, and the Element Information Pop-up (Info Tags) shows its type and main properties.

Note: The element information highlight pops up if the cursor is over any element (with Arrow Tool active). If any other tool is active, press Shift to see the element information highlight.

To cycle the highlight among multiple elements which overlap or join, press Tab until the desired target element is highlighted. When you are satisfied that the appropriate element will be selected, click with the cursor.

Selection Feedback

Selection Dots

Explicitly selected elements display selection dots (or reference points). Selection dots represent the points of the element by which you can modify the element.

Note: Elements selected by Marquee do not display selection dots.

For more information, see “Marquee Area” on page 85.The location of the selection dots depends on the type and the geometry of the element.

In the case of GDL Object type elements, the number of selection dots depends on the number of hotspots defined in the object.

Selection Dot VariationsSingle elements have small solid selection dots which are black by default. To change the color of selection dots, use the color chooser in Options > Work Environment > Selection and Element Information.


Interaction

Editable selection dots are diamond-shaped and appear on objects whose parameters can be edited using an on-screen parameter palette.For more information, see “Graphical Editing Using Editable Hotspots” on page 318.Grouped elements display larger circles, whose color is automatically assigned.

Elements that belong to a Hotlinked Module or an XREF are shown with hollow squares, whose color is automatically defined.

Locked elements’ selection dots appear in faded form.Elements are locked (and display “locked” selection dots) in four cases:• The element is placed on a locked Layer.• The element has been explicitly locked with the Edit > Locking

> Lock command.• In a shared Project (Teamwork), the element is outside your own

workspace.• The elements belong to a Hotlinked Module or an XREF.In all cases, locked elements can be selected, but they cannot be edited. (You will be informed of this if you try to edit a locked element.) You can open the settings dialog boxes of these elements, but you cannot edit their parameters.

Selection Highlight

Selected elements will be shown with a distinguishing highlight, in addition to selection dots. Selection highlight color (for both element surfaces and their contours) are configurable in Options > Work Environment > Selection and Element Information, or you can turn off selection highlights altogether.

Even if you leave the Selection Highlight function on, you may want to disable it temporarily - for example, if you want to see the actual display colors of lines and fills. To suspend Selection highlight, use the Ctrl/Alt + spacebar shortcut.

Note: Surface highlights in 3D are available only when using the OpenGL 3D engine.

For more information, see “Selection and Element Information” in ArchiCAD Help.

Element Information HighlightArchiCAD helps you identify elements by highlighting them before you select them (also known as “element detection”). Just place the cursor on an element node or edge, then press Shift.


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Note: If the Arrow tool is active, the highlight appears on its own, without your having to press Shift.

When working in 3D, you will notice that the informational highlight acts on the entire outline of the element, that is, even hidden lines of its contour are shown. Grouped elements are highlighted individually.Element information highlights can be configured, or even turned off entirely, in the Options > Work Environment > Selection and Element Information dialog box.For more information, see “Selection and Element Information” in ArchiCAD Help.Element Information highlights also work when clicking to dimension an element, and with the Parameter transfer functions (Pick Up Parameters and Inject Parameters commands): the information highlight appears along with the eyedropper/syringe

cursors right before you complete the parameter transfer. You do not need to press Shift to see the element detection highlight with Parameter Transfer.For more information, see “Parameter Transfer” on page 139.

Note: These highlights (identifying related elements for Parameter Transfer and Dimensioning functions) will appear if the “Highlight contours of related element(s)” checkbox is active in Options > Work Environment > Selection and Element Information. For these highlights, you need not press Shift.

Element Information Pop-up (Info Tags)If you move the cursor over an element and press Shift, an element information pop-up appears.

Note: If the Arrow tool is active, the element information pop-up appears on its own (along with the highlight), without your having to press Shift.

The Element Information Pop-up displays the following information:

• The element’s type

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• The element’s basic properties (structural fill for Walls, name for Objects, thickness for Slabs, type for Lines, and so on)

• The element’s elevation (for 3D shapes only)• The element’s Layer• In 3D and Section/Elevation/IE and 3D Document windows,

the Story the element belongs to.• In Teamwork, the owner of the element.Some additional information is displayed in the bottom section of the pop-up:• If more than one element has a selectable part at the given

location (node, edge, or surface if Quick Selection is active), the caption Multiple Elements (TAB) is shown in the Info Tag to inform you that you can cycle through selected and selectable elements by hitting the TAB key as many times as needed.

See also “Selection of Overlapping Elements” on page 79.• If the element is selected, the mention (Selected) appears in

brackets.Element information highlights, including the time interval before it appears on screen, can be configured in the Options > Work Environment > Selection and Element Information dialog box.For more information, see “Selection and Element Information” in ArchiCAD Help.

The Intelligent CursorThe following section describes the various shapes of the intelligent cursor in different locations and situations in the project.The ArchiCAD cursor takes on the following shapes when drafting or editing elements, with any tool except the Arrow tool active:• Crosshair in an empty area in the window.• Heavy Checkmark at a wall node on its reference line or a

beam node at its reference axis.• Light Checkmark at any other node/hotspot of any

element.

• Heavy Mercedes on the reference line of a wall or the reference axis of a beam.

• Light Mercedes at any other edge of any element.• Intersection at an intersection of edges.

When you click to start drawing an element whose definition requires more than a single spot, the cursor’s shape changes to an empty


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pencil. It then changes its shape again depending on whether it encounters other elements. The possibilities are as follows:• White pencil in an empty space or over any element where

there is no hotspot or edge• Striped pencil with black top at a wall’s reference line or a

beam’s reference axis.• Striped pencil at any other edge.• Filled pencil at a node on a wall’s reference line or on a

beam’s reference axis.• Filled pencil with white top at any other node or hotspot.• Pencil point with intersection at an intersection of edges.• Pencil point with perpendicular sign at a perpendicular

edge.• Pencil point with tangent sign at a tangential edge.

When using the Arrow tool, the following shapes are available:

• Arrow at empty area in the window.

• Quick Selection (Magnet) appears whenever you move the cursor onto a quick-selectable item.

• Arrow with Heavy Checkmark snaps to nodes on reference lines of Walls and reference axes of Beams.

• Arrow with Light Checkmark snaps to Hotspots and nodes other than the ones on reference lines of Walls and reference axes of Beams.

• Arrow with Heavy Mercedes snaps to reference lines of Walls and reference axes of Beams.

• Arrow with Light Mercedes snaps to edges other than reference lines of Walls and reference axes of Beams.

• Arrow with Intersection snaps to an intersection of edges.

• Arrow with Perpendicular sign snaps perpendicularly to an edge or arc while dragging an element


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• Arrow with Tangent sign snaps tangentially to an arc while dragging an element.

Some cursor shapes only appear in special situations:

• Cloud indicates empty space over the horizon in perspective views.

• Magic Wand used for tracing the contours of existing elements for creating new elements with the active tool. It has three different shapes for identifying nodes , edges and empty space (including surfaces).

• Scissors trims elements (hold down the Ctrl/Cmd key while clicking on an element). The Black Scissors appear on top of element edges, while the White Scissors indicate empty space.

• Eyeball defines the direction of Roof ’s slope, the side that remains selected when splitting elements, the depth of Limited Sections and the orientation of Doors/Windows. It is also used to set the position of curved walls and Curtain Walls placed with the tangential method, when more than one placement possibility exists.

• Double Eyeball locates position of edge-placed Door/Window.

• Sun appears during Curtain Wall input to define the “outside” part of the Curtain Wall.

• Eyedropper appears when picking up parameters from an element as part of Parameter Transfer shortcut.

• Syringe appears when transferring parameters of one element to another as part of Parameter Transfer shortcut.

• Plus when dragging, rotating or mirroring a copy of an element.

• Double-Plus when dragging or rotating multiple copies of an element.

• Fill Handle prompts you to draw a vector orientation after a fill is placed.

• Hammer places Dimension chains, Angular Dimensions, the Elevation Dimension array, Zone Stamps and Fill areas; it also appears when closing polygons.

• Trident moves Marquee area or the Clipboard contents after pasting.

During a dimensioning operation:• Magnet plus dimension-line icon: In a 3D Document, after

clicking the points to be dimensioned, this cursor allows you to choose the plane in which to dimension the clicked elements.

• Mercedes plus parallel dimension icon: During a linear dimensioning operation using Any Direction, allows you to choose a line or edge. The dimension will be created parallel to this clicked line/edge.

Deselecting ElementsTo deselect one or more selected elements, do one of the following:• Press Esc.• Click with any tool (including the Arrow) on an empty part of the

worksheet to deselect all the selected elements at once.• Click a selected element while holding down the Shift key.• With the Arrow tool active, hold down the Shift key, and click or

draw a selection rectangle around the elements you want to deselect.

Find and Select Elements by CriteriaChoose the Edit > Find & Select command to select and deselect elements based on a wide variety of criteria.

Edit Selection SetThe Edit Selection Set command from Edit > Element Settings opens a dialog box which makes it possible to edit specific attributes


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(layers and pencolors) for a collection of dissimilar element types simultaneously without affecting any other settings of these elements. For details, see “Edit Selection Set Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.

Store and Access Selection SetsUse the Window > Palettes > Selections palette to recall previously saved, frequently accessed sets of selections that are stored with the Project.

Marquee Area

About Marquee Areas

The Marquee tool is used to define areas for selection, editing and visualization purposes. The capabilities of the Marquee tool complement those of the Arrow tool, and are particularly useful in selecting and moving groups of ArchiCAD elements.A Marquee area does not display selection dots on the included elements; the marqueed area is shown by a dashed line of “marching ants.” The color of the Marquee is the same as that of Selection dots: set this color at Options > Work Environment > Selection and Element Information > Selection Dots and Marquee color.Marquee selection is often used when:• You wish to define a smaller area in which to select all of the

elements of a given type.• You want to visualize a particular part of the design in 3D.• You need to move or resize a number of elements of different

types at the same time: for example, you can stretch all polygonal and linear elements of a building simultaneously.

The Marquee tool is available in the Floor Plan, the 3D Window, Section/Elevation/Interior Elevation windows, 3D Document,

Detail and Worksheet windows, Layout windows, and the 2D Symbol window of GDL Objects. In image-type windows (PhotoRendering or picture windows) or the GDL Object’s 3D view, the only operation available for a marquee selection is Copy.To use the Marquee tool for selection and editing, you must first define a rectangular or polygonal Marquee area. All construction aids are available.

• If you inadvertently start to draw the Marquee area at an unintended point, press Esc (or the Cancel button in the Control Box).

• If you click a node or an edge inside the Marquee area, with the Marquee tool active, the cursor will assume the Checkmark or Mercedes shape. If you then move the cursor, the Marquee area will be moved with all the nodes or edges included in it.

• All polygonal or linear elements with a node included in the Marquee area can be stretched simultaneously.

For a detailed description, see “Modifying Element Sizes” on page 123 and “Moving Elements” on page 113.• If you click inside the Marquee area without touching a node or

an edge, the cursor will assume the Trident shape. In this case, moving the cursor will only move the marquee, leaving all enclosed elements unchanged.

Select All Elements in a MarqueeTo select all elements inside a previously defined Marquee area with the Marquee Tool active, use the Ctrl/Cmd+A shortcut or the Edit > Select All in Marquee command.


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Use Marquee in Find&SelectIf you have placed a Marquee, then the Find & Select includes the Marquee criterion automatically. You can then opt to search either inside or outside the Marquee.See “Find and Select Elements by Criteria” on page 84.

Marquee Area Definition Options

The Marquee tool has two definition methods available in the Info Box.• With the thin dashed line contour representing

the Single Floor method , you can select elements on the current Story.

• With the thick dashed line contour representing the All Floors method , you can select elements on all the Stories of the Project.Note: These controls are dimmed when not viewing the Floor Plan.

To draw a Marquee, select the Marquee tool from the Toolbox.Choose one of the Geometry Methods from the Info Box. (If you are working in the 3D Window, four options are available; otherwise there are three options).

• The Polygonal method defines a Marquee area consisting of any number of segments. Completing a segment automatically begins the next one. Close the Marquee by double-clicking the last endpoint, by clicking OK in the context menu to close the polygon, or by drawing the last endpoint on top of the first one and clicking when the Hammer cursor appears. At least two segments must be defined manually, since the area must have a minimum of three sides. Only straight segments are possible.

• The Rectangle method defines a Marquee rectangle at right

angles to the window. After the first click, a rubberband line rectangle will follow the cursor, allowing you to see the area. After the second click at the diagonally opposed corner, the Marquee rectangle will appear.


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• The Rotated Rectangle method defines a Marquee rectangle placed at any angle. You first draw one side of the rectangle with two clicks, and then, with a third click, you define the length of the perpendicular sides.

• The first three methods available in the 3D Window are extensions of the Polygonal, Rectangle and Rotated Rectangle methods. First the base of the marquee area is defined with the same steps as on the Floor Plan. (In perspective view, the marquee base must be underneath the horizon.) Then you define the height of the selected space. The coordinate axes are continuously present on screen to help you.

• The fourth option (3D window only) allows you to draw a 2D marquee in order to copy elements from the 3D Window in the form of pictures.

For more information, see “Copy/Paste Marquee Area from Project Window” on page 88.

View Marquee Area in 3D

You can use the Marquee to view a selected area of your project in the 3D window.Define the Marquee area, then use the View > Elements in 3D View > Show Selection/Marquee in 3D command; or select the same command from the context menu.Any part of an element that falls inside the Marquee area will be included in the 3D view, even if there is no selection node or hotspot on this part of the element.

Note: If your plan includes both explicitly selected elements and a marquee selection, this command will disregard the marquee and show only the explicitly selected elements.

To further define how Marqueed elements are shown in 3D, use the “Marquee Effects” controls of the View > Elements in 3D View > Filter Elements in 3D dialog box.For more information, see “Show Marquee Area in 3D” on page 168.


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Removing a Marquee

To remove a drawn Marquee area, do one of the following:• Press Esc.• Click with the right mouse button or Ctrl-click (MacOS), and

choose the Remove Marquee command in the appearing context menu.

• Begin drawing a new Marquee.• Double-click on the worksheet outside the marquee area with the

Marquee tool selected.If you have explicitly selected further elements within the Marquee, pressing Esc will deselect these elements in reverse order, and finally remove the Marquee.If you choose another tool, the Marquee area will not be removed, in order to save the recent Marquee area for further use.

Copy/Paste Marquee Area from Project Window

You can use the Marquee tool to copy and paste an area of the 3D Window, a Section/Elevation/IE or 3D Document window, or a Model Picture Window.1) Generate the view you need.2) Use the Marquee tool to

select the area you wish to copy (if you are selecting from the 3D window, make sure that the 2D Marquee option is active).

3) Choose Edit > Copy.If you are copying from the 3D window using the OpenGL engine, all images will be pasted in pixel format.

If you are copying from the 3D window using the Internal Engine, a dialog box appears during the Copy operation giving you options for how the image will be displayed on the screen.

For more information, see “Copy Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.

Note: If you are copy-pasting construction elements, they will be placed as 2D elements (points, lines and fills.)You may find that the “exploded” 2D elements generated from the model often contain superfluous elements (extra line segments, overlapping or superfluous fills) that make such editing difficult. To make editing easier, use the The Linework and Fill Consolidation functions on selected items in the window.

For more information, see “Consolidating Lines and Fills in Drawing Windows” on page 153.4) Move to the Floor Plan and choose Edit > Paste.

Note: You can paste into other 2D model windows, but the pasted elements will behave as 2D drawing elements only, not model elements.

5) Position the image on your Floor Plan using the Trident cursor.6) Click outside the selection rectangle to complete the operation.

- Elevations are pasted to the Floor Plan as full-sized 2D elements.- Parts of Model Pictures are pasted as screenshots.

Copy Cropped Image File with Marquee Tool

You can insert a cropped part of any image file into your ArchiCAD plan.


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• With your ArchiCAD project file open, open any image format file.

• Click and drag (only the Marquee tool is available) to select the desired image area, then copy it to the clipboard.

• Close the image file, then paste the clipboard contents into the open project.

You can modify it like any other figure.For more information, see “Figures” on page 386.

Drag or Stretch Multiple Elements Using Marquee

Draw a Marquee area around the linear, polygonal and circular elements you wish to drag or stretch.• Elements entirely within the Marquee will be dragged to the

new position. (See illustration below.)• Elements with at least one node within the Marquee area but

partly outside of the Marquee will be stretched as you move the Marquee.

With the Marquee tool active, click on one of the elements’ hotspots and drag/stretch to a new location. In the following illustration, the Marquee tool is used to drag two sofas and a table from one room to another all at once.

Other Editing Operations within the Marquee

If you wish to Cut, Copy, Clear, Drag, Mirror, Rotate, Elevate or Duplicate elements, they must have at least one node inside the Marquee area in order to be selected. The edit operations will act on the whole element.To use Edit commands on a placed Drawing, include at least one node of the Drawing (i.e. one of the Drawing’s corners) inside the Marquee.

Note: In Section/Elevation/IE, 3D Document, Detail and Worksheet windows, some editing commands are available only for 2D drawing elements.


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Origins

About Origins in ArchiCAD

In ArchiCAD, as in any coordinate system, all measurements are made in reference to an origin. The location of the origin is always interpreted as (0, 0).ArchiCAD defines three coordinate system origins:1) The Project Origin is a constant

location which remains fixed for the life of your Project. The Project Origin of the coordinate system, marked with an X, is close to the lower left corner of the Floor Plan window, when using the default view of the default template. (The Coordinates Palette shows the coordinates as (0, 0).

2) The User Origin is created manually by the user to act as a temporary aid to drafting and measurements. By default, the User Origin is located at the Project Origin. However, the User Origin can be moved to any location, allowing you to “reset the zero point” to any location. This is often helpful when you need to draw elements with respect to existing walls, slabs or other components.

For details, see “Create a User Origin” on page 90.In this image, the User Origin is reset to one end of the selected wall; it is marked with an X; its coordinates are (0, 0); the Project Origin is also visible, but dimmed.

3) The Edit Origin is also temporary; it appears only during drafting and editing operations and is used to display the distance and angle of a rubberband line from the starting point of a drawing operation.

In this image, the corner of the selected column (marked with an X) is the Edit Origin; its coordinates are (0, 0).

In Floor Plan and other 2D views, the origin is always marked by a bold X.In 3D Views, the origins and their X, Y and Z axes are displayed with bold black lines. The lines are 1 meter (approx. 3 ft.) long.

Note: When a User or Edit Origin appears, the Project Origin remains visible in the same color as the construction grid.

Create a User Origin

There are two ways to create a User Origin:• At any construction node by using the keyboard. Hold down

both the Alt and Shift keys (MacOS: Opt + Shift) and move the cursor to the construction node where you want the origin located.

• At any location by using the User Origin button from the Standard toolbar (or the Coordinates


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palette, if it is displayed). This method allows you to move the origin where nothing is currently drawn.Click the User Origin button, then click at any point in the window. The origin is instantly relocated there.

To return the User Origin to the Project Origin, double-click the User Origin button in the Standard Toolbar.

User Origin in the 3D Window

When placing a new element in the 3D window, its elevation is measured from the User Origin. Use the Tool Settings dialog box to enter the desired elevation (or Base Height, in the case of a Wall) for placement.To redefine the User Origin’s elevation in 3D:• Activate the User Origin

button (Standard toolbar) • Then click on an element surface (this is only possible in Hidden

Line or Shading mode).Creating the User Origin in blank space places it without changing its elevation.

Note: If you are using Gravity, a newly placed element will gravitate onto the Roof/Slab/Mesh below it - it will be placed at that elevation.

See “Elevation and Gravity” on page 108.Note: If the element was placed in a 2D window, it will also have a home story value. If you prefer, you can redefine a placed element’s elevation reference to its Home Story - instead of the User Origin - using the pop-up in the Tool Settings dialog box.

Use Tracker to Display and Input Coordinates

About the Tracker

Coordinate values are displayed in the Tracker, which follows your mouse movements and is available in any editable window type.

Note: This section describes coordinate input using the Tracker function. If you prefer to use the Coordinates box familiar from older versions of ArchiCAD, consult “Coordinates Palette” in ArchiCAD Help.

The Tracker gives you a dynamic and constant feedback on such values as edited lengths, angles, and hotspot values for GDL Object editing.To use the Tracker, you must activate the Tracker toggle button on the Standard toolbar, or activate the Show Tracker checkbox in Options > Work Environment > Tracker and Coordinate Input.

By default, the Tracker only appears “On -demand”: that is, during coordinate input and editing operations.Another way to show the Tracker if you have not yet begun element input: use the n shortcut. The Tracker will pop up and display the cursor position.Alternatively, choose the Always option to display the Tracker continuously. This means that the Tracker will follow your cursor even if you are not inputting anything, providing feedback on the cursor position.


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To deactivate the Tracker, deselect the Tracker toggle icon on the Standard toolbar, or hit the n shortcut. Tracker options (including colors, contents and behavior) can be set in Options > Work Environment > Tracker and Coordinate Input.Some Tracker options are commands accessible from the pop-up arrow next to the Standard toolbar’s Tracker toggle.For more information, see “Tracker and Coordinate Input” in ArchiCAD Help.

Parameters Shown in Tracker

The parameters appearing in the Tracker vary depending on the type of editing action that is underway. For example, if you select a straight segment and choose the Curve edge command from the pet palette, then the Tracker shows the “Arc Radius” parameter.The Tracker always shows one of its parameters in bold; this is the default parameter.

Depending on your choices in the Tracker pop-up menu in the Standard Toolbar, the Tracker will display only the XY or the DA (distance/angle) coordinate pair (switch from one to the other by clicking “Prefer XY Coordinates/Prefer Polar Coordinates” during editing/input), and will show or hide the names of the coordinates (“Show/Hide Parameter Tags”).

Hint: To switch between DA and XY coordinates on the fly, use the / (slash character) shortcut.

As a rule, the parameters in the Tracker (will be listed in order of relevance, with D/A coordinates followed by X, Y and Z coordinates. By default, the coordinate values are Relative values. (If you prefer Absolute values, deselect the “Relative Coordinates in Tracker” toggle command; this command is enabled by default, except during editing/input.)If you have activated the Expand Tracker Automatically option from the drop-down Tracker menu, then all the parameters will be shown as soon as you enter the Tracker (by entering a value or by pressing Tab).

Note: The same option, “Expand Tracker automatically during numeric input,” is also available as a checkbox in Options > Work Environment > Tracker and Coordinate Input.

Otherwise, if you want to expand the Tracker, enter the Tracker by pressing Tab, then click the arrow at the bottom of the Tracker to expand it.

Defining Tracker Coordinates

You can enter numeric coordinates directly from the keyboard or use a combination of mouse and keyboard.The horizontal and vertical values correspond to the X and Y coordinates (also called Cartesian coordinates), while the radial and angular values are called polar coordinates.Coordinates can take on absolute and relative values. By default, they are shown as relative values in the Tracker.Use the Tracker menu from the Standard Toolbar to toggle the Relative Coordinates in Tracker preference on or off.• Relative values are measured

from the Edit Origin, that is, they display horizontal (X), vertical (Y), distance (D) and angular (A) distance or position of the cursor from the last edited point in the worksheet.


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• Absolute values are measured from the User Origin (see

“Origins” on page 90). This means that they always display the horizontal (X), vertical (Y), distance (D) and angular (A) distance or position of the cursor from the User Origin.A temporary dashed line is drawn between the origin and the cursor to indicate that you are using absolute coordinates.

For information on Elevation values, see “Elevation Values in the Tracker” on page 109.

Coordinate Input in Tracker

As long as the Tracker is shown during input, just type a number for the default parameter (the one shown in bold.) The cursor will automatically jump to the Tracker and enter the value.

Note: This input method works if the “Enable direct input into Tracker fields” box is checked in Options > Work Environment > Tracker and Coordinate Input. This is the default setting.

Another way to enter the Tracker is to press Tab. The cursor jumps to the default field of the Tracker (the one shown in bold). Click Tab as many times as needed to activate the required Tracker field. Type in the desired number.

You can also activate fields by clicking them or typing the shortcut of the corresponding field. If the Tracker is displayed in its compact form, typing the shortcut for a hidden parameter will display it.To enter numeric coordinates, type the shortcut of the desired coordinate (X, Y, Z or D/R or A) immediately followed by the value you intend to assign to it, for example X3 or Y-4. The + prefix is optional for positive values. You can type coordinate values in any order.

Note: This input method works if the “Coordinate Shortcuts prefer Tracker” box is checked in Options > Work Environment > Tracker and Coordinate Input. This is the default setting. The other way to enter coordinates is through the Coordinates Box (enable it using Window > Palettes > Coordinates).

The selected value is highlighted. At this point, you have several options:• To enter another coordinate value, type another shortcut for the

desired coordinate, then enter a value.• To complete the element you are drawing, press Enter or click

the checkmark icon in the Tracker.• To fix the value of a coordinate, click the crosshair icon in the

Tracker. The edited element will then jump into this position and, if Guide Lines are active, this will also display Guide Lines of the currently available type at this location to help you continue the input.

• To cancel the last operation, press Esc.• Return to graphic input by typing the name of the edited

coordinate again or by mouse-clicking anywhere in the worksheet.


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You can also perform additions or subtractions from the current value by typing a + or – sign after the value. For example, typing x3+ will add 3 to the x value shown in the Tracker box.Notes for users of U.S. dimensions: • Two dashes are required for subtraction of whole feet because

the first dash is interpreted as an indication that inches are to follow.

• When 3 is entered, ArchiCAD assumes you mean three feet. Typing 3’6, 3’6", or 3-6 will enter three feet, six inches.

Coordinates can be copied and pasted using the clipboard. The Cut, Copy and Paste menu items are inactive during numeric input, so you must use the standard shortcuts or the context menu.It is possible to enter a whole series of coordinates one after the other in the Tracker when drawing chains of elements (Walls, Beams, Lines, etc.). As soon as you have finished drawing the first element, the Edit Origin is immediately transferred to this endpoint, which becomes the starting point of the second element and is therefore given the x=0, y=0 value when working with relative coordinates.

You can combine coordinate input by fixing the value of a field and then editing the value of another one.

Coordinate Input Logic: Expert Options

Special Tracker options are available to let you further customize the Tracker function, using the Coordinate Input Logic checkboxes in Options > Work Environment > Tracker and Coordinate Input.Show X-Y Coordinates relative to User origin in Tracker: If you check this box, the XY coordinates will always be shown as Absolute cartesian values, even if you have activated the Relative Coordinates toggle button. This means that X-Y coordinates are shown as absolute values, and the RA or DA values are shown as relative values.Use relative angle measures: If you check this box, angle measures in the Tracker will be shown either:• relative to the previous input segment, in case of polygon input,

or• relative to the grid, with the horizontal grid line as the zero value,

and angle values shown relative to this line, up to 180 degrees. If this box is unchecked, angle values are shown from 0 to 360 degrees.Use angle relative to the active Guide Line: If you check this box, angle values in the Tracker will be shown relative to the active Guide Line. (You must first activate a Guide Line for this to work.)For information on all these options, see “Tracker and Coordinate Input” in ArchiCAD Help.

The Measure ToolThe Measure tool, located in the Standard toolbar, allows you to measure distances and areas in the project. It is a temporary, on-screen function for quick feedback.


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To use the Measure Tool, activate its icon in the Standard Toolbar, or use the M shortcut. Click on a starting point (the top left corner of the rectangular wall, in the image below) and start to trace the wall. The Tracker displays the horizontal, vertical and radial distance measured from the starting point, as well as the angle.

You can Measure any number of segments in sequence: each click represents a new starting-point from which the next distance will be measured. After two or more clicks, the Tracker also shows a cumulative distance and the area (shown by a temporary gray area on screen). The image below shows the Measure tool feedback after three clicks, as you approach the last corner of the rectangular wall.

You can also use the Measure tool while creating elements. When you start drawing a Wall, for example, you can activate the Measure tool on the fly, measure (or even edit) a value with the fields it displays and

then hit Enter to transfer this value into the appropriate field of the Tracker.

The Grid SystemTwo grid systems are provided to help you make drafting easier: the Construction Grid and the Snap Grid. You can set these up in View > Grid Options > Grids and Background. For more information, see “Grids & Background Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help. As a shortcut, many of these controls are available in the Standard toolbar and the Coordinates palette.Grids can be defined separately for the Floor Plan and any individual Section/Elevation/IE, 3D Document, Detail/Worksheet, or Layout window. Note that, in Floor Plan window, the same Grid settings will be used for all Stories. Grids are not available in the 3D Window.

Note: You can also create, place and use custom local structural grids of different sizes and shapes using the Grid Tool.

For a detailed description, see “The Grid Tool” on page 404.The Construction Grid is used to reflect any characteristic spacing of your Project. The Construction Grid can also be used to define the foundation footings or the column grid of a building. Like the printed grids on traditional graph paper, the Construction Grid adds a visual orientation and sense of scale to the Floor Plan and the Section/Elevation/IE, 3D Document, and Detail/Worksheet windows.The Construction Grid is normally visible on the Floor Plan, but you can turn it off with the Grid Display toggle command in the View > Grid Options hierarchical menu or in the Standard Toolbar’s Grid pop-up menu.


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Depending on your project’s layout, a rotated version of the construction grid may be more helpful than the default orthogonal one. Define the Rotation Angle in the View > Grid Options > Grids and Background dialog box.You can also define a rotated grid by hand: first, choose “Set Rotated Grid” from the Standard Toolbar, then draw a vector on screen or click on an existing straight segment: this vector will represent the rotated grid angle relative to the horizontal axis.

To display the rotated version of your Construction Grid, click the Rotated Grid button in the Standard Toolbar grid menu or the Coordinates Palette.The Construction Grid can be optionally enhanced with an Auxiliary Grid, which is also visible on the screen and is defined in View > Grid Options > Grids and Background. The Auxiliary Grid is often used to indicate the thickness of concrete walls or foundation footings, and can be used to create periodic or stepped grids.

The Snap Grid is an invisible grid - if you enable the Grid Snap function (see below), you can make the cursor snap to the nodes of this Snap Grid. When defining your Snap Grid in the Grids and Background dialog box, you will usually enter the smallest unit of measurement relevant to your Project. You can set different horizontal and vertical Snap Grid increments, allowing you to reflect the unique geometry of your Project.The Snap increments you define here can also be used for the Nudge shortcut - to easily move any element by a small defined factor, using a keyboard shortcut.See “Nudging Elements” on page 114.If the Grid Snap function is enabled, the cursor will snap to the nodes of either your Construction Grid or your Snap Grid, depending on what you set as your preferred option. See “Grid Snap Function” on page 97.


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Grid Snap FunctionThe Grid Snap function allows precise graphic alignment of elements at consistent lengths and distances. When the Grid Snap function is active, you can only draw from one grid intersection to another; the grid “pulls” the cursor and makes it snap to the grid nodes. This allows you to position the cursor accurately, even at low zoom levels.When grid snap is active, it restricts the movement of the cursor to either Construction or Snap Grid nodes. A small dot jumping from grid-point to grid-point indicates the current cursor position.To disable this feature (for example, to position a piece of furniture at a non-grid location), you can suspend or activate the grid snap feature by pressing the S key.To activate the Grid Snap function, do one of the following:• Use the S Shortcut.• Use the View > Grid Snap menu command. The Snap function

will use the last grid type used, either Construction or Snap grid.• Select the Snap Grid or

Construction Grid from the grid menu in the Standard Toolbar., or from the Coordinates Box.

• Select Snap Grid or Construction Grid from View > Grid Snap Options.

• Select one of the Snap On buttons (either Construction Grid or Snap Grid) in the Grids and Background dialog box.

To deactivate the Grid Snap function:• Use the S shortcut key• Use the View > Grid Snap menu command (deactivate the

toggle).

Guide Lines

About Guide Lines

Guide Lines are 2D drafting aids which help the user find special points and projections while editing and drafting elements, using the geometry constraints of existing elements. The cursor can snap to Guide Lines, and special snap points can be placed on them. Some Guide Lines are extended from existing element edges/arcs; others pop up temporarily while you move the cursor. In some cases, multiple Guide Lines are offered, allowing you to choose your preferred Guide Line and have it remain on screen.Guide Lines are available in all 2D windows (Floor Plan, Section/Elevation/IE, 3D Document, Detail/Worksheet, Layout, GDL Object 2D Symbol).Guide Lines are available with any tool. If a selection tool is active, they only appear when you start editing elements (Arrow) or when you are placing or moving elements (Marquee).

Turn Guide Lines on or off

• Use the Q key as a shortcut (toggle Guide Lines on and off)• Use the toggle button in the Standard toolbar• Use the View > Guide Lines toggle

commandGuide Lines options are available at:• Options > Work Environment >

Guide Lines• and from the Guide Lines toggle

command in the Standard Toolbar.


Interaction

Types of Guide Lines

Instant (temporary) guide lines appear during an input operation and disappear automatically after input is completed. They appear and disappear depending on the location of the cursor, and their geometry depends on which Guide Line settings you have switched on in Options > Work Environment > Guide Lines (including Main Direction, Relative Direction and Incremental Guide Lines). You can snap to these instant Guide Lines, but you cannot make them remain on screen.To constrain the cursor to the nearest instant Guide Line, press Shift during input (first, make sure that the Nearest Instant Guide Line box is checked in Options > Work Environment > Mouse Constraints and Methods.)

Note: Context menu commands do provide a way to convert instant guide lines into lasting segments.

See “Placing Guide Lines During Input” on page 100.Lasting guide lines are visible on the screen until the given editing operation is terminated (completed, cancelled or interrupted by a different type of operation such as the activation of another window) or until you choose to remove them. See “Removing Guide Lines” on page 100.To make Lasting guide lines appear (the temporary blue Guide Lines become orange in color), do one of the following:1) place the cursor on an edge or arc either before or during

element input. (The cursor takes on the Mercedes shape.) Edge-extension guide lines will be projected. In the case of arcs, they will be extended to a full circle. If you have not yet begun the editing operation, you must move the cursor onto the Guide Line to make it a lasting Guide Line.

To constrain the cursor to the nearest lasting Guide Line, make sure that the Lasting Guide Lines box is checked in Options > Work Environment > Mouse Constraints and Methods.

To make a guide line active, place the cursor on it and wait until it becomes thicker. Only one Guide Line is active (shown in bold) at a time. Relative Guide Lines will be calculated relative to the active Guide Line.

2) place the cursor on a node (either before or during output). Multi-choice guide lines appear when several choices make sense in a given situation, for example the horizonal-vertical lines appearing at element nodes (as in the image below). You can choose to make any of these lines a lasting guide line by moving the cursor onto the chosen line.

At an element node, the multi-choice Guide Lines appear in fixed directions (Main Direction and Relative Direction) as defined in the Guide Lines panel of the Work Environment dialog box. Relative direction guide lines can be parallel, perpendicular or tangential to the active guide line or intersect guide lines.


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The relative guide lines are always relative to the active guide line.

The following image shows multi-choice relative Guide Lines that are parallel to and perpendicular to the active Guide Line (shown in bold). Note the parallel and perpendicular signs on the Guide Lines. To make either of these multi-choice Guide Lines remain on screen as an editing aid (i.e., to turn them into lasting Guide Lines), just move the cursor over it.

Defining Your Preferred Guide Lines

On this Guide Lines tab page (Options > Work Environment > Guide Lines, you can define and activate/deactivate three categories of Guide Lines:• Main Direction Guide Lines: Their direction/angle is

determined based on the drawing environment (e.g. horizontal/vertical direction, rotated grid, etc.) If you check the Input Vector and Length box in this section, the direction and radius of the last input vector will also be offered as a Guide Line.

• Relative-direction Guide Lines: These are created relative to the active Guide Line.

• Incremental Guide Lines: These are displayed, during input only, at every increment of the specified angle (relative to the orthogonal coordinate system and originating from the current Edit Origin.) If you check the Relative to active Guide Line check box, these incremental Guide Lines, too, will always be displayed relative to the currently active Guide Line if any. Incremental Guide Lines are temporary (“instant”) only.

Any of these Guide Line groups can also be activated/deactivated using the toggle commands from the Standard toolbar or from View > Guide Line Options.You can also use Coordinate Constraints, with Guide Lines active, to display Guide Lines which constrain the cursor to particular directions.See “Coordinate Constraints” on page 102.You can set default Guide Line colors for Multi-Choice Guide Lines and other Guide Lines separately (again, in the Options > Work Environment > Guide Lines tab page).For more information, see “Guide Lines Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.

Time-Based Guide Line AppearanceFor each category of Guide Lines (Main-Direction, Relative-Direction), you can set a time interval after which the Guide Lines will appear, so long as you keep the cursor still at an edge or node. Enter preferred time intervals in seconds on the Options > Work Environment > Guide Lines tab page.However, you can override these wait-time intervals at any time using the Force Guide Line Display command (shortcut: ‘). This shortcut is useful if you are at a node with several sets of multi-choice Guide Lines available, and you want to see a different set without waiting the specified interval.


Interaction

Placing Guide Lines During Input

Independent of your default Guide Line definitions, you can place a Guide Line (or Guide Circle) at any time during input using the Place Guide Line/Guide Circle command from the context menu.After clicking on screen to begin input, choose the Place Guide Line (Circle) command from the context menu. A lasting Guide Line (circle) will appear.Similarly, you can use the Convert to Guide Line Segment command from the context menu. The current vector will be transformed into a Guide Line. In this case, the length of the Guide Line is limited to the length of the vector you drew and will not run across the whole screen.

Removing Guide Lines

Guide Lines are removed when you finish the editing action, or when you press Esc in succession (the first “Esc” will cancel the operation in progress; the next will remove all Guide Lines).• To manually remove a guide line, place the cursor on it, activate

the context menu and choose the Remove guide line command.

• To remove all guide lines manually, right-click anywhere in the window to activate the context menu and choose the Remove all guide lines command.

Examples for Using Guide Lines

Guide Lines make it easy to create parallel walls.Before you start, make sure that Grid Snap is disabled and that Guide Lines are enabled. Check that the “Parallel to the active Guide line” option is active in the “Relative direction Guide lines” section of Options > Work Environment > Guide Lines.For more information, see “Guide Lines Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.

Draw a simple straight wall in the Floor Plan, then place the cursor on its edge (the cursor will assume the Mercedes shape). The edge-extension Guide Line appears. Move the cursor over this Guide Line to make it a lasting Guide Line.Now click to the point where you wish to start drawing the parallel wall. Start drawing a wall that is roughly parallel to the original wall. You will see a second Guide Line appear which is exactly parallel to the active Guide Line of original wall.Draw your new wall along the line that is parallel to the active guide line and click to finish.

Note: You can also use the Relative Construction Methods provided by the Control Box to draw parallel, perpendicular, angle bisector and tangential elements.

For more information, see “Relative Construction Methods” on page 103.Let us now see a more complex example. Grid Snap still inactive, Guide Lines enabled, make sure that the following settings are active in the Options > Work Environment > Guide Lines dialog box:

For more information, see “Guide Lines Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.

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These settings will enable you to use Guide Lines to place a wall that is at a 30-degree angle from the perpendicular of the first wall.First, draw a simple straight wall and place the cursor on it until the guide line extending it appears. Move the cursor over the Guide Line to make it active. Then place the cursor at the end of the wall and wait until a new guide line appears, perpendicular to the active one.Move the cursor along this guide line and click at the point where you wish to start a new wall. Move the cursor at a roughly 30 degree angle from the permanent guide line. You will see a new guide line appear at exactly 30 degrees. Start drawing a new wall along that line and click to finish.

Mouse ConstraintsArchiCAD’s Mouse Constraints are like having a computerized T-square and triangle available while drafting in the Floor Plan. They are editing aids that can be used as an alternative to Guide Lines, although most users will prefer to use Guide Lines in 2D windows.For more information, see “Guide Lines” on page 97.The angle pairs they define can be used to lock the cursor at a particular drawing angle, by pressing Shift during input. The mechanism can only be engaged while drawing or editing an element, as indicated by the thick rubberband line shown in the Floor Plan or the ghosted element contour shown in the 3D Window. It temporarily locks the cursor’s polar angle value in the Coordinates Palette using one of the angle pairs defined in the Options > Work Environment > Mouse Constraints & Methods dialog box.For more information, see “Mouse Constraints and Methods Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.Three orthogonal angles/angle pairs can be specified:• The horizontal-vertical set aligned to the main grid

• The horizontal-vertical set aligned to the rotated grid• The fixed angle set The fixed angle set can be set relative to the rotated grid or the main grid. A practical use for the fixed angle orthogonal set would be aligning multiple elements with a roadway. In addition, you can check one or both Guide Line constraint options:• Nearest Instant Guide Line• Lasting Guide Lines

Using Mouse Constraints

Constraining the drawing direction helps you precisely align or connect new elements. To use the orthogonal direction sets for drawing a new element:1) Make sure the Grid Snap is disabled.For more information, see “Grid Snap Function” on page 97.2) Click to start drawing an element.3) Move the cursor from this starting

point and hold down the Shift key. ArchiCAD will search for the closest enabled constraint direction.

4) If the constrained direction is not what you had in mind, release

the Shift key and move the cursor to a position closer to the desired direction, then hold down the Shift key.


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5) When you have chosen the appropriate

constraint direction, click the cursor again to place the endpoint of the element. Since the direction remains locked, you can align this endpoint with other elements using the projection mode of the cursor.

Projection Mode of Cursor with Mouse Constraints

When the drawing direction is constrained by pressing Shift, a dotted line connects the unfinished element with the location of the cursor.In the Control Box, you can vary the display of this dotted line among three possible settings (Cursor Snap Variants): • Perpendicular to the constrained direction• Horizontal from the constrained direction• Vertical from the constrained direction

These options allow you to best align the element under construction with other already existing elements.To switch among these options:1) Display the Control Box. (Window > Palettes > Control Box)2) Draw an input vector on screen.3) Press Shift to enable a constraint.The Cursor Snap Variants pop-up is now active in the Control Box. Move your cursor to this pop-up and choose the cursor snap variant you need.For more information on setting Control Box options, see “Control Box” in ArchiCAD Help.

Coordinate ConstraintsYou can lock a cursor coordinate and thereby restrict the movement of the cursor by pressing Alt (Windows) or Opt (MacOS) and either X, Y, A, or R/D on the keyboard.If Guide Lines are active:• Alt/Opt + X produces a vertical Guide Line.

• Alt/Opt + Y produces a horizontal Guide Line. • Alt/Opt + A (having defined the Angle value numerically or

drawing in a sample direction) produces a corresponding Guide Line.


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• Alt/Opt + R produces a Guide Circle whose radius is determined numerically or graphically.

To unlock the constraint, just press the same key combination (e.g. Alt/Opt + X) again.If Guide Lines are inactive, the locking function works the same way, but you will not see the Guide Lines.Another way to lock a coordinate during input is to choose the Lock to Guide Line command from the context menu, if you have already snapped to a Guide Line.

Relative Construction MethodsIn addition to the Guide Lines feature, the relative construction methods also constrain the element construction direction to a constant angle. They are accessed from the third button of the Control Box.

Note: The Control Box is not visible by default. To show it, choose its name from the Window > Palettes menu.

For more information on Control Box options, see “Control Box” in ArchiCAD Help.These Relative Construction Methods are described below.

Exception: The Special Snap Vector method is described here:“Special Snap Points on Temporary Vector” on page 107.

Parallel and Perpendicular Constraints

The first two Relative Construction methods are Perpendicular and Parallel constraints.1) Make sure that Grid Snap is inactive.For more information, see “Grid Snap Function” on page 97.2) Choose the Perpendicular or Parallel icon and click it to make it

active (pressed).

3) Select a line or an element edge as a reference by clicking it, or draw a temporary reference line using the cursor. (The reference edge/line will not be shown as selected; a newly drawn reference line will not remain visible on-screen.)

4) Draw the new element.The new element you draw will be perpendicular or parallel to the reference line (depending on the method selected).

Note: You can also select the Perpendicular or Parallel method after you have started drawing an element. In this case, the drawing operation is frozen until you have either drawn or selected a reference line or edge.

You can draw multiple perpendiculars or parallels by combining the relative construction method with the Mouse Constraints mechanism. When you define the reference line for drawing the single perpendicular or parallel element, its angle is automatically stored in the Options > Work Environment > Mouse Constraints & Methods dialog box as the Custom angle. You can then draw multiple parallel or perpendicular lines until the Custom angle is redefined either numerically or by activating the Perpendicular or Parallel method again.For more information, see “Mouse Constraints and Methods Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.

Angle Bisector Constraint

Using the Angle Bisector relative construction method , you can draw elements bisecting the angle formed by other elements or temporary reference vectors.


Interaction

You can either start drawing the new element before activating the Angle Bisector method and defining the reference vectors, or the other way round. Before using Angle Bisector constraint, make sure that Grid Snap is disabled.

Click the Angle Bisector icon, then define the reference vectors by either clicking on two existing element edges or lines, or drawing two temporary lines. (The reference edges/lines will not be shown as selected; the temporary lines will not remain visible on-screen.) The mouse is constrained to the bisecting angle between the two reference lines. Before you actually draw the element, the cursor is already constrained, and you can see a small black dot move along the line that would be drawn at that angle.

As for any other constraint, you can use remote cursor snap to define the other endpoint of the drawn line.

Offset and Multiple Offset (Relative Construction Methods)

The Offset and Multiple Offset methods help you create lines or polylines with a given offset to a drawn segment or polygon. These methods have no effect on elements defined by a single click.Either relative construction method can be activated from the Control Box.To draw an offset segment or polygonal element:1) Choose or activate the Offset method . (The active tool must

support polygon shapes.)2) Draw a line or an open or closed polyline. (You can, if you wish,

create this polyline using the Magic Wand.)See “Magic Wand” on page 143.3) The base polyline can be

completed by a double-click. When it is completed, a rubberband outline will appear, starting from the endpoint of the polyline and running perpendicular to its last entered segment.

4) Click once to place the element.When using the Multiple Offset method , the same steps can be used, except that the process is not completed when placing the element with a click. You can continue placing offset copies until you choose to terminate input.• With a double-click, you terminate input by drawing a last offset

element.


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• When hitting the Cancel button in the Control Box, you terminate input by omitting the offset element you are just drawing.

Aligning Elements to a Surface in 3D

The Align to Surface relative construction method is only active when working in the 3D Window. It enables you to fit elements onto non-horizontal planes when working in 3D views.This method automatically identifies the intersection of a selected plane and the working plane of the cursor. The working plane is often horizontal. However, in special cases, for example when moving a hole in a roof plane, the cursor’s working plane is angled. It is also possible to align to curved surfaces, for example when fitting an object to a curved wall. The limitation here is that if the cursor is moving in an angled plane, it is not possible to fit to a curved surface, only the tangential plane of the surface.

Using the Constraint when Creating New Elements1) To use the constraint, first activate the 3D Window.2) Choose the tool for the element you wish to add.3) Adjust your User Origin if necessary.4) Choose and activate the

Align to Surface Relative Construction method in the Control Box.

5) Click on any surface in the 3D view you want to align your new element to.

6) A black dot will appear on the selected plane at the height of the current User Origin. The dot will follow the cursor constrained to the intersection line of your reference plane and the User Origin plane.

7) Click where you want to start drawing your new element. The

element will be constrained to the intersection line. Finish drawing the element in the usual way.

Using Align to Surface with Existing Elements

1) Activate the 3D Window.2) Adjust the User Origin if necessary.For more information, see “Origins” on page 90.3) Select the element you wish to edit.4) Choose the Edit command you wish to execute, e.g., stretch an

edge of a slab to the intersection of a roof and the User Origin.


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5) Click a reference point or edge to start editing.6) Select the Align to Surface modifier icon in the Control box and

activate the constraint as described above.7) Choose your reference plane.8) Finish editing the element.

Snapping to Existing ElementsIn addition to the methods offered to create elements at a specified point relative to existing elements, or at specific points of your project, ArchiCAD also helps you to move or reshape elements by snapping them to existing ones as part of a move operation.The Element Snap function can be enabled and disabled using the Options > Element Snap toggle command. (This command is also available on the Standard Toolbar.) Element Snap only works on selected elements and can be toggled on and off while you work using the E shortcut.

Note: Element Snap can only be used when Grid Snap is disabled.

If you select an element and then start moving it with Element Snap active, you will see that its special points change to small squares.These special points include:• The selection dot points of the

element including anchor points

• The division points of the element (if Special Snap Points are enabled. See “Special Snap Points” on page 106.)

• The tip of the cursor

When one of these selection dots encounters a node, anchor point or edge of another element where the cursor changes its shape to indicate a special relation, that selection dot becomes larger showing that the element is attracted to the sensitive point. You can then click to join the two elements without having to place the cursor at the actual joining point.If more than one snapping point touches an eligible point on the other element, you will see that these turn black. You can use the spacebar to cycle through possible points. Click when the one you need is displayed with the larger empty square.

Special Snap PointsSpecial Snap Points help you start drawing new elements from a specific point located on an edge of another element or to edit existing elements with reference to these specific points. Activating special snap points will place temporary nodes at the division points based on the current Special Snap Point commands in the Standard toolbar.These controls are also available as commands in the Control Box.


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Special Snap Points can be defined either on the entire length of a linear or circular element or element edge, or on a segment closed by two intersections.

The temporary nodes behave as hotspots. The cursor will change to a Checkmark when held above them. Special points only appear temporarily and will disappear by default after about 5 seconds. You can start drawing new elements from these points or use them for editing other elements in relation to them.

Note: Although Special Snap Points (if enabled) will disappear on their own after a set interval by default, you can opt to have the snap points remain visible until you either place an element or change to another view or story: disable the “Autohide Special Snap points” checkbox in Options > Work Environment > More Options.

Special Snap Points include:• Halving points• Division points (up to 20, set manually)• Points located at a given distance from an endpoint or at a

specific percentage of the distance between two endpoints (entered manually)

To define division points and custom distances, use the Set Special Snap Values command from the menu in the Standard Toolbar.

Distances and percentages are always calculated from the endpoint that is closest. The toggle commands in the Standard Toolbar’s Special Snap Points menu allow you to disable the feature or to enable it along the entire element, or between intersection points(Icons in the Control Box serve the same function.)


Special Snap Points on Temporary Vector

In addition, you can display Special Snap Points on a temporary vector used while drawing elements. The method can be activated with the Special Snap icon among the relative construction icons in the Control Box.In the following example, you will draw a Wall that starts at one- fourth of the gap between two endpoints of two other Walls.1) Start by choosing the Divisions option in Special Snap Point

Settings, then type 4 as the number of Divisions.


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2) Make sure that Grid Snap is inactive. Activate the Wall tool, then choose and activate the Special Snap Point icon in the Control Box.

3) Start drawing the reference vector from the endpoint of one of the Walls.

4) A dashed line is drawn indicating the reference vector, with small black dots at the locations of the special snap points. Click the endpoint of the other Wall to terminate the definition of the reference vector.

The Edit Origin is relocated to the place of the generated special snap point.

You can start drawing the new Wall.

Cursor Snap RangeTo help locate hotspots on the screen, the cursor gravitates toward edges and nodes. The attraction of the cursor by elements is defined in pixels in the bottom section of the Options > Work Environment > Mouse Constraints & Methods dialog box.

Cursor Snap Range can be set between 1 and 9 pixels. 3-4 pixels is a comfortable setting, but at small zoom levels you may hit hotspots that you did not wish to snap to. If you have good pointing skills, use 1 pixel and you will not be forced to zoom in.

Cursor Snap Range will also help you to automatically snap to special points including the section points of existing lines or edges, perpendicular projections from the Edit Origin to existing lines or edges, and tangential points of the rubberband line along existing arcs, splines, curved edges, etc. The cursor’s shape informs you about the type of special point ArchiCAD has found.

Elevation and Gravity

About Elevation of Elements

ArchiCAD offers several ways to determine the elevation of elements and to set the height at which new elements should be created.


Interaction

When placing a new element in a 2D model window, its elevation value can be set in the Tool Settings dialog box. This elevation can be measured in several ways:• from the level of the current story (Story 0, in the image below):

• from the element’s Home Story.See “Set Home Story” on page 161.When placing a new element in the 3D window, its elevation, defined in the Tool Settings dialog box, is measured from the User Origin.You can reset the User Origin to any elevation, then place a new element whose elevation is measured from this level.For more information, see “User Origin in the 3D Window” on page 91.When placing a new Wall, Column, Beam or Object-type element, the Gravity function lets you place it directly on top of an existing Slab, Roof or Mesh, thus taking on the elevation of the element it is placed on.For more information, see “Gravity” on page 110.

Note: The elevation of wall openings is strictly determined by the current values in the Door and Window Settings dialog boxes.

For more information, see “Door/Window Tool Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.

Elevation Values in the Tracker

During input, refer to the Tracker’s Z field to check the elevation of the newly created element.You must activate Show Z in Tracker from the Tracker’s drop-down menu in the Standard toolbar. (This command is available during editing/input.).If you are inputting a Wall, Column, Beam or Object using the Gravity function, the Z value will reflect the elevation of the underlying Slab/Roof/Mesh.For more information, see “Gravity” on page 110.If you switch the Show Tracker control to Always in Options > Work Environment > Tracker and Coordinate Input, then the Tracker’s Z field will display elevation values even if input is not yet underway; just move the cursor to get feedback.The Tracker can display elevation values in one of three different forms depending on your choice: • from the Project Zero• from the current Story (or in 3D, the User Origin) • or one of the two optional Reference Levels defined in Options

> Project Preferences > Working Units & Levels.For more information, see “Reference Levels” on page 110.To determine which reference level the Tracker’s elevation (Z) feedback should use:1) Open the drop-down menu of the Tracker icon from the

Standard toolbar.


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2) Go to the Elevation Value Origin sub-menu.

3) Choose the desired reference level.

Gravity

Gravity helps you place Wall, Column, Beam and Object type elements relative to the elevation of a Slab, Roof or Mesh. If Gravity is on (activate Gravity icon), newly created elements will be placed on top of (i.e., gravitate to) the Roof, Slab or Mesh beneath them, depending on which Gravity option you choose.Level Dimensions placed with Gravity On on top of Slabs, Roofs or Meshes are associated to them.To choose an option, use the Gravity controls in the Standard toolbar or the icons of the Coordinates palette.

Note: Gravity only affects newly created elements and cannot be used for editing existing ones.

If you are using Gravity to place a Wall, Column, Beam or any Object-type element onto a slab, roof or mesh surface, you can monitor the changes in elevation (Z) values in the Tracker (or the Coordinates Palette). When several slabs, roofs or meshes overlap, the highest elevation value is displayed.

In this image, a wall (with Gravity on) is being placed on top of a slab whose elevation is 400; the wall’s Z-coordinate in the Tracker, accordingly, is shown as 400.

Reference Levels

You can define two optional Reference Levels that will help you position elements. This is done in the bottom section of the Options > Project Preferences > Working Units & Levels dialog box.Select a level’s name and modify it as you like, then type the value you need in the Elevation field. In this example, we defined the two reference levels in addition to Project Zero: the top of the property, at 400 meters, and Sea level, at 200 meters below Project zero.

You may find it easier to calculate levels (in this dialog box) by switching the zero value to another level than Project Zero. You can do so by simply clicking in the Relative to field next to the level’s name.

Note: Reference Levels are display and input aids only. Changing their value has no effect on placed elements, whose actual elevation is always calculated from Project Zero.


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The newly defined Reference Levels are now available in the Absolute Base Height fields of the Geometry and Positioning Panels of construction and object-type elements.See also “How to Place a Construction Element in ArchiCAD” on page 218.Reference levels can also be used as reference levels for showing elevation (Z) values in the Tracker.

Elevation and Stories in the 3D Window

The 3D Window always displays the range of Stories defined in View > Elements in 3D View > Filter Elements in 3D, and there is no visual clue as to which elements belong to which story.For more information, see “Defining Story Display in 3D” on page 158.New elements are always added to the story within the range that best matches their elevation. This means that any new element will be added to the story onto which the element falls, taking its elevation value into account.

Cancel Operations with Esc and Backspace KeysBy successively pressing the Esc key, you will achieve the following actions:1) Cancel current operation entirely (during input)2) If nothing is selected: Remove Guide Lines, if any3) Deselect selected item(s), if any4) Remove Marquee selection, if any5) If nothing is selected: Switch to Arrow toolDuring input, pressing the Backspace key will cancel the operation.

Warning: Pressing Backspace with any items selected will delete those items!

Pet PalettesA pet palette with relevant commands appears with most on-screen editing operations. The contents of the pet palette depends on the following factors:• The selected element • The part of the element you choose to act on (edge or node)• The active windowMove your cursor over the icons to read the tool tip for each one, and click on the icon for the function you need.You can change your mind and choose a different function from the pet palette as long as you have not completed the editing operation with a second mouse click. The pet palette automatically disappears when the operation is finished.For more information on customizing pet palette functions, see “Dialog Boxes and Palettes” in ArchiCAD Help.

TechniquesThis section describes:• basic editing techniques• how to move and modify placed elements• the “Magic Wand” function to transform existing shapes into a

new element• the Virtual Trace function, using Reference views to easily

compare and contrast different parts of the model• Line/Fill Consolidation - to “clean up” superfluous lines and fills

in drawing-type windows.

Basic Editing TechniquesThe following commands are available from Edit menu.


Interaction

Cut

The Edit > Cut command removes selected elements from a Project and places them on the Clipboard for future use via the Paste command. It can also be used for dialog box or Coordinates Palette numeric field contents.

Note: The Cut command is not available in the 3D Window.

The selection can be made with either the Arrow or the Marquee tool, or by Shift+clicking.

If you cut a construction element from a Model-type Section/Elevation/IE window or a 3D Document, the element is also cut from the Floor Plan.

In Text type windows, you can use the Cut command as in any word processor.

Copy

The Edit > Copy command puts the selected construction or text elements on the Clipboard, but the selected elements are not removed from the original document.

The selection can be made with either the Arrow or the Marquee tool, or by Shift+clicking.

You cannot create new construction elements in Section/Elevation/IE or 3D Document windows using Copy/Paste. (The only exception is if you use the “Drag a copy” command to move a Door/Window, in a model-type Section window.)

In the 3D window, the Copy command is only available with the Marquee tool.

See “Copy Cropped Image File with Marquee Tool” on page 88.

Paste

Use Edit > Paste command to insert the contents of the Clipboard onto the current Project or a text Window.

When pasting cut elements into a Section/Elevation/IE, 3D Document or Detail/Worksheet window, the elements are pasted as drawing primitives (points, lines and fills).

You cannot create new construction elements in Section/Elevation/IE or 3D Document windows using either Cut/Paste or Copy/Paste.The Paste command is not available in the 3D window.When you are pasting with a multiple story marquee, an alert appears asking you to identify the copied story to merge to the current one.

If you Cut/Copy and then Paste a selection between stories at the same zoom level with no Panning operations in between, the contents of the Clipboard are pasted into the same position they were originally cut or copied from.If there are several possible options for locating the pasted Clipboard contents, the Paste Options dialog box appears. (The dialog box appears if the pasted elements cannot appear in their entirety in the Window at the current zoom level, or if it is possible to locate the pasted elements relative to either the Active view or a Reference view.)

Fore more information, see “Paste Options Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.


Interaction

Copy/Paste Elements Between Stories• The Story Settings dialog box also provides a quick way to copy

identical elements from one story to another without having to redraw them for each story.

For more information, see “Story Settings Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.

Copy/Paste Elements Between ProjectsWhen pasting elements to another project, remember that element attributes are identified by name.• If the pasted elements refer to attributes that do not exist in the

target Project, the necessary attributes will be appended.• If the elements refer to attributes that do exist in the target

project but are different from those of the original project, they will take on the attributes of the target project.

The Clipboard can be used not only to hold ArchiCAD elements for pasting, but also to import bitmap graphics and other types of information. You can paste multi-line texts from word-processing applications into ArchiCAD.If you have copied items from an external application, you have several options - depending on the type of copied item - for pasting them into ArchiCAD.For more information, see “Pasting Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.

DeleteThe Edit > Delete command removes selected items from Project or text Windows. The deleted elements are not preserved on the Clipboard. They are easily retrieved by Undo.The keyboard equivalent of Delete is hitting the Backspace or Delete key. Deleting construction elements in any model window (Floor Plan, 3D, model-type Section/Elevation/IE, or 3D Document) will also clear these elements from all the other windows.

Note: Deleting any additional (i.e. manually added) elements from a model-type Section/Elevation/IE window or a 3D Document, or any elements from a drawing-type Section/Elevation/IE window will leave all other windows unchanged.

Undo/RedoThe Undo and Redo commands allow you to undo (revert to a previous step) and redo a large number of construction operations. The name of the command to be undone is displayed in the menu along with the Undo or Redo command. This capability also allows you to test tentative solutions by trying them out until you arrive at the desired result.The number of steps that can be undone and redone (from 1 to 99) is set using in the Options > Work Environment > Data Safety dialog box (Undo Limit). The default value is 20. After redoing a series of steps, Undo will only be available when you complete a new undoable action.All model and drafting operations can be undone step by step, chronologically, regardless of the model or drawing view they were performed in.In text type windows, only the last editing step can be undone/redone. (Text-type windows include all Listing windows created with the Calculation function, GDL script windows, Project Notes, and Report windows.)

Important: Operations involving Navigator/Organizer items (such as drag and drop between Navigator maps, deleting items from a map, or adding items to the Publisher set) are not added to the undo queue, and are not undoable.Note: Each time you save the Project, your previously available Undo steps will be cleared. In case of a crash, Autosave will save your Project. Autosave does not clear the undoable steps.

Moving ElementsYou can move elements individually or collectively. You can “nudge” them in increments; you can drag, rotate or mirror them along a horizontal plane and through vertical displacement, that is, by changing their elevation values. To move elements, you can:• Select them and choose the corresponding menu command from

the Edit > Move menu (with any tool active in the Toolbox) or


Interaction

the Move commands in the context menu of a selected element- as with the selected column in this image:

• With any tool active, click on a node and then choose the desired shortcut in the appearing pet palette.

Nudging Elements

A quick way to move elements on the screen is to use the “Nudge” feature: select one or more elements, then use Shift + an arrow key to move the element left, right, up or down.The “Nudge factor” - the increment by which you will move the element - is the same as the distance entered for your Snap Grid in View > Grid Options > Grids & Background.See “The Grid System” on page 95.

In the 3D window, Nudge will move the element left, right, forward or backward on a horizontal plane. In Section/Elevation/IE windows, Nudge To Nudge a selected element in larger increments, use Shift + Alt + an arrow key. This will move the selected elements by the distance entered for your Construction Grid in View > Grid Options > Grids & Background.


Interaction

Dragging Elements

To drag an element, do one of the following:• With Quick Selection: click on the element’s surface and drag it

to its new position.See “Quick Selection of Surface Areas” on page 77.• Select the Element; select the Edit > Move > Drag command,

and draw a temporary vector anywhere in the active window: the element will be dragged to its new location according to this vector’s length and direction.

• Select the element, select the Drag icon from the pet palette, then drag the element.

• Select the element, then access the drag command with the context menu or using the Drag command shortcut (Ctrl+D).

To move a wall, select it, then take hold of it anywhere on its surface and drag it with the cursor to its new location. (The accompanying pet palette shows the “Drag” command activated.)

All selected elements are moved to a new location. Single elements are accompanied by a ghost outline or boundary as you move them. Selections containing grouped elements appear as a greyed bounding box as you move them.

These functions will also work when several elements have been simultaneously selected. All of the selected elements will be dragged along the same vector. In the image below, we select a wall, table and chair, and drag them all at the same time to their new position.

Interaction

Note: In 3D, dragging can also change the elevation of the selected elements. To constrain the movement of the elements to the horizontal plane, activate the horizontal-vertical angle pair in Options > Work Environment > Mouse Constraints and Methods, make sure the Drag Horizontally icon is active in the appearing pet palette, and keep the Shift key pressed while dragging the elements.

For more information, see “Mouse Constraints and Methods Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.

Rotating Elements

To rotate an element:• Select the Element.• Select the Edit >

Move > Rotate command (or Move > Rotate from the selected element’s context menu). Alternatively, click again on a node or edge of the selected element to bring up the pet palette, then choose the Rotate command . Or use the Ctrl (Cmd) + E shortcut.

• Click to define the center of rotation of the selected elements.• Click to define the starting point of the rotation arc and its radius.

• Move the cursor and click to complete the rotation arc.

You can rotate selected elements in the Floor Plan or in the 3D Window, and drawing elements only in Section/Elevation/IE, 3D Document, and Detail/Worksheet windows. Even in the 3D Window, rotation is always performed across a horizontal plane.

Mirroring Elements

Mirroring creates a mirror image of selected elements on the Floor Plan or in the 3D Window.To Mirror an element:• Select the Element(s) you want to mirror. Here, we want to place

the table and chairs in the facing direction, at the other side of the room.


Interaction

• Select the Edit > Move > Mirror command, or choose the Mirror command from the context menu or the pet palette .

• Define the mirroring axis with two clicks, as if you were drawing a Line.

The mirrored elements will be placed after the second click.

Notes:

• Any number of Doors and Windows can be mirrored at a time. The mirrored Door/Window will always be in line with the wall that contains the original. Select the Door/Window; click once. This click is the axis of the mirroring action.

• Text, Line arrowheads and Dimensions will not be mirrored, only their bounding box.

• Mirrored Text blocks, Labels, Dimensions and Fill polygon area labels are always readable from the bottom and the left side of the drawing.

• Zone stamps cannot be mirrored.

Elevating Elements

The Elevate command allows you to move selected elements vertically along the Z axis. Use Edit > Move > Elevate.

To elevate an element in the Floor Plan and Section/Elevation/IE windows:• Select the element.• Choose the Edit > Move >

Elevate command, or the Elevate command from the pet palette. This brings up the Elevate dialog box.

• Type the value by which you wish to raise or lower all selected elements

• Click OK.This command is well-suited to changing the elevations of large numbers of similar elements (i.e., walls, landscaping objects, floor tiles, and lighting fixtures). It is the best way to preserve the vertical relationships between objects while moving them.

Note: In the Section/Elevation/IE window, you can also elevate elements simply by clicking and dragging.


Interaction

In the 3D Window, click an element node (Arrow tool active) and choose the Elevate icon from the appearing pet palette, and then graphically move the selected elements up and down.

Align Elements

About the Align function

Use this menu (Edit > Align) to align selected elements with each other, or to a custom-drawn target line, using a variety of criteria:• Align elements right or left;• Align elements to the top or bottom;• Center elements vertically or horizontally;• “Special”-align elements to any point on an existing element, or

to a temporary line/arc drawn by you.

The Align commands are only active if you have selected at least two elements.When using the Align commands, the expression “right” refers to the rightmost element on the x-axis in the window you are looking at (e.g. Floor Plan, Section, 3D). The expression “left” refers to the lefthand direction on the x-axis.Similarly, “top” means the element with the highest y-coordinate in the current window, and “bottom” is the element with the lowest y-coordinate.ArchiCAD identifies an element’s right/left/top/bottom/center point according to an (invisible) bounding box around the element.For example, suppose you want to align the following Corner Table object with other furniture:ArchiCAD will use the centerpoint of the table’s bounding box (here, illustrated in red):

Note: If you want to use a different anchor point of the elements you are aligning, use the Special Align options (Edit > Align > Special Align).

See “Special Align” on page 120.

How to Align Elements

1) Select the elements you wish to align.2) Go to Edit > Align and choose one of the following operations:


Interaction

Left: If you choose Edit > Align > Left, all selected elements will be aligned to the leftmost bounding-box point of the element that is located farthest to the left.In this example, we want to align the three windows shown in Section view.

Select all three windows and use Edit > Align Left.Right: If you choose Edit > Align > Right, all selected elements will be aligned to the rightmost bounding-box point of the element located farthest to the right.• In the illustration below, the arc

wall is the rightmost element; the rest of the walls (their rightmost points) are aligned to the rightmost point on the arc wall’s bounding box.

Top/Bottom: If you choose Edit > Align > Top or Bottom, all selected elements will be aligned to the topmost (or bottommost) point on the element that is the top (or bottom) element of the selected group.• In the example below, we want to move up the window on the

left, so that it lines up with other two windows.


Interaction

To achieve this, we select all the windows, then use Edit > Align > Top to obtain the desired result.

Center Horizontally: If you choose Edit > Align > Center Horizontally, ArchiCAD will determine the selected elements’ top and bottom y-coordinates, and then align all the elements horizontally (using each element’s centerpoint), along a horizontal line halfway between the top and bottom elements. Center Vertically: If you choose Edit > Align > Center Vertically, ArchiCAD will determine the selected elements’ leftmost and rightmost x-coordinates, and then align all the elements vertically, along a vertical line halfway between them. • For example, in the following Floor Plan, we will center the

selected furniture vertically.

Special Align

The options in Edit > Align > Special Align give you great flexibility in lining up selected elements. You can choose which point to align, and you can choose what to align the elements to: a temporary line/arc drawn by you, or any existing line/edge.

In this example, we wish to align the selected tree objects to the edge of the garden path.

Go to Edit > Align > Special Align and choose the Nearest Point option: each tree will line up along the path using each tree’s bounding box point that falls closest to the path.Choose the Click an existing line or element edge option. Click OK to close the dialog box, then click the edge of the path (here, the edge of the mesh). The trees line up along the path.


Interaction

Distribute ElementsUse this menu (Edit > Distribute) to evenly distribute selected elements using a variety of criteria:

The Distribute commands are only active if you have selected at least two elements.Along X: The two selected elements at either end will remain in place; the rest will be evenly distributed between them.For example, suppose you have three windows distributed evenly along a wall.

As a result of a design change, the wall is lengthened and you add two more windows.

To ensure they are all distributed evenly, select all the windows and use Edit > Distribute > Along X.

Along Y: The two selected elements at either end (vertically) will remain in place; the rest will be evenly distributed between them.For example, suppose you want to distribute chairs evenly against the back wall of the room. Select them, then use Edit > Distribute > Along Y.


Interaction

Along XY: The two selected elements at either end (at top left and bottom right) will remain in place, and the rest will be distributed evenly along an XY diagonal.For example, you have nine desks in the classroom placed roughly in a V formation. To distribute the desks precisely, select a group of 5 desks and use Edit > Distribute > Along XY.

First group:

Repeat with a second group of five chairs.Final result:

Special Distribute

The options in Edit > Distribute > Special Distribute let you choose which point to distribute and along what to distribute the elements: a temporary line/arc drawn by you, or any existing line/edge.

Suppose you want to distribute potted plants in a circle around a hexagonal soil holder object:

Use Edit > Distribute > Special Distribute. Choose the “Draw a line or arc” option, then click OK to close the dialog box.Click to start drawing and choose the “Arc by centerpoint” pet palette option. You will create a temporary circle around the hexagonal object. As you complete the circle, the potted plants will be distributed around it.


Interaction

Modifying Element Sizes

Overview of Modifying Element Size

Different element types have different characteristic dimensions: length, width, height, thickness, opening angle, etc. Some of these are easiest to modify numerically, by selecting the given element, opening its settings dialog box and adjusting the relevant values.Some dimensions, however, cannot be modified numerically (for example, the length of linear elements or edges), while some others need to be fitted exactly to other elements (walls to roofs, for example) which may make numeric adjustment a tedious calculation task. You may also need to change the overall dimensions of several elements at the same time while keeping their relative proportions.In such cases, ArchiCAD allows you to modify element sizes using splitting, stretching and trimming operations.Most of the operations can be performed in three ways:• Edit menu command• keyboard shortcutsFor more information, see “Shortcuts” in ArchiCAD Help.• pet palette commandsFor more information, see “Pet Palettes” on page 111.

In some cases, only the pet palette is available.

Some general considerations:

• You cannot stretch Hotspots, Cameras or Detail Markers.

• Some GDL Object type elements are programmed to allow only specific sizes, or include smart editing hotspots to edit their shape graphically.

• Stretch is available for most types of selected elements in both the Floor Plan and the 3D Window. Only drawing elements can be stretched in the Section/Elevation/IE, 3D Document and Detail/Worksheet windows.

• The Stretch command cannot be used on polygonal elements, but you can stretch their edges or displace any of their nodes graphically.

Stretching Walls

To stretch/shrink straight walls with the menu command:

1) Select a wall.

2) Choose the Edit > Reshape > Stretch menu command, or the Stretch command from the pet palette.

3) Click the reference line endpoint and move it.

4) Click again to either define the new endpoint as an extension (or reduction) of the previous length or define an entire different new location. The wall is stretched or shrunk and, if needed, rotated according to the new endpoint. The other endpoint will remain at its original position.

Note: Multiple Walls, Lines and Arcs with overlapping endpoints can all be stretched at the same time with the Stretch menu command, or by using the Marquee.

For more information, see “Stretching with the Marquee Tool” on page 128.

When using the pet palette:

1) Select a wall.


Interaction

2) Click one of the wall’s reference line endpoints. The pet palette appears. Choose the stretch icon.

Click to define the new endpoint. You can stretch a curved wall by using a special angular or radial stretch commands.

See “Stretching Curves” on page 380.

To stretch a Trapezoid wall, you can use the special Stretch Trapezoid Wall command from the pet palette: this will increase/decrease the width of the wall proportionally as you stretch it from either end.

See also “Stretching or Shrinking Lines” on page 379; “Stretching Objects” on page 316.

Modifying Slanted Walls and Columns

Slanted walls and columns can be stretched and/or their slant angle can be modified with pet palette commands in 3D and Section views. (Columns can also be modified in Floor Plan views.)In 3D, you can:• Slant a wall/column or change the inclination angle of a slanted

wall/column by selecting a corner point (for a wall) or the center of the top plane of the column, and dragging it along the horizontal plane. (Use “Modify Angle” in the pet palette)Note: You cannot slant a wall whose reference line is centered.

• Stretch a slanted wall/column by moving its top or bottom edge up or down along the wall plane (Use “Stretch slanted height” for walls, or “Stretch height with fixed angle” for columns, in the pet palette.)

• Stretch a slanted wall/column vertically. (Use “Stretch height” in the pet palette.) As you change the wall height, the wall thickness remains the same but its slant angle is adjusted accordingly.


Interaction

In Section view, you can use the same functions. (“Modify Slant Angle” is possible only if the wall’s reference line is perpendicular to the section line.) In Section view, the Tracker’s “Distance” field provides a way to edit the wall inclination using its offset (e.g. Distance) value.)In addition, you can edit double slanted walls:• If you elevate the top or bottom surface of the double slanted

wall, the angles of both lateral surfaces will change• If you elevate the height of one side of the wall, both lateral

surface angles remain unchanged (and the top surface may be reduced to zero thickness)

The next two methods work on double-slanted walls in Section view only if the Section line is perpendicular to the wall.• If you move the top surface horizontally, both lateral surface

angles will change while the top thickness remains constant• If you move one of the top nodes of the double slanted wall

horizontally, the angle of the surface on that side of the wall will change as will the top thickness, while the opposite surface angle will remain unchanged.

You can modify the slant angle of Columns graphically on the Floor Plan as well as in 3D.

Modifying Beams

To stretch/shrink beams using the pet palette:1) Select a beam on the Floor Plan or in 3D.

Note: Beams can also be stretched/shrunk in Section view, if the Beam reference line is perpendicular to the Section line.

2) Click one of the beam’s endpoints. The pet palette appears. Choose the appropriate stretch (or stretch length) icon:

Click to define the new endpoint.To stretch/shrink beams with the menu command:1) Select a beam.


Interaction

2) Choose the Edit > Reshape > Stretch command.3) Click the reference line endpoint of the beam and move it.4) Click again to either define the new endpoint as an extension (or

reduction) of the previous length or define an entire different new location. The beam is stretched or shrunk and, if needed, rotated according to the new endpoint. The other endpoint will remain at its original position.

To modify the inclination (slant) angle of an inclined beam, select it on the Floor Plan or in the 3D Window.Choose the Modify Angle command from the Pet Palette.Drag the beam graphically to the desired inclination angle.

Modifying Complex Profile Elements

Profile Walls, Columns and Beams have special stretch and rotate commands in the pet palette.

Reshaping Polygons and Chained Elements

Move Polygon NodeTo move a node of a selected polygon (including a polygonal wall), click the node and use the pet palette’s Move node option.The two neighboring edges will follow the stretching movement and the shape of the polygon will change accordingly.

Offset Polygon EdgeTo apply an offset on a whole side of a selected polygon, click an edge and use the pet palette’s Offset edge option. This will stretch the neighboring edges.This offset feature is available for chained elements as well as polygons. Selected elements will be treated temporarily as a polygon, and all polygon reshaping pet palette options will be available.


Interaction

In the example below, the chained Wall on the right needs to be moved a bit further away while keeping its connection to the two horizontal Walls. Select all three Walls, click anywhere on the edge of the Wall on the right and choose the appropriate icon from the pet palette. Click when you are satisfied with the new distance.

When you offset a segment of a polygon perpendicularly, new segments are correspondingly created. This can be useful, for example, when tracing a terrace.

Offset All Polygon EdgesFor polygonal and chained elements only, there is a graphic offset option available in the pet palette.

Select the polygon, and click a node (or reference line endpoint). Choose the offset option in the pet palette.A ghost contour of the proportionally increased or reduced polygon follows the movements of the cursor. Click when you are satisfied with the new polygon size.

Adding and Subtracting Polygonal ShapesYou can use the pet palette to add to the shape of a polygonal element, or subtract new polygons from it.To add a new polygon to the existing one:Select the polygon and click it either on an edge or a node. From the pet palette, choose the icon with the + sign (Add to Polygon).

Draw the new polygon shape. It must intersect with the selected one or at least they should have a common edge.


Interaction

Click to finish drawing the new shape, which will be automatically added to the original one.The process is the same for subtracting a shape from a polygon, but you will choose the icon with the - sign (Subtract from Polygon).

You can also use the Magic Wand for adding/subtracting a polygon shape.

Stretching with the Marquee Tool

You can stretch multiple polygons or linear elements along a particular vector by using the Marquee tool.To stretch elements inside a Marquee area:• Draw a Marquee so that the nodes or endpoints you want to

stretch fall inside the Marquee. Any nodes you want to keep intact should be outside the Marquee.

• Define a stretch vector: with the Marquee tool active, click on a node or endpoint inside the Marquee area, then click on a second point.

• Alternatively, choose the Edit > Reshape > Stretch command, and then define the stretch vector by clicking any two different points.

The shape of all linear elements that have one of their endpoints inside the Marquee area, and polygonal elements that have nodes inside the marquee area, will be stretched along this vector.

Note: If you don’t want to stretch an element whose node is inside the Marquee, lock the element (select it, then use Edit > Locking > Lock; or lock the element’s layer.).

• If all the nodes of a polygon are inside the Marquee area, the

polygon will be dragged instead of stretched.• Stretching nodes in a Marquee area is not available in the 3D

Window.• Columns, Objects and Lamps cannot be stretched with the

Marquee. If any of their hotspots fall inside the Marquee area, the whole object/column will be dragged along when the Marquee area is repositioned.


Interaction

• When stretching Arcs or curved Walls with the Marquee, their central angle (i.e. the arc/chord ratio) will remain unchanged.

Stretch Height

In the 3D, Section/Elevation and IE windows, you can modify the height of selected elements graphically with Stretch height command of the pet palette. Click a node of a selected element and choose the vertical stretch icon in the pet palette. A ghost contour of the element follows the cursor. Click to set the new height of the element.

Resize (Enlarge or Reduce) Elements

The Edit > Reshape > Resize command lets you enlarge or reduce selected elements using numeric or graphical input.This feature is available only in the Floor Plan and 3D windows, and - for 2D drawing elements only - in the Section/Elevation, 3D Document and Detail/Worksheet windows.The Resize dialog box offers additional options for resizing the thickness of Walls/Columns, GDL Objects, text elements, arrowheads and markers.

1) Select the elements you wish to transform and choose Resize.

2) In the appearing dialog box, enter a value into any one of the resize ratio fields. (Make sure the Define graphically checkbox is unchecked.)

• Resize ratio: Use any one of the three ways to define the resize ratio you want. (If you enter a value in one field, the other two will be filled in automatically.)

• Resize wall, column thickness: For walls, columns and beams, the thickness will be resized as well as the length/height.

• Resize library parts: Any selected library parts will be resized.• Resize all text entities: All texts and labels are resized.• Resize all arrows and markers: The size of all arrows/markers are

modified.3) Click OK.


Interaction

4) Click in the window to define which point or edge of the elements should remain in its original location. The transformation will be executed.

To perform the operation graphically:1) Open the Resize dialog box.2) Check the Define Graphically checkbox.

3) Draw a transformation vector to define both the resizing ratio and the location of the resized elements.Note: Resizing does not affect grouped elements. To resize grouped elements, ungroup them first or choose Suspend Groups.

Splitting Elements

You can split many selected elements (Walls, Beams, Lines, Slabs, Roofs, Meshes, Fill and Zone Polygons, Lines, Arcs, Polylines and Splines) along a line segment, arc or element edge.The Split command is available in the Floor Plan and 3D Window, and - for drawing elements only - in Section/Elevation/IE and 3D Document windows, and Details and Worksheets.

Note: You cannot split a polygon - such as a Roof element - with an arc.Note: You can split a Curtain Wall with another Curtain Wall, but you must use the Split Curtain Wall command.

See “Split Intersecting Curtain Walls” on page 307.1) Select the elements you wish to split.2) Choose the Edit >

Reshape > Split command.

3) Draw a temporary splitting line, or click on an existing Line, Arc, Wall or polygon edge.

4) Click on either side of the splitting line/arc/edge with the Eyeball cursor.Note: When splitting walls, the split takes place at the point where the splitting line intersects with the reference line(s) of the selected elements.

5) Elements on the clicked side will remain selected, while elements on the other side will be deselected. The selected group of elements can be edited in the usual ways.

If the selected element is intersected by an element in several locations, the Split command will split the selected element at every intersection point.


Interaction

Splitting is also available in the 3D Window. You can split the selected element with a vertical plane into two segments. This feature works the same way as on the Floor Plan. The splitting line is drawn in the plane of the User Origin.

Note: When no elements are selected, the Split command will let you split a wall at the clicked location along any of its sides or reference line.

Adjusting Elements

Use the Adjust command to extend or trim the endpoints of selected Walls, Beams, Arcs and Lines to a Line, Arc segment or element edge.1) Select the elements you wish to adjust.2) Choose the Edit > Reshape > Adjust command.3) Draw a line segment, or click an existing line, wall, polygon edge

or arc/circle. The endpoints of the selected walls and lines will be adjusted (lengthened or shortened) to meet the drawn or clicked line or curve. Only those elements will be affected that intersect (or would intersect) with the chosen line/arc/edge.

The Adjust command is available in the Floor Plan and 3D Window, and - for drawing elements only - in Section/Elevation/IE and 3D Document windows, and Details and Worksheets. In 3D view, you can adjust the selected Wall or Beam to a vertical plane.

Split and Adjust ShortcutA simple shortcut lets you adjust short elements and split long ones by the same edge.1) Select all the elements that you

wish to split or adjust. The active tool must be one of those that created the selected elements.

2) Press the Ctrl (Windows) or Cmd (MacOS) key and click the edge you wish to use for splitting/adjusting.

3) The operation is immediately performed. All transformed elements will remain selected.

Intersect Two Elements

You can intersect two selected Lines, Walls or circular or elliptic Arcs with each other by having them meet at their endpoints’ nearest point.1) Select the two elements (they must be of the same element type).


Interaction

2) Choose the Edit > Reshape > Intersect command.

Create a Fillet or Chamfer

Use the Edit > Reshape > Fillet/Chamfer command to fillet or chamfer the intersection of two straight lines or walls, or the corner(s) of a polygon element.To open the Fillet/Chamfer dialog box• Select the two lines, or the polygon element.• Choose the Edit > Reshape > Fillet/Chamfer command, or• if the selected element is

a polygon, choose the Fillet/Chamfer icon from the pet palette.

Choose either Fillet or Chamfer:

• Fillet joins the endpoints of two straight segments endpoints with an Arc.

• Chamfer joins the endpoints of two straight segments with a straight segment, cutting off corners.

• Enter a radius for the fillet/chamfer. (The chamfer does not have

a radius, but it will be drawn as the chord of arcs of the specified radius.)Note: If filleting the arc with the current radius would extend any of the neighboring vertices, the radius will be limited automatically so that the filleting arc contains the closer neighboring vertex.

• Click OK.Note: The Fillet, Chamfer and Intersect commands are not effective on grouped elements, unless Suspend Groups is on (See “Suspending Groups” on page 140.) Lines are adjusted depending on whether or not they intersect; if they do not, a new length is determined in order to make an intersection or to meet the fillet or chamfer.

Apply to All CornersTo apply the Fillet or Chamfer to all corners of the selected polygon, check the Apply to All Corners checkbox.

Note: This checkbox is applicable only if the selected element is a polygon. It is not available if you have selected two separate elements.

If you have selected a polygon and then the Edit > Reshape > Fillet/Chamfer command, the checkbox is selected by default and uneditable; the fillet/chamfer will apply to all nodes.


Interaction

To apply the Fillet/Chamfer to a single node of the polygon, click on that node and use the pet palette command to open the Fillet/Chamfer dialog box.

Trimming Elements to Intersection Point(s)

You can trim an element by simply removing the part extending beyond its intersection point with another element, or even cut out a part of the element between two intersection points. Trimmable elements are: Walls, Beams, Lines, Circles, Arcs, Polyline and Splines.

Note: Trimming elements to a roof is a separate function in ArchiCAD.

For more information, see “Trim Element to Roof ” on page 248.To trim an element take the following steps:

• Choose the Edit > Reshape > Trim command, or press the Ctrl (Windows) or Cmd (MacOS) key.

• The Scissors cursor appears. Move it to a trimmable element and click the segment you want to trim.

Note: In the 3D window, you can also click on a Wall or Beam surface for trimming.

• The clicked part of the element between the two nearest intersection points will be deleted.

For example, here we will trim part of the beam - the part that falls between the first two walls on the left.

Adding Element Nodes

You can add new nodes to elements using the pet palette.Adding a node to a straight linear element creates an additional element.Adding a node to a polygon-type element increases the number of its edges.In the 3D Window, you can add nodes only to polygonal elements.To add a node to an element:1) Select the element.2) Click an edge of the element to bring up the pet palette. 3) Choose the Insert new node icon .4) Click to define the location of the new node.

To insert a new node without moving it, double-click on a polygon edge. (The Insert node option must be active in the pet palette.)

Note: You cannot add a new node to a curved element or segment; if you click Insert new node on a curved element, the curved element will be straightened out.


Interaction

Editing Element Nodes

With the Move node icon of the pet palette, you can reposition the node of a polygon type element. The connected edges will follow.

• You can eliminate a node by merging it into one of its neighbors.

• If you merge a node to a remote node (that is, not a neighboring one), the smaller part of the polygon will be deleted.

• If repositioning a node eliminates one of the connecting edges, the other node of that edge will also be deleted, together with the corresponding part of its own other connecting edge.

• If you reposition a node so that the polygon edges intersect each other (but no connecting edge is eliminated), the polygon will be split.

• When repositioning a bent edge’s

endpoint, the arc segment will be stretched in a way that its central angle (the arc-chord ratio) remains the same.

With the Fillet function (use the Fillet/Chamfer pet palette icon ), you can replace a polygon node by a tangential arc whose radius can be set in the Fillet/Chamfer Radius dialog box.For a detailed description, see “Create a Fillet or Chamfer” on page 132.

Curve/Straighten Element Edge

With the pet palette’s Curve edge function , you can curve a segment of a straight element - such as a wall - by dragging its edge or reference line. The resulting arc will cross the two endpoints of the clicked edge and the point that has been dragged.


Interaction

Note: If the bent segment of a polygon intersects any of the other polygon edges, ArchiCAD will regularize the polygon’s shape, which may result in cutting the polygon into several parts.

To straighten a curved element edge, select the curved element, then select the Insert New Node command from the pet palette.

Explode into Current ViewChoosing Edit > Reshape > Explode into Current View will turn selected elements (Floor Plan and other 2D windows only) into basic elements (Lines without arrowheads, Circles, Arcs, Elliptic arcs, Splines, unframed Fills, single-line Texts).

You have the option to delete or retain the original elements.

Note: If Autogroup is On, the exploded elements will be created in grouped mode.

Note that exploding a construction element with the first option (Keep drawing primitives only) means that it no longer exists as a

construction element. Consequently, it will disappear from other model views (model-type Sections, Elevations, IEs, 3D Documents).

After an Explode function, you may wish to fine-tune the view before final output. You will find, however, that the “exploded” lines and fills often contain superfluous elements (extra line segments, overlapping or superfluous fills) that make such editing difficult.

To make editing easier, first use the The Linework and Fill Consolidation functions on selected items in the window.

For more information, see “Consolidating Lines and Fills in Drawing Windows” on page 153.Some examples:

• Slabs, Roofs and Meshes are decomposed into lines.

• Walls and Columns are decomposed into Lines and Fills (Doors and Windows inserted into Walls are also exploded).

• Doors and Windows (if selected without the Wall they are placed into) are decomposed like GDL Objects into 2D elements and are replaced by empty hole type openings.

• Dimensions are decomposed into Lines, Texts and the basic elements of arrowheads (Lines, Circles, Arcs, Fills).

• Polylines are decomposed into Lines and Arcs.

• GDL Objects are decomposed into basic 2D drawing elements.

Explode has no effect in the following cases:

• In Section/Elevation/IE and 3D Document windows, cut construction elements cannot be exploded.

• Section/Elevation/IE lines and Cameras.

• Basic 2D elements.

Creating Element DuplicatesYou will often need to create exact duplicates of a particular element. Often, the simplest way to duplicate is to use Copy/Paste.

See “Basic Editing Techniques” on page 111.


Interaction

It is also easy to use graphical editing to drag, rotate, or mirror one or more copies of a selected element, or to use the multiply function. These functions are described below.

Drag, Rotate, Mirror Element Copies

You can also create exact duplicates of an element inside the same project by dragging one or several copies of the selected element. The selection can be made with either the Arrow tool or the Marquee tool.• To Drag, Rotate, or Mirror one copy of an element, select the

element and choose the desired command from the Edit > Move menu or the context menu.

• Another way is to choose the plain Drag/Rotate/Mirror command from the pet palette, then press Ctrl (Windows) or Alt/Opt (MacOS). (This adds a small + sign to the cursor; press Ctrl again to undo the Copy feature). A copy of the selected element will be dragged, rotated or mirrored. Click to place the copy., which will now be selected instead of the original.

• To Drag or Rotate multiple copies of an element, select the

element, choose the desired command from the Edit > Move menu or the context menu (or use Ctrl + Alt (Windows) or Cmd + Opt/Alt (MacOS) as a shortcut). You will see a “++” sign appear. Click the element to drag or rotate its copy to its new position. You can place any number of copies. Double-click to finish placing copies.

Note: When rotating copies, they will all be placed along the same rotation axis.

This feature works in both the Floor Plan and the 3D Window. In Section/Elevation/IE windows, the feature works on added drawing elements and Doors and Windows (dragging only). In Detail Drawings, you can use it on any drawing elements. In the 3D Window, Drag/Rotate/Mirror is available only for added Drawing elements.

Multiplying Elements

If you need to create a number of identical elements inside the same project following a definite pattern, for example at equal distances from each other, use the Edit > Move > Multiply command, or the Multiply command from the pet palette.


Interaction

Multiply creates any number of exact copies of selected elements on the current story, using one the following methods:• Drag multiplies the copies along a straight path defined by the

reference line.• Rotate multiplies the copies along an arc, using the angle

specified in the reference arc.• Elevate stacks the copies with a vertical displacement. Note that

this option is grayed when working in a Section/Elevation/IE, 3D Document or Detail/Worksheet window.

• Matrix will place the copies of the selected element(s) to a matrix defined by two perpendicular reference lines. When choosing the Matrix option, you need to define the number of copies for both the first and the second stroke of the matrix. Two parameters for the vertical displacement can also be set.

In the lower half of the dialog box, the distribution options determine how the start and endpoint of the reference line will be interpreted.• Increment spaces the copies by an incremental distance equal to

the length of the reference line or reference arc.• Distribute spaces the copies evenly between the start and

endpoints of the reference line or reference arc.

• Distribute-1 will also space the copies evenly between the starting point and the endpoint of the reference line or arc, but the distance is divided by the Number of copies + 1 and no copy will be placed at the endpoint.

• Spread will place the copies of the multiplied element to equal distance from each other along the reference line or arc all the way until the reference is drawn. In this case, instead of defining the number of copies, you set the spacing in length or in degrees between two neighboring copies.

• Vertical displacement will define the value that is added to the elevation of each subsequent copy of the multiplied object, even during dragging, rotating or arraying the copies.

Note: When multiplying the element(s) in the 3D window, the vertical displacement must be defined with a reference vector, not by a value in the dialog box. In this case, simply push a radio button in the dialog box indicating whether you need vertical displacement.

When you have defined your choices, click OK in the Multiply dialog box and perform the operation by dragging the cursor to the desired location.


Interaction

Drag & DropThe Drag & Drop technique is familiar to both MacOS and Windows users as a shortcut for opening files or for copying and pasting elements of different types into Windows of the same application or between applications.Since ArchiCAD has many different Window types, the smart implementation of Drag & Drop allows you to copy elements from Windows by pasting data in the receiving Window.You can also drag & drop GDL Objects (Library Parts) from GDL Object Web Plug-in enabled web pages directly into ArchiCAD Projects, the Object Settings dialog box or the Active Libraries list of the Library Manager dialog box.For information on dragging and dropping GDL files, see “Opening with Drag-and-Drop” on page 497.Data can only be dropped into a Window if the receiving Window can accommodate the dragged data type.

Dragging and Dropping TextThe following possibilities exist for transferring text:• From any ArchiCAD Text Window or from a Text Window of

any other Drag & Drop-capable application to any other ArchiCAD Text Window

• From any Text Window to any 2D Window (Floor Plan, Section/Elevation/IE, 3D Document, Detail/Worksheet, Library Part 2D Symbol) with the default parameters

• Moving or copying text within the same Text Window• Creating text type clipping files in the File Manager• Pasting clipping files into a text type Window• Dropping plain text files into a text type Window (with some

restrictions)

Dragging and Dropping DrawingsThe easiest way to add a Drawing from an external ArchiCAD file is to open the external project structure in the Navigator, select a View

or Drawing in the Navigator, and drag it onto the Layout in the Layout Window of the current project.

For more information, see “Placing Drawings Onto the Layout” on page 427.

Dragging and Dropping Pictures

The following possibilities exist for transferring picture type data:

• Dropping a picture file into a GDL Object Preview Window

• Dropping a picture file into the Floor Plan to paste it as a Figure

• Creating picture type clipping files in the MacOS Finder

• Pasting clipping files into the GDL Object Preview Window

Dragging and Dropping GDL Object Files

You can drag and drop GDL Object files from the MacOS Finder or the file manager directly into ArchiCAD Projects, the Object Settings dialog box or the Active Libraries list of the Library Manager.

Dropping an Object into the Floor Plan activates the corresponding tool in the Toolbox and the newly placed element becomes the default element for the given Object type.

• It is possible to place several GDL Objects at the same time using Drag & Drop.

• Windows and Doors can only be dropped into a Wall.

Dragging and Dropping Floor Plan Elements

If there is a selection on the Floor Plan defined either with a marquee area or through individual selection with the Arrow, pressing the mouse button and dragging the cursor out of the ArchiCAD Floor Plan Window will initiate a Drag & Drop operation.

The following can be copied:

• Floor Plan elements (in module format).

• Selected elements on the Floor Plan in picture format (for example, into the Project Preview Window).

• The 2D and/or the 3D script of the selected elements in text format.


Interaction

3D GDL script is only generated if the drop is made into the 3D Script window. The 2D script of the selected element can be dropped into any other text type window.

Dragging and Dropping DWG/DXF ObjectsDrag & Drop is available as a way to download DWG/DXF objects from the web. A special “i-drop” technique is also available for Windows only.For more information, see “Opening with i-Drop® (Windows Only)” on page 497.

Parameter TransferArchiCAD speeds up the creation of new elements through a variety of shortcuts that allow you to create any number of exact duplicates of existing elements through Parameter Transfer.ArchiCAD allows you to pick the settings of one construction element and pass them to another of the same type, using one of the following techniques:• keyboard shortcuts: Alt for Pick Up Parameters and Ctrl+Alt for

Inject Parameters• the commands in the Standard Toolbar • or at Edit > Element Settings > Pick Up

Parameters and Inject Parameters. This facilitates the modification of either the default values in a settings dialog box, or the settings of existing elements, without having to select tools and open dialog boxes. The feature is available:• on the Floor Plan and the in the 3D Document and 3D windows

for most element types• In Section/Elevation/IE and Detail/Worksheet windows, for

drawing elements only• You can also use a form of Parameter transfer between two

library parts of the same type.See “Parameter Transfer Between Objects” on page 318.When you activate the Pick Up Parameters command from the toolbar (shortcut: Alt/Opt key, or use Edit > Element Settings > Pick

Up Parameters), the cursor takes on the Eyedropper shape. At the same time, the element is shown with an information highlight.

For more information, see “Element Information Highlight” on page 80.The Eyedropper is:

Full, when snapping to a Reference Line or axis node;

Half full, when snapping to Hotspots, general nodes or selectable area;

Part full, part striped when snapping to a reference line;

Striped, on top of a normal edge;

Empty, when the cursor is in an empty workspace area (visual feedback only).

Regardless of whether the Eyedropper is full, striped, or half full, the parameter transfer will work. (An empty eyedropper does not work.) Clicking with the Eyedropper will load the settings of the given element into the corresponding tool type’s settings dialog box and make them the new default settings for that tool. The given tool becomes active, and, with the next click, you can start drawing a clone of a clicked element.

To transfer a dialog box’s settings to an element, activate the Inject Parameters command from the toolbar (shortcut: Ctrl-Alt (Windows) or Alt/Opt-Cmd (MacOS); the cursor changes into a Syringe. (You can also activate the syringe with Edit > Element Settings > Inject Parameters.) The same variations (empty, striped, full, etc.) apply as for the Eyedropper.

Move the syringe cursor on top of or to the edge or node of the target element, so that the target element is highlighted. (To cycle the pre-selection highlight among multiple elements which overlap or join, press Shift+Tab until the desired target element is highlighted.)

Click the target element to apply the default values and attributes (Line Type, Pen Color, Material, etc.) to that element.


Interaction

In the example below, the settings of the Wall on top have been transferred to the Wall on bottom.

Notes: The attributes of the element will also be loaded into the Find & Select dialog box’s corresponding fields, provided that the dialog box is currently open and the appropriate button is active.

For more information, see “Find & Select Palette” in ArchiCAD Help.The transferred attributes will also be pre-selected when opening any of the corresponding dialog boxes (Line Types, Pens & Colors, Fill Types, Materials, Composites, Zone Categories).

Grouping ElementsGroups are created by selecting a set of elements and then using the Edit > Grouping commands or the relevant buttons of the Arrange Element toolbar.Grouped elements can then be selected and modified as a group, unless you temporarily suspend the group to allow editing of individual elements. Grouped elements are distinguished by their large, empty selection dots. If you select several groups simultaneously, each group’s selection dots will have a different color. Several groups can, in turn, be grouped together into a single higher-level group. The following element types cannot be grouped: any of the Dimension types, Zones, Labels, Section/Elevation/IE lines, Cameras. Doors and Windows can only be grouped as part of the Wall they are placed into. Only elements on the current Story can be grouped together.

Elements belonging to other Stories, even if their outlines appear on the current Story, cannot be part of a group on the current Story.Edit > Grouping > Autogroup, a toggle command, lets you group elements at the same time you create them (instead of creating elements first and then grouping them). If the Autogroup command is on, chained polygonal and rectangular elements (such as PolyWalls, PolyRoofs, etc.) will automatically be created as a group. To make all elements constituting a group independent again, choose Edit > Grouping > Ungroup. In the case of nested groups, you will need to repeat this command several times until you obtain single elements only again. Grouping and ungrouping are available in all editable window types.

Operations on Grouped ElementsThe following operations can be performed simultaneously on all the elements constituting the group:• Selection• The following Edit menu functions: Drag, Rotate, Mirror, Multiply• Attribute (e.g., Layer) assignmentOther operations (such as Unify and Fillet/Chamfer) can be performed on individual elements only, after the elements are ungrouped or the group is suspended.

Suspending GroupsYou may need to perform only a single operation on a particular element in the group. In this case, ungrouping altogether is burdensome, since you will have to select all the elements again to recreate the group after you have finished the operation.The solution is to temporarily suspend groups by choosing the Suspend Group toggle icon in the Standard Toolbar, or at Edit > Grouping > Suspend Groups.

(The Suspend Groups icon is also available in the Control Box.)If Suspend Groups is ON, elements that have been assigned to a group can be selected and modified separately. ALL groups are temporarily rendered inactive: single elements can be selected and edited individually, even if they are part of a complex group hierarchy.


Interaction

If Suspend Groups is OFF, groups are activated once again. • Choosing Edit > Grouping > Ungroup with Suspend Groups

ON will detach any selected elements from their groups and break down all groups into single independent elements, no matter how complex the nested grouping is.

• If the Suspend Groups switch is OFF and you choose to ungroup a selection consisting of two or more lower level groups, it will first be divided into the groups it comprises. You may need to repeat the Edit > Grouping> Ungroup command several times before an element can be selected and edited individually.Note: There is a way to change the settings of one element in a group, even if the Suspend Groups option is switched off. Go to the settings dialog of the element you intend to change (make sure nothing is selected), change the parameters and settings you wanted to change, and close the dialog box by clicking the OK button. Now click the element you want to change while holding the Ctrl+Alt (Windows)/Opt+Cmd (MacOS) keys. This will transfer the default parameters of the element type you just set to the clicked element. The changes will affect only the selected element.

Groups and LayersGrouping elements does not change their attribute assignments, which means that each element remains on its own Layer.If some elements of a Group are in an invisible Layer:• Elements on the hidden Layer will be invisible.• When editing the group (by drag, rotate, mirror, multiply)

invisible elements will also change their position.• When modifying the Attributes or parameters of the elements,

the Attributes of the invisible elements will not be changed.If some elements of a Group are in a locked Layer:• Elements on the locked Layer will be visible on the Floor Plan,

but they will cause the entire group to be locked. The group will not be affected by drag, rotate, mirror and multiply.

• When selecting the group, all of its elements will be selected, but with grey dots. Use the Suspend Groups command to edit those grouped items that are not in a locked layer.

Note for TeamWork users: Elements of a group may be reserved by different signed in team members, but groups still remain active. Attributes and parameters of reserved elements can only be modified by first suspending the groups.

For more information on reserving elements in Teamwork, see “Teamwork Techniques” on page 466.

Lock/Unlock ElementsThe Edit > Locking > Lock command locks the selected items to prevent them from being accidentally modified. Locked elements can still be selected and used for relative construction; Guide Lines are still available; and you can even pick up their settings through parameter transfer.

Note: Locking a layer will have the same effect - it locks all elements which are located on that layer.

The Edit > Locking > Unlock command unlocks the selected item(s). With the Unlock All command, you can unlock all locked elements, even if they are not selected. You can also use the relevant buttons of the Arrange Elements toolbar for these actions.For more information, see “Layers” on page 26.

Note for Teamwork users: You can only lock items which you have reserved. Locked items cannot be reserved by others. You can only unlock items locked by you. The locking information is kept even after you have signed out from the Teamwork Project. When signed in to a Teamwork Project as the Team Leader, you can unlock all the elements locked by any Teammate.

For more information on reserving elements in Teamwork, see “Teamwork Techniques” on page 466.

Display OrderWhen drawing a Project with ArchiCAD, overlapping elements will be drawn according to a specified stacking order. By default, elements are stacked in an order typically used in architectural drawings.


Interaction

By default, stacking order is determined by element classes, of which there are six. Regardless of the sequence in which elements are placed, those in the first class will be placed in the foreground, second class in the level behind it, and so on.The element classes are in descending order of class:1) Annotation (Text, Labels, all

Dimension types, Zone Stamps)

2) 2D artwork (Lines, Circles, Splines, Hotspots)

3) Library Parts (Objects, Lamps, Stairs)

4) 3D structures (Walls, Beams, Slabs, Doors, Windows, Columns, Roofs, Meshes)

5) 2D polygons (Fills, Zone Polygons)6) Figures

Display Order of Overlapping ElementsOverlapping within the same class depends on the order in which you place the elements, although walls with the same fills will display clean intersections.When selecting overlapping elements within the same class, you can select them in sequence using Tab.See “Selection of Overlapping Elements” on page 79.

Custom Stacking OrderArchiCAD’s default stacking order is appropriate in most cases, but you may wish to place elements in a different overlapping position. For instance, for a Fill to overlap a 2D element or an Object, a set of commands in Edit > Display Order hierarchical menu or the relevant buttons of the Arrange Elements toolbar let you override the default stacking order element by element.On newly placed elements, the commands work as follows:

• Bring Forward: On this command, selected element(s) will overlap all the unchanged elements of their own and any lower classes, but will still stay below the elements of higher classes.

• Bring to Front: On this command, selected element(s) will overlap all other existing elements.

• Send Backward: On this command, selected element(s) will be overlapped by (sent behind) all the unchanged elements of their own and higher classes, but will overlap the elements of lower classes.

• Send to Back: On this command, selected element(s) will become overlapped by all other existing elements.

• Reset Default Order: This command restores the default overlapping order described previously.

Mechanism of the Stacking Order

Both the default stacking order and the customization commands are based on two ordering mechanisms: classes and stack levels.

ArchiCAD places elements in 14 stack levels. Each level can contain any of the element types. The final stacking order you see on screen and on printouts is based on stack level and element class. All elements on a level will overlap elements on lower stack levels, regardless of class.

New elements are always placed into the preferred stack level of their own class. Stack level preference is as follows:

1-4: Void by default

5: Annotation

6: 2D Artwork

7: Library Parts

8: 3D Structures

9: 2D Polygons

10: Figures

11-14: Void by default


Interaction

By default, the upper and lower 4 stack levels are empty. You can bring or send elements of any type into these stack levels with the Edit > Display Order commands detailed above.

For example, bringing a Fill forward from level 9 to level 8, which is the default level of structures, means that the Fill will overlap all the unchanged fills remaining on level 9, but will still be overlapped by all the unchanged structures on level 8.

If you bring it forward again, it will overlap all the remaining structures. However, it will still stay below all of the unchanged Library Parts on level 7. This way, you can move it forward until it overlaps the higher levels.

Of course you can bring other elements forward as well, which will again overlap the changed Fill.

The Bring to Front and Send to Back commands move the selected elements until they overlap (or are overlapped by) all of the existing elements. This is not necessarily the 1st or the 14th level, which

means that in most cases it will still be possible to place other elements above or below them.

Text or Dimensions brought up to the top stack level cannot be overlapped. For example, if you want a Fill to overlap them, you will have to send the Text one level backwards.

If you attempt to move elements forward that are already placed on the top level, or to move elements backward from the bottom of the stack, you will be alerted.

When moving several elements placed at different stack levels forward or backward, each element will only move one level.

When bringing to front or sending to back elements of different types, they will overlap (or be overlapped by) all existing elements, and will retain their stacking order in relation to each other.

Zones and Fills are compound elements consisting of components of two different classes (Zone Polygons and Zone Stamps, Fills and their area texts). These two components always keep their order according to their classes, for instance area texts always overlap their fills. Although you can change their overlapping order separately, Fills and Zone Fills can never overlap their own area texts and zone stamps and vice versa, forcing the other component to move with them if necessary.

The stacking order will be preserved on printer or raster plotter output.

In DXF/DWG output, all elements will be transparent, meaning that hidden or partially overlapped elements will be entirely visible.

Magic Wand

About the Magic Wand

The Magic Wand saves you work by finding and tracing a linear or polygon shape from among existing elements, and then generating a new element based on the polygon. The Magic Wand lets you create special shapes that are not available for that particular tool type or would be tedious to construct segment by segment. Since it creates


Interaction

polygonal shapes by nature, the Magic Wand will ignore geometry method settings (such as Rotated Rectangle) for the current tool.

When creating curved Walls and polygon-type elements based on Arcs, Circles and Splines, the approximation is based on the state of the Magic Wand Settings dialog box.

See “Magic Wand Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.

The Magic Wand works in both the 2D and 3D Windows and recognizes the following element types: Wall, Beam, Slab, Roof, Curtain Wall, Fill, Mesh, Line, Arc, Polyline, and Spline. (In Section/Elevation/IE and 3D Document windows, the Magic Wand recognizes only 2D drawing-type elements). The Magic Wand recognizes elements that are locked, displayed from remote stories or a Trace Reference, reserved by others or outside your workspace.

How to Create an Element with the Magic Wand

1) From the Toolbox, select the new type of element you want to create.

2) Activate the Magic Wand. Press the Spacebar, or click the Magic Wand icon in the Control Box to make it appear.


The Magic Wand has three different shapes for identifying:

• nodes

• edges

• empty space and surfaces

3) Click the Magic Wand to find and trace a polygon shape.

• If you click on an edge or node, the Magic Wand creates a polygon by tracing that element and/or finding an element chain: it runs along that edge and traces the element chains whose endpoints fall within that edge.

• If you click in empty space or on a surface,

the Magic Wand searches for and traces the closed geometric area formed by the nearest elements (whether chained together or merely intersecting), and generates the resulting polygon.

• You can refine the Magic Wand function by selecting one or more elements. In this case, the Magic Wand will only take the selected elements into account when searching for chained elements or a bounded area.

4) The new elements are generated.• The new elements are not linked to the originals and can be

manipulated independently.• If the original shapes are superfluous, you can delete them.• If Offset or Multi-Offset has been activated, you can complete

the offset function after the Magic Wand has created the new polygon.

• If you are creating a single Roof, you must first draw a pivot line and define the slope before creating the polygon with the Magic Wand.

• If you are creating a Fill with a custom origin, you will first generate the polygon with the Magic Wand, then draw the fill orientation vector.

All of the characteristics of the new elements are determined by the current default settings of the corresponding tool. You should always check that these are correct either before or after using the Magic


Interaction

Wand, especially if the elements are intended to have a specific relationship to each other, such as a roof resting on a Wall.

Using the Magic Wand in 3D

In 3D, the Magic Wand feature works as in the Floor Plan, but instead of using only the top view of the elements, each element is considered the way it lies in space. When searching for the contours of the new element, ArchiCAD will only look at the elements that are actually intersected by the clicked plane. The clicked plane is always the horizontal plane through the clicked surface point or through the User Origin (e.g., when clicking inside polygon walls or beams into space).

Using the Magic Wand to Add/Subtract Polygon Shapes

Instead of defining a new polygon, you can use the Magic Wand tool to add or subtract the shape of an existing polygon (of the same or a different element type).1) Select the polygon from which you wish to subtract another

shape. In this example we want to subtract a complex polygonal shape from a slab.

2) Choose the “Subtract from Polygon” icon in the pet palette.3) Move the cursor onto the polygon that you want to subtract and

activate the Magic Wand (press the spacebar).4) Click to complete.

Verify that the operation has been performed by deleting or dragging away the other polygon or viewing the shape in 3D. Or select the polygon and note the contour around its hole.

Note: Drawing a polygon hole by clicking inside the selected element’s boundary with its tool active is similar to subtraction, but it lets you temporarily create a self-intersecting shape. Subtraction always creates a valid shape.

For more information, see “Magic Wand Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.

“Virtual Trace:” Using References to Edit and Compare Model Views and Drawings

About Trace References

In ArchiCAD 12, you can opt to display two different views concurrently in any model or layout window:

• the Active Content - the actual model or drawing you are currently working on (“Active”)

• the Trace Reference (“Reference”), optionally placed alongside, on top of or underneath the currently Active content. This acts as a kind of underlay, making it easy to compare multiple model views/drawings on the same screen.


Interaction

Any viewpoint, view or Layout can be a Reference beneath any active Model or Layout window:Typically, in Model Windows, you will use any of the following as a Reference:• Floor Plan• Section, Elevation, Interior Elevation, 3D Document• Detail, WorksheetAnd in the Layout Window:• Layout, Master LayoutFor example, you can draw a roof detail in a Detail window (the Active Content) while seeing the relevant wall section as a Reference.A Section shown as a Reference next to another Section:

A Floor Plan shown as a Reference beneath a Detail:

Any given window can display only one Reference at a time. However, as you navigate among your project windows, you can display a different Reference in each:• The Floor Plan window has a single current Reference for all

stories• Each Section, Elevation, Interior Elevation, 3D Document,

Worksheet, Detail, Layout and Master Layout can have its own unique Reference.

Reference settings are saved along with the window (for example, each Section in your project can have a Reference of a different color and filter different elements). References are also saved with the project file.The Trace Reference is essentially a temporary editing aid that is tied to the currently active window. When using the Print command to output a model window or a Layout, you can opt to print the currently visible Reference as well. However, when you place a Drawing onto a Layout, the Drawing content will not include the Reference.The user can offset and rotate the Reference as needed, though logical default Reference settings for each combination of Active/Reference views will usually align them correctly for the particular context.On-Screen View Options affect the Reference just as they affect the Active.The cursor is sensitive to elements in the Reference. Consequently:• You can use the Pick Up Parameters command (Alt +C) on

Reference elements, then transfer the parameters to an element in the Active.

• You can use the Trim command, the Magic Wand, and snap points with elements in the Reference to edit Active elements.


Interaction

Access Trace Reference Commands

Reference-related commands are easily accessible from several points in the interface.• The Standard Toolbar contains

the Trace toggle icon, plus a pop-up list of related commands.

• Right-click any eligible item in the Navigator and choose Show as Trace Reference to show that item (e.g. viewpoint, view, Drawing or Layout) as the Reference for the current window.

• Use the Trace & Reference Palette (Window > Palettes > Trace & Reference) to keep the Trace commands on screen if you use these commands often, or if you use several of the commands in sequence.

• Use the View > Trace Options command.• Many Trace Reference-related commands are available from the

context menu of an ArchiCAD window that shows a Reference: just right-click in empty space in the window, provided that no elements are currently selected.

Show/Hide Trace Reference

The Trace button is a toggle command available in the Standard Toolbar. Click the button to show or hide the Trace Reference in the current window.Click the sticky pop-up control of the Trace toggle icon to access Trace Reference-related commands.


Interaction

Choosing a Trace Reference

Three item types can be chosen as a Reference:1) Viewpoints. Any item in the Navigator's Project Map (except

3D window items and list-type items) can be set as a Reference. The Reference Viewpoint will always reflect the current settings of the active window.

2) Views. Any view in the Navigator's View Map (except 3D window items and list-type items) can be set as a Reference. The Reference's view settings are independent of the active window. For example, if you change the layer combination in the active window, the Reference won’t change. If a view is deleted from the view map, its Reference is no longer available.

3) Layouts (and their drawings).To choose a Reference to display, do one of the following:• Select the item from the

Navigator and right-click to bring up its context menu. Choose Show as Trace Reference.

or• Choose an item from the

Choose Reference list. The Choose Reference list is accessible from:- the Standard Toolbar’s Reference commands

- the window’s context menu Reference commands

- the Trace & Reference PaletteThe Choose Reference list is dynamic - the appearing choices depend on the content of the active window, and the most recent/most logical Reference choices will appear in the list.

• Recent References are listed at the top• Other relevant References, if any, follow. If the active window is:

- Floor Plan: the Choose Reference list includes three possibilities that are relative to the current story, so that the Reference will change as you navigate among stories: Above or Below Current Story will always show the story above (or below) the current story as a Reference. Previous Story will always show the last story you were on as a Reference.- Model-type Section/Elevation: the Choose Reference list includes the stories which fall into its vertical range (except if the range is unlimited).- Drawing-type Section/Elevation: the Choose Reference list includes the relevant Model Section/Elevation.- Interior Elevation: the Choose Reference list includes all viewpoints of the IE group (if any), plus the stories which fall into its vertical range (except if the range is unlimited).


Interaction

- Detail or Worksheet: the Choose Reference list includes their source viewpoints.Note: Independent viewpoints (e.g. an independent Section, Elevation, Detail or Worksheet) have no model source; their “Choose Ghost” list shows the viewpoint itself.- Layout: the Choose Reference list includes the source view (if available) of the placed Drawings.

• Entire Structure Display: This option will display the current view/viewpoint as a Trace Reference in Entire Structure Display form.

• Next in the “Choose Ghost” list: any Layouts containing drawings that originated with the current viewpoint.

The chosen Reference appears in a predefined default position (appropriate to the type of the Active Content and the Reference item). You can move the Reference at any time.For more information, see “Move Reference” on page 149.If you choose a recent Reference, it will include any manual transformations (drag, rotate) which the user applied the last time he showed this Reference.All user-defined Reference-related parameters, such as the list of recent References and recently chosen Reference colors, are saved together with the project file.

Set Color/Visibility Options for Trace Reference

To set the color of the Reference and the visibility of elements on the Reference, first open the Trace & Reference Palette. (Use Window > Palettes > Trace & Reference, or choose Trace & Reference from the list of Trace Reference commands.) Use the controls in the top half of this palette to set the Reference’s color and element visibility options.For details, see “Trace & Reference Palette” in ArchiCAD Help.

Change you make here apply to the Reference of the current window only. However, to apply the settings in this pop-up to all References in the project, click the Apply Settings to All References button.

Move Reference

These commands are accessible from the list of Reference commands; or from the Trace & Reference palette.• Use this icon to drag the Reference to another location.• Use this icon to rotate the Reference.• Use this icon if you want to reset the Reference to its

original default position after you have moved it.Note: The same commands are available from the context menu by right-clicking into any window showing a Reference; and from the Standard Toolbar’s pop-up list of Reference commands.


Interaction

In the image below, a Section viewpoint is displayed as a Reference and rotated alongside the Floor Plan that contains the Section marker:

Drag/Rotate commands applied to the Reference will be reflected in the Tracker's coordinate data (coordinate data are calculated according to the Active's coordinate system, not the Reference's.)

Switch Reference with Active: How to Access Elements within the Reference for Editing or Copying

Elements on the Reference cannot be selected or edited. However, by switching the Reference and Active views temporarily, you can select and edit elements in the Reference. For example, you can use the Switch Reference with Active command if you need to paste certain Reference elements into the Active view:

1) First, use the Switch Reference with Active command (from the list of Trace Reference commands, or the Trace & Reference palette.)This changes the Reference into the Active (now you can edit its elements), and the Active into a Reference.Note: This command is not available if a Drawing Section is active and its own Model-based Section is the Reference.

2) Select, edit and/or copy the required elements.3) Once again, use the “Switch Reference with Active” command

and return to the original Active content.4) If you copied elements to the clipboard, now you can paste these

into the Active.This workflow can be used, for example, if you are working in a Worksheet window, while the Floor Plan model has changed. To update your Worksheet, display the Floor Plan as the Reference, identify the differences, switch Reference with Active, copy the updated parts you need, switch Reference and Active (again), and paste into the Worksheet window.

Note: When pasting into a drawing-type window (such as a Worksheet), construction elements will be “exploded” into their 2D components.

Rebuild Trace Reference

Use the Rebuild command (available from the Trace & Reference Palette or from the list of Trace Reference commands) to rebuild the Reference to reflect any changes in the source view.The Reference will be rebuilt automatically as a result of certain other user actions, such as navigating to another window and panning inside a window. However, editing a model view will not automatically rebuild the Reference; you must use the Rebuild Reference button.Note the following:• If the Reference’s source is a manual-rebuild model, then the

Reference is rebuilt only when that model Section/Elevation/IE


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is manually rebuilt. Similarly, References containing manual-update drawings will be rebuilt along with the drawing.

• If the Reference is an Auto-Rebuild Model, it is possible that you make changes in the Active, yet these are not reflected in the Reference, even after you navigate or pan, because - to avoid slowing down the program - you have unchecked “Update Autorebuild Model Viewpoints continuously” in Options > Project Preferences > Miscellaneous. Use the Rebuild Reference button when needed.

• If the Reference contains an Auto-update Drawing, such a Reference will not be continuously rebuilt, to avoid slowing down the program. Use the Rebuild Reference button when needed.

Compare Reference with Active

ArchiCAD provides several functions to help you identify and understand differences between the Reference and the Active content, especially when the Reference is on top of the Active content, or vice versa, and you need additional help to see the differences clearly. The best way to compare the two will depend on your particular task. You can use several of these functions at the same time to get the most accurate information. All the Compare functions can be used “on the fly” while editing your Active content. They are on-screen only functions, with no effect on output.To access these functions, open Window > Palettes > Trace & Reference.For details on each control, see “Trace & Reference Palette” in ArchiCAD Help.Each of the techniques below can be useful in visually comparing the Reference with the Active. Try them out to see which works best.

Tip 1: Use Separate Colors for Active and Reference You can set separate display colors for the Reference and the Active content: a custom color for each, or else retain the original colors.

You may want to set two sharply different, custom colors for each of the views - say, red and blue - to make it easy to distinguish one from the other.To set the colors, use the pop-up icons (one each for Reference and Active) in the middle of the Palette.

Note: Even if you’ve set separate colors, the background fills of one view may obscure the underlying elements in the other view.

Tip 2: Make Fills and Zones TransparentNote the Make Fills and Zones Transparent toggle at the bottom of the Trace & Reference Palette: activate this to make fills and zones transparent in both the Reference and Active views. This way you will “uncover” information that otherwise might have been covered up by a fill in the top view.This switch has only a temporary effect and does not affect the settings of the model elements.


Interaction

Tip 3: Reverse Display Order of Reference and ActiveWhen comparing the Reference to the Active, it may help to switch their display order.Click the “Reference on Top” button at the bottom of the Trace & Reference Palette. If your Reference was previously underneath the Active, this command will change them around, placing the Reference on top of the Active.

Tip 4: Optimize Intensity of Reference vs. Active A simple way to make an initial visual comparison is to use the Intensity sliders of the Reference and Active.

Note: This method works best if the Active is shown in its original colors, and the Reference in a different color.

Pull the Reference intensity slider back and forth. On screen, the effect will be to flash the Reference “on” and “off ”, allowing you to identify places on screen where there are differences from the Active View.Then you can zoom in on these locations and analyze the differences.

Tip 5: Use the Splitter Bar to “Turn the Page”This function is useful for identifying differences between the Reference and Active when they overlap. You will drag a Splitter bar across the window, with the Reference on one side and the Active on the other. The effect is like turning the “page” of an overlay to see what is beneath.To activate the Splitter function, click the Splitter icon from the Trace & Reference Palette.Four “splitter handles” appear, one on each edge of the screen. Choose any one of them and move it in a perpendicular direction, to create either a horizontal or vertical splitter bar.


Interaction

As you drag it, the content on either side of the splitter changes dynamically.

Once you let go of the mouse button, the splitter bar returns to its original position.

Tip 6: Move the Reference Over Temporarily (Displace Reference)Use this function when you have zoomed in to an area where the two views are different, and you want to quickly check what is on the view underneath.Click the Temporarily Displace Reference button in the Trace & Reference Palette.Click in the window. The cursor changes to the familiar hand shape, allowing the user to nudge the Reference temporarily (i.e. to move it “out of the way”). Click again, and the Reference jumps back to its original position.

Consolidating Lines and Fills in Drawing Windows

Why Consolidate?

Several ArchiCAD features involve the creation of “exploded” elements. Model-based Details, Worksheets and Drawing Sections create 2D elements (lines, fills) out of the model construction elements. Also, imported DWG drawings appear in ArchiCAD in 2D form, as a large collection of lines and fills. In these Drawing-type windows, you may wish to fine-tune the view before final output. You will find, however, that the “exploded” lines and fills often contain superfluous elements (extra line segments, overlapping or superfluous fills) that make such editing difficult.To make editing easier, first use the The Linework and Fill Consolidation functions on selected items in the window.Line and Fill Consolidation are separate functions and are executed independently of each other. Select the elements, then execute either the Linework Consolidation or the Fill Consolidation command. (Edit > Reshape > Linework/Fill Consolidation).

Linework Consolidation

In the window, select at least two line-type elements you wish to include in the Linework Consolidation process. Line-type elements are straight-lines, polylines, arcs and circles.

Note: Linework Consolidation does not affect any line-type element having an arrowhead.

The Linework Consolidation command (Edit > Reshape > Linework Consolidation) brings up the Linework Consolidation Wizard.This command is also available from the Edit Elements toolbar.


Interaction

Now page through the wizard (click “Next” at the bottom of every screen) and check the boxes of every Line Consolidation option that you wish to execute as part of the consolidation process.For details, see “Linework Consolidation Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.On the last screen, click “Consolidate” to execute Linework Consolidation.Following the linework consolidation, a report appears, listing the number of elements (if any) that have been deleted or merged for each type of line consolidation. At the bottom of this page, a checkbox gives you the option of using the simplified Linework Consolidations Settings (rather than the Wizard) the next time you issue the command.

Linework Consolidation Settings contains the same options as the Wizard, but all options are accessible in a single dialog box.

Fill Consolidation

In the window, select at least two fills that you wish to include in the Fill Consolidation process.The Fill Consolidation command (Edit > Reshape > Fill Consolidation) brings up Fill Consolidation Settings.Check the options you wish to execute as part of Fill Consolidation.


Virtual Building

VIRTUAL BUILDING

In ArchiCAD you build a real-sized Virtual Building using virtual building elements. If properly modeled, your virtual building can be used to automatically generate the necessary drawings, visualizations and calculations with minimal 2D adjustments.Use walls, openings, slabs, columns, beams and roofs to virtually construct your building, instead of having to compile drawings from lines and other 2D elements. ArchiCAD elements are “intelligent”: these components are not merely a collection of lines or 3D surfaces, but rather entities with a set of editable parameters. For example, a wall has thickness, height and material parameters, among others. ArchiCAD’s intelligent elements connect to each other automatically and are displayed in 2D according to architectural conventions. At this point, once modeling is finished, documentation becomes an effortless task.The real advantage of using the virtual building concept becomes clear when you have to modify something in your building. If you are using separate 2D drawings, you have to implement the modification on each drawing. In contrast, in ArchiCAD you modify the model at one place, then all generated drawings will reflect your changes at once.

ArchiCAD Model Views

About Model Views in ArchiCADYou can approach the Virtual Building model from several different model views. Model views have two main uses. First, you will work in model views to modify the Virtual Building. Second, saved model views are the basis for creating architectural drawings (placed onto Layouts) for the final documentation of the Virtual Building. As you will see, each model view shows a very different aspect of the same Virtual Building. • In 3D perspective, you see the Virtual Building as it will look

when actually constructed.

• In Floor Plan, the Virtual Building is shown as a two-dimensional blueprint.

• In the Section/Elevation/Interior Elevation (IE) windows, elements are generated from the 3D model; you cannot create new model elements here, but you can view and modify them.

• The 3D Document window is generated from the 3D window, but is a a 2D-type document that allows for annotations and dimensions, and can display the sections of composite elements in their 3D aspect.

• In the model window known as the Interactive Schedule, the Virtual Building is expressed in lists and figures - here, too, your input will modify the Virtual Building and can be output as documentation.

When you work on each of these aspects of the model, you are working on a “viewpoint.” You can navigate among them, and save them as views.For more information, see “Project Workflow in the Navigator” on page 66.The available commands and functions vary depending on the window that is active. Every time you activate a window, its contents are rebuilt to reflect any modifications you made to the plan.The View > Refresh > Rebuild command is available in all construction windows. It rebuilds the model in the currently active window.For more information, see “Summary of Rebuild Commands” on page 183.You can have only one Floor Plan and one 3D window open at a time. While it is possible to keep several windows open for other types of viewpoints(e.g. several Section/Elevation/IE windows), by default ArchiCAD will open subsequent viewpoints in existing windows, replacing the previous one. To open a new viewpoint in a new window instead, use the context menu command from the Navigator item to be opened.


Virtual Building

If you would rather open a new window each time you open an additional view or layout (from a menu or by double-clicking in the Navigator), change the window-opening default preference in Options > Work Environment > More Options:

You can pan and zoom the window within the full drawing space to obtain the best view of the work you are currently doing, by using the shortcut icons next to the bottom scrollbar or the commands of the View > Zoom menu.For more information, see “Navigation” on page 59.To maximize working space, use the Window > Full Screen command to have your active window, including palettes, occupy the entire workspace on your monitor. The Window > Full Screen & Hide All Palettes does the same, without showing any palettes.The following sections describe how to work in each of ArchiCAD’s model views.

Floor Plan WindowThe Floor Plan Window is the basic construction area where most editing operations take place. It shows a representation of the current project as a traditional architectural drawing. When you start ArchiCAD, the first window you see is the Floor Plan. Each story of the Virtual Building has its own Floor Plan. ArchiCAD gives you the freedom to replicate 3D-like aspects of construction elements in the Floor Plan window, using Cut Plane settings and element-level display and projection options. These options let you visualize parts of multi-story elements that are located on a different floor plan, or to project parts of the element that are above or below the cut plane. See the sections below for how these options work.Note, however, that these Floor Plan projections are not true 3D projections, but rather symbolic depictions. Consequently, the display and, especially, automatic intersection of complex or multi-story elements (on the Floor Plan only) may have some limitations in replicating the true model. The visibility and accessibility of elements on the Floor Plan depends on:• chosen options in the element’s Tool Settings dialog box,

including multi-story display and projection settings;

• the Floor Plan Cut Plane settings;

For more information, see “Floor Plan Cut Plane (Global Setting)” on page 160.


Virtual Building

• the element’s Layer Settings (elements on invisible layers will not be displayed; elements on locked layers cannot be edited).

For more information, see “Layers” on page 26.Modifications to the model in the Floor Plan window will be updated accordingly in the 3D, Detail/Worksheet and Section/Elevation/IE and 3D Document windows. The converse is also true: changes made in other windows are automatically displayed on the Floor Plan when activated. The updates can take place either manually or automatically depending on the Detail or Section/Elevation/IE update settings you choose.For more information, see “Updating Sections” on page 182 and “Updating the Detail Window” on page 201.

StoriesAbout Stories

Stories in ArchiCAD, just as in real buildings, serve to divide space vertically and replicate the story structure of your real building. Stories are typically used for drawing each Floor Plan of multistory structures separately.Each story in the project is displayed, by name and number, in the Navigator’s Project Map. Double-click on the story name to display it in the Floor Plan window. The current Story name appears in the title bar of the Floor Plan Window.The elevation (or relative base height) of construction elements placed in 2D windows are calculated relative to a chosen Story: either the element’s defined Home Story, or the current story. (See the Base Height setting in the Settings dialog box of construction elements, as in the following image.)For more information, see “Set Home Story” on page 161.

Navigate Among Stories

To navigate among stories, do one of the following: • In the Navigator Project Map, double-click the Story you wish to

open.• Activate a story from the Story Settings dialog box at Design >

Story Settings: click on its name, then click OK to close the dialog box and display the selected story on the Floor Plan.

• Use predefined keyboard shortcuts to jump among stories• Use the Mini-Navigator (see below)

Story Shortcuts in Mini-NavigatorYou can use the story shortcuts located in the predefined “Mini-Navigator” toolbar.The Go Up a Story command activates the next Story above the current one on the Floor Plan.Go Down a Story takes you to the Story below the current one.If you attempt to go to a story that does not exist, the Create New Story dialog box appears.

The Go To Story command in the Mini-Navigator toolbar opens a dialog box allowing you to jump directly to an existing Story and provides you with a range indicator of how many Stories currently exist. If you enter a Story number outside the existing range, the field will revert to the top or bottom Story of the valid range.


Virtual Building

Defining Story Display in 3D

In the 3D window, all Stories are projected by default, but you can limit the projection using the “Stories to Show in 3D” controls at View > Elements in 3D View > Filter Elements in 3D. Choose the range of stories you wish to display in 3D.The Trim Elements to Story checkbox (in the same dialog box) means that the model will be clipped at the story range boundaries. If this box is not checked, the model will not be clipped, and all elements that fall at least partially inside the story range will be displayed.The story display in the 3D window, as set in the Filter Elements dialog box, will naturally affect the 3D Documents that are created from this 3D source.For more information, see “Filter Elements to Show in 3D” on page 169.See also “3D Document” on page 192.

Defining Story Display in Section/Elevation/IE

In Section/Elevation/IE views, you define a vertical range that can include entire Stories or only parts of them. Also, Story Level Lines can be optionally displayed in these views.See “Define Horizontal/Vertical Range of Section Viewpoint” on page 177 and “Show/Hide Story Level Lines in Section/Elevation/IE” on page 159.

Manage Stories

Use the Design > Story Settings dialog box to create, delete and manage stories.For more information, see “Story Settings Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.

Story Settings and story-related commands are also available:• from the context menu if you

have selected a Story in the Navigator’s Project Map or View Map.

• from the Mini-Navigator.

Create a New Story1) Go to the Design > Story Settings dialog box.

2) Click “Insert Above” or “Insert Below” to insert a new story above or below the story name selected in the dialog box list.

Alternatively:1) Select a Story in the Navigator’s Project Map.2) Use the context menu’s “Create New Story” command.Type a name for the new story.Click an option for where the new story should be placed in the project structure:• Insert Above: The story will be inserted above the currently

selected story (in Story Settings or the Navigator).• Insert Below: The story will be inserted below the currently

selected story (in Story Settings or the Navigator).The new story appears above or below the selected story. The numbering is automatically updated.There is no limit to the number of stories.


Virtual Building

Create New Story from the Mini-Navigator ToolbarIf you choose the Mini-Navigator toolbar’s Go up a Story/Go Down a Story command, and that story does not exist, the Create New Story Dialog Box appears, where you can add “Name”, “Elevation” and “Height to Next” values for the new story.

Copy/Move Elements Between StoriesWhen creating a new Story, you may wish to copy elements onto it which already exist on another Story. • Go to Design > Story Settings.• Use the commands in “Edit Elements of Selected Story” to Cut,

Copy, and/or Paste all elements or selected element types from one story to another.

For more information, see “Story Settings Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.

Story Level Lines

Story Level Lines indicate the vertical location of stories in Sections, Elevations and Interior Elevations. Story Levels can be set to appear in Section/Elevation/IE views. In this case, each story level line included in the Section/Elevation/IE range will appear in the window.The story line markers are library parts. The Story Marker parameters and position can be edited in Section/Elevation/IE Settings dialog boxes.For more information, see “Section Story Levels Panel” in ArchiCAD Help

Show/Hide Story Level Lines in Section/Elevation/IEFor each individual Section/Elevation/Interior Elevation, you can hide, show and/or output Story Level Lines. To set these options, open the Section/Elevation/IE Settings Dialog box, go to the Story Levels panel, and use the “Show Story Levels” pop-up.

Note: It is possible to turn off story level line display on a story-by-story basis. Go to Design > Story Settings, and for any selected story, uncheck the “Story Level Line” box. This story’s level line will henceforth not appear in any model window in the project.

Edit Story Levels


Virtual Building

You can edit the elevation of any given story or set of stories using Story Editing Mode:

1) Choose the Design > Edit Story Levels command, or the same command from the context menu that appears by right-clicking inside the Section window.

2) The Story Editing Mode palette appears. As long as the palette remains open on screen, you are in Story Editing mode and can move the story level lines.

3) Choose a mode from this palette by clicking one of the four buttons:

• Adjust only the selected story

• Adjust the selected story and all stories below

• Adjust the selected story and all stories above

• Adjust all stories

4) Move the cursor onto the Story Level Line you wish to move. The cursor will assume the Mercedes shape. (Make sure you move the cursor onto the line itself, not the markers at either end.) Click and drag the story level line to edit its elevation.

5) Click OK to apply changes and exit Story Editing Mode.

The elements that are on the given stories will retain their elevation respective to their home story, as you will see when the view is updated after you click OK.

Floor Plan Cut Plane (Global Setting)3D construction elements on the Floor Plan (Walls, Curtain Walls, Columns, Beams and Roofs) are displayed as if they were cut horizontally along a theoretical plane; this is the Floor Plan Cut Plane.

The default height of the Cut Plane, measured from the base of the current story, depends on local architectural conventions, but you can set any Floor Plan Cut Plane for the current window using the Floor Plan Cut Plane dialog box.

To set the Cut Plane, use Document > Floor Plan Cut Plane to open the Floor Plan Cut Plane Settings dialog box.

Note: The Cut Plane does not affect the display of Mesh, Slab or Object elements, including Stairs. However, Stairs and other


Virtual Building

GDL Objects can be programmed to display themselves according to the Floor Plan Cut Plan Settings.

Enter a value for “Cut Plane Height to Current Story.”If you wish to display all construction elements in their entirety, on all stories (the default settings for construction elements), the rest of the settings in the Floor Plan Cut Plane dialog box are not relevant. The Relative Floor Plan Range and Absolute Display Limit - the other Floor Plan Cut Plane Settings - are only relevant if any of your construction elements are defined as having a limited projection.The Floor Plan Cut Plane settings are global; the current settings apply to all the stories of the project. Once you set the global Floor Plan Cut Plane, you can further fine-tune the Floor Plan display of individual construction elements (Walls, Columns, Beams and Roofs only) in their element Settings dialog boxes.For more information, see “How to Display Individual Elements on the Floor Plan” on page 161.

Set Separate Floor Plan Cut Planes in Different ViewsFor every view, you can define a unique Floor Plan Cut Plane, if required, using the Floor Plan Cut Plane controls accessible from View Settings.

How to Display Individual Elements on the Floor Plan While the current Floor Plan Cut Plane settings are applied globally to the whole project, you can set a separate display preference for each individual construction element. The settings described below (Home Story, Show on, Floor Plan Display and Show Projection) are found in the element’s Tool Settings Dialog Box.

Set Home Story

In the Geometry and Positioning Panel of the construction element’s Tool Settings, you can define a home story for the element. Once you place the element, it will be “linked” to this home story.The Home Story setting acts as a point of reference for:• defining which parts of an element will be displayed (as defined

in the “Show on Stories” control)• expressing an element’s Relative Base Height (in the Relative Base

Height field in Tool Settings)• reserving elements in Teamwork• defining listing criteriaIn each element’s Tool Default Settings dialog box, choose a home story setting for elements placed with this tool.Automatic: This option is available only for Wall, Curtain Wall, Beam, Column and Roof elements.With an Automatic Home Story, ArchiCAD assigns the element's home story as the story onto which you place it (the story which contains the element’s reference line or base.) In most cases, this is the element’s most logical home story.If you change an element’s geometry so that its reference line/point is moved to a different story, ArchiCAD will automatically adjust the element’s home story accordingly.


Virtual Building

Select Home Story: Use this option if you want to tie the element to a particular story. You can choose the current story (listed as the topmost option in the drop-down list), or click Select Story to bring up a list of stories in the current project. Choose a home story to which to link the element when you place it. The Home Story dialog always shows the home story defined in terms of the Current story, as in the image.

Note: The “Current” story in a tool’s Default Settings will vary, of course, depending on the story you are currently working on.Note: In some instances, a new element’s home story doesn’t exist in the project. For example, you define the default home story as “Current + 2” in a 3-story project; then you go up a story before input. Now, the “Current + 2” story doesn’t exist. In this case, ArchiCAD redefines the element’s home story as the topmost story.

The home story can then be used as a reference level from which to measure the element’s relative base height, in both the 2D and 3D windows.For example, you may have placed the base of a multistory wall on the subfloor, slightly below the current story level. Yet you want to measure its elevation from the current story, not the subfloor. In this case, you can define the current story to be the Home Story of this wall.

Control Element Display by Story (Show On Stories)

The Show on Stories pop-up in the Floor Plan and Section Panel of Tool Settings of construction elements let you choose whether to show the element on every story it intersects, or only on selected stories.The available “Show on Stories” options differ depending on the construction element, as discussed below. For a Wall, Curtain Wall or Column, you have the following options:

• All Relevant Stories: The element will be shown and editable on all stories which it physically intersects. When available, this will be your preferred option most of the time.

• Home Story Only: The element will be shown only on its home story. (If the element is drawn so that it does not physically intersect its home story, then the only way the element will be shown on the Floor Plan is if you set its Floor Plan Display to one of the symbolic options: Symbolic Cut, Outlines only, Overhead all.)

For a Roof:

• Home Story Only: The roof will be shown only on its home story. (If the element is drawn so that it does not physically intersect its home story, then the only way the element will be shown on the Floor Plan is if you set its Floor Plan Display to one of the symbolic options: Symbolic Cut, Outlines only, Overhead all.)

• Home & One Story Up and/or Down: The roof will be shown on its Home Story, plus one story up and/or down.

• All Stories: The roof ’s outline - regardless of its actual location - will be shown on every story of the project.

• All Relevant Stories: The roof will be shown and editable on all stories which it physically intersects.


Virtual Building

• Custom: Choose this option if you wish to set separate display combinations for the roof ’s outline and fill. The Show on Stories: Custom Settings dialog box appears, where you can set separate story display options for the roof ’s outline and its fill. (Once you set these Custom Settings, use the Edit Custom option to edit them.)

For a Slab or Mesh, the same options are available as for the Roof, except for All Relevant Stories (since there are no multi-story versions of these elements):

See also “Line Types of Construction Elements Displayed Across Stories” on page 163.For Beams, the same options are available as for the Roof, except for Custom settings:

Objects and Stairs have a unique display option: One Story up and One Story Down. This way, you can opt to not display these elements on their Home Story at all.

Line Types of Construction Elements Displayed Across StoriesFor Slabs, Meshes, certain Library Parts and Stairs: The element’s outline on remote stories will be displayed using the line type chosen in Options > Project Preferences > Construction Elements.

Define Element’s Floor Plan Display

Use the Floor Plan Display pop-up to display Walls, Curtain Walls, Beams, Columns and Roofs in one of several representations. This pop-up control is located on the Floor Plan & Section panel of the element’s Tool Settings dialog box.

1) Projected with Overhead: shows cut part of element (e.g., as cut at the level of the Floor Plan Cut Plane), plus the element’s overhead part (i.e. the part of the element that is above the Floor Plan Cut Plane.Note: “Projected with Overhead” is the default display setting for slanted or complex columns and walls, and for all roofs and beams.


Virtual Building

2) Projected: shows cut part of element, plus its uncut (downward) part in 3D-like form.

If you choose either of these “projected” options (Projected with Overhead or Projected), you can then further define the extent of the projection, using the Show Projection options.For more information, see “Define Range of Element’s Projected Display (Show Projection)” on page 164.3) Cut Only: displays only the cut part, as cut with the Floor Plan

Cut Plane.Some additional abstract display options are available:4) Symbolic Cut: (Available only for non-slanted and non-complex walls

and for vertical or complex columns.) The whole floor plan projection of non-slanted, non-complex walls or vertical (simple or complex) columns will be displayed as cut, using their cut line and cut fill attributes, regardless of the elements’ vertical position. This option is available only for simple straight walls or columns, or for complex columns, and only if the Show on Story control is set to Home Story only. The Floor Plan Cut Plane settings do not affect the display of these elements.

5) Symbolic with Overhead: This display option is available for Curtain Walls only.

See “Curtain Wall Settings: System Page: Floor Plan and Section Panel” in ArchiCAD Help6) Outlines Only: the entire element’s outline is shown using its

uncut attributes. (Uncut attributes are set for each element using the “Outline” controls of the Floor Plan and Section panel of its Settings dialog box.)

7) Overhead All: the entire element’s outline is shown using its overhead attributes. (Overhead attributes are set for each element

using the “Outline” controls of the Floor Plan and Section panel of its Settings dialog box.)Note: When opening projects from an earlier format of ArchiCAD, the Floor Plan display of construction elements will automatically be set to predefined Floor Plan Display settings which correspond to traditional architectural standards for these elements. You can reset any element’s Floor Plan Display setting as needed.

Define Range of Element’s Projected Display (Show Projection)

The Show Projection pop-up provides options for setting the range within which a multi-story element (Wall, Curtain Wall, Column, Beam, Roof) should be displayed. This control is therefore only available if the element’s Floor Plan Display is set (using the Floor Plan Display pop-up) to either “Projected” or “Projected with Overhead.”

• Entire Element (default setting): The element will be displayed on all relevant stories.

However, you may prefer not to show the entire element. In this case, you have two other ways to set its display in the Show Projection pop-up:1) by Relative Floor Plan Range: Choose to show the element on

a range of stories (the current story, plus a given number of stories above and below it, and an optional offset.)

If you choose this option, this element will be shown on the stories defined as the Relative Floor Plan Range (i.e. the number of stories on which to show this element in either direction) in Document > Floor Plan Cut Plane.


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In certain situations, the current Floor Plan Cut Plane and Relative Floor Plan Range settings may conflict:

• The Cut Plane level may be outside the current Floor Plan Range (e.g. an extremely small story height as compared to the default Cut Plane level). In this case, the Cut Plane will be automatically relocated to the upper limit of the Floor Plan Range (or to its lower limit, if the Cut Plane would fall below the lower limit).

• The lower Floor Plan Range limit may be higher than the upper limit. In this case, the lower limit will be considered as both the lower and upper limit of the Floor Plan Range (which will also equals the Cut Plane level, as described in (1) above.)

2) by Absolute Display Limit: Set a fixed lower limit (by default, this is Project Zero), then show all parts of the element above this limit.

If you choose this option, then the Absolute Display Limit set in Document > Floor Plan Cut Plane determines this element’s lower display limit.

For more information, see “Floor Plan Cut Plane Settings Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.

Examples of Floor Plan Display Settings

Suppose your settings are as follows:• Show on Story: Automatic

This means that each multi-story construction element will be displayed on each relevant story of the Floor Plan.

• Floor Plan Display: Projected with Overhead

This means that each construction element will be displayed in its entirety, its cut portion, its overhead portion, and its uncut portion, with the line types and pen colors you set in the dialog box for each of these parameters

• Show Projection: Entire Element

This means that the displayed projection is not limited by either an absolute display limit or by a defined vertical range.

Consider the following building with slanted walls:


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As you view the building on its various stories, its Floor Plan appearance changes accordingly: although the entire wall is indicated on every story, the cut and overhead segments are different on every story.

Non-Standard Projections for Construction ElementsIn the example below, the structure is shown on 3 stories:• the Curtain Wall is set to “Projected with Overhead” and “Entire

Element”• the mullions - made of columns - are “Cut Only”• the round structural columns are set to “Projected with

Overhead” and “Floor Plan Range” (on each story, only their relevant section is displayed)


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3D WindowThe 3D window displays your model in real perspective or axonometry: this gives the best overall view of what the final building will really look like, inside and out.

In the 3D window, you can directly edit your model, and create new construction elements, in either perspective or parallel view, using any of the construction tools.

The 3D window is directly linked to the Floor Plan and to the Section/Elevation/IE windows: any changes made on the Floor Plan or in a Section/Elevation/IE window will be visible in the 3D window and vice versa.

All 3D Documents are derived from a 3D Window source. If you change the projection, the cutting planes, the zoom level or the selected/marqueed/filtered items of the 3D source window, you can redefine the 3D Document accordingly.See “3D Document” on page 192.Special navigation techniques in the 3D Window let you explore the model much more freely than in other windows.For more information, see “Navigation in the 3D Window” on page 62.The 3D display of individual construction elements is controlled by the options of the Model panel in its Settings Dialog box.General settings affecting the parameters for displaying the 3D window are in 3D Window Settings.See “3D Window Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.The commands that affect the set of elements displayed in 3D are in the View > Elements in 3D View and the View > 3D View Mode hierarchical menus. These commands are also accessible in the 3D Visualization toolbar.

Open the 3D WindowTo open or activate the 3D window, do one of the following:• press the F3 key• use the Window > 3D Window command• press the 3D window control on the 3D Visualization

toolbar or the Mini-Navigator toolbar.• use context menu commands from right-clicking on blank space

in the current window:


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The following sections provide details on working with the 3D window.

Show All in 3D

To show the entire model in 3D, regardless of any current selection, use the View > Elements in 3D View > Show All option. This command’s shortcut is Ctrl + F5.The full model display resulting from the Show All command may be limited by filtering criteria as set in the Filter Elements in 3D dialog box.See “Filter Elements to Show in 3D” on page 169.

Show Selection in 3D

For a 3D display of only the explicitly selected items, use the View > Elements in 3D View > Show Selection/Marquee in 3D command from any type of editable window. (Or use the 3D Visualization toolbar control for this command.)

If your plan includes both explicitly selected elements and a marquee selection, this command will disregard the marquee and show only the explicitly selected elements.Show Selection/Marquee in 3D also works if you are already in the 3D Window and make an explicit selection there, then execute the Show Selection command. The caption of the 3D Window will

include the “Selection” mention and the name of the home story of the selected element(s).If the 3D Window’s content is based on explicit selection and you add elements to it, these will be preserved in the 3D Window as long as you continue to work in it.

Note: Another command, Show Previous Selection/Marquee in 3D, will display the last 3D view generated by the Show Selection/Marquee command. This command is not visible in ArchiCAD by default; to use it, you must customize a menu or toolbar to include this command, using Options > Work Environment > Menus (or Toolbars).

For more information, see “Menu Customization Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.

Show Marquee Area in 3D

To show only the marqueed element(s) in 3D, use the View > Elements in 3D View > Show Selection/Marquee in 3D command.The caption of the 3D Window will include the “Marquee” mention.For more information on defining a marquee area, see “Marquee Area” on page 85.If your plan includes both explicitly selected elements and a marquee selection, this command will disregard the marquee and show only the explicitly selected elements.


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Marquee Effect: By default, the elements inside the Marquee will be displayed and they will be cropped to the marquee area. However, you can adjust the Marquee effect to show the elements outside the marquee instead of those inside: use the Marquee Effect controls in View > Elements in 3D View > Filter Elements in 3D, and choose the Outside Marquee radio button.See “Filter Elements in 3D Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.To show the entirety of elements that fall partly inside the marquee - without cropping them - uncheck the Trim Elements to Marquee checkbox (also under Marquee Effect, in View > Elements in 3D View > Filter Elements in 3D).

Elements in a Marqueed 3D WindowIf you create an element in the 3D Window which is delimited by a marquee, the new element will only appear in the 3D Window if you draw it inside the marquee area. If you place a new element outside the boundaries of a Marquee-based 3D view, or drag an existing element outside the Marquee boundaries, that element will disappear immediately from the 3D Window. When you go to the Floor Plan, however, you will see the elements. Change your marquee area (or remove it) and return to the 3D Window to check it.If you select one or more elements in a trimmed 3D view, resulting from either a Marquee area or a 3D Cutaway, some elements will be only partially visible, but selection dots of the whole element will be displayed and all the nodes and edges can be found with the cursor.

If edited, a temporary ghosted image of the whole element will be visible.

Default Display in 3D

If you simply switch to the 3D window, without using any specific 3D display command, the 3D window will display the contents last shown in the 3D window, irrespective of what might be selected in any other window.

Filter Elements to Show in 3D

Use the View > Elements in 3D View > Filter Elements in 3D command, then activating or deactivating the checkboxes of the different types. Only those elements whose checkbox is active will be displayed in the 3D window.If you are displaying a Marquee area in 3D, the Marquee Effect part of this dialog box provides options on what to include in the 3D window.


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The Stories to Show in 3D part of this dialog box lets you define a range of stories for display.

For more information, see “Filter Elements in 3D Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.

Note: You may wish to display 3D Zones as solid bodies in shading mode, and all other elements types in wireframe mode. To achieve this effect (a default setting in previous ArchiCAD versions), apply the predefined “Show 3D Zones as Solid” Layer Combination.

Save Contents of 3D Window as a View

If you save the contents of your 3D window as a view (see “Saving a View” on page 73), the 3D Only panel of its View Settings dialog box will provide feedback on whether that view is a result of a filter or a marquee selection.

3D view settings include: 3D projection settings (including zooming), filter elements in 3D, 3D window settings, 3D cutting planes, 3D cutaway and photo rendering settings.

You can redefine a 3D view by changing these settings in the 3D window, then use the View Settings 3D Only Panel to redefine the view accordingly.

For more information, see “View Settings 3D Only Panel” in ArchiCAD Help.

3D Engines

3D Engines are built-in configurations which control the generation of the 3D model in ArchiCAD. By default, two engines are offered:• Internal 3D Engine• OpenGL EngineTo choose an engine, go to: View > 3D View Mode > 3D Window Settings and use the 3D Engine pop-up, or use the Engine commands at the bottom of the View > 3D View Mode menu.1) Internal 3D engine

The internal 3D engine is most useful for working in the 3D window: views generated by the internal engine show vectorial patterns and are easy to print. It produces a simple, clean, navigable 3D view, without textures. The internal engine is optimized for simple, non-photorealistic architectural representation, and for direct output from the 3D window


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without using photorendering. The internal engine features more visualization effects than OpenGL, but usually results in slower navigation and access to the model on most machines.

For more information, see “Internal Rendering Engine” in ArchiCAD Help.2) OpenGL engine

The OpenGL engine for 3D is recommended if you have a high-performance OpenGL display card. Some effects, such as sun shadows, vectorial 3D hatching and saving the contents of the 3D window as a vectorial 2D drawing, are not available with OpenGL. Additional options for OpenGL can be accessed by clicking the Options button of 3D Window Settings.

See also “3D Window Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.

OpenGL is a bitmap-based technology. Consequently, 3D views created using the OpenGL engine will be placed as image files.

Important: Open GL is optimized for fast, smooth navigation during model development. It displays textures correctly, but features fewer model effects; it can be considered an interactive preview of the rendering. OpenGL’s output capability is more limited than that of the internal engine, since it is based on bitmap technology. OpenGL will produce significantly faster on-screen navigation on most machines, provided that the supporting hardware is available.

For more information, see “Open GL Options” in ArchiCAD Help.


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The following image uses OpenGL with the Transparency effect enabled in View > 3D View Mode > 3D Window Settings:

3D View Modes

When using ArchiCAD’s Internal 3D engine, three 3D viewing modes are offered: Wireframe, Hidden Line, and Shading. They can be chosen from the View > 3D View Mode > 3D Window Settings dialog box or using the commands of the View > 3D View Mode menu.

Note: When using the OpenGL engine, only the Wireframe and Shading modes are available.

The icons of the 3D Modes are also accessible if you display the predefined Window > Toolbars > Simple 3D toolbar.

Wireframe, Hidden Lines, Shading

Choosing Wireframe mode creates a view showing all the edges and lines of your Project. Note that if you have many elements one behind the other, this type of view can be hard to interpret.In Hidden Line mode, those lines which are blocked from view by solid objects are removed. This type of view is the best choice for easy interpretation, if you do not want a shaded view. It is also suitable for hard copy output on a printer. Hidden Lines can be saved in many file formats, either as 2D or 3D files.Choosing the Shading method causes your 3D model to appear with all of its visible surfaces shaded according to the light direction set in the 3D Projection Settings dialog box. The colors of the surfaces are determined by the material attributes of the construction elements (regardless of the color of light set in the Sun dialog box). For more information, see “3D Projection Settings” in ArchiCAD Help and “Materials” on page 36.Shading is recommended for:• Fast on-screen feedback• Easy checking of surface colors• Any presentation for which photorealistic quality is not a

requirement

3D Projections

ArchiCAD can display parallel (axonometric) projections and perspectives.


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Axonometric projections automatically show the entire model in the center of your view. Perspectives are defined by a viewpoint and a specific target.When the 3D window is active, the 3D Navigator Preview Palette contains a miniature representation of the entire project view. This allows you a quick way to modify your 3D Projection Settings, whether perspective or parallel (axonometric); you can adjust the view cone or change the axonometry while retaining an overview of the whole project.See “Navigator Preview (3D)” on page 64.

3D Projection SettingsThe View > 3D View Mode > 3D Projection Settings command from the menu or from the Mini-Navigator’s pop-up menu opens the dialog box that contains all the controls you need to define the 3D view.The name and contents of the dialog box depend on the projection type: Parallel Projection Settings or Perspective Settings. You can easily switch from one settings dialog to the other with the button at the top right corner.

The projections that you define in the 3D Projection Settings dialog box remain valid only until the next time you open the dialog box and modify them.For more information, see “3D Projection Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.

How to Switch Between Axonometric and Perspective ViewsYou can switch between the 3D Window’s “Perspective” and “Axonometry” views by using the:• Predefined shortcuts:

Ctrl+F3 = AxonometryShift+F3 = Perspective

• commands available from View > 3D View Mode:

• 3D Visualization toolbar:

• Mini-Navigator toolbar:

• Navigator Palette:

How to Store a 3D ProjectionTo store projections that you set up in the 3D Window, you can:• Use the Save Current View command from the context menu

of the Navigator palette. This will create a view (perspective or axonometric) based on the currently set up projection in the 3D window. The new view will be added to your Navigator View Map.

• Add the current perspective to your Project Map, using the View > 3D Navigation Extras > Place a Camera into the path command. A camera capturing the current perspective will also appear on the Floor Plan.

For more information, see “Cameras” on page 513.• Add the current axonometric (parallel) projection to the series of

Pre-Set views, using the View > 3D Navigation Extras > Add Current Projection command.

For more information, see “Pre-Set Projections” in ArchiCAD Help and “3D Navigation Extras” on page 174.


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3D Navigation Extras

Other controls useful in modifying the 3D view are available from the View > 3D Navigation Extras (or a toolbar containing 3D window commands). These controls allow you to:• Interactively set the target point for the perspective (Look to).• Switch to a view perpendicular to a given point (Look to

perpendicular).• Reset the roll angle to zero to rapidly return from a bizarre view

obtained during navigation (Reset Roll Angle).• Return with a single command to a horizontal view of the model

(Horizontal View).• Edit pre-set projections and Add current projection: These

commands are available if you are viewing an axonometric (parallel) projection.

For more information, see “Pre-Set Projections” in ArchiCAD Help.• Put a camera into the path (for perspectives). This command

adds the current perspective to the Project Map, if no camera is selected on the Floor Plan. If you have cameras on the Floor Plan already that define an animation path, the new camera will be added after the active camera in the active path, which is marked by its view cone on the Floor Plan.

If you are in perspective view, the following commands are also available from View > 3D Navigation Extras:

Note: As you use these commands to change the camera selection, the selected item in the Navigator Project Map also changes accordingly.

• Go to the previous/Go to the next: Use these commands to navigate to the perspective views of the previous and next cameras in the active path, and to select the camera.

• Modify the selected: The selected camera will be updated to reflect the perspective view that you currently see in the 3D window. Use this when you have changed the view in the 3D window.

• Revert view to the selected: Discards all changes you made manually and shows the 3D model as the selected camera sees it.

• Insert a new camera after the selected one: A new camera is added to the path to define the current perspective view, and will be selected.

For more information, see “Cameras” on page 513.

3D “Cutaway” Sections

3D Cutaway is an imaging mode in ArchiCAD. With 3D Cutaway active, you can produce either ordinary cross sections or special sections to visualize the project in new ways. 3D Cutaway can be useful for special 3D visualizations allowing an insight into building spaces. The 3D section cuts you define are stored within the project document and can be recreated after opening the Project in a future session. Once the sectional 3D model has been created, you can save it in a variety of formats for additional work.3D Cutaway settings will take effect in the 3D Document. Separate Model Display Settings for the 3D Document allow you to define materials for the surfaces cut by 3D Cutaway.See “3D Document” on page 192.

How to Create a 3D Cutaway3D Cutaway works by applying cutting planes to the 3D model. These cutting planes are defined in the 3D Cutting Planes dialog box.For more information, see “3D Cutting Planes Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.


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After defining 3D Cutting Planes in the dialog box, activate View > Elements in 3D View > 3D Cutaway. (To deactivate 3D Cutaway, press the command again.) If the View > Elements in 3D View > 3D Cutaway command is active, these cutting planes are applied to the model every time it is rebuilt.

Sections

About Sections

The Section tool is used to place a Section marker. The Section marker can take one of three different forms:

1) a source marker, which generates a section viewpoint

2) a linked marker, which does not generate a section viewpoint, but acts as a reference to any other view, viewpoint or drawing.

3) an unlinked marker containing custom text

Note: An easy way to distinguish between source-type and linked/unlinked markers is to use the “Highlight Source Markers” option, which is activated by default at View > On-Screen View Options.

See also “Source Marker Highlight” on page 205.

To generate a Section, you draw a Section line on the Floor Plan and place a Section source marker, which generates a new viewpoint in ArchiCAD. You can set this marker to display a variety of reference information - such as the first drawing that is created out of this Section viewpoint - for easy navigation and identification.

Each newly created Section viewpoint is listed in the Navigator Project Map, in the “Sections” part.

Elements in the Section viewpoint depend on the Section Status, defined in Section Settings. A Model Section contains editable construction elements linked and updated with their counterparts on the Floor Plan, as well as any 2D elements. A Drawing Section contains drawing primitives, which are not linked to the Floor Plan and do not reflect its changes.

In the Section window, you can view and modify elements but you cannot create new construction elements. (The only exception is if you use the “Drag a copy” command to move a Door/Window, in a model-type Section window.) If you paste an element into a Section window, it will be reproduced as drawing primitives (points, lines, fills).Sections can be saved as Views and placed on a Layout as Drawings; the contents of a Section window can also be published directly.To place a linked or unlinked Section marker, use the Section tool in any of the following windows: Floor Plan, Section, Elevation, Interior Elevation, Detail, Worksheet. Such a marker is a linked marker, and you can use it to link it to any viewpoint, view or drawing in the project. A linked marker is for reference purposes only. See an example at “Place a Linked Section Marker” on page 180.You can choose and format the Section Line and Marker object in Section Settings.

Section Line on the Floor Plan


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Create a Section Viewpoint

Note: The creation process is identical for Elevations.To create a section with its source in the model, you must place a section marker on the Floor Plan. (This is a “source” section marker.)

Note: Another type of Section viewpoint is the Independent Section, having no model source.

See “Create an Independent Section Viewpoint” on page 182.1) Activate the Section tool.2) In the Info Box or Section Default Settings, make sure that

“Create new section viewpoint” is selected.

3) Choose an input method (either Straight Line or Staggered Line) from the Info Box and draw a Section line on the Floor Plan.

• Straight line: click twice to define each end of the line.

• Staggered line: click as many times as needed to define each segment of the Section line. Double-click to complete the input line.

The Eyeball cursor appears.

4) With the eyeball cursor, click on either side of the line to set the orientation of the Section. The place where you click also defines the Section’s limit line, if you have chosen a “Limited” horizontal range in Section Tool Settings.

5) The Marker is automatically placed after the section line is completed. (If you are placing a Section of limited horizontal range, the limit line is also placed automatically.)

Note: Source markers are distinguished on screen by an optional semi-transparent solid fill. (Use View > On-screen View Options > Highlight Source Marker to enable or disable this distinguishing fill for all source markers. The color of this fill can be set in Options > Work Environment > More Options.)

6) A new Section viewpoint is created and listed in the Navigator Project Map.

Other information about the new Section viewpoint - its Markers and Reference information, Model Display, and Story Lines - can be defined in the Section Settings dialog box.

For more information, see “Section Tool Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.

Section lineLimit Line


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Define Horizontal/Vertical Range of Section Viewpoint

Note: This process is identical for Elevations.Use the controls in the General Panel of Section Settings to define the Section geometry.

Horizontal Range• An infinite Horizontal Range shows the full extent of the visible

model from the Section line.• A limited Horizontal range shows the model between the

Section line and its limit, which is placed automatically. Once it is placed, you can select the limit line and move it, if necessary.

• A zero-depth range shows only the parts of the model cut by the Section line, at the cut location only. (For Elevations, there is no “zero depth” option.)

For more information, see “Horizontal Range (for Source Section markers only)” in ArchiCAD Help.

Vertical Range• A Section with an infinite Vertical Range shows all stories of the

model.• If you choose limited

Vertical Range, enter the elevation values corresponding to the vertical range of the model you wish to include in the Section.

Editing a Section’s Horizontal Range and Distant Area LimitYou can change the depth (horizontal range) of a selected section by moving the limit line: make sure that the Section tool is active, then move the line by clicking it and dragging to the desired position.

You can also move the Distant Area limit line, if such a limit has been defined in Section Settings.

Note: An optional “distant” area of your Section viewpoint, with separate colors/effects, is created if you check the Marked Distant Area box in Section Settings (Model Display Panel). The Distant Area limit line is then displayed as part of your Section.

See “Section Model Display Panel (for Source Section markers only)” in ArchiCAD Help.Both the Section limit line and the secondary “distant” line are on-screen-only elements.• To show or hide the Section limit line (horizontal range) and the

Distant Area limit line on the Floor Plan, use the toggle control in View > On-Screen View Options > Marker Range.

• To change these line types/colors, use the control in Options > Project Preferences > Miscellaneous.

For more information, see “Display of Marker Range Lines” on page 205.

Define Marker Reference for Source Marker

Follow these steps to define reference information for source-type Section, Elevation, Interior Elevation, Detail and Worksheet markers.When placing a new source marker on the Floor Plan to create a viewpoint, the tool’s Default Settings gives you two choices for defining the Marker Reference:

• the viewpoint, or• the first placed drawing of the viewpointIn other words, the marker will display information pertaining either to the viewpoint you are currently creating, or to the first drawing created from this new viewpoint. (“First” means the topmost eligible drawing in the Navigator Layout Book.)


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For example, the following Section has been defined to display the information of the first placed drawing created out of this viewpoint.If you choose “first placed drawing,” and no drawing has been placed yet, the marker will display autotext (such as #DrgID), and once the drawing is placed, this autotext will be replaced by the relevant information.If you select an already placed source marker and open the tool’s Selection Settings or Info box, you have two additional choices, because the viewpoint may already have multiple drawings or views created out of it:• the selected drawing• the first placed drawing of the selected viewChoosing either of these two options will bring up a directory dialog box showing the Navigator Layout Book or the Navigator View Map. Eligible drawings/views are available for selection (i.e., those which have been created from the selected Section viewpoint); other items are greyed and cannot be selected.

Note: The option to refer to a view is available in case the desired Drawing is located in a different project's Layout Book (and is therefore not listed in the “Define Marker Reference” dialog box).

See “To import a Drawing from another ArchiCAD project file:” on page 429.

Since you cannot refer to the actual drawing, you can refer to the View (in the current project) from which the Drawing was created (in the other project). The marker will display the drawing data of the first drawing created out of this view as autotext (e.g. #Drawing Name, #DrgID). Once the Layout Book that contains the reference drawing is opened alongside the project containing the marker, the marker will fill in the correct drawing data.The link information that will appear in the marker is previewed in the Reference to text field, as long as the referred item (such as a drawing) already exists in the project.

Note: The same marker information is shown in the Marker Panel in the Section Settings dialog box.

Assign Section Status

Note: The process for assigning a status is identical for Sections, Elevations and Interior Elevations. 3D Document status can be either Auto-rebuild or Manual Rebuild, but not Drawing.

When creating each new Section, you assign it a status in the General panel of Section Settings. A Section can have one of three statuses: Auto-rebuild Model, Manual-rebuild Model, and Drawing.

Each Section’s status defines the link between the Section and the model on the Floor Plan, and its rebuild method.• In the two Model statuses (Auto-rebuild and Manual-rebuild),

the window consists of construction elements; any changes made in a Model Section window can be updated in the Floor Plan window, as well as in the 3D window and in other Section windows, and vice versa.

• In a Section of Drawing status, construction elements are decomposed into 2D fills, arcs and lines. Changes made in this kind of window are not updated in other windows. You can, however, update the drawing to reflect recent changes made to the model.


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Construction elements are editable in both Autorebuild and Manual-rebuild Model status windows, but no new construction elements can be created within them, with the exception of duplicating existing Doors and Windows. Even by copying construction elements and pasting them back you can only obtain plain, additional drawing elements.

Warning: Clearing a construction element from a Section Window of model status (either Autorebuild or Manual-rebuild) will also clear it from both the Floor Plan and the 3D model.

Regardless of a section’s status, you can add 2D graphics, annotation and dimensioning.

For more information, see “Updating Sections” on page 182.

Display of Elements in Section Window

Note: The controls for the display of elements is nearly identical for Elevations and Interior Elevations.

Use the Model Display controls in Section Settings to define the appearance of cut and uncut elements in the Section Window. Here you can define any vectorial shadows and separate display options for a section’s “distant area”.

For more information, see “Section Model Display Panel (for Source Section markers only)” in ArchiCAD Help.

The following section window is displayed with Vectorial Hatching “on” (as shown by the roof tiles) and with Vectorial Sun Shadow “on” (as shown by the shadow cast by the roof overhang.)

Another effect is to display the materials of uncut surfaces in “shaded” mode - that is, to reflect rounded contours:

You can combine the two effects (cast shadows and shaded effect) in a single Section display:

Open a Section Viewpoint

To open a Section viewpoint, double-click its name in the Navigator, or use a menu command. (View > Navigate > Sections > Open Section). Another way to open the viewpoint is to select the Section line on the Floor Plan and use the “Open Section” command from the context menu.By default, each Section is opened in a single window, replacing the previous opened Section. To open multiple Section windows at a


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time, open each new Section from the Navigator, using the Open in new window context menu command.

Place a Linked Section Marker

Note: This process is identical for Elevations, Details and Worksheets.

Linked section markers have no model source and do not generate a new viewpoint. Instead, they are placed in the project, then linked by the user to an existing viewpoint, view or drawing whose information is displayed in the marker. You can place a linked Section marker in any of the following windows: Floor Plan; Section; Elevation; Interior Elevation; 3D Document; Worksheet; Detail.For example, you might create a Wall Section that functions like a Detail: First, place a source Detail marker in the Section window;

then place a linked Wall Section marker on the Floor Plan which is linked to this Detail.

This linked Section marker points you to the Detail of this wall’s Section.To place a linked section marker:1) Activate the Section tool.2) In the Info Box or Section Default

Settings, make sure that “Place Linked Marker” is selected.

3) Define the Marker Reference using the appearing dialog box.See “Define Marker Reference for Linked Marker” on page 181.4) Choose an input method (either Straight Line or Staggered Line)

from the Info Box and draw a Section line on the plan.

• Straight line: click twice to define each end of the line.• Staggered line: click as many times as needed to define each

segment of the Section line. Double-click to complete the input line.Note: The Staggered line option is not available for Elevations.

The Eyeball cursor appears.5) With the eyeball cursor, click on either side of the line to set the

orientation of the linked Section marker.6) The Marker is automatically placed after the section line is

completed.


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Define Marker Reference for Linked Marker

Follow these steps to define reference information for linked Section, Elevation, Detail and Worksheet markers.

For a new linked marker, or to redefine an already placed selected marker, you have these choices:

• The selected viewpoint (i.e., the viewpoint you select from the directory list after choosing “Browse”).

• The selected drawing (i.e., the drawing you select from the directory list after choosing “Browse”).

• The first placed drawing of the selected viewpoint (i.e., the first drawing created from the viewpoint you select from the directory list after choosing “Browse.”). “First” means the topmost eligible drawing in the Navigator Layout Book.

• The first placed drawing of the selected view (i.e., the first drawing created from the view you select from the directory list after choosing “Browse.”). “First” means the topmost eligible drawing in the Navigator Layout Book.

Choosing any of these reference options will bring up a directory dialog box showing the relevant view of the Navigator (Project Map, View Map, or Layout Book). Choose the desired viewpoint, view or drawing. The chosen item’s information will be displayed in the linked marker.

Thus, a linked marker can refer to any viewpoint, view or drawing in the project.

If you are redefining a selected marker, click the Browse button to bring up the Define Marker Reference directory, and choose the item whose information you wish the marker to refer to.

Note: The option to refer to a view is available in case the desired Drawing is located in a different project's Layout Book (and is therefore not listed in the “Define Marker Reference” dialog box). Since you cannot refer to the actual drawing, you can refer to the View (in the current project) from which the Drawing was created (in the other project). The marker will display the drawing data of the first drawing created out of this view as autotext (e.g. #Drawing Name, #DrgID). Once the Layout Book that contains the reference drawing is opened alongside the project containing the marker, the marker will fill in the correct drawing data.

See “To import a Drawing from another ArchiCAD project file:” on page 429.

After the marker is placed, you can still go back and change its marker information at any time.

Place an Unlinked Marker

Follow these steps to place an unlinked marker with the Section, Elevation, Detail or Worksheet tool.

1) In Default Settings or the Info Box, choose “Placed Unlinked Marker.”

Such a marker displays no linked information.

2) Define any custom text for the marker using the Custom text fields in the parameter list in the Marker Panel of the Settings dialog box.


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3) Draw a line or boundary (depending on the tool) and place a marker in any of the following windows: Floor Plan; Section; Elevation; Interior Elevation; Worksheet; Detail; 3D Document.

Create an Independent Section Viewpoint

Note: This process is identical for Independent Elevation Viewpoints.

“Independent” sections, with or without a marker, can be created in some windows. These viewpoints have no model source; they are listed as “Independent” viewpoints in the Navigator.You can use 2D tools to create or add new content in the independent viewpoint. Use copy-paste to transfer selected items from a Trace Reference into the drawing window in 2D form for further editing.To create an independent Section without a marker, use the “Create New Independent Section” command. This creates an empty viewpoint without a marker, but listed in the Navigator.This command is accessible:• from the Section part of the Navigator Project Map. Right-click

on this folder and choose the “New Independent Section” command from the context menu

• or from the Document > Documenting Tools submenu• or by clicking the New Viewpoint folder at the bottom of the

Navigator Project Map; the selected Project Map item (in this case, a Section) determines which kind of new viewpoint will be created.

If you wish this independent Section viewpoint to be linked to a marker, place a linked Section marker into the project and link it (“Marker Reference to”) to the existing independent Section.

Updating Sections

Note: The updating process is identical for Sections, Elevations, Interior Elevations and 3D Documents.

Each Section’s status defines the link (and rebuild method) between the Section and the model on the Floor Plan.For information on assigning Section status, see “Assign Section Status” on page 178.

Updating an Autorebuild Model Section

An Autorebuild Model Section is linked to the Floor Plan model and can be edited interactively. If the Floor Plan has changed, a Section in Autorebuild Model status will be automatically rebuilt every time it is opened or brought to the front of the screen.Changes to existing construction elements in the Section window (including associative dimensions) will automatically be updated in the Floor Plan Window, and, when activated, in any other Section Window and the 3D Window. The update process works on construction elements only; 2D elements added to either the Floor Plan or Section window will not be reflected in the other window.If you are in Autorebuild status and you are editing elements inside the Section window, the rebuild function is continuous and immediate within this window. However, in large plans, continuous auto-rebuild can cause slowdowns. If you prefer that your Section


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window be rebuilt only when it is opened or brought to the front of the screen (the way it worked in ArchiCAD 9), go to the Options >Project Preferences > Miscellaneous tab page and uncheck the “Update Autorebuild Model...” checkbox.

If you nevertheless need to Rebuild manually, the View > Refresh > Rebuild from Model command is available. (The plain View > Refresh > Rebuild command, used to refresh 2D drawing elements, is not available for Autorebuild Model windows.)

Note: Some complex changes to the plan (e.g., modifying a Library Part) do not appear automatically in Model Section Windows. For a Manual-rebuild section, use the View > Refresh > Rebuild command; for an Autorebuild section, use View > Refresh > Rebuild from Model to see these changes reflected properly.

Updating a Manual-Rebuild Section

A Section having Manual-Rebuild Model status is not rebuilt automatically. It can be rebuilt from the model only by using the View > Refresh > Rebuild from Model command in the menu. In this case, any additional drawing elements you have added to the Section window will remain unchanged.

Updating a Drawing Section

Not applicable for 3D Documents, which are either Autorebuild or Manual-Rebuild type documents.

• To rebuild a Drawing-status Section, use View > Refresh > Rebuild. These commands refresh the view as a 2D drawing, fixing any potential temporary display errors.

• For a complete refreshing of a Drawing-status Section window, choose View > Refresh > Rebuild from Model. This will refresh the contents of these windows to fully reflect the current state of the Virtual Building model. In the process, all 2D elements originating from the model will be removed and an up-to-date view will be generated. This means that any previous manual editing of this artwork will be lost. 2D artwork added to the drawing manually will be kept intact.

Summary of Rebuild Commands

The View > Refresh > Rebuild command is available in all construction windows. It rebuilds the model in the currently active window.

Additional Rebuild commands in the View > Refresh menu are available if the active window is a Section/Elevation/IE, 3D Document, or a Detail or a Worksheet.

Rebuild from Model: Use this command to rebuild the active window; this will refresh the window information to reflect modifications in the Floor Plan.

Rebuild from Source View: This command is available only in the Detail and Worksheet windows.

The following commands might not be visible in the View > Refresh menu by default. You can customize your menu (Options > Work Environment > Menus) to include these commands if needed.

For more information, see “Customizing Menus” on page 49.

Also, these commands are available from the context menu of the folders in the Navigator Project Map and View Map.

Rebuild All from Model: Use this command to rebuild all Section/Elevation/IE windows in your project.

Rebuild All Model Sections from Model: Use this command to rebuild all the Section windows of Model status (either Autorebuild Model or Manual-Rebuild Model).

Rebuild All Drawing Sections from Model: Use this command to rebuild all Drawing-status Section windows.


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Display of Section Lines and Markers

Note: This information also applies to Elevations.To customize the attributes of a Section’s line marker, use the controls in Section Settings Marker and Marker Head panels.

For more information, see Section Marker Panel and “Section Marker Head Panel” in ArchiCAD Help.

Adjusting or Breaking Section Lines

Note: This process is identical for Elevations. However, Elevation lines cannot be segmented.

To manipulate a selected Section line as a whole, you can use the Arrow tool, the Marquee tool, or Edit menu commands, as well as their counterpart commands from the pet palette.To change the length of a Section line, select it, then click the pet palette’s stretch icon to stretch the line at either of its endpoints.To break a Section line or line segment:• Select the line’s midpoint.

• Choose the Break Section/Elevation Line icon from the pet palette.

• Click to break the segment in half, then move the newly created half-segment to a new position. Click to place.

To move a segment of a Section line, select the Section Marker, then use the pet palette’s Move Section line segment icon to move it.

To eliminate a break in a staggered Section line, select the Section line, then pull the break line (perpendicular to the Section line) out of the section range.

Elevations ArchiCAD has a separate tool for creating Elevation viewpoints

and linked or unlinked Elevation markers. In contrast to Sections:• Elevations generally do not “slice through” the structure, but

rather create a cross-section view of the structure from a distant point.

• There is no “zero depth” option for the Elevation’s horizontal range.

• Elevation markers are conventionally different from Section markers; consequently, the Marker options in Elevation Settings vary from their counterparts in Section Settings.

• Unlike the Section Line, the Elevation line is an on-screen-only Marker item, and is not shown on the Layout.

See “Display of Marker Range Lines” on page 205.


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In all other respects, the Elevation Tool works the same way as the Section Tool. • To create an Elevation viewpoint, you must place a source-type

Elevation marker on the Floor Plan. • The resulting Elevation viewpoint has a Status (Model or

Drawing) which determines its update process. • The Elevation Settings Model Display Panel defines the display

of the Elevation viewpoint, while the Marker and Marker Head panels determine the content and display of the Elevation marker.

• A linked-type Elevation marker, containing reference information only (without creating a viewpoint), can be placed in the Floor Plan, Section, Elevation, Interior Elevation, 3D Document, Detail or Worksheet Window.

• Unlinked Elevation markers can also be placed.For more information, see the following topics:“Create a Section Viewpoint” on page 176,“Define Horizontal/Vertical Range of Section Viewpoint” on page 177,“Assign Section Status” on page 178,“Display of Elements in Section Window” on page 179,“Define Marker Reference for Source Marker” on page 177,“Place a Linked Section Marker” on page 180,“Define Marker Reference for Linked Marker” on page 181,“Place an Unlinked Marker” on page 181,“Create an Independent Section Viewpoint” on page 182,“Updating Sections” on page 182,“Display of Section Lines and Markers” on page 184.

Moving an Elevation MarkerThis option is available only for Elevation and Interior Elevation markers. Select the Elevation line; the marker will be selected and will display a node.Click on this node and choose the Move Elevation Marker command from the pet palette, then drag the marker to the desired position. The marker will retain this position even if the elevation is dragged or rotated to a new position.

Interior Elevations (IE)

About Interior Elevations

ArchiCAD has a dedicated tool that is optimized for creating interior elevations of interior spaces.

Interior Elevations (IEs) work similarly to Sections and regular Elevations: choose an input method; define the view and its limits graphically; and place a marker with custom-defined marker reference information. Each Interior Elevation is a separate viewpoint in the Navigator Project Map.Edits made on an Interior Elevation can be reflected in the Model, and vice-versa: model changes can be reflected in the Interior Elevation following an update. Dimensions are associative.


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Unlike the Section and Elevation tools, the Interior Elevation tool is used to create new viewpoints only; you cannot place a linked, reference-only IE marker.

Note: As source markers, IE markers are distinguished on screen by an optional semi-transparent solid fill. (Use View > On-screen View Options > Highlight Source Marker to enable or disable this distinguishing fill for all source markers. The color of this fill can be set in Options > Work Environment > More Options.)

An IE created using one of the polyline or rectangle input methods will have a separate IE view for each segment of the line; each view is created perpendicular to the segment.

Since Interior Elevations are typically created in groups (e.g. four IE's created by placing a four-segment polyline around a single room), IE's are handled as a group for purposes of numbering, display, Trace functions, and placement on a layout. (Typically, you will use the Master Layout’s “Auto Arrange Setup” options - in Master Layout Settings - to fine-tune the appearance of IE views on the Layout.)

For more information, see “Arranging Multiple Drawings on the Layout” on page 429.

These IE groups are automatically listed together in their own subsets in the Project Map. Each new IE viewpoint is assigned to an IE Group, even if there is only one viewpoint in the Group.You cannot move individual IE viewpoints from one Group to another.

Create Single Interior Elevation Viewpoint

Draw the IE limit line using the single line method to create a single IE viewpoint.

Note: In contrast to Sections/Elevations, when creating an Interior Elevation you start by defining the limit of the view (e.g. the wall you want to see), then click to define view line (the place from which you view the wall).

1) Click once to begin the limit line.2) Click a second time to complete the line.3) Move the cursor to the desired view position.4) Click a third time to place the IE marker.

To define the Marker style and position, use the controls in the Marker Panel of Interior Elevation Settings.See “Interior Elevation Marker Panel” in ArchiCAD Help.


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5) A new IE viewpoint is created and listed in the Project Map. It is assigned its own IE Group, even if there is only one viewpoint in the Group.

Many other aspects of Interior Elevation viewpoints - status, display, marker reference, and updating - work the same as in Section viewpoints. For more information, see the following topics:“Assign Section Status” on page 178,“Display of Elements in Section Window” on page 179,“Define Marker Reference for Source Marker” on page 177,“Updating Sections” on page 182.

Create Multiple IE Viewpoints

Use the polyline/ rectangle method to create multiple viewpoints in a single IE Group.The resulting Interior Elevation group contains the same number of viewpoints as the number of segments on the polyline/rectangle.1) Click to begin drawing the limit line.• With the polyline method, click

once for each segment of the polyline; double-click to complete the polyline.

• With the rectangular method, click a second time to define the opposing corners.

• With the rotated rectangular method, click to define the rotation vector; click again to define the length of the rectangle.

The resulting line/polyline/rectangle represents the limit line of the Interior Elevation group.

2) Move the cursor to the desired view position.

3) Click once more to place the IE marker(s).Interior elevations use a dedicated IE marker, a GDL object with editable parameters.IE marker(s) are placed at the middle of each segment of the IE line or at the center of the room. To define the Marker style and Position, use the controls in the Marker Panel of Interior Elevation Settings. For any or all of the viewpoints, you can opt not to show a marker, by choosing the No Marker option in this panel.

See “Interior Elevation Marker Panel” in ArchiCAD Help.4) The new group of viewpoints is created and listed in the Project

Map.5) The Interior Elevation Group has its own Clone folder in the

Navigator View Map.


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The viewpoints within a single IE group share certain settings (such as Show on Stories and Layer settings) which can be applied only to the group as a whole. However, the settings of any single segment are accessible individually.

See “Editing Interior Elevation Viewpoints” on page 189.

Many other aspects of Interior Elevation viewpoints - status, display, marker reference, and updating - work the same as in Section viewpoints. For more information, see the following topics:

“Assign Section Status” on page 178,“Display of Elements in Section Window” on page 179,

“Define Marker Reference for Source Marker” on page 177,“Updating Sections” on page 182.

Interior Elevation IDs and Names

To assign IDs and names to IE Groups and their viewpoints, use the General Panel of Interior Elevation Settings. The options in the General Panel vary depending on whether you are defining Settings for an IE Group:

or for an individual IE viewpoint:

Each new IE viewpoint is automatically assigned to an IE Group (even if there is only one viewpoint in the group). The IE Group is assigned a default ID of IE-01.

Subsequent IE Groups receive their IDs accordingly. (IE-02, IE-03...)

In each individual viewpoint’s IE settings, the Reference ID and Name fields are set to “By IE Group” by default.This means that each IE viewpoint will have the same ID and Name as its parent IE Group.ArchiCAD’s default IE Settings further define the ID and Name of each IE viewpoint to include Autotexts.

Use Autotext to Create Meaningful IDs/Names for Interior Elevation GroupYou can define a logical naming convention for your IE Groups by including an Autotext in the parent IE Group’s ID and Name.This way, each individual Interior Elevation contained in the group will display a logical Autotext value that can vary for each elevation.By default, ArchiCAD’s IE Group ID adds an Autotext of <Number> to the ID of each viewpoint in the IE group. In the image below, each viewpoint ID includes the Group ID (IE-01) plus an automatically assigned number (01, 02, 03...).Also, the default IE Group Name adds an Autotext of <Orientation> to each viewpoint Name. Consequently, each viewpoint name consists of its specific orientation, which automatically assigned using Autotext (North, South, East, West...).


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Use the General Panel of IE Settings to define any other Autotext to include in the IE viewpoints’ name and/or ID. For example, you can set the Interior Elevation Group’s ID to be the Zone Number:1) Click the Autotext button next to the ID field in General Settings

and choose Zone Number from the list.

2) In the Navigator, note that the ID of the Group is now equivalent to the number of the zone (007, in this case) contained in the Interior Elevation.

This ID is inherited by all of the viewpoints in the Group.(Naturally, assigning a Zone Number autotext works only if the Interior Elevation includes a zone.)

Customize IDs and NamesYou can give a customized ID and/or Name to any IE Group or individual viewpoint:• Select the IE limit line.• Open Interior Elevation Settings.If it is an individual IE Viewpoint, make sure the pop-up is set to Custom.

• Enter the desired ID and/or Name.

You can also change IDs and Names for any IE Group or viewpoint in the Navigator.

Editing Interior Elevation Viewpoints

Each viewpoint of an Interior Elevation group can be edited separately. First, select the viewpoint:• select any individual Interior Elevation marker, or• select any individual line

segment of the Interior Elevation line.

The pet palette and context menu commands opened from this segment affect that viewpoint only.To edit the selected viewpoint:• Open Interior Elevation Settings. (Use the context menu or the

Info Box). Any changes you make here will apply only to the selected viewpoint. Note that certain options in IE Settings are greyed if you are editing a single viewpoint rather than an IE group.

• Use the pet palette's options to manipulate the selected IE segment or its marker.

Delete/Restore IE ViewpointIf you have selected an individual IE viewpoint, you can delete that single viewpoint using the context menu’s Delete command.


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You can restore this viewpoint even after deleting it: select the IE group to which it belongs (select any part of the IE Limit Line) and use the Restore all Interior Elevations in Group command from the context menu.

Note: This command regenerates the IE viewpoint, but any 2D edits you made in this viewpoint before deleting it have been lost.

Editing the Interior Elevation Limit Line

Selecting any segment of the IE limit polyline selects the entire IE group. If the IE group uses a single, common marker, then selecting the marker also selects the entire IE group.As when editing other polylines in ArchiCAD, use the pet palette’s line editing options.

Inserting a node will create a new IE viewpoint in the IE group.

Vertical and Horizontal Range of the Interior Elevation

Vertical RangeAn IE viewpoint’s vertical range is set manually by the user in the General Panel of Interior Elevation Settings or the Info Box.See “Interior Elevation (IE) Tool Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.Each IE view (i.e. each segment of the IE limit polyline) can have a separate, custom vertical range value, if desired: choose the Limited option as the Vertical Range and enter the desired elevation limits.Use the pop-up to define whether this vertical range should be measured from Project Zero, or from the Interior Elevation’s Home Story (the story onto which it was placed).

Horizontal RangeBy default, the IE limit line represents the horizontal range of the resulting IE view.The Horizontal Range option of Interior Elevation Settings (see the General Panel) is set to By Limit Lines by default.

To adjust the horizontal range, select the limit line and stretch or shrink it using the commands of the pet palette. (Stretch/shrink modifications to this segment will affect the neighboring line segments accordingly, as when editing any polyline.)


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To include connected enclosed areas in the Interior Elevation viewpoint, choose Add bounded areas the Horizontal Range option in IE Settings.

This way, if the room contains an odd-shaped alcove, the IE viewpoint will include structures that fall beyond the Limit Line, but still fall inside the room, as in this image:

Interior Elevations and Zone ShapeIf you want the Interior Elevation to correspond to a zone, choose the Detect and Fit to Zones Vertical Range option from the General Panel of Interior Elevation Settings.

If a zone is detected, its height will be used as the vertical range of the selected Interior Elevation viewpoint.

Note: The zone’s height is the difference between its Level value and its Height value as set in Zone Settings):

Zones edited by Solid Element Operations are also calculated accurately, provided that you also check the Consider Solid Operations box. For example, a single zone trimmed to a slanted roof will have several different zone heights. These are accurately reflected in each viewpont of the Interior Elevation group.


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Display of Elements in Interior Elevation

Use the Model Display controls in Interior Elevation Settings to define the appearance of cut and uncut elements in the view. These options are largely identical to the Model Display options for Sections and Elevations.See “Display of Elements in Section Window” on page 179 and “Interior Elevation Model Display Panel” in ArchiCAD Help.Interior Elevations do not have a “Marked Distant Area” display option.Two special display options are available for the display of cut elements in Interior Elevations:Exclude View Blocking Walls: If this option is checked, any intervening walls which “block the view” in the Interior Elevation will not be displayed.Hide Cut Elements: If this option is checked, elements that are cut by the Interior Elevation Line will not be displayed.

3D Document

About the 3D Document

The 3D Document allows you to use the 3D view of the model as the basis for creating a document, to which you can add dimensions, labels and additional 2D drawing elements.For example, you can convert a 3D view of a building into a document that shows detailed structural information in 3D - such as

intersection of composite walls in space. This is possible because the 3D Document can display cut surfaces in a 3D model structure, optionally using the cut fill and line attributes defined at the element level.See “Model Display of the 3D Document” on page 198.To add dimensions, just use ArchiCAD’s dimensioning tools, plus certain dimensioning functions that are available only for 3D Documents.See “Linear Dimensions in the 3D Document Window” in ArchiCAD Help.

The 3D Document is a viewpoint which appears in the Navigator Project Map. In many respects, the 3D Document is analogous to the Section viewpoint: it is an integral part of the ArchiCAD model, and its model elements are rebuilt automatically or manually, depending on its status. In the 3D Document, you can select model elements and access their settings dialog boxes to make changes in the model, but you cannot edit them graphically or create new model elements.The 3D Document has its source in the 3D window. Specific parameters and options affecting 3D window display (such as


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projection and filtering/selection of elements) will affect 3D Document display; you can redefine the 3D Document after adjusting these 3D window settings. (See “The 3D Document and its 3D Window Source” on page 194.)However, like other model views, the 3D Document has its own 3D Document Settings dialog box, where you can set parameters that are specific to the 3D Document: these include fill/pen display of element surfaces (including cut composite elements) and contours, transparency, 3D hatching, shading, shadow and sun effects.

Note: The display of composite elements in the 3D Document window also depends on the Partial Display Settings. See “Partial Structure Display” on page 358.

In particular, you can display the materials of cut surfaces in a 3D-like display to graphically communicate composite structures:

See “3D Document Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.

Create a 3D Document

1) In the 3D window, set up a 3D view of the model: the view you want to see in your 3D Document:Set up the perspective or projected 3D view; use 3D Cutting Planes; filter or select elements; use Marquee as needed, or perform solid element operations.

2) Create a new 3D Document by doing one of the following:With 3D window open:• Use New 3D Document... command from the context menu of

the Navigator's 3D Document folder

• Use Capture Window for 3D Document command from the context menu of the 3D window (with nothing selected).


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• Use a menu command (Document > 3D Document > Create New 3D Document; or Document > Documenting Tools > Create 3D Document).

3) The New 3D Document dialog box appears.

Enter a Reference ID and Name for the new 3D Document; click Create.4) The 3D Document is

created and opened in its own window.

5) The 3D Document is listed in the 3D Document folder in the Project Map of the Navigator.

The 3D Document and its 3D Window Source

The contents of the 3D Document are defined out of the 3D Window; that 3D window is the source of your 3D Document. Although there is only one current 3D window at any given time (you cannot open multiple 3D windows simultaneously), each 3D Document can have its own 3D window source. In other words: each 3D Document stores the settings (projection, filtering, cutting planes etc.) of its own 3D window source.You can, at any time, edit certain settings of this 3D Window source, and then Redefine the 3D Document to reflect these edits.Redefine refers to specific settings of the 3D window that affect how the 3D Document appears in the window. These settings are:• The current 3D projection, including zoomSee “3D Projections” on page 172.• Filter Elements to Show in 3D (View > Elements in 3D View)See “Filter Elements to Show in 3D” on page 169.• Selection/Marquee limitationsSee Show Marquee Area in 3D and “Show Selection in 3D” on page 168.• Cutting PlanesSee “3D “Cutaway” Sections” on page 174.

Note: the difference between Redefine and Rebuild. Rebuild refers to the model elements: their size, shape and relation to the rest of the model elements. Rebuild for a 3D Document works the same as for other model views (e.g. Section). Your 3D Document, if set to Auto-Rebuild, is rebuilt every time you open it. If it is Manual-Update, it is rebuilt only upon command. (View > Rebuild > Rebuild from Model).There is no Drawing-type 3D Document.

For more information, see “Assign Section Status” on page 178.

Redefine the 3D Document

There are three ways to redefine a 3D Document after you have created it. Each method is described below:

Redefine 3D Document: Open and Edit 3D SourceIf the 3D Document window is in front: use the Open 3D Source command from the context menu to open the source 3D window.


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Or: right-click the 3D Document viewpoint or view from the Navigator, then click the Open Source View command:

Make your changes in the 3D window:• Edit elements• Adjust the projection• Change element visibility using Selection/Marquee• Change the Filter Elements settings.Then use the Redefine command:• Select the 3D Document from the Navigator Project Map and

right-click to access the Redefine 3D Document based on current 3D command.

• Alternatively, with the 3D window in front and nothing selected, use the Redefine 3D Document command.


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This brings up the Redefine 3D Document dialog box.Choose the 3D Document which you want to redefine based on the current 3D window.A warning reminds you that this Redefine operation is not undoable.

Click Redefine Anyway to proceed.

Redefine 3D Document Based on Current 3D Window CommandThis command will redefine your 3D Document based on the status of the latest instance of the 3D window (the one currently open, or the one that was last open). You do not need to open the 3D window.

Note: The current 3D window is not necessarily the same as the original source of your 3D Document.

Your 3D Document will be redefined according to the following settings of the current 3D window:• The current 3D projection, including zoom• Filter Elements to Show in 3D (View > Elements in 3D View)• Selection/Marquee limitations• Cutting Planes

With the 3D Document in front, use the Redefine based on the Current 3D command from the context menu with nothing selected:

Another way to get the same result: In the Navigator Project Map, right-click the 3D document which you want to define and use Redefine 3D Document based on current 3D window.


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Redefine Using 3D Document SettingsIf you want to redefine an existing 3D Document without having to open the source 3D window, an easy way to do it is to use its 3D Document Settings.Open 3D Document Settings (select the 3D Document in the Navigator Project Map; or click Settings at the bottom of the Navigator or from the context menu; or from the Document > 3D Document menu).

The controls in the General panel allow you to access dialog boxes to modify the 3D Document and its 3D window source, without having to open the 3D window itself:

Make any or all of the following changes:

• Click Redefine 3D Projections to bring up the Perspective or Parallel Settings dialog box which reflects the 3D Document’s source 3D window. Make any adjustments needed, and click OK to leave the projections dialog box. This is where you can redefine Sun settings for your 3D Document: click Redefine 3D Projections, then More Sun to adjust the sun position.

• Click Redefine Filter Elements to access the Filter Elements in 3D dialog box. Make any adjustments needed, and click OK to leave the dialog box.

• Check the box to redefine the projection, cutting planes, and visible elements of the 3D Document based on the current 3D window.

Changes in your 3D Document will take effect when you click OK to leave 3D Document Settings.

For details on these controls, see “3D Document General Panel” in ArchiCAD Help.


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Model Display of the 3D Document

While the 3D Document derives many of its settings from its 3D window source, several important settings for the 3D Document’s model appearance are derived from the 3D Document Settings dialog box (Model Panel). In particular, you can display the materials of cut surfaces in a 3D-like display to graphically communicate composite structures.Use the 3D Document Settings Model Panel to set:• Fills and pens for element surfaces and contours, and for cut

elements• Transparency• Vectorial 3D hatching• Shaded materials• Sun and Shadow effects

Important: These settings apply to the 3D Document and are independent of its 3D source window.

For details on these controls, see “3D Document Model Display Panel” in ArchiCAD Help.

Details

About Details

The Detail tool is used to generate a Detail drawing viewpoint from the model by placing a Detail marker in any of the following windows: Floor Plan; Section; Elevation; Interior Elevation; 3D Document; Worksheet; Detail window. It is also used to place linked Detail markers, as a reference to any viewpoint, view or drawing.The Detail Marker (a GDL object) is displayed according to the settings you made in the Detail Settings dialog box. You can also create an independent Detail drawing, with or without a marker. Detail viewpoints are displayed in a dedicated Detail Drawing Window and listed in the Details part of the Navigator Project Map.

Detail viewpoints generated from existing elements in the project are 2D-only copies of these elements. The viewpoints can be updated to reflect changes in the plan. You can add additional 2D elements, text, labels and objects to a Detail Drawing.You may wish to fine-tune the Detail Drawing before final output. You will find, however, that the “exploded” 2D elements generated from the model often contain superfluous elements (extra line segments, overlapping or superfluous fills) that make such editing difficult. To make editing easier, first use the The Linework and Fill Consolidation functions on selected items in the window.For more information, see “Consolidating Lines and Fills in Drawing Windows” on page 153.To open the Detail Drawing in its own window, double-click the detail view name in the Navigator.


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Create a Detail Drawing Viewpoint with Model Source

To create a Detail with its source in the model, place an area-based Detail marker in any of the following windows: Floor Plan, Section/Elevation/Interior Elevation, 3D Document, Worksheet or Detail.1) Activate the Detail tool.2) In the Info Box or Detail Default Settings,

make sure that “Create new detail viewpoint” is selected.

3) Choose an area-based geometry method from the Info Box: Polygonal, Rectangular, or Rotated Rectangular. (The first, “No Boundary” geometry method, creates a marker linked to an independent viewpoint having no model source.)

4) Draw the Detail boundary and click to complete.5) After drawing the detail boundary, click with the hammer cursor

to place the Detail Marker. The X represents the Detail’s origin.

Note: Source-type Detail markers are distinguished on screen by an optional semi-transparent solid fill. (Use View > On-screen View Options > Highlight Source Marker to enable or disable this distinguishing fill for all source markers. The color of this highlight can be set in Options > Work Environment > More Options.)

6) A new Detail Drawing viewpoint is created and listed in the Navigator Project Map.

To define the reference information displayed in a source-type Detail marker:See “Define Marker Reference for Source Marker” on page 177.Other information about the new Detail viewpoint - its Markers and Reference information - can be defined in the Marker Settings dialog box.For more information, see “Detail Tool Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.

Contents of the Detail Viewpoint

The source-based detail drawing consists of only 2D lines/fills, including the 2D exploded representations of all construction elements inside the detail boundary. By default, only construction elements are transferred; annotations and dimensions are not transferred to the Detail viewpoint. (You can change this setting using a checkbox in the General Panel of Detail Settings.)For information on what happens to annotation elements cut by the Detail boundary, see “Annotations, Dimensions and Markers Cut by the Boundary” on page 203.Only 2D tools are available in the Detail window. All types of 2D information can be added to the Detail Drawing: Lines, Fills, Hotspots, Text, Figures, Dimensions and 2D Symbols of Objects.The Detail Drawing will include a line representing the Detail Boundary you drew on the plan. See “Display of Detail/Worksheet Boundary” on page 201.Section Details (Detail viewpoints created from a Section) reveal the elevation of the original construction, which means that Elevation Dimensioning placed on Detail viewpoints shows correct elevation


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values, unless you displace drawing elements vertically. (The same is true for Elevation Dimensions in Details generated from Elevations and Interior Elevations.)

Place a Linked Detail Marker

To place a linked detail marker without creating a viewpoint:1) Activate the Detail tool.2) In the Info Box or Detail Default Settings,

make sure that “Place Linked Marker” is selected.

3) Define the Marker Reference using the appearing dialog box. See “Define Marker Reference for Linked Marker” on page 181.

4) Choose any of the Detail geometry methods to place the marker.

• If you use the No Boundary geometry method: click once to place the marker

• If you use any of the area-based methods: draw a Detail boundary, then click with the hammer cursor to place the marker.

Such a marker has no model source and does not generate a new viewpoint. To define the reference information displayed in a linked Detail marker:See “Define Marker Reference for Linked Marker” on page 181.

Place an Unlinked Detail Marker

See “Place an Unlinked Marker” on page 181.

Create an Independent Detail Viewpoint

An Independent Detail drawing is one whose content you create yourself, starting with an empty detail viewpoint. You can then use 2D drawing tools or paste an object or existing drawing.

An Independent Detail drawing is not generated from existing project elements and so is unlinked to any modifications that take place in your plan.You may wish to create an Independent Detail for your documentation which depicts something that does not otherwise exist in the model - for example, detail of a fence.These independent Detail Drawings always appear in the Navigator tree structure. They can be marked or unmarked: Independent marked details have a corresponding detail marker on the plan. Independent unmarked details do not have a detail marker on the plan, but they exist as viewpoints which you can open from the Navigator.

Create an Independent Detail viewpoint with a marker1) In Detail Settings or the Info Box, choose “Create New Detail

Viewpoint.”2) Define the Marker Reference:• the viewpoint, or• the first placed drawing of the viewpointThe link information of the chosen viewpoint/drawing will appear in the “Reference to” text field.After the marker is placed and the new Detail is created, you can still go back and change its marker information at any time.3) Choose the single-click geometry

method (the first icon among the Info Box geometry methods) and click to place a detail marker on the plan.

4) A new, empty Detail viewpoint is created (“independent marked detail”) and listed in the navigator. This viewpoint has no model source.

To open the independent Detail viewpoint, double-click its name in the Navigator or access it with the “Open Detail Drawing” in the marker’s context menu. Use the available 2D drawing tools, place objects, text, labels, or paste an existing drawing into the detail drawing window.


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Create an Independent Detail viewpoint without a markerUse the Document > Documenting Tools > Create Independent Detail command. You can also access this command from the Detail folder context menu in the Project Map of the Navigator;or by clicking the New Viewpoint folder at the bottom of the Navigator Project Map, if a Detail or the Detail folder is selected. Independent unmarked details are listed in the Navigator, though they have no associated marker.Later, if needed, you can attach a Independent Detail viewpoint to a marker: place a linked marker and point the marker to your Detail viewpoint.

Display of Detail/Worksheet Boundary

When you create a new Detail or Worksheet viewpoint using a polygon input method, the resulting drawing will show the Boundary as a dashed line. If you do not want this boundary included in the Drawing window, disable the relevant checkbox in Options > Project Preferences > Miscellaneous.

Update Detail/Worksheet Marker Boundary

If you redraw the boundary of a source detail or worksheet marker, any markers linked to this marker's viewpoint will not be updated until you issue the Update Linked Markers’ Boundaries command from the Detail/Worksheet viewpoint item's Navigator context menu.

This command affects the shape of marker boundaries only, not any associated model content.

Display of Detail Drawing Icons in the Navigator

This image shows the four different icons assigned to Detail viewpoints listed in the Navigator. The icons differ depending on the type of Detail.

Updating the Detail Window

If the source view of a Detail viewpoint has been modified, update its contents with the Rebuild from Source View command (from context menu of the detail drawing listed in the Navigator, or from the View > Refresh sub-menu).

For more information, see “Summary of Rebuild Commands” on page 183.


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Worksheets

About Worksheets

The Worksheet window provides a dedicated environment for 2D model-based drawings, such as partial floor plans and partial sections, and for drawings created entirely in 2D. Worksheets can be used as a dedicated environment for finishing drawings using 2D tools, and for working with consultants limited to 2D methods.

You might want use a Worksheet to add a diagram or organizational chart, which is totally independent of your model, yet useful for your documentation.

As in the Detail window, elements on the Worksheet consist of 2D-only duplicates of any construction elements in “exploded” form (e.g. 2D lines and fills). Only 2D tools are available in the Worksheet window.

You may find that the “exploded” 2D elements generated from the model often contain superfluous elements (extra line segments, overlapping or superfluous fills) that make such editing difficult. To make editing easier, first use the The Linework and Fill Consolidation functions on selected items in the window.

For more information, see “Consolidating Lines and Fills in Drawing Windows” on page 153.The user can link any type of marker to the Worksheet.

You can place a Section marker onto a Worksheet to create a Drawing-type section. You can also place a Detail marker onto a Worksheet to create a Drawing-type Detail. Such Drawing Sections and Drawing Details cannot be refreshed based on the content of the Worksheet window.

The Worksheet tool is active in any window. It has marker and linking options similar to those of the other ArchiCAD marker tools (Section, Detail).

To open a Worksheet window, double-click its name in the Navigator. Use the available 2D drawing tools, place objects, text, labels, or paste an existing drawing into the drawing window.

Worksheet vs. Detail

While creating a Worksheet based on the source model is similar to creating a model-based Detail, the Worksheet is optimized for creating partial floor plans and partial sections.Unlike the Detail tool, the Worksheet tool has a single-click “capture” geometry method which reproduces the entire contents of the current window as 2D elements in the Worksheet viewpoint.Consequently, when transferring all or part of a source model view to a Worksheet window:• Annotation elements and dimensions will, by default, appear in

the resulting Worksheet, in addition to construction elements exploded into 2D components. (In contrast, a Detail viewpoint created from the model will - by default - contain the 2D-only copies of construction elements only, without the source model's annotation/dimension elements.)

• The resulting Worksheet will have the same scale as the source. (In contrast, a Detail is created, by default, at half the scale of the original.)

Create a Worksheet Drawing with Model Source

To create a Worksheet with its source in the model, place a Worksheet marker in any of the following windows: Floor Plan, Section/Elevation/Interior Elevation, Worksheet or Detail.1) Activate the Worksheet tool.2) In the Info Box or Default Settings, make sure that “Create new

Worksheet viewpoint” is selected.3) Choose any of the geometry methods from the Info Box.

• Capture Screen input method: Use the single-click method: the first input method in the Worksheet info box. Choose this


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icon, then click anywhere in the active project window. You will create a Worksheet based on the entire contents of the window.

• Area-based input method: Use one of the polygonal or rectangular/rotated rectangle geometry methods to define the Worksheet area.

4) Draw the Worksheet boundary and click to complete.

5) After drawing the Worksheet boundary, click with the hammer cursor to place the Worksheet Marker.

Note: Source-type Worksheet markers are distinguished on screen by an optional semi-transparent solid fill. (Use View > On-screen View Options > Highlight Source Marker to enable or disable this distinguishing fill for all source markers. The color of this highlight can be set in Options > Work Environment > More Options.)

6) A new Worksheet viewpoint is created and listed in the Navigator Project Map.

To define the reference information displayed in a source-type Worksheet marker:

See “Define Marker Reference for Source Marker” on page 177.

Other information about the new Worksheet viewpoint - its Markers and Reference information - are defined in Worksheet Settings.

See “Worksheet Tool Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.

Contents of the Worksheet Window

A project-based Worksheet only contains drawing primitives, that is, lines and fills. These originate from the construction elements on the Floor Plan or Section/Elevation/IE, or 3D Document.

Section/ Elevation and Detail/Worksheet markers within the Worksheet boundary are “live” markers: they continue to function as markers.

When transferring all or part of a model view to a Worksheet window, annotation elements and dimensions will, by default, also appear in the resulting Worksheet.

To copy construction elements only, without annotations/dimensions, check the “Copy construction elements only” box in Worksheet Settings.

The resulting Worksheet will have the same scale as the source, if any. (If the source has no scale, the Worksheet will be shown at a default scale value.)

Annotations, Dimensions and Markers Cut by the Boundary

If the Worksheet boundary intersects annotation elements, dimensions or marker-type elements (Section/Elevation markers; Detail/Worksheet markers), then these will be transferred to the Worksheet window if they meet the relevant criteria, as follows.

Note: The following also apply to Detail drawings. (However, by default, Detail drawings do not include annotations or dimensions at all, unless you uncheck “Copy Construction elements only” in Detail Settings.)

Figures and Drawings: if at least one reference point is inside the worksheet boundary, the entire Figure or Drawing will be included in the Worksheet.

Labels: Arrowhead must be inside the boundary.

Dimensions: The relevant reference point(s) or the dimension’s endpoints must be inside the boundary.

• Dimensions with two endpoints must have both endpoints inside.

• Dimension chains will be transferred by segment: if both endpoints of any segment are within the boundary, that segment is included in the Worksheet.

Door/Window markers: If any part of the Wall falls within the boundary, then all Doors, Windows, and Door/Window markers in that Wall are also included in the Worksheet.

Detail markers: If a detail viewpoint’s origin (the “X”) or endpoint of a marker falls within the boundary, the entire marker is included in the Worksheet.


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Section and Elevation Markers: If any part of a Section or Elevation line is included in the boundary, the Section/Elevation marker (a GDL object) will be included in the Worksheet, although the line’s geometry may be different (the line may be shorter) if the boundary includes only part of the Section/Elevation line.

Note: Interior Elevation markers, unlike Section/Elevation markers, are cut by the boundary and appear in the Worksheet as exploded line/fill components.

Editing in the Worksheet Window

Only 2D tools are available when the Worksheet window is active.

All types of 2D information can be added to the Worksheet: Lines, Fills, Hotspots, Text, Figures, Drawings, Dimensions and 2D Symbols of Objects.

You can add content to your Worksheet window in several ways:

• Select any element(s) from any window and paste them into the Worksheet window. All elements, including construction elements, will be pasted in 2D form.

• To transfer elements from a Trace Reference, first switch the Reference with the active window, then copy-paste from there into the Worksheet (in exploded form)

• Draw all new 2D elements into the Worksheet window.

Create an Independent Worksheet Viewpoint

An independent worksheet is one which you create yourself, starting with an empty worksheet viewpoint. You can then use 2D drawing tools or paste an object or existing drawing.

An independent worksheet is not generated from existing project elements and so is unlinked to any modifications that take place in your plan.

These independent Worksheets always appear in the Navigator tree structure. They can either have a marker, or not. Independent worksheets without a marker in the project exist as viewpoints which you can open from the Navigator.

To create an independent Worksheet without a marker, use the Document > Documenting Tools > Create Independent Worksheet command. You can also access this command from the Worksheet folder context menu in the Project Map of the Navigator; or by clicking the New Viewpoint folder at the bottom of the Navigator Project Map, if a Worksheet or the Worksheet folder is selected.Independent Worksheets without a marker are also listed in the Navigator. However, you can subsequently link a marker to such a Worksheet as needed.

Place a Linked Worksheet MarkerTo place a linked Worksheet marker without creating a viewpoint:1) Activate the Worksheet tool.2) In the Info Box or Default Settings, make sure that “Place Linked

Marker” is selected.3) Choose any of the Worksheet geometry methods to place the

marker.Such a marker has no model source and does not generate a new viewpoint.To define the reference information displayed in a linked Worksheet marker:See “Define Marker Reference for Linked Marker” on page 181.

Place an Unlinked Worksheet MarkerSee “Place an Unlinked Marker” on page 181.

Managing Markers in ArchiCADAbout MarkersMarkers can be placed using any of the following tools: SectionsElevationsInterior Elevations (IE)WorksheetsDetails


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With any of the Marker tools, you can opt to place a source marker. A source marker creates a new viewpoint (e.g. a Section, Elevation, Worksheet, Detail) involving the model as their source.Any of the Markers - except Interior Elevation - can optionally be defined as a linked marker. Such markers have no model source and do not generate a new viewpoint. Instead, they are placed in the project, then linked by the user to an existing viewpoint, view or drawing. This information is displayed in the marker, which can be used to navigate to the referred item.An unlinked marker has no model source and displays no linked information. You cannot use it to navigate among markers, but you can define any custom text for it.

Display of Marker Range Lines

After you draw an input line or polygon with the any of the marker-type tools, these input lines will remain displayed on screen when you place the Marker. Marker Range items include:• Elevation, Interior Elevation Line• Section/Elevation Limit Line (for Sections and Elevations of

limited depth)• Distant line (for Sections and Elevations with a Marked Distant

Area)• Interior Elevation Limit lines• Polygons defining area-based Details and WorksheetsThese Marker Range items are on-screen elements only; and never present on printouts.You can choose to show or hide Marker range items of all types using the View > On-Screen View Options > Marker Range toggle.To customize the line type/color of these Marker Range lines, use the controls in Options > Project Preferences > Miscellaneous.

Source Marker Highlight

Source markers are distinguished on screen by an optional semi-transparent solid fill. This option makes it easy to tell at a glance which of your markers on screen are source markers.To toggle this highlight on or off for all source markers, use the View > On-Screen View Options > Highlight Source Markers command. To change the color of the source marker highlight, use the color chooser in Options > Work Environment > More Options.

Changing Marker Type

You can change the type of an already placed marker, so long as all the Marker references point to items that originate with a Marker tool.

To change a linked marker to a source marker:• Select the marker.• Use the “Set as Source Marker”

command from its context menu; or• Open the marker's Settings dialog box

and choose the Source Marker optionThe linked marker becomes the source marker, while the original source marker becomes a linked marker.This function is available for:• Linked markers which are linked to a viewpoint/view/drawing

that is located within the current project. The linked marker must have been placed using the same tool as the item to which it was linked (e.g. a Section marker linked to a Section viewpoint).Note: A viewpoint’s cut/model attributes are defined by its source marker. If a linked marker becomes the source of a section, that marker's cut/model attributes are now applied to the viewpoint.


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Note: If you change a linked detail marker into a source detail marker, the viewpoint’s defining polygon will change to reflect the new source detail marker’s polygon.

• Linked markers linked to an independent viewpoint of the same type.

The independent viewpoint is deleted and replaced by a source viewpoint. (If the original linked marker had no boundary, the source will take on a default boundary value.)

Markers linked to an external drawing cannot be changed to a source marker.

To change a source marker to a linked marker:

• Select the marker.

• Use the “Set as Linked Marker” command from its context menu;

or

• Open the marker's Settings dialog box and choose the Linked Marker option

The original source marker becomes a linked marker containing the same reference information as before.

Transfer Marker Parameters

You can use the parameter transfer commands (Pick Up Parameters/Inject Parameters) among markers. If you Pick Up Parameters from a source marker and inject them into another marker, the second marker will take on all of the first marker’s parameters except its link information, and except for its geometry (e.g. the range of a section marker.)

If you Pick Up Parameters from a linked marker and inject them into another marker, the second marker will become identical to the first: a second linked marker with the same parameters, and containing the identical reference information, as the first.

Copying a Marker

Any interaction (Copy/Paste, Drag/Rotate/Mirror Copy/Copies) that results in creating a new copy of a marker will have the following results:Copying a source marker (Section/Elevation/IE or Worksheet) results in a second source marker, which creates a new viewpoint having the same parameters as the viewpoint associated with the original marker. The new viewpoint's name, however, will be different. Moreover, the Marker Link information is not copied.Copying a source Detail marker will create a new linked Detail marker, which is linked to the original detail viewpoint.

Navigation Using Markers

To navigate using a marker, select the marker and open the context menu.Use the “Open” command to go to the referred item.

If the marker is linked to a Drawing, use the context menu (Go to Drawing) to open the layout containing the referred drawing.From the same context menu, the Open/Open in new window commands will open the source viewpoint/view of the linked drawing.The linked detail marker in the image below refers to the first placed drawing of a selected Interior Elevation view. Its context menu allows you to • Go to the Drawing


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• Open the Interior Elevation view in the current or in a new window

Find Linked Markers

To find all the markers linked to a particular viewpoint/view/drawing, select the item from the Navigator. Use the Find Linked Markers command from the item's context menu.

For Drawings placed on Layouts, the Find Linked Markers command is also available if you select the Drawing itself, then open the context menu.

The Find Linked markers dialog box lists all the linked markers:• By marker subtype (shown as an icon)• Placed to: ID and name of the viewpoint in which the marker is

placed. (If it is a source marker, the viewpoint name is underlined.)

Clicking either column header will sort the list accordingly.Click Marker Settings to open the Tool Settings dialog box of the selected marker.Click Go to Selected to zoom to the selected marker. (The button is disabled if multiple markers are selected.)

Check Markers Palette

The Check Markers function lists which marker-referred items are missing from the project. The Check Markers Palette is available from Window > Palettes > Check Markers.


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To list undefined marker references, click the Check Markers button at the top of the palette.

The palette lists all the markers in the project which the user has automatically or manually linked a viewpoint, drawing or view, but whose referred viewpoint/drawing/view has since been deleted from this project. (In this case, the marker will display Autotext in place of the missing data.)

If no such marker exists, the Palette will display this message: No undefined marker references in this project.

Markers are listed, and can be sorted, according to the following:

• Marker subtype: Section/Elevation/Detail/Worksheet/Interior Elevation (shown as icon)

• Placed to: ID and Project Map path of the viewpoint in which the marker is placed

• Selected item: Name and ID of the marker’s referenced item (i.e. the viewpoint/view/drawing one you chose when defining the marker reference). If this referenced item has been deleted from the project, this column will show “N/A”.

• Approve: Editable checkbox for each marker.

You can sort items by any of these properties by clicking on its column header. You can then perform a secondary sorting function: clicking a second column header will further sort within the hierarchy obtained by the first sorting.

An icon at the bottom of the palette allows the user to zoom to the selected marker. (The zoom button is disabled if multiple markers are selected.)

For each problematic marker listed (or multiple selected markers), the user can click Marker Settings to re-link the marker(s) or otherwise modify them.

The user may decide that the marker is OK the way it is (even though it continues to display undefined Autotext). In this case, the Approve checkbox can be used as a sorting criterion; check the box for these markers. (For example, if you know that the undefined Autotext refers to an external project that has not yet been loaded.)

If you don't want the palette to re-list these approved markers as problems the next time you click the Check Markers button, use the Hide Approved Markers option from the pop-up at top right of the dialog box.

Otherwise, use the List all items option.

Deleting a Viewpoint/View/Drawing with a Marker

If you delete a viewpoint, the program will first check whether its source/linked markers are located on a locked layer or in a different Teammate's workspace, or whether the marker elements themselves have been locked. These markers include:

• The viewpoint's source marker

• Markers linked to the viewpoint

• Markers linked to views created out of the viewpoint.

If none of these markers is locked or reserved, then the program displays a Warning dialog box informing you that proceeding with the Delete procedure will delete all of the following:


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• The viewpoint (even if its source marker displays the data of a different viewpoint)

• Any views created out of the viewpoint• All the source/linked markers listed above.

If you delete a view, any markers linked to that view will remain in place. However, they will no longer display any linked information, just an undefined Autotext. These markers will be listed as problematic the next time you run the Check Markers function.Markers linked to the deleted drawing with “first drawing from viewpoint” will henceforth be linked to the next drawing created out of the same viewpoint. If you delete a drawing, any markers linked to that drawing will remain in place. However, they will no longer display any linked information, just an undefined Autotext. Markers linked to the deleted drawing with “first drawing from view/viewpoint” will henceforth be linked to the next drawing created out of the same viewpoint.

Deleting a Marker

If you delete a source marker, a dialog box appears informing you that deleting a source marker will also delete the viewpoint and any markers linked to it.However, the same dialog box gives you a different option: delete the source marker, but keep the viewpoint as an independent viewpoint with no model source.Deleting a linked marker has no effect on any other element.

Interactive Schedule

About Schedules

ArchiCAD’s Interactive Schedule function allows you to automatically generate schedules. Unlike simple lists created with the commands of the Document > Schedules and Lists menu, the Interactive Schedule not only displays quantities and other parameters - you can actually edit it. This makes it possible to notice and correct inconsistencies resulting from a data entry error or from the merging of the work of several people on different parts of the same project.For example, the schedule may allow you to detect that all but one of the thirty or forty doors placed in your building have the same height and width. You can then select this door directly from the schedule and check whether there is a reason for this inconsistency. If you find that this was a mistake, then you can correct the setting in the schedule and automatically update the door in all views.Similarly, it’s easy to double-check how many of the doors open to the right or the left.Schedules can list items either by row or by column.


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There are two categories of Interactive Schedules: Element Lists and Component Lists. Element Lists show characteristics of simple construction elements, while Component Lists are optimized to list information about each component of composite elements (composite walls, slabs, roofs and/or multi-component profile elements.)

You can access Schedules from either the Navigator palette or the Document > Schedules and Lists > Schedules submenu. Click the name of a defined Schedule to open the Interactive Schedule window and update its contents. Schedules are viewpoints, which you can save as views and output as drawings on a Layout, or save in various other file formats.See “Saving from a Schedule Window (Interactive Schedule)” in ArchiCAD Help.A formatted schedule can be placed into any 2D window (typically a Worksheet), by using Copy/Paste. The contents of the schedule, after pasting, will consist of lines and text, which you can freely edit, but will no longer be associative to the model.

Open a Schedule

ArchiCAD 12 comes with predefined Schedules, such as Door List; Wall List; Window List. To open any of these schedules to list the elements in the current project, double-click the Schedule name in the Navigator.(You can also access Schedules through the Go command of the Mini-Navigator Toolbar, or from the Window menu.)The Schedule window opens, showing the schedule, along with formatting options (“Schedule/Format Options”) in the left column.To display the schedule only, without the formatting panel, click the black arrow on the dividing line.


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For information on formatting the schedule, see “Schedule and Format Options (Interactive Schedule)” in ArchiCAD Help.The Interactive Schedule window, like other Listing windows, has an additional shortcut in their bottom scrollbar allowing you to Fit the Width of the generated list to the current window size.The content of the Schedule is based on Schedule Scheme Settings. To adjust these, you can directly access this dialog box by clicking the Scheme Settings button at top right.For more information on defining schedule content, see “Define a Schedule Using Scheme Settings” on page 212.

Show Schedule Data for Selected Items

You may wish to view an Element Schedule for only certain items on the Floor Plan, for the purpose of interactively editing these elements. Select the desired elements (on the Floor Plan only), then find the desired Element Schedule in the Navigator Project Map or View Map. Right-click the schedule name and choose “List Floor Plan

Selection Only” to view schedule data for the selected items only (as opposed to the items defined in the Schedule Scheme criteria). This is a quick way to filter elements for editing as a group, by taking advantage of the Interactive Schedule capabilities. You cannot save a view out of the displayed data.

Editing and Updating Schedules

To work on an item of the Interactive Element Schedule, click its column (or row). You will then see that some of the cells of this column become editable, while others cannot be modified. In the example below, you can see that while the name field of the Door type library part is locked, it is possible to overwrite the sill and head height.

Any changes you make in these fields of the Schedule are automatically and instantly reflected in the Floor Plan and in other views, when activated. Conversely, all changes made on these elements in the Floor Plan or another editable view are updated in the Schedule when you return to it.If you have selected an item in the Schedule Window, use the Select on Floor Plan icon to go to the Floor Plan window and view the selected item.The icon to its right, Select in 3D, takes you to the 3D Window and zooms onto the selected item.


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Define a Schedule Using Scheme Settings

The contents of your Interactive Schedule are defined in the Scheme Settings dialog box. Here, you define (1) the criteria for selecting the items to be listed in the Schedule; and (2) the fields (i.e. the particular information about the chosen items) to be listed in the Schedule.Choose the Document > Schedules and Lists > Schedules > Scheme Settings command from the menu;or the Scheme Settings button from the opened Schedule window.In the top Schemes Panel, choose the scheme you want to edit, or use the buttons at the right to create, rename, delete, import and export schemes.For more information, see “Scheme Settings Dialog Box (Interactive Schedule)” in ArchiCAD Help.

If you choose Create New, you must define whether the new Schedule will be an Element Schedule or a Component Schedule.

Define Schedule CriteriaIn the Criteria panel, select the first line, then choose a criterion for the items you wish to include in the Schedule. For simple Element lists, choose “Element type”.In the Value column, select the desired element. For example, to create a Door List we have chosen “Element Type is Door” as the only criterion.

If you want, you can expand the value of a criterion (such as Element Type), by clicking the + sign on the right edge of the selected row.

You can now choose a second value (such as Window) for the Element Type criterion.


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The two values (Door, Window) are joined as an “or” statement, so that the resulting schedule will include every element that is either a Window or a Door.

Add New CriteriaTo narrow the scope of a schedule, you can add new criteria. For example, if you want a schedule of only those doors and windows which are on Story 2 and above, add a new criterion by clicking the Add button at the bottom of the dialog box.Then choose Story from the Criteria list, and complete the row with the desired Story value (>=2).

The two criteria (Element Type and Story) are joined as an “and” statement, so that the resulting schedule will include only those elements which fit both criteria: the element must be either a window or a door, and it must be located with the defined Story range.If you have chosen an object-type Element as an Element Type, and you want to use one of its particular parameters as an additional criterion, click the Additional Parameters button at the bottom of the dialog box. In the appearing dialog box, browse the loaded libraries to find the library part whose parameters you need. Choose the parameter, then click “Add.” This parameter will then be listed in your Criteria list.

Define Schedule FieldsIn the Fields Panel of Schedule Scheme Settings, you will choose which fields should be displayed in your schedule. From the list of Available Parameters on the left, choose the desired items, and click “Add” at the bottom of the dialog box to add them to the Schedule Fields on the right.

For example, in the Wall List scheme pictured here, we want the Wall Layer to be included in the schedule. Choose “Layer” from the Available Parameter, then click “Add” to add it to the Schedule Fields on the right.

Sort Schedule Fields

To change the order in which fields are listed in the schedule, use the up/down arrows at the left edge of each row to move the field up or down.You can further set the order in which items are listed within each field, by using the three buttons at the right:• Click the first button to sort walls in this field in

ascending/descending order. In the example below, walls will be listed by Wall Type (the name of the schedule column that lists walls by Cut Fill type, the first schedule field); inasmuch as several walls are of the same type - such as Masonry Block- the walls will be listed in order of their volume.


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Click the second button to add a schedule cell which displays the sum of the items in the selected field. Here, we will have the schedule add a sum to the schedule’s Volume column.

The second button contains an icon

for a second option: to list a quantity for this field. Here, we will have the schedule add a Quantity to the schedule’s Wall Type column.The result: Wall Type shows a Quantity at the bottom of the column (a total of 8 walls), and the Volume column shows a total sum of all the volumes at the bottom (65.19 m3).

Note: You can apply unique formatting options to this row of sums/quantities, which is called Grand Total. If you choose “Grand Total” from the Apply to pop-up list, the formatting options will apply to this row/column of the schedule only.

The third button lets you add a flag to one of the fields in the list. (You cannot flag more than one field at a time.) The flagged field will display a

separate sum or quantity for each group of identical elements in that field. For example, the Wall Type field already has a “Quantity” row, showing the total number of walls; to show a Quantity for each type of wall in that field, we have added a flag to the Cut Fill Type field.The result: Wall Types show a separate quantity for each separate wall type. Moreover, the Volume column also lists the corresponding volume sub-totals.

Note: You can apply unique formatting options to this row of sum/quantity subtotals, which is called Total.

Format a Schedule

Use the “Schedule Options” and “Format Options” controls at the left side of the Schedule Window to format the current schedule.

The Schedule Options part affects the appearance of the schedule as a whole,

such as whether to list records by rows or columns, or whether to group similar

items under a common headline.The Format Options part applies formatting to the contents of the schedule cells.For more information on each of these options, see “Schedule and Format Options (Interactive Schedule)” in ArchiCAD Help.


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Schedule Headers

Each field of the schedule has a header. These headers are shown at the top of the schedule (for column-style schedules) or at the side (for row-style schedules).Each schedule also has a single “main header”. To show or hide headers and/or the main header, use the commands from Header Options, at the top of the Schedule window.For more information, see “Header Options” in ArchiCAD Help.To change a header text, just click into the field and type. To format it, make sure that “Header” is selected from the Apply To pop-up, then choose text formatting options.To select multiple fields, use Shift-click.You can add an additional header field above existing headers:1) Select multiple headers (use Shift-click.)2) Choose Insert Header Cell

Above from Header Options.

3) A new cell is inserted above the selected cells, showing the text “merged”. Type in any header text and format as usual.

Restructure Schedule to Fit Layout

Note: This function is also available for Project Indexes placed on Layouts.

The Restructure Table command is available in the Pet Palette, from the node of a selected Schedule placed as a Drawing.With this command, large tables which exceed the Layout size can be automatically split into parts and laid out next to each other. The following image shows a Window Schedule that does not fit onto an A4 sized sheet.

The Restructure Table command is used to define a new enclosing rectangle for the Schedule table. In this case, ArchiCAD recalculates sizes and lays out the Schedule so it best fits the new geometry. The result: the Schedule is split in two portions which are placed under each other.

Note: If the selected Drawing is set to Split Drawing into Multiple Layouts, then the Restructure Table command will enable you to define a new enclosing rectangle, but instead of placing the Schedule parts onto a single Layout, each new part will be placed onto an additional Layout.

See “Split Schedule into Multiple Layouts” on page 216.


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Split Schedule into Multiple Layouts

Note: This function is also available for Project Indexes placed on Layouts.

Use this feature to quickly and easily split up a long Schedule and place it onto multiple Layouts, so that all data on the Schedule can be published.This feature is available only for Drawings created from Element Schedules and Project Indexes.The feature works using the Split Drawing into Multiple Layouts checkbox, located on the Frame Panel of Drawing Tool Settings. Whenever you place a Drawing based on an Element Schedule onto a Layout, this checkbox becomes available, and is checked, in Drawing Selection Settings. (For Drawings with any other source, the checkbox is grey.)

If this Drawing does not fit onto a single Layout - as can easily happen with a long Schedule - ArchiCAD will create as many Layouts as needed to display the entire contents of the Schedule.In this example, the Window List has been placed on the Layout. The Split Drawing feature has placed the total Window List onto two Layouts. In the Layout Window, Layout is drawn to indicate that it consists of multiple pages:

In the Navigator Layout Book, only one Layout is shown, but it has a “multi-page” icon, different from the single Layout icon, and the total number of Layouts used for this Drawing is displayed after the Drawing Name.If a Layout Window displays a multi-Layout Drawing, the Window’s title bar shows the range of Layouts which display the Drawing.

In the Layout Book, you can navigate between Layout pages as usual, using the navigation arrows at the bottom of the Layout Window.

However, if you open a Layout Window which contains a multi-Layout Drawing, the navigation button at the bottom of the screen displays a small black arrow. Click this to access additional navigation options among just the Layouts that display the current multi-page Drawing.“First Page” and “Last Page” here refer to the Layouts of the multi-page Drawing.

Place Additional Drawings Next to Multi-Layout DrawingIt is possible to place several multi-page Drawings (Schedules or Indexes) alongside each other, on the same Layouts. For example, suppose you place a long Schedule onto a Layout; ArchiCAD


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generates a total of three Layouts to display the entire Schedule. Then you place another long Schedule onto the first of those Layouts. ArchiCAD fills up the three existing Layouts with the second Schedule (alongside the first Schedule), and generates any additional Layouts needed to display the full Schedule.

If you place any other type of Drawing (i.e. which is neither a Schedule nor a Index) onto a Layout that contains a multi-page Drawing, then that Drawing will appear on every one of that set of Layouts. This can be an advantage if the additional Drawing serves as a Title on the Layout.

Project Indexes

About Project Indexes

Project Indexes are table of contents type items listed in the Project Map of the Navigator palette. They allow you to display and access lists of views, layout sheets and drawings based on a set of filtering criteria.

Project indexes are based on schemes defined with the Document > Project Indexes > Project Index Schemes command. The dialog box that appears allows you to:

• Create, rename, delete, import and export schemes

• Choose the filtering criteria (depending on the type of the index)

• Select the parameters and other information to display for the items that match the set criteria.

For more information, see “Index Settings Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.Once the new (or modified) scheme is defined, its name appears in the Navigator and you can use it like any other view, meaning that you can add it to a view map, publish it or place it on a layout.

Project indexes have their own special icons in the Navigator.

• View lists allow you to filter and list views by their location in the Project Map, their scale, model view option combination, layer combination, dimensioning standard and publishing status.

• Layout sheet lists allow you to filter and list layouts by their master layouts, subsets and publishing status.

• Drawing lists allow you to filter and list drawings by their location (layout and subset), update status and zoom information.

To open an index, go to the Navigator palette and double-click its name.

• The format of the index (including fonts, colors, cell and heading styles) can be fully customized with the controls on the left of the displayed list.

• The content of the index is based on the choices you made in Project Index Schemes. If you need to adjust them, you can directly access this dialog box by clicking the Index Settings button top right.

Project indexes are interactive, which means that you can edit some of the fields: for example, you can change the scale or the layer combination of a view, the name or the ID of a layout or a placed drawing.

The modifications are carried out immediately.

You can move Index Settings among projects by exporting and importing them (use the Import/Export commands in the Index Settings dialog box).


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Index of Published ItemsSuppose you are publishing a number of Layouts in a Publisher Set, and you want to include a Sheet Index which indicates which items have been published. One way to do this is to add the field “Published” to the Index.The checkboxes will be activated for those items which you have published, but only in the published copy of the Index (not while you work in ArchiCAD).For example, if you publish Foundation and Roof plans, as well as this Sheet Index, on a Layout, then the published Sheet Index Layout will look like this:If you want the published Sheet Index to list only published items, add “Published” as a criterion to your Index Settings.

Note: As long as the “Published” criterion is set to “On”, the Index as viewed in the ArchiCAD window will be empty. Thus, set this criterion to Off while you format the list, then set it to On before you publish the Sheet Index. The published Sheet Index will then consist of a list of published index items.

For more information, see “Index Settings Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.

Construction ElementsConstruction Elements are the virtual equivalents of actual three-dimensional building components. They include Walls, Columns, Beams, Roofs, Slabs, Meshes, Zones and Curtain Walls. Each of these elements has a dedicated tool in the ArchiCAD Toolbox.

Elements are displayed as solid building components in the 3D Window. Their cut or elevated view can be projected in Section and Elevation windows.

How to Place a Construction Element in ArchiCADThe typical steps in element creation using the Toolbox are: 1) Select the element’s tool in the Toolbox and open its settings

dialog box.2) Adjust the settings offered by default to suit your particular

situation or purpose. You can choose a Favorite - a predefined element configuration - using the button on top of the Tool Settings dialog box.

3) The panels of the Settings dialog boxes provide lists of pen, material and line options for the element’s Core Structure, Cut Surfaces, Outlines, and other parameters where applicable.

For more information, see the descriptions of individual panels for each Tool Settings dialog box in “Tool Settings Dialog Boxes” in ArchiCAD Help.4) Where applicable, choose a Geometry Method from the Info

Box allowing you to create plain, curved, chained, rotated or polygonal variations of the elements.

5) Draw the element in the Floor Plan or 3D window.Other methods of element creation include: • Use the Favorites Palette: double-click on stored Favorite

settings for the relevant tool, then click to place an element with those settings.

See “Favorites” on page 46.• Using the Magic Wand to create irregularly shaped elementsSee “Magic Wand” on page 143.• Creating Element Duplicates of existing elementsSee “Creating Element Duplicates” on page 135.• RoofMaker and TrussMaker from the Design > Design

Extras menu.See “Element Extras” on page 349.


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Positioning Construction ElementsFor any of the construction elements, you define its absolute and relative base height in the Geometry and Positioning Panel of its Settings dialog box.

Positioning Construction Elements to a Custom Elevation LevelThe actual elevation of elements is always calculated to Project Zero. However, in some projects you may want to define the input elevation to with reference to some other level. To do this, define one or two alternative Reference Levels in Options > Project Preferences > Working Units and Levels. These newly defined reference levels will then be available in the Geometry and Positioning panels of all elements’ Settings dialog boxes.For more information, see “Reference Levels” on page 110.

Gravitate Elements onto a Slab, Roof or MeshTo make placement more accurate, you can use the “Gravitate” function to place Wall, Column, Beam and Object type elements directly onto a Slab, Roof or Mesh.For more information, see “Gravity” on page 110.

Walls

About Walls

In ArchiCAD, you can draw walls that are straight, curved, trapezoidal and polygonal. They can be simple, of a single material, or composite, composed of several materials. You can even go a step further, and create complex walls (Profile Wall) of any custom shape and with a combination of materials.Certain parametric objects such as Doors, Windows, and Wall Ends can only be placed into Walls.

Wall Reference LinesEach Wall possesses a reference line and a direction. The reference line is a heavy black line (including the arrow that shows the Wall’s

direction) that appears when you draw the Wall on the Floor Plan, provided that the View > On-Screen View Options > Walls & Beams Reference Lines feature is switched on.

The reference line helps you achieve the precise connection of Walls for clean intersections. It also establishes hotspots and edges for selecting, moving and transforming Walls. Some Pet Palette editing commands are accessible only from the reference-line side of the selected Wall, as shown in the two images here:

The reference line is also relevant for determining which side of the wall is which, for assigning materials to the 3D model (in the Model panel of Wall Tool Settings).See “Wall Model Panel” in ArchiCAD Help.Depending on the chosen Construction and Geometry Method, the wall body protrudes on either or both sides of the reference line. The direction of the wall is defined by the order in which you define the wall’s endpoints.

Note: With the commands of the Modify Wall Add-On, you can modify the thickness, the Reference Line position and the direction of selected wall type elements.

See “Modify Wall Geometry (Add-On)” on page 229.


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Display of WallsUse the panels of the Wall Tool Settings dialog box to choose attributes for the display of your wall in the various 2D and 3D windows.Attributes for each part of the representation (e.g. cut surfaces, overhead lines) are set using the pop-up options in the Floor Plan & Section panel of the Settings dialog box.Use the Floor Plan Cut Plane Settings, combined with element projection preferences, to determine which parts of the placed wall should be displayed.For more information, see “Floor Plan Cut Plane (Global Setting)” on page 160 and “How to Display Individual Elements on the Floor Plan” on page 161.Some aspects of Wall display depend on the current settings in View > On-Screen View Options.• Wall & Beam Intersections can be set on and off.• Fill patterns can be shown as vectorial or bitmap.• Other display options for Fill patterns are set in Document >

Set Model View > Model View Options: you can opt to show contours only, or empty fills, or to display each element’s fills as defined in its own settings dialog box. In the case of composite walls, you can choose to display only the separator lines, or only a solid fill with no lines.

For more information, see “Model View Options” in ArchiCAD Help.

When you are satisfied with the choices you made in the Wall Tool Settings dialog box, you can start drawing Walls, in either the Floor Plan or the 3D Window.

Create a Straight Wall

The Single Straight Wall method produces one straight wall element at a time.With the Wall Tool selected, choose the Straight Wall Geometry method from the Info Box and draw the wall segment on the plan.In both Floor Plan and 3D, you define the length of Wall segments by clicking at their endpoints.

Note: This CAD-like drawing method is the default method of drawing segments in ArchiCAD, but you can change it in Options > Work Environment > Mouse Constraints & Methods.

The moment you start drawing the Wall, a ghost contour appears and it follows the cursor until you click at the second endpoint. Walls can be stretched using either menu commands or pet palette commands.See “Stretching Walls” on page 123.

Create a Curved Wall

With the Wall Tool selected, choose one of the three Curved Wall Geometry Methods from the Info Box.

• The first option defines the curved wall by the arc’s or circle’s centerpoint and radius. Your first click defines the centerpoint. A ghost contour of the circular wall follows your cursor until you click a second to time to define the radius. After that, only a partial ghost curved segment is shown, until you click a third time to define the length of the arc wall’s circumference. If you need a full circular wall, double-click when defining its radius.


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When all three points are defined, the ghost contour is replaced by the fully displayed wall contours and hatches.

The second option defines the curved wall by three points on the arc’s circumference. The first two clicks define two points that you will probably locate on points connecting other elements, grid intersections or special snap points. After that, a ghost circle follows the cursor until you click a third time to define the third point.

A fourth click is needed to define the length of the arc segment. Double-click the third point to define a full circular wall. Note that the second and the third points do not need to be actually part of the arc wall.

When the arc length is defined, the ghost arc is replaced by the fully displayed wall contours and hatches.

• The third option only defines full circular shapes based on three

tangential edges or points. In this process, you select three initial points: these can be a tangent edge (indicated by the Mercedes cursor), a node (indicated by the Checkmark cursor), or a free-floating point (indicated by the Crosshair cursor.) An endpoint cannot qualify as a tangent edge when using this method, so a maximum of two endpoints are allowed. If more than two are selected, the process will revert to the second method described above. Only linear tangency is allowed: all tangent points must be on the straight edges of Slabs, Lines, Walls, etc. If you click a radial edge with the Mercedes cursor, the resulting Circle will pass through that point rather than being a tangent to the curve.The next step depends on the geometric situation.

• If there is only one solution, the circular Wall is automatically drawn.

• If there are two or four solutions, the Eyeball cursor appears and the ghost contour of the Wall flips from one position to the other as you move the cursor around. Click when it is at the right place to complete the circular wall.


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• If there is no solution, (for example, if you define three parallel edges for tangency), no circle will be made.Note: Since Walls need to have two endpoints, the fully closed circular Wall that you draw will in fact consist of two half-circles. Walls in the forms of full ellipses, elliptic arcs or splines cannot be created directly, but you can trace the shapes of plain drawing elements with the Magic Wand.

For a description of how to edit curved walls, see “Stretching Curves” on page 380.For information on creating a curved wall out of a straight one, see “Curve/Straighten Element Edge” on page 134.

Create a Chain of Walls

A chained wall is a sequence of connected straight or curved wall elements with automatically coincident reference line endpoints.With the Wall Tool selected, choose the Chained Wall method from the Info Box. (Pop out the small black arrow on the Straight Wall Method button.)

As soon as you start drawing the first Wall, a pet palette appears, offering you geometry options for drawing a straight or a curved segment.

The options are:

• A straight wall segment

• A curved segment tangential to the previous one (cannot be used for the first wall segment)

• A curved segment tangential to a line you define before actually drawing the segment

• A curved segment passing through two points

• A curved segment defined by its centerpoint, radius and length

Place the cursor on the option that suits you best and define the endpoint of the first segment using the methods described above for single Wall segments. This endpoint automatically becomes the starting point of the next Wall segment. When you want to finish drawing Wall chain segments, double-click the endpoint of the last segment.

Throughout the process, a ghost contour of the Wall segments is shown. The full Walls are only displayed when you are finished.

• Clicking the Cancel button in the context menu or the Delete key at any time during drafting will abort the process, and no elements will be created.

• Choosing Edit > Undo command will remove the entire new chain of Walls, not just the last segment.

• Hitting the Backspace key allows you to undo the previous segment and continue the creation of the Wall chain.

• If you change the Wall’s attributes in the Info Box during the creation process, all created Wall segments will have the modified attributes (reference line position, line type, fill color, material, etc.).


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• If necessary, you can switch methods on the fly with the pet palette.

• If the Edit > Grouping > Autogroup function is switched on, the chained Wall segments will be created as part of a group.

For more information, see “Grouping Elements” on page 140.

Create a Rectangle of Walls

The Rectangle Wall method produces four Wall elements with coincident nodes by defining the diagonal line of a rectangle.

With the Wall Tool selected, choose the Rectangle Wall method from the Info Box. (Pop out the small black arrow on the Straight Wall Method button.)

Draw the diagonal of the rectangular wall and click to define its length. The rectangle wall is created.

Its four sides are always aligned orthogonally with the Normal Grid and are not affected by the use of a Rotated Grid.

The Rotated Rectangle Wall method produces four wall elements as with the previous method, except that you first define a rotation vector for the rectangle’s base reference line. Then drag the cursor to define the rectangle.

Create a Trapezoid Wall

The Trapezoid or Non-Parallel method allows you to draw straight Walls whose thickness is not constant. You draw this type of Wall as a straight Wall, except that you will first enter the thickness of the Wall at its two endpoints, using the Wall Thickness fields in the Info Box or in Wall Settings.


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Create a Composite Wall

You can apply or customize a composite structure for a wall. (Remember that the model’s Partial Display Settings will affect the display of composite walls.)For more information, see “Composite Structures” on page 31.

Create a Polygon Wall (PolyWall)

To define a polygonal wall block of free shape, choose the Polygon Wall Geometry Method in the Info Box. Polygon Walls can contain Doors or Windows. For Polygon Walls, only simple fills are available (no composites). Draw the contour of the Polygon Wall, using pet palette segment options as needed (as when drawing a chained wall). Both straight and curved edges are allowed.

Once you have closed the polygon, click with the hammer cursor to complete the wall.If you define a polygon whose edges intersect themselves, ArchiCAD will warn you about this, but the wall will still be drawn. The wall’s edges will include one reference edge (like a straight wall’s reference line).To make another edge the reference edge, select an endpoint of the current reference edge. The pet palette contains a command with which you can move the reference edge endpoints to other nodes of the polygon wall.

When you assign materials to the surfaces of a polygon wall in the Model panel of Wall Settings, the materials are assigned depending on the location of the reference edge.• The “Left Material” is the reference-edge surface; here, in red.• “Side Material” are the two surfaces adjacent to the reference

edge; here, in gold.• “Right Material” surfaces are assigned to all other edges (those

which are “opposite the reference edge”), here, in blue.


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To edit polygon walls, click the nodes and edges of the selected Walls and use the pet palette. When connected to other, plain walls, wall polygons keep their original contour by default.If you wish to override this setting, check the PolyWall Corners Can Change box in the Geometry and Positioning section of the Wall Settings dialog box (available when the PolyWall geometry method is active in the Info Box).For more information, see “PolyWall Corners” on page 228.

Create a Slanted or Double-Slanted Wall

To draw a wall whose vertical axis is slanted on either or both sides, go to Wall Tool Settings - Geometry and Positioning Panel, and click the desired Slanted Wall Icon, then enter the desired wall angle(s).

For more information, see “Wall Geometry and Positioning Panel” in ArchiCAD Help.A slanted wall tilts in one direction; its two faces are parallel to each other. A double-slanted wall has faces which are not parallel; in Section view, the wall is trapezoid in shape.When setting the angles of a double-slanted wall, you are constrained by the minimum thickness of the top of the wall. For a simple structure (using a single material), this can be zero. The top of a

composite wall, however, has to be wide enough to accommodate all of the skins.The height of either type of slanted wall is the distance between its lowest and highest point. When entering a height value of a double-slanted wall, you face the obvious constraint that the wall’s width at the top cannot be negative (i.e. once the two faces meet, you can’t go any higher.)The thickness of a slanted wall is its thickness perpendicular to its slant vector (as indicated by the icon in the Info Box):The thickness of a double-slanted wall equals the width of the wall base.If you switch from one kind of slant to another, the wall is transformed as follows:• If you transform a single-slanted into a double-slanted wall, the

new wall’s width (i.e. its wall base) will take on the width of the old, single-slanted wall.

• Similarly, if you have a double-slanted wall and change it to either a vertical or single-slanted wall, the new wall will have the same width as that of the old, double-slanted wall.

For more information on modifying slanted wall geometry, see “Modifying Slanted Walls and Columns” on page 124.

Create a Log WallYou can create straight walls constructed from logs. Log details appear in both the 3D Window and Section/Elevation/IE Windows.


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Clicking the Log Details button in the Model panel of the Wall Settings dialog box opens a dialog box with a number of geometry and texture options.

Note: Log construction is only available for simple straight walls. When determining the log’s height, remember that if you enter a value that is larger than the wall’s width parameter, the logs will not rest on each other.

For more information, see “Log Details Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.

Create a Gable Wall

When you need walls to fit a Roof or you want Walls with cutoff corners, you can obtain them by cutting regular Rectangular Walls with appropriate roof pitches as shown below.For more information, see “Trim Element to Roof ” on page 248.

Wall-Wall Intersections

The connection of walls and their fills on the floor plan and in 3D is determined first of all by their Wall Priorities. When walls of unequal priorities intersect, the element of higher priority will remain intact in 3D. (In 2D, the element of higher priority will be in front.) The element of lower priority will be cut, and the intersected part removedYou can set a separate priority for each individual wall, on a scale of 0-16 (even numbers only), using the Wall Priority slider switch (Wall Settings > Floor Plan and Section panel). To make alignment of connecting walls easier, the intelligent cursor snaps to all sides and corners of wall segments. In the case of composite walls, the cursor snaps to each endpoint of the inner skin as well.

Display of Intersecting Composite Wall Skins (2D only)When displaying an intersecting composite wall in 2D windows and the 3D Document window, you can control its display of skin by skin if you wish. Each skin of a composite wall has a separate intersection priority, which you can fine-tune in Options > Attributes > Composite Structures.

These Walls intersect according to the following rules:• Skins with higher priorities will block skins with lower priorities.• Skins with equal priorities will form a mitered joint. (provided

they have the same fill pattern)Wall Outlines and Overhead lines also intersect each other.Once you set these skin priorities for a composite wall, you must activate them with the Enable Skin Priorities checkbox (in Wall Tool Settings: Floor Plan & Section Panel).

However, if you want to set a single 2D intersection priority for the composite Wall as a whole, do not check Enable Skin Priorities; in


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this case, the Wall Priority slider switch (in Wall Settings: Structure) will prevail for this wall in 2D as well as 3D.

Composite Wall Intersection Example

You can make good use of the priority options to fine-tune the appearance of connecting fills on your floor plan.

In the example below, the Wall Priorities of both Walls are set to 8 in their Wall Settings dialog boxes. The skins of the wall core do not intersect the way we want.

So, in Options > Element Attributes > Composites, we set Skin Priority numbers for the Composite used for these Walls. In this composite, we set the Core skin’s Priority to 12. Then we return to the Wall Settings dialog box and check the Enable Skin Priorities box.

Now, the skins intersect as desired.

Display of Intersecting Profile Wall SkinsComplex Wall skins are represented as cut with the Floor Plan Cut Plane. A priority value is assigned to each component of a Complex structure, just as they are assigned to each skin of Composite Structures.For more information, see “Components - Default/Selected Panel” in ArchiCAD Help.For example, the predefined “Brick Wall with Footing” complex wall has three components. In the Profile Editor, select each of these components in turn to assign a separate intersection priority for each.


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Note: Wall (and Composite Structure) and Column Intersection Priority Numbers are always even numbers; Beam Intersection Priority Numbers are always odd numbers. Thus, any time a Wall/Column intersects with a Beam in 3D, the program can determine which is “dominant” depending on their Priority Numbers.

Wall Intersection Display in 2D For best display of wall intersections in 2D, the reference lines of the intersecting walls must be joined together. Then the Clean Wall & Beam Intersections option (View > On-Screen View Options) will ensure that walls are joined correctly in 2D.

Note: Wall intersections are effective even if some of the intersecting elements are on currently hidden Layers. However, if intersecting walls are on layers with differing Layer Intersection Groups, then wall intersection will not take place.

For more information, see “Layers” on page 26.When drawing a new wall to meet an existing wall, it is sufficient to click any edge or inside the hatching of the target Wall. You don’t have to meet the target wall’s reference line manually; the new Wall’s reference line will be adjusted automatically for proper connection, and the walls will also be joined correctly in 3D. This feature is called “Auto Intersection,” and works only if the Options > Auto Intersection option is switched On.

Walls in an “X” IntersectionTwo walls crossing each other in an X junction will automatically create a clean intersection. When making an X wall junction, the wall you place second will cut the wall that is already on the plan, provided that the two walls have equal intersection priority. The intersection sequence is visible in the 2D window (if Clean Wall and Intersections is off) as well as in the 3D window. You can modify this intersection sequence for X intersections using the Edit > Display Order command. The 2D Display Order affects the intersection sequence in both the 2D and 3D windows.

Walls in “L” or “T” IntersectionsIn the case of T intersections, if the connecting walls have equal priorities, then the running wall will prevail over the adjoining wall. In the case of L intersections, if the connecting walls have equal priorities and are of equal thicknesses, they will be joined in random

order. To change the order in which they are joined, change their Wall Priorities.If two walls are connected in an L intersection and have equal priorities, the fill that is thicker has priority.“L” or “T” intersections are not affected by Display Order modifications.If you need a more elaborate drawing detail at wall intersections, you can create a patch or a detail drawing.

Intersecting Walls in 3D To improve the appearance of wall connections in 3D, especially when connecting walls of different heights, enable the Enhanced connections for Walls and Beams checkmark in Options > Project Preferences > Construction Elements. Your 3D result will then correctly display how much of each wall has been cut. Intersections involving complex walls will always be calculated as if this function were active. Activating this checkbox might result in slower 3D performance. If your project’s wall intersections involve simple walls of equal heights, you might improve performance by leaving the box unchecked.

PolyWall CornersWhen connected to other, plain walls, wall polygons keep their original contour by default.If you wish to override this setting, check the PolyWall Corners Can Change box in the Geometry and Positioning section of the Wall Settings dialog box (available when the PolyWall geometry method is active).In the following example, a Single Wall is connected to a Wall Polygon. The first illustration shows you the situation with View > On-Screen View Options > Clean Wall & Beam Intersections turned Off.Turning Clean Wall & Beam Intersections On will give a different


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results depending on whether PolyWall Corners Can Change is active.

Modify Wall Geometry (Add-On)

Note: This tool is not visible in the interface according to ArchiCAD’s Standard Work Environment profile. You can add it to the Edit menu (or any other menu) by customizing the menu scheme in Options > Work Environment > Work Environment > Command Layout Schemes > Menus.

For more information, see “Customizing Menus” on page 49.With the commands of the Modify Wall hierarchical menu, you can modify the thickness, the Reference Line position and the direction of selected wall type elements.With the Modify Wall Structure command, you can change the hatching of the selected Walls, and still keep the position of a desired part of the Wall.At the top of the dialog box, you can set the fill. If the chosen fill is not a composite, you can set its thickness, otherwise the thickness of the core layer is displayed. Click the radio button at the bottom to choose which part of the wall“Connect Wall to Curtain Wall” on page 306 should keep its position after the modification. (If possible, this will be done by adding an offset to the reference line. If not, the reference line will be

moved.) With the Modify Wall Reference Line command, you can move the reference line of the selected walls without changing the walls’ position on the Floor Plan.

On the left side of the dialog box, you can change the reference line side of walls. On the right you can add an offset to the reference line to position it to the desired part of the wall.

With the Invert Direction command, you can change the direction of the reference line. (This is visible when the Clean Wall & Beam Intersections command toggle is Off.)

See also “Wall Reference Lines” on page 219.

Walls and Other Elements

• Beams and Walls: Intersection priorities for walls and beams are set at the element level in their respective Settings dialog boxes. (Wall priorities are always even numbers; beam priorities are odd.) When a wall intersects a beam, the element of higher priority will remain intact. The element of lower priority will be cut in 3D, which means that the intersection part will be removed from it.

• Columns and Walls

For more information, see “Columns and Other Elements” on page 233.


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• Roofs and Walls: The top or the bottom surface of Walls can be trimmed to Roofs.

For more information, see “Trim Element to Roof ” on page 248.• Walls and Curtain Walls: Walls can be connected to Curtain

Walls using the Design > Curtain Wall > Connect Wall command.For more information, see “Connect Wall to Curtain Wall” on page 306.• Relation to Zones: In the Listing and Labeling Panel of Wall

settings, define how the Wall should behave in relation to zones: as a zone boundary (delimiter), or whether its area/volume should be subtracted from the zone it is in, or whether it should have no effect at all on a zone.

For more information, see “Relation to Zones” on page 264.

ColumnsColumns in ArchiCAD are made up of two components: the load-bearing core and the optional veneer used to simulate fire proofing or any kind of sheathing around the core. The Column’s section can be rectangular or circular, or they can be complex, as defined in a profile. Columns can stand free, or they can be smartly connected to walls. The column’s axis can be either vertical or slanted.Double-click the Column tool icon to open the Column Settings dialog box and set your preferences.For more information, see “Column Tool Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.

Column Display on Floor Plan

Attributes for each part of the Floor Plan representation (e.g. cut surfaces, overhead lines) are set using the pop-up options in the Floor Plan & Section panel of the column’s Settings dialog box. Use the panels of the Column Tool Settings dialog box to choose attributes for the display of your column in the various 2D and 3D windows.Attributes for each part of the representation (e.g. cut surfaces, overhead lines) are set using the pop-up options in the Floor Plan & Section panel of the Settings dialog box.

Use the Floor Plan Cut Plane Settings, combined with element projection preferences, to determine which parts of the placed column should be displayed.For more information, see “Floor Plan Cut Plane (Global Setting)” on page 160 and “How to Display Individual Elements on the Floor Plan” on page 161.

Crossing SymbolThe Floor Plan Symbol options (in Column Tool Settings, Floor Plan and Section Panel) refer to the column’s crossing symbol (Plain, Slash, X, or Crosshair). The display of all column floor plan symbols in the project can be turned on or off with the Show Column Symbol checkbox in Document > Set Model View > Model View Options.For more information, see “Model View Options for Construction Elements” in ArchiCAD Help.

Core and VeneerIn Section view, the core fill pattern is shown, while in Elevations the Column is displayed with its contour only.The structure and cut attributes of the core and veneer are set in the Floor Plan & Section panel of Column Settings.The contour of Column cores with a slash or an X is always fully drawn, regardless of any other factors.

Unwrapped Columns on the Floor PlanUnwrapped Columns (those placed with the Freestanding Construction method) do not modify the shape of the wall, just cut out a place for themselves, breaking through all wall skins.


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The connection line between wall skins and the Column are removed where their fill patterns match.

Wrapped Columns on the Floor Plan

Wrapped Columns (those placed with the “wrapped” construction method) break through the core skins of composite Walls. The other (non-core) wall skins wrap around the column, thus adding this thickness to the column.

Note: For composite walls, the skins that are “core” are defined in Options > Element Attributes > Composites.

Wrapping on the Floor Plan will only occur if:

• the Column was placed using the Wrapped Method

• it intersects a composite Wall

• the composite Wall type has at least one skin that is non-core (which will wrap around)

• the Column touches or intersects the core skin(s) of the composite Wall

Note: Wrapping is not available for curved or polygonal Walls.

Column Display in 3D

The Model panel controls the wall’s material settings in 3D view.

In 3D, a single material is used to display all their surfaces.

Columns in 3D ViewsColumns placed with the Wrapped Construction Method will inherit the Surface Material of the connecting Walls, even if the wall is not a composite wall, and even if there are no wall skins configured to actually wrap around the Columns.


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Unwrapped columns retain their own materials in 3D.

If Column surfaces are connected to wall or slab surfaces or other Column surfaces within the same 3D plane, the connection lines are eliminated in 3D view when using the Internal 3D engine.

Creating ColumnsUse the Column tool to create new columns in either the Floor Plan or the 3D Window.Choose the desired column attributes and geometry from the Column Settings Dialog box, then click to place the column into the project.After placement, you can still stretch a column’s height in the 3D window.For more information, see “Stretch Height” on page 129.

Column Placement MethodsThere are three Geometry Methods (input methods) available in the Info Box for placing Columns.• Simple: Place the Column with one

click. The Column axis will be

projected vertically from the Floor Plan.• Rotated: Your first click determines the position of the

Column’s Anchor Point at its Base, the second will define its rotation angle around a vertical axis.

• Revolved placement method: If your column is complex and/or slanted, this input method provides a three-step placement process. First, click to place the column. Second, rotate it around its vertical axis and click. Third, revolve it around its own, slanted axis (i.e. set the rotation angle), and click to complete.

Column Construction MethodsWhen placing a Column that will intersect a Composite wall, your choice of Geometry method - wrapped or unwrapped - will affect the display of the wall/column in the Floor Plan.Use the wrapped/unwrapped (or “freestanding”) icons from the Column Info Box or the Column Settings dialog box to determine how the columns will be interact with composite walls. Wrapped Columns can only break through the core skins of composite Walls. The other wall skins wrap around the column, retaining their thickness.

For more information, see “Wrapped Columns on the Floor Plan” on page 231.


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Create a Slanted Column

From the Column Settings dialog box, choose the Slanted icon and enter a slant angle in degrees.Choose a Placement Method from the Info Box, then place the column.For more information, see “Modifying Slanted Walls and Columns” on page 124.

Columns and Other Elements

Beams and Columns: When a Beam crosses a Column, the element of lower priority is cut in 3D. • Column Priority vs. Beams is a global setting applicable to all

columns; it is set in Options > Project Preferences > Construction Elements.

• Beam Priority is set in the Beam Tool Settings dialog box (Floor Plan and Section Panel).

Walls and Columns: See “Column Display on Floor Plan” on page 230.Roofs and Columns: The top or bottom surface of Columns can be trimmed to roofs.For more information, see “Trim Element to Roof ” on page 248.Relation to Zones: In the Listing and Labeling Panel of Column settings, define how the Column should behave in relation to zones: as a zone boundary (delimiter), or whether its area/volume should be subtracted from the zone it is in, or whether it should have no effect at all on a zone.For more information, see “Relation to Zones” on page 264.

BeamsArchiCAD Beams are horizontal or inclined construction elements with vertical end faces. They can be rectangular or complex in shape.

Beam Reference Axis

Each Beam possesses a reference axis (center line) which serves the precise connection of Beams for clean intersections and establishes hotspots and edges for selecting, moving and transforming Beams. Its direction determines the beam’s “left” and “right” surfaces for the purpose of applying materials in the Model Panel of Beam Tool Settings. The direction of the reference axis follows your cursor as you drag it to draw the beam. (To see the arrow on the beam that indicates the axis direction, turn on View > On-Screen View Options > Wall and Beam Reference Lines.) You can show/hide the reference axis (center line) of any individual beam using the “Show Center Line” checkbox in the Symbols part of Beam Tool Settings (Floor Plan and Section Panel).

Beam Display on the Floor Plan

When you create a beam with the Beam Tool, ArchiCAD generates its Floor Plan display according to your choices in Beam Tool Settings. These determine the individual beam’s structure and its fill and line attributes.Attributes for each part of the representation (e.g. cut surfaces, overhead lines) are set using the pop-up options in the Floor Plan & Section panel of the Settings dialog box.Use the Floor Plan Cut Plane Settings, combined with element projection preferences, to determine which parts of the placed beam should be displayed.For more information, see “Floor Plan Cut Plane (Global Setting)” on page 160 and “How to Display Individual Elements on the Floor Plan” on page 161.


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Global Settings for Beam DisplayIn Document > Set Model View > Model View Options (Options for Construction Elements panel), the “Show Beam as” options apply globally to all beams in the project. Choose to display beam in their entirety, or just the reference lines, or just the contours.

Create a Beam

Define Beam settings in the Beam Settings dialog box.For more information, see “Beam Tool Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.When you are satisfied with the choices you made in the Beam Settings dialog box, you can start drawing Beams. New Beams can be created in either the Floor Plan or the 3D Window.

Beam GeometryThere are four Geometry Methods available for drawing Beams.Choose one of these Geometry Methods from the Info Box.• The Single Beam method produces a beam element by clicking

twice, at the reference line’s starting point and endpoint.• The PolyBeam method creates a sequence of connected beam

elements with automatically coincident reference line endpoints. The process for drawing chained Beams is the same as for Walls.Only straight beam segments can be drawn when creating a PolyBeam. When you click to end the definition of the first Beam, you automatically start drawing the second one, and so on, until you double-click to finish drawing the chained Beams.

• The Rectangle Beam produces four beam elements with coincident nodes and aligned to the X and Y axes. Define the rectangle by clicking the starting point and the endpoint of one of its diagonal lines.

• The Rotated Rectangle Beam method produces four beam elements with coincident nodes, the first side of the rectangle being defined by the first two mouse clicks at their endpoints and the perpendicular side defined by the third mouse click.

Create an Inclined Beam

To create an inclined (slanted) beam, click the inclined beam icon (in either the Info Box or in Beam Settings).

The slant angle field is now enabled. The slant angle of Inclined Beams must be between -89° and +89°, and is measured from the starting point of the Beam. The Beam is inclined in the vertical plane defined by its Axis.

Inclined Beams are placed the same way as Horizontal Beams. The 3D body of an Inclined Beam is created so that the height of its section cut by a plane perpendicular to its Inclined Axis will be constant at every point (and equal to the Beam Height value). In the image below, the Beam’s height was set to 500 mm in its Settings dialog.


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Create a Hole in a Beam

All types of Beams can include Holes. Holes can be circular or rectangular, and Holes of different shapes and sizes can appear in the same Beam.Holes are defined after the Beam has been placed. The geometry of the Holes is defined in the Hole panel of the selected Beam’s Settings dialog box. Select the desired Beam and make sure that the Beam tool is active.

On the Floor Plan, create a hole by clicking on the Beam’s reference line. The pet palette appears with the possible editing choices. Click the Hole icon. The Beam Hole Settings dialog box will appear, letting you set hole parameters.

Click OK to apply the beam hole settings; the Hole will immediately appear in the Beam.In the 3D window, you can access the pet palette by clicking the Mercedes cursor on a top edge of the selected Beam element.

Selecting and Modifying HolesIf you need a number of Holes in the Beam whose settings are dissimilar, you may wish to first create the series of Holes by

multiplying them and then fine-tune some of the Holes’ shapes, sizes or positions. To select a hole, make sure the Beam tool is active, then Shift-click in the center of the hole.

Note that only one selected hole can be edited at a time, but if you select the Beam itself, you can modify the values of all holes simultaneously.To modify a selected Hole’s shape and size, use the controls in the Beam Settings dialog box or the Info Box. The position of the Hole can also be changed graphically. Selected Holes can be moved along the Beam in Floor Plan view. In 3D, the pet palette offers you the possibility of moving the Holes up and down.

How to Change Angle of Beam End Faces

For end faces at free angles, use the following trick:1) Draw your Beam.2) Set Beam thickness to zero in the Beam Settings dialog box in

order to draw a second (virtual) Beam.3) Draw the zero thickness Beam starting from the end of the

reference axis of the first Beam at the desired angle as shown in the figure below.


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4) Click to complete the zero-thickness beam and view the result in 3D.

5) Touch up the floor plan symbol by adding a line segment to

complete the gap.

Beams and Other Elements

Beam Intersection PriorityA Beam’s intersection priority is set using the “Beam Priority” slider in Beam Tool Settings (Floor Plan and Section panel.)For more information, see “Beam Floor Plan and Section Panel” in ArchiCAD Help.When Beams cross Walls or Columns, the element of lower priority will be cut in 3D, which means that the intersection part will be removed. The element of higher priority will remain intact. This applies to volume calculations as well.

Note: The priority of Columns vs. Beams is a global control set in Options > Project Preferences > Construction Elements.

Slabs and Beams: Beams always cut Slabs when the two elements join in space (provided that their Layers belong to the same intersection priority group). This applies to both the 3D Window and volume calculations.Roofs and Beams: Beams can be trimmed to Roofs using the “Trim to Roof ” command.

Auto-Intersection of Beams with Other BeamsWhen a Beam intersects another Beam, ArchiCAD automatically cleans crossings, T and L junctions of Beams if the Options > Auto Intersection feature is turned on.

If one end of the joining Beam falls within the contour of the other Beam, the end of the joining Beam will automatically adjust to the reference axis. Their appearance in 3D will be “cleaned up” accordingly, provided that the beams have the same intersection priority.Beam junctions are also cleaned up if the crossing or joining Beams run at different elevations. If Beams pass each other in space, without intersecting reference lines, the junction will be cleaned up depending on their respective intersection priorities.

Beam Connections in 3DTo improve the appearance of beam connections in 3D, especially when connecting walls of different heights, enable the Enhanced connections for Walls and Beams checkmark in Options > Project Preferences > Construction Elements. Your 3D result will then correctly display how much of each beam has been cut.


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Intersections involving complex beam will always be calculated as if this function were active.

Activating this checkbox might result in slower 3D performance. If your project’s intersections involve simple beams at uniform elevations, you might improve performance by leaving the box unchecked.

Note: Beam intersections are effective even if some of the intersecting elements are on currently hidden Layers. However, if intersecting beam are on layers with differing Layer Intersection Groups, then beam intersection will not take place.

For more information, see “Create and Use Layer Combinations” on page 28.

Place a Wall/Column/Beam with a Complex Profile

About Complex Profile Elements

If customizing a standard construction element gets very complicated, or you don’t find a specialized construction object in the library, you can place a profiled Wall, Column or Beam, known as a Complex Profile.

Complex Profiles are predefined and custom defined walls, columns and beams that can be edited by hand to take nearly any desired shape.

For example, the following image shows a curved wall to which the “Brick Wall with Footing” profile has been applied.

A Complex Profile element is composed of a cross-sectional profile that is extruded perpendicular to the profile’s plane. To place a complex element, you can use or modify a predefined profile, or create a new one. A saved Complex Profile element is handled as an attribute of the Wall, Column, and/or Beam element. Saved profiles will appear in the Settings dialog box of the respective tool. Alternatively, you can apply a custom profile to any selected element in the model window on a one-time basis without having to save it as an attribute.ArchiCAD ships a number of predefined profile elements for these tools. To use them, do the following:• Open the Wall (Column, Beam) Settings dialog box.• Choose Profiled Wall from the Geometry and Positioning panel.


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• The Structure section of the Floor Plan and Section panel includes a pop-up that lets you choose among saved profiles for the current element. The pop-up includes a preview to help you choose.

• Choose the desired profile, then adjust the rest of the settings in the element Settings dialog box as you would for any other element.

• Click on the plan to place.Once you place a complex profile element, you can modify it graphically on-screen, similar to other construction elements.

Creating or Editing a Complex Profile Element

Choose Design > Complex Profiles > Profile Manager. The Profile Manager appears.Manage Profiles: Choose a command in this section of the Profile Manager depending on what you want to do.• To create a new profile, click New.• To create a new profile based on an existing profile: Choose an

existing profile, then click Duplicate.

• To create a new profile using the shape of a selected Wall, Beam or Column element in the active model window, click the Capture element’s profile button in the Profile Manager (or choose Capture Profile of selection from the context menu of a selected element in the model window).

• To edit an existing profile, select it, then click Edit chosen profile.

The Profile Editor window opens. In this window you will draw or edit the cross-section of the profile element, using the 2D drawing tools that are available.

Use the Fill tool to draw the cross-section of the complex profile and edit it, with the usual 2D techniques, to achieve the desired shape.

Your cross-sectional profile can contain multiple shapes; they will all be saved together as a single profile.


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The Origin shown in the Profile Editor window is a significant reference point: if the complex element is a Wall, the origin represents the location of the Wall’s reference line. In case of a Column or Beam, the origin represents the location of the element’s axis. You cannot move this origin, but you can move the profile shape so that it correctly positioned with respect to the origin.Only hotspots and shapes drawn with the Fill tool in the Profile Editor window will be part of the saved profile. Other 2D elements added to the Profile Editor window (lines, dimensioning, etc.) can be used as local drafting aids, but will have no effect on the final appearance of the complex profile when placed into the model. (These drafting aids are located on the “Drafting” Design Layer; see below.)In Profile Manager, the Use with buttons, like those in other Attribute Settings dialog boxes, determine which ArchiCAD tools can be used to place the current profile.The rest of the Profile Manager settings are active only if the Profile Editor is open.Design Layers: The Design Layers section of Profile Manager contains layer settings that apply to the Profile Editor window only.The layer of the active tool will be highlighted. For example, if the Fill or Hotspot tool is active, the Construction layer will be highlighted; all items drawn on the Construction layer will be saved as part of the profile. Other 2D elements in this window will be placed on the Drafting layer; while they will be saved as part of the profile attribute, they will not be visible in the placed profile.

Note: Dimension elements placed in the Profile Editor window are not saved as part of the attribute; they are for drafting purposes only.

The show/hide parameters for Design Layers affect the Profile Editor window only.

Horizontal and Vertical Stretch (in the list of Design Layers) are an optional attribute of the profile. Check the boxes to switch on the stretch parameter in either or both directions. If you do not switch it on, you will not be able to stretch or resize the cross-section of the resulting profile once you place it on the plan.If Horizontal/Vertical Stretch is switched on, the Profile Editor window displays dotted lines indicating the plane that can be stretched. Within the Profile Editor window, you can move these lines like any other drawing element to any part of the profile; these will serve as the stretch “handles” of the resulting profile element after it is placed in the model.If you switch on Opening Reference (in the list of Design Layers), the Profile Editor window displays a line representing the reference line at which doors/windows will be placed, once you place the profile wall on the plan.If necessary, edit the line, like any other line, to conform to the shape of the profile so that openings will be in the right place. If you do not switch on Opening Reference, doors/windows will be placed along the profile element’s bounding box.The rest of the controls in the Profile Manager dialog box allow you to fine-tune the Section and 3D appearance of each component of the profile element and are recommended for advanced users.For details, see “Profile Manager Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.See also “Modifying Complex Profile Elements” on page 126.

Store or Apply a Modified Complex Profile

Click Store Profile to name and save the profile you have edited. If a newly stored profile is a modified version of an existing profile, and you do not rename it, then the modifications will be applied to all profile elements of this type that have been placed in the plan.


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If you do not want to store the profile, and need the profile only for a one-time use, you can apply it to a selected element in the model, using the Apply to selection button. The selected element will turn into that profile element.The unstored profile is called “Custom” until it is stored.

Create Complex Profile from Parallel Elements

A quick way to create a complex profile is to use the Design > Complex Profiles > Merge Walls/Columns/Beams.To use this command, draw multiple walls, columns or beams in the model window. The elements must be of the same type and must be parallel to each other.Executing the command will create a new profile element, which will replace the original elements. The new profile element will be as long as the longest original element, and will inherit the attributes of the original as well as any wall openings.By default, the new profile is named “custom” but can be opened in the Profile Editor, modified and renamed.To merge two or more parallel Straight Walls, use the Merge Walls command on them. The Walls will become the same length, and the cross section of the resulting Wall will be a unity of the cross sections of the two Walls. The bodies of the two Walls do not need to touch, they may be at a distance from each other. This command works only for Straight Walls (Vertical, Slanted, Double-Slanted, Custom Profile). It does not work for Trapezoid, Polygonal and Curved Walls.

The Merge Columns command allows you to merge two or more Columns whose axes are parallel to each other. If this condition is

met, all types of Columns (Vertical, Slanted, Custom Profile) may be merged. More than two Columns may be merged at the same time.

Use the Merge Beams command to merge two or more Beams whose axes are parallel to each other. If this condition is met, all types of Beams (Horizontal, Inclined, Custom Profile) may be merged.

For more information, see “Profile Manager Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.

Roofs

About Roofs

ArchiCAD’s flexible Roofs can be used to create both standard and abstract 3D shapes meeting a wide variety of needs.The roof ’s elevation is measured by the elevation of the pivot line, a horizontal non-printing line that you draw when creating the roof.In most cases, you will want the pivot line of the roof to coincide with a wall Reference Line or a slab edge.


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Note: You can hide all pivot lines with the appropriate control in View > On-Screen View Options.

The Pivot Line elevation is shown in the roof ’s info box (the “B” value). This is the same value as the Roof ’s Relative Base Height, in Roof Settings.The Roof Slope Angle (or pitch) is measured from this pivot line.The Roof Pitch value is also shown in the Info Box (the “T” value).See also “Modify the Roof Slant Angle” on page 246.To aid in precise element placement, you can turn on the “Gravitate to Roof ” command to place additional elements onto the surface of the Roof.

Display of RoofsAttributes for each part of the representation (e.g. cut surfaces, overhead lines) are set using the pop-up options in the Floor Plan & Section panel of the Settings dialog box.For more information, see “Roof Tool Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.Use the Floor Plan Cut Plane Settings, combined with element projection preferences, to determine which parts of the placed roof should be displayed.For more information on Floor Plan display of roofs, see “How to Display Individual Elements on the Floor Plan” on page 161.For Roofs, the default Floor Plan Display option is “Projected with Overhead”.

Roof GeometryThe Roof tool has six geometry methods in the Info Box, allowing you to create both simple and complex roof shapes. The options are: Polygon, Rectangle, Rotated Rectangle, Polyroof, Dome and Barrel-vaulted. Note that only four options are visible at a time. The remaining options can be viewed by holding down the button to pop out the additional icons.

When you are satisfied with the choices you made in the Roof Settings dialog box, you can start drawing Roofs. New Roofs can be created in either the Floor Plan or the 3D Window, although some options differ or are restricted.

Gravitate New Elements onto a RoofUse the Gravity control to place Wall, Column, Beam and Object type elements relative to the elevation of a Roof.For more information, see “Gravity” on page 110.

Create a Simple Roof on the Floor Plan

Choose one of the first three Geometry Methods in the Info Box (Polygon, Rectangle, Rotated Rectangle), then define the position of the pivot line with two clicks. With the Rectangle method, the roof will always be orthogonal.In most cases, you will want the pivot line of the roof to coincide with a wall Reference Line or a slab edge. As an aid in drawing the pivot line, the cursor will change to a Heavy Checkmark/Heavy Mercedes when it hits a wall or beam reference line; it will change to a Light Checkmark/Light Mercedes when it hits any edge that is not a Wall or Beam reference line.

1) Draw the pivot line.

2) After you draw the pivot line, a cursor in the form of an Eyeball will appear. Use this cursor to click on the side of the pivot line where you want the roof plane to rise (or, in the case of a negative roof pitch, slope downward).

Pivot Line


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3) You can then draw the contour of the roof by clicking on each of the new roof ’s nodes. Or use the Magic Wand: click on an existing element to serve as the pattern for the roof ’s contour.

See “Magic Wand” on page 143.

Create a Simple Roof in 3D

1) Choose one of the first three Geometry Methods in the Info Box (Polygon, Rectangle, Rotated Rectangle), then define the slope of the roof plane by clicking any three points. ArchiCAD will generate the Pivot Line for you.

2) Draw the contour of the roof. The Hammer cursor appears when you return to the first node. Click to close the polygon. ArchiCAD will then generate the Roof.

Create a Polyroof or Curved Roof

By choosing the Polyroof geometry method, you can create equally sloped roofs on any polygonal or curved base. The result will be a set of individual roof planes. With the Autogroup function active, they will be automatically grouped when created.The process for drawing a Polyroof is the same on the Floor Plan and in the 3D Window.First, you draw a polygon of straight segments only. This defines the pivot lines of the elements of the Polyroof. When you are finished, the Polyroof Settings dialog box appears.The final outline will be defined by the Eave Overhang value which is added as an offset to the pivot line polygon.


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Polyroofs can be made up of a maximum of four levels. The inclination and maximum height of each segment can be independently defined. To create curved or other shapes with the Polyroof method, draw the shapes with the 2D drawing tools, then use the Magic Wand to define the pivot line polygon. Make sure that the Polyroof Geometry Method is active when you do so.

Note: ArchiCAD uses a crystal growth algorithm to calculate the best solution for any particular polygon base. The height defined in the settings dialog box is the maximum limit. If the roof meets another roof plane before it reaches that particular height, it will not go higher. If the roof has reached the maximum level allowed, and the roof planes have not met, a horizontal plane will be placed on top. Once the structure is completed, its parts are individually editable.

Create a Dome-Shaped Roof

To create a Dome-shaped roof, select the Dome geometry method in the Info Box. A Dome-Shaped Roof is a set of individual roof planes. With the Autogroup function active, they will be automatically grouped when created. The process for drawing a Dome-shaped roof is the same on the Floor Plan and in the 3D Window.With the first click, you define the center of the arc; the second click marks the beginning and the third, the end of the outline. Double-clicking the beginning of the arc will create a full circular dome. Once you have defined the outline, make your choices in the Dome Settings dialog box:

Enter the height of the Dome Roof as measured from its centerpoint. This value is set by default to the maximum allowed, i.e., the height of a semi-sphere structure. By entering a smaller number, you can flatten your dome. The next edit field contains the elevation of the dome’s base. The number of strips and segments that make up the dome can also be defined in this dialog box: they are limited to 90 and 360 respectively. The roof thickness measured perpendicular to the roof ’s elevation can also be set, while the roof edge’s trimming is controlled by the radio buttons. The three options available are perpendicular, vertical and horizontal trimming. Once the dome is created, its parts can be edited as individual pitched roofs, but not as a whole.

Create a Barrel-Vaulted Roof

Barrel-vaulted Roofs can be constructed in either Floor Plan or 3D view, but it is done through different steps. In 2D, a curve drawn on the Floor Plan is interpreted as the cross-section of the Roof. Draw a series of arcs (or trace a shape with the Magic Wand) and double-click when finished. When you have defined the curve, you will see a rubberband boundary, whose ends are connected to those of the cross-section curve. One of the sides of this boundary is the imaginary “floor” and, at the same time, the side of the barrel roof.


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With a first click, you define the starting point and the shape, and with the second, the length of the barrel-vaulted roof. Then make choices in the Vaulted Roof Settings dialog box.You can set Vaulted Roof characteristics here.Enter the elevation of the base point of the roof, its edge angle and, if using a simple fill pattern, its thickness. Press the OK or Cancel button when finished.The resulting roof planes are individually editable. If Autogroup is on, they are generated as a group. The curve drawn in the Floor Plan is clearly visible in the 3D view of the roof.

Note: ArchiCAD only allows the construction of curved roofs that can be hit by vertical rainfall. This avoids the construction of self-intersecting or reclinate roofs. This also means that the same curve may be valid for the generation of a roof from one angle of the boundary box, and invalid from another angle. This is because the shape of the roof is determined not only by the curve that it is constructed from, but also by the angle of the boundary box that it is associated to. The start and end points of the roof must be defined in such a way that the heavy line side of the rubberband boundary does not intersect the original cross-section curve.

There are three possible methods available for drawing a Barrel-Vaulted Roof in 3D: Rounded, Symmetrical and Irregular.

Draw the first side of the outline rectangle of the roof at the desired height. The pet palette appears. Defining the cross-section is different for the three methods.

Rounded Roof

To create a Rounded roof:

Click on the first icon.


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Draw the geometry of the roof cross-section by defining its height and click.

Extend the roof to the desired length and click to place the roof.

Symmetrical Vaulted RoofTo create a Symmetrical vaulted roof, click on the second icon. The Symmetrical Vaulted Roof dialog box appears. Enter the number of roof planes to create.Draw the geometry of the roof by defining its height and click.


Note: This method creates roof planes of equal length in cross-section.


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Irregular RoofTo create an Irregular roof:Choose the third method from the pet palette and click.

Define the shape of the roof by clicking as many times as you wish to create new planes. Double-click to finish creating roof planes.


Create a Hole in a Roof

1) Select a Roof pane2) With the Roof tool active, draw a new contour within its

boundaries. The new contour will be interpreted as a hole in the Roof.Note: If you create a hole whose outline intersects the host Roof’s contour or the outline of other holes in the same polygon, ArchiCAD will display a warning message, but the outline of the hole will still be created.

Modify the Roof Slant Angle

Once you’ve drawn a roof and selected it, you can modify its slant angle in several ways.• Change the roof slant angle in the Info Box or in Roof Settings.• In the 3D window, select the

roof, then select the Modify Slant Angle command from the pet palette and graphically adjust the roof angle (or enter a Slant Angle value into the Tracker.)

• In the Floor Plan or 3D Window, select the roof, then Ctrl+click (MacOS: Cmd+Click) at any point on the roof plane to bring up the Roof Elevations dialog box. Enter a numerical value in the top field: this value will be the elevation value of the roof plane at the point at which you clicked it. Altering this elevation value has the same effect as modifying the roof slant angle.


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Create Roof Level Lines

The Design > Create Roof Level Lines command, available in the Floor Plan, will place a line on a selected roof at the height value you specify in the Roof Level Lines dialog box. On Top/On Bottom: Choose whether you want to measure the

height value to the top or to the bottom surface of the roof.Specify Roof Level Lines height level: Use either input field - the current story level or Project Zero - to define the height of the desired roof level lines.Omit Lines Outside Roofs: Check this box to omit level lines that fall outside the floor plan polygon of the roof they belong. If the checkbox is disabled, all resulting lines will be drawn. In this case, lines that fall outside the roof polygon will be drawn to be of equal length to the pivot line of the roof they belong to.Group with Roof: Check this box to group level lines with the roofs they belong to.

Note: This option is greyed if the Suspend Groups toggle is active.


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Set Custom Roof Edge Angle

To customize a roof edge angle, select the roof and click on its edge with the Mercedes cursor to bring up a pet palette. Select the Roof Edge Angle icon to open the Roof Edge Angle dialog box.Enter a desired custom angle. (As a result, the Roof Edge Angle setting in the Model panel of this roof ’s settings will display the custom option.) ArchiCAD allows fascia and barge boards to be at unique angles. For this reason, it is possible for two roofs to not be properly joined, even though they meet on the Floor Plan. You can create mitred joints at these intersections, or have the roof planes connect with vertical ridges. This is done by selecting all roof planes that you would like to intersect, positioning the cursor at the common ridge and keeping the mouse button down.

Note: This option is only available if the Roof is cut by another Roof element.

Intersect Roof Planes

You may need to adjust simple roof panes to each other or to modify some of the panes of a complex roof, for example to accommodate a dormer.To have these two roof planes intersect:Select the lower one on the Floor Plan, and Ctrl-click (Windows) or Cmd-click (MacOS) the ridge line of the other.Now select the other roof plane and Ctrl-click (Windows) or Cmd-click (MacOS) the ridge line of the lower one.

The two faces have been adjusted to each other.

In this example, when the two ridge lines meet on the Floor Plan, this means that they are in fact intersected in 3D.

For more complex intersections, when more than two roof planes meet (e.g., when a barrel-vaulted roof meets a simple pitched roof), additional nodes should be added to accommodate the shape. However, the intersection process itself is similar.

Trim Element to Roof

Note: You can also achieve the effect of trimming with a Roof by using Solid Element Operations.

See “Solid Element Operations” on page 352.


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Using the Trim to Roof FunctionRoofs can trim either the top or the bottom of • Walls• Beams• Columns• Slabs• Doors• Windows• ObjectsThis trimming is not done automatically: you must use the Design > Trim to Roof command.Elements are trimmed only if they intersect a roof at any point, and only if you check its element type in the Trim to Roof dialog box.It is usually easiest to use Trim to Roof in the 3D window, where you can see the spatial relationships of roofs to other construction elements.The Trim to Roof command is available only if at least one roof or one element of the above types is selected.To trim elements to a roof, follow these steps:1) Do one of the following:• Select the elements you wish to trim. (Remember, only elements

which intersect a roof at any point can be trimmed); or• Select the roof(s) to which you want to trim elements; or• Select both elements and roof(s).Selection of roofs and/or elements narrows the scope of the Trim. If you select only a roof, all eligible elements are trimmed; if you select only elements, they will be trimmed to all the eligible roofs.

2) Go to Design > Trim to Roof to bring up the Trim to Roof dialog box.

3) Check the element type(s) you want to trim. (If you have already selected certain elements before bringing up the dialog box, these checkboxes are greyed.)

4) Check either “Trim Top” or “Trim Base”, depending on which part of the eligible element(s) you want to trim. “Trim Top” will trim the part of the element(s) above the roof, and “Trim Base” will trim the part below the roof.

5) Click the Trim button.

Undo Roof TrimTrimming an element can either be temporary, for visual display only, or definitive.You can restore elements after a temporary trimming. If an element has been trimmed to a roof, the Undo Roof Trim button becomes active at the bottom of that element’s Settings dialog box (Model section). The only exception is Slabs: their trimming can only be undone through the Edit > Undo command.The trim remains in effect even if you hide the Roof or the trimmed elements, move them away from each other or even delete the trimming Roof. This allows you to create special gable shapes from those construction element types.


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If you trim a wall with a roof that crosses the wall entirely, the original wall will be cut into two walls: one with a cutting at the end, while the other will be a separate wall without any cut.

Exception: If you have an opening that would have points in both parts of the wall after the trim, the wall will remain one piece.

Effect of Roof Trim on Wall/Column Height SettingsBy default, trimming a Wall or Column to a Roof will also alter the trimmed element’s height.The Set Wall/Column Top to highest (lowest) Point checkbox at the bottom of the Trim to Roof dialog box is active by default. This means that the height of a trimmed wall or column is recalculated to equal the maximum of its trimmed height (if you trimmed the top) or the minimum trimmed base height (if you trimmed the bottom).Regardless of whether the checkbox is active, the Trim operation will result in the same visual effect.In this example, the top of the wall will be trimmed to the roof.

In the first trim, the checkbox is checked. This means that the Wall’s actual height (as shown by the selection dots) has changed to the highest point of the trimmed Wall.

In the second trim, the box is left unchecked. The Wall is trimmed as usual, but the selection dots indicate that its height remains at its original value.

Note: if you click Trim Base, the Set Wall/Column Top to highest Point box changes to Set Wall/Column Base to lowest Point. In this case, it’s the base elevation of the element that changes.

However, the Undo Roof Trim command will have a different effect depending on the checkbox status: if you set the Trim operation to recalculate the Wall/Column’s height value (if the checkbox was active), then the Undo Roof Trim will only recreate the wall/column up to the maximum trimmed height. If you did not check the box, then the Undo Roof Trim will recreate the original Wall height.

Use Roof Trim to Create Complex-Shaped Walls, Beams and Columns You can cut complex shapes into walls, beams and columns by trimming them to Roofs. The wall will always follow the shape of the roof(s) above them, no matter how many roof segments you have.


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However, remember that any roof can only make parallel cuts into the walls.

Trimming Slabs with a RoofSlabs can also be trimmed by the lower or upper slope of roofs with the help of the Design > Trim to Roof command. However, there is a big difference between trimming slabs and trimming walls, columns or Library Parts. While other elements can be partly trimmed, slabs are always cut along the whole section line of the roof and the slab. Moreover, the trimmed edge of the slab is always vertical even after being trimmed by a slanted roof.

Trimming with a Remote RoofYou can use remote roofs and even roofs on other stories whose outline is shown on the given story for trimming elements to the plane of that particular roof.

Just select the elements you intend to cut, then Ctrl-click (Cmd-click) an edge or a node of the roof you want to cut them with. The reverse procedure will also work: select the roof you want to cut with and Ctrl-click (Cmd-click) the individual elements you want to be cut.

Note: The Wall/Beam/Column is cut whether it is under a roof or not. Be sure to set a sufficient height for the original rectangular Walls/Beams/Columns so that they are cut correctly.

Create Special Roof Objects with RoofMaker

RoofMaker allows you to add GDL Object-based elements to specific parts of your design in order to enhance them in 3D views and Section/Elevation/IE windows. RoofMaker can be accessed from the Design > Design Extras menu. Technically, RoofMaker is an ArchiCAD Add-On and is loaded with ArchiCAD on startup.After placement, roof construction elements behave like ordinary Objects and can be modified.The Roof Wizard is a RoofMaker function that allows you to create entire roof constructions quickly and easily.For more information, see “Using the Roof Wizard” on page 255.


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We recommend that you begin modelling the roof construction with the purlins and continue with the hip rafters/valley rafters before placing the rafters. This way you can easily keep track of all the connecting elements. (When placing ridges, you already know the thickness of the purlin; when placing rafters you already know the thickness of purlins, hip and valley rafters, etc.)

To place rafters, ridges or purlins (beams), a single roof surface has to be selected. If multiple roof surfaces are grouped, you must first ungroup them using the Edit > Grouping > Ungroup. You will then be able to select roof surfaces individually.Although the placement of roof construction elements using RoofMaker works using other methods, we strongly recommend setting the reference line of the roof to the upper exterior edge of the wall beneath (as handled by ArchiCAD’s Complex Roof Placement Method). The definition of elements, with or without overhang, uses this reference line as a basis.We recommend setting the roof thickness equal to the general cross-section height of the rafters. This way, you can use the roof to cut elements that are standing upon the rafters (e.g., Posts).To place a trimmer (blocking), a collar beam or a tie beam, two corresponding rafters must be selected (opposite rafters for a collar beam or a tie beam, and rafters in the same roof surface for a trimmer).

After choosing the command for the placement of an object, a dialog box opens in which certain parameters concerning the object itself can be set. Surface materials and a layer can be assigned to all elements. The current pencolor set for the Object is used by default. If you change the current pencolor, all the subsequently placed elements will have the new color.The object is then placed with one or more clicks, or is placed automatically, depending on the object type.To display the RoofMaker commands in a separate floating toolbox, choose Design > Design Extras > RoofMaker > Show RoofMaker Toolbox. The RoofMaker Toolbox opens, which contains shortcuts to all of the RoofMaker menu commands.

Create a rafterWhen creating rafters, the bottom plane of the roof serves as a reference plane. Rafters will be automatically placed on top of it.Select a reference roof surface on the floor plan. Choose Create a rafter from the Design > Design Extras > RoofMaker menu (or select the first icon from the RoofMaker toolbox).The Rafter Settings dialog box appears in which rafter parameters can be set.For more information, see “Rafter Settings Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.Clicking OK returns you to the floor plan with the reference roof surface still selected. Click inside the selected roof surface. (If you click outside, an error message appears.)A rafter is placed with its axis going through the specified point. By definition, rafters are perpendicular to the reference line of the roof.After the rafter is placed, you can select it and open its Object Settings dialog box. Among others, the parameters include profile and profile thickness. The rafter may have a rectangular (default) profile as well as I-beam, L-beam or C-beam profiles.

Create multiple raftersSelect a reference roof surface on the floor plan. Choose Create multiple rafters from the Design > Design Extras > RoofMaker menu (or select the second icon from the RoofMaker toolbox.


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In the Rafter Settings dialog box, set the desired parameters. You will set the same controls as for a single rafter, but the placement controls for multiple rafters are also active.

For more information, see “Multiple Rafters Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.

Clicking OK returns you to the floor plan with the reference roof surface still selected. Click twice inside the selected roof surface to define a placement line. (If you click outside, an error message appears.)

Several rafters are placed along the placement line, with the axis of the first rafter going through the point defined with the first click, and the axis of the last rafter going through the point defined with the second click. By definition, rafters are perpendicular to the reference line of the roof.

Create hip or valley rafter

The hip rafter usually lies between two neighboring roof polygons. Select the roof surface where the hip rafter connects to a purlin instead of another hip rafter; other methods may cause errors.

Choose Create a hip rafter or valley rafter from the Design > Design Extras > RoofMaker menu (or click the third icon of the RoofMaker toolbox). The Hip or Valley Rafter Settings dialog box opens.

For more information, see “Create a Hip or Valley Rafter” in ArchiCAD Help.

After adjusting those settings, click OK to return to the floor plan with the reference roof surface still selected. Click along one of the edges of the selected roof that is NOT parallel or perpendicular to the reference line.

A Hip or a Valley Rafter (or a Valley Rafter without Overhang) is placed along the specified edge of the roof, depending on the position of the edge to the roof ’s reference line.

Hip and Valley Rafters can also be placed with two roof surfaces selected previously. It is then not necessary to click afterwards to specify an edge; the object will be placed along the common edge of the two surfaces. The difference between the two methods lies in the

shape of the resulting objects; the top cut in the latter method makes the object suitable for steeple type roofs.

Create a trimmer

In order to place a trimmer, you must first select the two rafters the trimmer is going to be placed between. The two rafters have to be within the same roof polygon. (This also means that they have the same pitch angle and they are both perpendicular to the reference line of the roof.)

Choose Create a Trimmer from the Design > Design Extras > RoofMaker menu. The Trimmer Settings dialog box appears.

For more information, see “Create a Trimmer (or Blocking)” in ArchiCAD Help.

A trimmer is placed at the same height as the rafters. It can be vertical or rotated to a position perpendicular to the pitch angle of the roof. The 2D symbol also shows the current position.

Clicking OK, you return to the floor plan with the two rafters still selected. Click between the rafters. (If you click outside them, an error message will appear.)

A trimmer is placed between the two rafters, the axis going through the specified point. Trimmers are always parallel to the reference line of the roof and thus perpendicular to the rafters.

Create a purlin

Select a reference roof surface on the floor plan and choose Create a Purlin from the Design > Design Extras > RoofMaker menu (or click the fifth icon from the RoofMaker toolbox). The Purlin Settings dialog box appears in which purlin parameters can be set.

For more information, see “Create a Purlin (or Beam)” in ArchiCAD Help.

By default, the purlin is placed under the reference plane defined by the roof, since a purlin generally supports the rafters from below. However, an elevation value can be set for the purlin so that it can be higher or lower than the reference plane. Set the values for the width and the height of the cross-section.


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The purlin can also be perpendicular to the rafters and be on the top of them as well. If the purlin is placed on top, the cross section height of the rafters has to be set.

Clicking OK returns you to the floor plan with the reference roof surface still selected. Click either an edge of the selected roof, or inside the roof polygon. (Clicking outside the polygon produces an error message.)

If you click on an edge, a purlin is placed with its axis along the edge. If the edge is not parallel to the reference line of the roof, the endpoints of the axis of the purlin will be at different heights - as indicated in the “Height difference” parameter of the library part - and the purlin will be inclined.

Clicking inside the roof polygon determines the position of only one side of the purlin; an additional click is needed to define the direction where the purlin extends. (For example, if you want to place a rafter in line with the interior side of a wall, first you click to the interior side and then toward the exterior.)

If you click inside the polygon, the axis of the beam will pass through the clicked point parallel to the reference line of the roof.

Create an eaves purlin

Select a reference roof surface on the floor plan and choose Create an eaves purlin from the Design > Design Extras > RoofMaker menu (or click the sixth icon in the RoofMaker toolbox). The Eaves Purlin Settings dialog box appears in which eaves purlin parameters can be set.

For more information, see “Create an Eaves Purlin (or Plate Beam)” in ArchiCAD Help.This type of purlin is placed under the reference plane defined by the roof, supporting the rafters from below. However, an elevation value can be set for the eaves purlin so that it can be higher or lower than the reference plane. You can also set the values for the width and the height of the cross section.

Clicking OK returns you to the floor plan, with the reference roof surface still selected. You need to click either one of the edges of the

selected roof, or inside the roof polygon. (If you click outside the polygon, an error message appears.)

If you click on an edge, the purlin is placed inside the polygon, with its side along the edge. If the edge is not parallel to the reference line of the roof, the two endpoints of the axis of the purlin will be at different heights, as indicated in the “Height difference” parameter of the library part, and the purlin will be inclined.

If you click inside the polygon, the axis of the purlin will pass through the clicked point, parallel to the reference line of the roof surface. An additional click is then needed to define the direction where the plate beam extends. (For example, if you want to place a rafter in line with the interior side of a wall, first click on the interior edge of the wall and then toward the exterior.)

There is an empty fill included in the 2D symbol of purlins because purlins usually have to cover posts placed underneath. These posts are generally displayed as a larger circle to indicate that there is some kind of supporting structure. You can use the Bring to Front and Send to Back commands to ensure the accurate positioning of elements.

Create collar beams

In order to place a collar beam you must first select two rafters to place it between. The axes of the two rafters must be along the same line and meet at the top, otherwise you will get an error message.

Choose Create a collar beam from the Design > Design Extras > RoofMaker menu (or the seventh icon in the RoofMaker toolbox). The Collar Beam Settings dialog box appears in which different parameters of the collar beam can be set.

For more information, see “Create Collar Beams” in ArchiCAD Help.

A collar beam can be double- or single-sided. In addition to the dimensions of the cross-section, an elevation value must be set, calculated from the height of the insertion point of the rafters (which is usually also the height of the reference line of the roof). If the two rafters are not inserted at the same height, the collar beam is placed relative to the higher one.


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Clicking OK returns you to the floor plan with the two rafters still selected. If a double-sided collar beam has been selected, it is placed automatically in the appropriate position. If a single-sided collar beam is selected, click once more to determine on which side of the rafters the collar beam will be placed.

Create tie beams

In order to place a tie beam, you must first select two rafters to place it between. The axes of the two rafters must be along the same line and meet at the top, otherwise you will get an error message.

Choose Create a tie beam from the Design > Design Extras > RoofMaker menu (or eighth icon in RoofMaker Toolbox). The Tie Beam Settings dialog box appears in which different parameters of the tie beam can be set.

For more information, see “Create Tie Beams” in ArchiCAD Help.

In addition to the dimensions of the cross section, an elevation value must be set, calculated either from Project Zero or the current story elevation.

Clicking OK returns you to the floor plan with the two rafters still selected. The tie beam is placed automatically in the appropriate position.

Using the Roof Wizard

The Roof Wizard allows you to create entire roof constructions quickly and easily. You can place rafters, purlins, trimmers, collar or tie beams in one step.

To begin, select all the roof surfaces in the project that you wish to add structural elements to. Choose the Roof Wizard command from the Design > Design Extras > RoofMaker menu (or the last icon in the RoofMaker Toolbox). The Roof Wizard dialog box appears.

For more information, see “Roof Wizard Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.

Clicking OK returns you to the floor plan. The roof construction elements you have specified are placed automatically in the appropriate position.

The placement of the rafters is optimized to meet the specified requirements. The objects now behave as ordinary Objects and can be modified as such.

SlabsSlabs are the basic horizontal building blocks in ArchiCAD. They are typically used for modeling floors or split levels.Attributes for each part of the slab’s representation (e.g. cover fill, cut fill in Sections) are set using the pop-up options in the Floor Plan & Section panel of the Settings dialog box.

Note: For Slabs and Meshes, their Floor Plan outlines on remote stories (if they are shown on stories other than their home stories) are displayed using the line type set in Project Preferences > Construction Elements. Choose a separate line type to display slabs and meshes on stories Above and Below their home stories.

For more information, see “Construction Elements Preferences” in ArchiCAD Help.In 3D view, you can assign separate materials for each of the three slab surfaces (top, bottom and side).


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For more information, see “Slab Tool Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.For more information on Floor Plan display of slabs, see “How to Display Individual Elements on the Floor Plan” on page 161.

Note: The default slab structure is a composite slab. The thickness of such a composite slab is defined in Options > Element Attributes > Composites, and equals the sum of the skins’ thicknesses. A composite slab’s thickness cannot be edited in Slab Settings. If you want to edit the slab thickness in Slab Settings, choose a non-composite slab structure, or change the thickness of the composite skins in Options > Element Attributes > Composites.

To aid in precise element placement, you can turn on the “Gravitate to Slab” command to place additional elements onto the surface of the Slab. Slabs, like other construction elements, can be trimmed to Roofs. There is, however, an important difference for Slabs: unlike for Walls, Columns and Beams, the trim is final and cannot be undone in the Slab Settings dialog box.

Creating Slabs

When you are satisfied with your choices in the Slab Settings dialog box, you can start drawing Slabs by applying one of the Geometry Methods in the Info Box. New Slabs can be created in either the Floor Plan or the 3D Window.

Slab GeometryThere are three Geometry Methods available for Slabs from the Info Box.• With the first icon on the left, you can create a Polygonal Slab.

Just like for Walls, the pet palette appears and allows you to draw straight and curved segments for the Slab’s outline.

If the Slab’s polygon intersects itself, a warning appears, but the Slab will still be drawn.A self-intersecting Slab polygon will be fixed automatically if you edit the polygon later using any of the pet palette’s editing methods.• The second and third icon allow you to create a Rectangular or

a Rotated Rectangular Slab. The rectangle is defined by placing two opposing corner nodes. A rectangle Slab is always aligned orthogonally with the normal grid. The Rotated Rectangular method requires that you first define a rotation vector, then drag the cursor in a perpendicular direction to complete the slab.

Placing Holes in Slabs

You may need to make holes in Slabs to accommodate objects such as staircases, or for an open atrium space.Select a Slab and activate the Slab tool, then draw a new contour within the Slab’s boundaries. This new contour will be interpreted as a hole in the Slab.


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• If you forgot to select a Slab before starting to create a hole in it, the new contour will be interpreted as a new Slab, even if it lies inside another Slab. (In 3D, this will not be apparent until you select either of the two slabs. You can then delete the inadvertently created slab).

• If you create a hole whose outline intersects the host Slab’s contour or the outline of other holes in the same polygon, ArchiCAD will display a warning message, but the outline of the hole will still be created.

MeshesMeshes are surfaces of any form created by defining the elevation of their characteristic points and interpolating between them.In the Floor Plan, only the outline and the ridges of the mesh are shown.In 3D, depending on the construction method chosen in the Info Box and the Mesh Settings dialog box, you will obtain meshes created as superficies, meshes created with vertical sides (skirt) and meshes created as solid bodies.For more information, see “Mesh Tool Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.A mesh is created on the foundation of the Mesh Reference Plane and the ridges of the Mesh.You draw the main contours of the mesh projected to the Reference Plane. You can then raise the characteristic points of the mesh’s superficies out of this plane.To aid in precise element placement, you can turn on the “Gravitate to Mesh” command to place additional elements onto the surface of the Mesh.

Display of Meshes

Attributes for each part of the representation (e.g. cut surfaces, uncut lines) are set using the pop-up options in the Floor Plan & Section panel of the Settings dialog box.For more information, see “Mesh Tool Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.

When you are satisfied with the choices you made in the Mesh Settings dialog box, you can start drawing meshes. For more information, see “Mesh Tool Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.

Note: For Slabs and Meshes, their Floor Plan outlines on remote stories (if they are shown on stories other than their home stories) are displayed using the line type set in Project Preferences > Construction Elements. Choose a separate line type to display slabs and meshes on stories Above and Below their home stories.

For more information, see “Construction Elements Preferences” in ArchiCAD Help.There are two types of ridges in a mesh: user-defined and generated ridges. You have the option to display all the ridges, or just the user-defined ones. (This control is located in Mesh Tool Settings).

User-defined ridges are always displayed. If the Show All Ridges option is selected, ArchiCAD will also show the ridges generated through the connecting mesh nodes. Each generated ridge connects two mesh points at different heights that are not already connected by a user-defined ridge. Generated ridges are shown only if they connect points that differ in elevation.

Create a Mesh

New meshes can be created in either the Floor Plan or the 3D Window.

Mesh GeometryThe Mesh has four geometry methods in the Info Box. You can create Polygonal, Rectangular and Rotated Rectangular shapes or a Regular Sloped Mesh.In all cases, you will draw a Mesh polygon at the elevation of the basis plane defined in the Settings dialog box.


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Create a Polygonal or Rectangular MeshThe Polygonal and Rectangular/Rotated Rectangular Mesh geometry methods work the same as similar controls for the Slab tool.For more information, see “Creating Slabs” on page 256.If needed, select the Mesh and edit its points, add new points, or create a hole.

Create a Regular Sloped MeshThe Regular Sloped Mesh method (the fourth in the Info Box) helps you quickly create regular meshes with plane surfaces.After defining the rectangle contour of the mesh, the Regular Sloped Mesh dialog box opens automatically.In the first part of the dialog box, you can set the number of divisions in either coordinate direction.You must then set the elevation of three mesh corners; the fourth one is generated automatically.On confirming the settings, ArchiCAD will draw the mesh.See also “Regular Sloped Mesh Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.If needed, select the Mesh and edit its points, add new points, or create a hole.

Edit Elevation of a Mesh Point

1) Select the Mesh.2) With the Mesh tool active,

click a Mesh Point to bring up the pet palette.

3) Choose the Elevate Mesh Point command from the pet palette.

This opens the Mesh Point Height dialog box. 4) Enter a new height value in the

text field.Checking the Apply to All box will set all Mesh points to this new height.Changing the elevation of a single point will not affect the elevation of the neighboring points.The arrow below the text field opens a pop-up menu in which you can choose a reference level for the modified height.

Add New Points to the Mesh

1) With the Mesh tool active, select the mesh.2) Draw a closed polygon or a straight segment within the Mesh

polygon.(If you draw outside of the contour of the first polygon, only points within the contour will constitute the Mesh.)The New Mesh Points dialog box then opens.3) Choose the “Add New Points” radio

button. (If you drew a two-point line rather than a polygon, this is the default and only choice.)

4) Choose an option from the drop-down menu to define the relationship between the newly created points and existing ones.

For more information, see “New Mesh Points Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.


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Create a Hole in the Mesh

1) With the Mesh tool active, select the mesh.2) Draw a closed polygon that falls entirely within the Mesh

polygon.The New Mesh Points dialog box then opens.3) Choose the “Create Hole” radio

button.4) Choose an option from the

drop-down menu to define the relationship between the newly created points and existing ones.

For more information, see “New Mesh Points Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.

ZonesZones are spatial units in your Project. Usually, they represent rooms; wings of a building; blocks of a housing estate or functional areas of a building. Zones in 3D can also be used for simple mass modeling.Zone area is an important component in project calculations, and you can customize the way in which zone areas and 3D zone spaces are calculated. Zone dimensions are associative; following an update, zone areas will be recalculated to reflect any modifications.

Zone Categories

Each zone you create in your project is assigned a Zone category in the Zone’s Settings dialog box.This Zone Category defines the color of the default zone fill and the type of Zone Stamp object used for the zone.The main function of zone categories is to use colors to visually distinguish different types of spaces in your project: for example, you can assign the “Office” category to all your office space, which will all be displayed in pink; and the “Communication and Access” category to the hallways, which will all be displayed in white.(However, you have great flexibility in the display of zone fills; see “2D Display of Zone Fills” on page 259).Some Zone categories are predefined in ArchiCAD; you can define your own categories using the Options > Element Attributes > Zone Categories command.

2D Display of Zone Fills

By default, zones are displayed in the color of their zone category. (See Zone Categories.) If you like, you can assign a different Zone fill using any cover fill.1) Go to the Floor Plan panel of Zone Settings.2) Activate the Cover Fill icon at the left.3) Choose a fill pattern from the fill

pop-up menu.If you have assigned a Zone fill, it will be displayed in Floor Plan by default. You may want to vary your zone display settings depending on what you are outputting. For example, construction documentation might display zones using the zone fill settings, while draft and approval documentation display category colors.To vary zone fill display on the Floor Plan, use the options in the Override Fill Display panel of Document > Set Model View >


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Model View Options. For Zone fills, the relevant settings are in the panel section called Override Zone Fills.

Check the Override Zone fills box to choose any other zone fill display preference. These settings are global and apply to every zone in your project.For details, see “Model View Options Override Fill Display” in ArchiCAD Help.

Display of Zones with Slanted WallsZones bounded by one or more slanted walls will accurately consider the slanted geometry. Such zones are displayed on the Floor Plan with two separate zone polygons: • the polygon with editable selection dots, which delimits the

visible part of the zone on the Floor Plan (while you can edit this polygon, such editing has no effect on the true 3D zone), and

• the polygon with regular selection dots, which indicates the true extent of the base of the 3D zone (you cannot edit the zone shape by editing this polygon.)

Zone Stamps

Zone stamps are intelligent parametric GDL Objects whose look, contents and behavior can be fitted to local architectural practice. They reside in the ArchiCAD Library. The zone stamp object assigned to your zone depends on the Zone Category you have chosen.For more information, see “Zone Categories” on page 259.Each zone stamp contains textual information about the zone, including its name, number, area, and other optional parameters; the exact content of your Zone Stamp depends on the parameters you set in the Zone Stamp panel of the Zone Settings dialog box.For more information on Zone Stamps, see “Zone Stamp Panel” in ArchiCAD Help.

2D Display of Zone StampsZone stamps are displayed by default. If you do not wish to display any zone stamps in the project, check “Hide Zone Stamp” checkbox in Document > Set Model View > Model View Options.


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Moving Zone StampsZone Stamps can be moved independently of the Zone:• Click on a node of the Zone stamp.• Choose the Move Sub-Element

icon from the pet palette.• Drag the Zone Stamp to the

desired location.

3D Display of Zone Spaces

To view zone spaces in 3D, go to View > Elements in 3D View > Filter Elements in 3D and make sure the “Zone” checkbox is selected.In 3D, Zones appear as 3D spaces. ArchiCAD performs accurate analyses of both the geometric and quantitative attributes of zone spaces, no matter how complex their geometric shape.Note that the Z-value (height) of a zone space is not constrained by its boundaries as defined in the 2D view; your zone space in 3D takes on the height you define in Zone Settings (zone height.) When viewing the Shaded model, go to the View > 3D View Mode > 3D Window Settings, and choose the Contours: Draft option to view only the 3D Zones, without any of the construction elements.If you choose Contours: Best, you will see the shaded Zone surrounded by the construction elements. Elements hidden by the zone shape are not displayed at all.

For more information, see “3D Window” on page 167.

Note: You may wish to display 3D Zones as solid bodies in shading mode, and all other elements types in wireframe mode. To achieve this effect, apply the predefined “Show 3D Zones as Solid” Layer Combination.

Creating Zones

In the Zone Settings dialog box, customize the parameters of your zone - such as its name, its category, its height, and the content of its zone stamp. Then you are ready to define the zone shape.For more information, see “Zone Tool Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.The Zone definition methods are represented by the three icons in the Info Box. You can either manually draw the contour of a zone (using the Polygonal Method), or let ArchiCAD automatically recognize a zone surrounded by bordering elements (using the two Automatic Recognition Methods).

Note: Columns cannot serve as the enclosing boundary of a zone.

Whichever Geometry Method you choose, the Hammer cursor appears when you have finished defining the outline of the Zone. Click with it to define the location of the Zone Stamp.The Zone Stamp does not necessarily have to be placed inside the Zone polygon.


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Polygonal Method

The Polygonal (manual) method is your best choice when your Zone’s boundary is not clearly surrounded by elements (e.g. when doing space planning). With this method, you simply draw a polyline (as you would for any other polygon) by clicking at every corner of the zone. Zones created with this method cannot change their shape when using the Update Zone command on them. You can edit a polygonal zone graphically by selecting it and using the pet palette commands.

Automatic Recognition Method

Both automatic recognition methods, Inner Edge and Reference Line , are based on the fact that most Zones are surrounded by Walls and the only openings in them are Doors and Windows.• If you choose the Inner Edge method, ArchiCAD will always

define the zone area by the inner edges of walls.• If you choose the Reference Line method, ArchiCAD considers

the reference lines of the walls as the boundaries of the zone. Note that even if you constructed Walls with the reference line placed on the external edge, the Zone fill does not overlap the wall symbol until you choose Bring to Front from the Edit > Display Order.Note: In case of a slanted or complex wall, the Reference Line method will not consider the wall’s reference line, but rather its inner edge.

(You cannot edit a zone polygon created with the automatic method using graphical methods, since these methods cannot determine the zone’s 3D shape.)

Exclude a Wall or Column as a Zone Boundary

By default, the Relation to Zones setting in the Wall Settings Listing and Labeling panel is set to “Zone Boundary;” this means that all walls/column enclosing a closed space are considered zone boundaries by default. To exclude any wall/column as a zone boundary, just change the Relation to Zones setting to No Effect on Zones.

Create a Manual Zone Boundary If the Zone has openings that are not Doors or Windows, ArchiCAD will continue searching for boundaries outside the spatial unit that you wished to identify as a Zone. In this case, the result may not be what you expect (see figure, below right).

In this case, close the Zone by:• using the Polygon method• place an Empty Opening Door object into the Wall which is the

same height as the Wall - the Wall is not shown in 2D, but it does serve as a Zone Boundary

• drawing a line to serve as a Zone Boundary

You can draw a Line, Arc or Spline to serve as a zone boundary if you check the Zone Boundary checkbox in its Line Settings dialog boxes (General panel).For more information, see “Relation to Zones” on page 264.For more information, see “Calculating Zone Area and Zone Volume” on page 264.


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If your desired zone boundaries also encompass freestanding shapes or walls, you may get a warning message when clicking to place the zone stamp.

If this happens, you must click closer to the bounding elements. Then the zone will be created correctly.

Zone Reference PointIf you place the Zone Stamp with one of the automatic recognition methods, you will see a cross appear inside the Zone at the location that you first clicked to define the Zone’s area. This cross indicates the reference point of the Zone.

This point is used as the starting point of boundary recognition for subsequent updating actions.See also “Updating Zones” on page 265.

Trim Zone to Another Element

Zone spaces can be trimmed to roofs, slabs and beams with the Design > Trim Zone command.You can either select an element (Roof, Slab, Wall, Column, Beam or Library Part) and trim a Zone to it if the element protrudes into the Zone, or select a Zone and then choose which element types to trim it to.

Note: Zone space will be trimmed by any multi-story element with which it intersects, on any story.

When trimming a zone to a roof, a checkbox gives you the option of ignoring holes (that is, to include any hole in the roof as part of the roof for the purposes of a zone boundary.)You can choose between trimming the base or the top of zone spaces. Check the corresponding boxes to define which elements you wish to trim to the zone.The trim will be executed by clicking the Trim button in the dialog box.If you select only one type of trimming element in the project (e.g. Roof), all the checkboxes are greyed.

Zone space trims can be undone by selecting the trimmed zone space and pressing the Undo Top Trim or Undo Bottom Trim button in the Model panel of the Zone Settings dialog box.For more information, see “Zone Model Panel” in ArchiCAD Help.


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Note: You can also opt to undo the Trim when updating modified Zones.

For more information, see “Updating Zones” on page 265.

Calculating Zone Area and Zone Volume

Zone areas are usually displayed on documentation as part of the Zone Stamp; they also form part of Zone Lists created with the Document > Schedules and Lists > Zone Lists hierarchical menu.

The way ArchiCAD calculates Zone area depends on several different settings:

• Relation to Zones options chosen for Walls and Columns which define the Zone’s area;

For more information, see “Relation to Zones” on page 264.

• the Zones screen in Options > Project Preferences > Zones, containing global controls for calculating wall recesses and refining the calculation of walls or columns;

For more information, see “Zones Preferences” in ArchiCAD Help.

• the Area Calculation panel of the Zone Settings dialog box, which allows you to check the measured area of the Zone and refine the calculated values.

For more information, see “Zone Area Calculation Panel” in ArchiCAD Help.

Relation to Zones

For each wall, Curtain Wall and column, you can customize its Relation to Zones, that is, whether it will act as a zone boundary (“stopping” the zone, as a delimiter), and whether its area and/or volume should be taken into account when calculating the area and volume of the zone shape.

This definition is made in the Wall Settings, Column Settings and Curtain Wall Settings dialog boxes, with a pop-up menu located on the Listing and Labeling panel.

The options are as follows:

1) Zone Boundary (not available for slanted columns.): A wall or Curtain Wall set to “Zone Boundary” will act as a delimiter of the zone; it will be the edge of the zone. If such a “Zone Boundary” wall/Curtain Wall is slanted, the zone’s geometry will take this into account, and will be slanted accordingly to fit to the wall. Also, a wall/Curtain Wall set to “Zone Boundary”, if located inside the zone area, will not be included as part of the measured zone area. The zone boundary is drawn at the base of the wall.A column set to “Zone Boundary” cannot act as the edge of a zone (unless it is located inside of a wall that is a zone boundary). However, a vertical column set to “Zone Boundary”, if located inside the zone area, will not be included as part of the measured zone area. The zone boundary is drawn at the base of the column.Multi-story elements in automatic display mode can serve as zone boundaries on any story on which they exist, not just their home story.Note: Any line-type element can also be set as “Zone Boundary” in its Settings dialog box. Such a line will act as a delimiter of the zone.

2) A wall/Curtain Wall/column located inside a zone and set to Reduce Zone Area Only means that the wall/Curtain Wall/column does not affect the zone geometry, but when you calculate the zone area, the area of these walls/Curtain Walls/columns is excluded from the zone area. (Zone volume, however, will include the wall/column volume.)Note: Even if you have set a wall, Curtain Wall or column to “Reduce Zone Area”, you may prefer to ignore this setting for very small-sized walls or columns. To set the minimum limit for excluding such walls and columns, go to Options > Project Preferences > Zones.

For more information, see “Zones Preferences” in ArchiCAD Help.To see how much of a zone’s gross area has been reduced due to Wall/Column reduction, select the zone and view the data in the Area Calculation Panel of Zone Settings.

For more information, see “Zone Area Calculation Panel” in ArchiCAD Help.


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3) A wall/Curtain Wall/column located inside a zone and set to Reduce Zone Volume means that the wall/Curtain Wall/column does not affect the zone geometry, but when you calculate the zone area and volume, the volume of these walls/Curtain Walls/columns is excluded from the zone volume.

4) No Effect On Zones means that the wall/Curtain Wall/column has no effect on the zone; the zone area and volume will include the area and volume occupied by the element.

The following example and table will help you understand what happens to a zone area of 10 by 10 meters (and of 2.70 meter standard height) including a square 1 by 1 meter column.

Updating ZonesWhen you modify your design, associative zones do not automatically adjust themselves to the changes.

To adjust Zones to your updated design and recalculate the Zone area, use the Design > Update Zones command. This function also alerts you to any problematic Zones that might have been created.For more information, see “Update Zones Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.

Update Zones Dialog Box

For more information, see “Updating Zones” on page 265.To adjust Zones to your updated design and recalculate the Zone area, use the Design > Update Zones command.The dialog box contains the following columns:

• Status: This is where ArchiCAD tells you if the Zone could be updated, and if not, what the nature of the problem is. The icons appearing in this field represent the following:

: All is well, ArchiCAD has successfully updated your Zone.: The Zone was created manually and cannot be automatically

adjusted.: The layer on which the Zone resides is locked. Unlock the

layer in the Layer Settings dialog box and repeat the update process.

: The Zone is self-intersecting. Just as in the case of polygons, you may have to adjust the Zone to have valid geometry, or split it into two Zones. You can examine the Zone by selecting it in the list, and clicking the Zoom to Selected Zones button. Fix the problem and repeat the update process.

: The reference point of the Zone is outside of its boundary. Each automatic Zone has a reference point that must lie inside the Zone. If you get this error message, move the reference point inside the Zone and repeat the update process.

For more information, see “Zone Reference Point” on page 263.: The Zone you are trying to update is not in your

workspace. This error can only occur if you are working in a shared Project in Teamwork mode, and the Zone is assigned to another team member. Ask the team member to make the Zone available to you.

Option Area VolumeBoundary 99 m2 267.3 m3

Reduce Area only 99 m2 270 m3

Reduce Volume 99 m2 267.3 m3

No effect 100 m2 270 m3


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: The Zone you are trying to update cannot be properly adjusted, because it has difficulty in finding all of its edges. Click the Zoom to Selected Zones button to find the Zone. Fix the problem and repeat the update process.No.: This column contains the number that has been assigned to the particular Zone.Name: This column contains the name of the Zone.Added m2: This column contains information on how the Zone has changed. (You can change the area unit in the pop-up menu in the upper right portion of the dialog box.)

To keep the original position of zone stamps when updating zones, check the Keep Zone Stamp position checkbox.To remove the 3D zone space trim, check the Undo Top Trim if updated and/or Undo Bottom Trim if updated checkboxes.

Note: If you leave these checkboxes unchecked, conflicts may arise in certain geometric configurations.

For more information, see “Trim Zone to Another Element” on page 263.

Curtain Wall: A System ToolThe Curtain Wall tool, located in the regular ArchiCAD toolbox, lets you create a Curtain Wall in the Floor Plan, Section/Elevation/IE, or 3D window.The Curtain Wall is a single element consisting of Frame, Panel, Accessory and Junction components: these are the Members of the Curtain Wall, arranged on a Base Surface according to a pre-defined and editable Scheme.

To control the whole hierarchy at once, System level settings, which define the overall scheme and configure the Curtain Wall members, are organized into a multi-page settings dialog.Curtain Walls can be manipulated in the same way as any construction element in ArchiCAD. But unlike other elements, a Curtain Wall’s component members can be placed and edited individually, without disassembling the System. To enable the manipulation of sub-structural members, each Curtain Wall can be accessed at a deeper level: the Curtain Wall Edit mode. This is a graphical 3D workspace, similar to ArchiCAD's own, with dedicated tools and techniques to manipulate Curtain Wall members. In this context, only the members and scheme of the selected Curtain Wall are editable, although the rest of the model can be also displayed in a background manner, as a reference.Since Curtain Walls often feature extreme geometry that does not necessarily coincide with vertical-horizontal planes, ArchiCAD offers versatile input planes for greater freedom in surface definition. Also, in comparison with other construction elements, a higher level of editing freedom is provided: including input in Section views, boundary editing, and free rotation.

Working with Curtain Walls: Overview

Creating a Curtain Wall involves a simple graphical input. You will select the Curtain Wall tool from the ArchiCAD toolbox, then a geometry method, and then draw a reference line, polyline, contour or arc, depending on the chosen geometry method.


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If you use the Boundary method, then your input defines the entire geometry of the Curtain Wall. If you draw a Reference Line/Arc/Polyline, then the Curtain Wall will be extruded from this line/polyline/arc. The next click, with a “sun” cursor, defines which side of the Curtain Wall should face the “outside”. Finally, a dialog box pops up to allow you to enter basic geometry information for the Curtain Wall. Clicking Place will create the Curtain Wall.For details on Curtain Wall geometry methods in different windows, see “Create a Curtain Wall” on page 270.Curtain Walls consist of a set of Members (such as Frames, Panels and Junctions), and each Member’s parameters are defined in Curtain Wall Default Settings.See “Curtain Wall Members” on page 268.View the Curtain Wall in your project. If you want to change something, you can approach the Curtain Wall at two levels: 1) either edit the Curtain Wall as a whole, using System-level

Settings;2) or edit the settings of individual selected members of the Curtain

Wall. To do this, you will enter Curtain Wall Edit Mode, where you can edit selected members either graphically or using member-specific Settings dialog boxes. These individual, edited Curtain Wall members will henceforth have Custom settings.

For System-Level Editing of Whole Curtain Wall:Select the Curtain Wall; open Curtain Wall Settings; and edit any of its System-level settings again.Click OK to redefine the Curtain Wall according to the modified settings.

See “System-Level Editing” on page 284.

To Edit Individual Curtain Wall Members:Select the Curtain Wall; go into Edit mode. (See “Curtain Wall Edit Mode” on page 285).

Edit mode shows you your Curtain Wall in 3D. At the Edit mode level, you can delve deeper into the individual components of the Curtain Wall you are editing. In Edit mode, you cannot place additional Curtain Walls, but you can edit any members of the selected Curtain Wall or add additional members to it. In Edit mode, each member (Scheme, Frame, Panel, Accessory, Junction) has its own Dialog box and its own Tool, enabling you to change settings and place new Members in this Curtain Wall.To customize the settings of any member of the Curtain Wall, select it and use the dialog box to change its settings. For example, select a panel and change its materials. Changing the settings of a selected member will transform that member into a “Custom” member. You can have any number of different customized members. Once a member has Custom settings, the System-level settings no longer apply to it.In Edit mode, you can create additional members for your Curtain Wall, using the Scheme, Frame, Panel, Junction and Accessory Tools. When using any of these tools to create a new member, you have the choice of using the System-level default settings, or else defining custom settings.Save changes and leave Curtain Wall Edit Mode to return to your regular ArchiCAD editing environment.

Additional Curtain Wall CommandsThe Design > Curtain Wall menu contains a collection of commands which are specific to Curtain Wall functions. These functions are described elsewhere in this documentation.


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Curtain Wall MembersIt is important to distinguish the following Curtain Wall components:

Reference LineThe Reference Line is the original input line/polyline/arc you draw in the window. If you use a Boundary method to create a Curtain Wall, the first drawn segment of the Boundary is the Reference Line.The Reference Line is part of the Curtain Wall Scheme (together with the Grid pattern, the Boundary, and the Base Surface.)Later, you can edit the Reference Line of a placed Curtain Wall.See “Edit Curtain Wall Reference Line” on page 295.

Reference SurfaceThe Reference Surface is an imaginary plane or arced surface automatically created by ArchiCAD by extruding the input line (polyline, arc) you have drawn. Often, you will place your input line along an existing ArchiCAD element (e.g. slab); the Reference Surface is extruded from this input line.

Base SurfaceThe Base Surface defines the shape and orientation of the Curtain Wall. It is the surface in which the physical members of the Curtain Wall (Frame, Panels) lie. The Base Surface may coincide with the Reference Surface; more likely, you will offset it. When you move or rotate the Curtain Wall as a whole, it is the Base Surface which you are moving; the Reference Line and Reference Surface move along with the Base Surface.

The Base Surface of Curtain Walls is an infinite plane - except if it is based on a curved shape. (The Base Surface of a curved Curtain Wall is cylindrical, and is infinite only in the direction of the cylinder’s axis.)

A Curtain Wall’s infinite Base Surface gives you great freedom in connecting the Curtain Wall to other elements, and in adding multiple, bounded Curtain Wall portions to any Curtain Wall.

See “Add Additional Curtain Wall Boundary” on page 293.

Grid

The Base Surface is crisscrossed by a Grid (primary gridlines plus secondary gridlines, defined as part of the Curtain Wall Scheme.)

The Grid defines the default location and arrangement of Frames and Panels in the Curtain Wall. You can edit the Grid (delete, add gridlines, move or rotate it). Changes to Grid geometry will change the geometry of its Frames and Panels accordingly.

See “Edit Grid” on page 289.

Boundary

The Boundary is a simple polygon on the Base Surface, which represents the physical limits of the Curtain Wall.

The Boundary is part of the Curtain Wall Scheme (together with the Grid, the Base Surface and the Reference Line).

Depending on the geometry method used to create the Curtain Wall, the Boundary is either drawn by you or created by ArchiCAD in accordance with input parameters.


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You can draw additional boundaries on an existing Curtain Wall - this gives you freedom to separate the Curtain Wall into parts, while still keeping it as a single element: all parts of the Curtain Wall use the identical Scheme. See “Add Additional Curtain Wall Boundary” on page 293.The Curtain Wall’s Boundary Frame always coincides with this Boundary polygon.You can edit the Boundary of the Curtain Wall like any other polygon.See “Edit Curtain Wall Boundary” on page 291.

SchemeThe Scheme contains the essential geometry definitions for the Curtain Wall: the Scheme encompasses the Base Surface, the Grid, Boundary, and Reference Line. Use Scheme Settings to arrange the gridline pattern in two directions (“primary” and “secondary”). The Scheme also defines the class to which individual panels within this basic pattern belong.See “Curtain Wall Settings: Scheme Page” in ArchiCAD Help.All other members of the Curtain Wall (Frames, Panels, Accessories, Junctions) are attached to the Scheme.

FrameYou can define three classes of Frames for any Curtain Wall: Boundary Frame; Mullion Frame; Transom Frame. Each Frame class has unique settings. Frames are attached to the Grid when you create the Curtain Wall, so if you move or delete a Gridline, you move or delete the Frame. (In Curtain Wall Edit mode, you can place additional Frames independent of the Grid.)See “Curtain Wall Frames” on page 295.

PanelPanels are the flat surfaces - generally glazed - of the Curtain Wall. Any Curtain Wall can have two predefined classes of Panels: Main and Distinct. Panels are always placed between Frames.See “Curtain Wall Panels” on page 299.

JunctionA Curtain Wall Junction is an optional structure that serves to connect panels to the Frame. In ArchiCAD, a Junction is a GDL object, and can be placed either one by one, or automatically at every intersection.See “Curtain Wall Junctions” on page 302.


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AccessoriesAccessories are optional, non-load-bearing members - such as a sun shade - attached to the Curtain Wall. These are GDL objects placed at any Frame of an existing Curtain Wall.See “Curtain Wall Accessories” on page 304.

Create a Curtain Wall

In ArchiCAD, creating a Curtain Wall is intuitive and flexible. You will use input methods that are familiar from other ArchiCAD functions. ArchiCAD also gives you a wide range of geometry methods so that you can choose the easiest method for the situation and model view you are working on. Input methods are almost identical in all the windows (Floor Plan, Section/Elevation/IE, and 3D): draw an input line, polyline, or arc, and then extrude the Curtain Wall to a defined distance. Or draw the entire boundary of the Curtain Wall.The Curtain Wall is placed on or relative to the input plane.• In the Floor Plan, the input plane is the Story level.• In Section/Elevation/IE, the input plane is identical to the

Section plane.• In 3D, the default input plane for Curtain Walls (as for any

construction element) is Project Zero or the User Origin, but you may use several methods for defining any other input plane.

See “Define Curtain Wall Input Plane in 3D Window” on page 278.

Create a Single Flat Curtain Wall on the Floor PlanTo create a single flat Curtain Wall, activate the Curtain Wall tool and choose the Polyline - Single geometry method from the Info Box.

Note: The Polyline Geometry method is also available in the Section, Elevation or Interior Elevation Window. In these windows, the “Single” method will extrude the Curtain Wall perpendicularly from the Section plane.

See “Positioning Curtain Wall in Section View” on page 276.Suppose you are working on the following Floor Plan of a two-story project, and you want to place a Curtain Wall for the remaining side of the building.

Draw a Reference Line representing the length of the Curtain Wall.


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Click to complete the Reference Line. The sun cursor appears: click with the sun cursor to define the “outside” direction of the Curtain Wall. Here, move the cursor to the outside of the building and click.

In the appearing Place Curtain Wall dialog, enter the Curtain Wall height and slant angle (default: 90 degrees). Here, we will enter 6200 mm and leave the angle at 90 degrees for a vertical Curtain Wall.

Note: The three icons in the Positioning part of the Place Curtain Wall dialog box give you three different methods for defining the Curtain Wall height.

For details, see “Place Curtain Wall Dialog Box: Floor Plan and 3D Window” in ArchiCAD Help.Click Place to close the dialog. The Curtain Wall is placed.View the result in the 3D window.

To edit the Curtain Wall’s individual Members using the Curtain Wall Edit mode, select the Curtain Wall and click the Edit button. (If you select the Curtain Wall in the Floor Plan or Section/Elevation, this is the “Edit in 3D” button.)


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Create a Slanted Curtain WallTo create a slanted Curtain Wall, follow the same steps as above (“Create a Single Flat Curtain Wall on the Floor Plan” on page 270).After drawing the reference line, the sun cursor appears: click with the sun cursor to define the “outside” of the Curtain Wall. In the Place Curtain Wall Dialog Box, enter a slant angle: we will use 72 degrees. Note that this angle is measured on the “inside” of the Curtain Wall (opposite the side you clicked with the sun cursor).Click to place the slanted Curtain Wall.

View it in 3D:

To change the slant angle of a placed Curtain Wall, you can edit the Curtain Wall graphically in the 3D window, using the Free Rotate function.See “Free-Rotate Curtain Wall” on page 310.To trim the ends of the walls by connecting them to the Curtain Wall, use the Connect Curtain Wall function.See “Example: Connect Slanted Curtain Wall to Side Walls” on page 309.

Draw Curtain Wall Boundary in the Section WindowUse this method to create a Curtain Wall by drawing its Boundary freehand, in the Section window.

Note: Using this Boundary method in the Floor Plan will create a horizontal Curtain Wall placed at the Story level.

We start with the following building model. We will create a Curtain Wall whose Boundary runs along the opening on the building’s southern face. To do this, we will use the Boundary geometry method in the Section Window.


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In the Floor Plan, the building and its Section line S-01 look like this. Note that we have drawn a Section line here whose sole purpose is to define the Curtain Wall’s input plane. In Section windows, the Curtain Wall input plane exactly coincides with the Section plane.

Open the Section. With the Curtain Wall tool active, choose the Boundary geometry method from the Curtain Wall Info Box.

Draw the Curtain Wall Boundary along the desired contour, clicking at each node as when drawing any polyline. Double-click or click with the Hammer cursor to close the polygon.

Note: The Reference Line of this Curtain Wall is the first Boundary segment you draw.

Now click with the “Sun” cursor to define the “outside” of the Curtain Wall:• If you click outside the polygon, the outside of the Curtain Wall

will face in the same direction as the Section plane (away from you). The result in the Floor Plan looks like this:

• If you click inside the polygon (on the Curtain Wall surface), the outside of the Curtain Wall will face opposite the Section plane (toward you). The result in the Floor Plan looks like this:

In our case, we want the Curtain Wall to face outside the building, opposite the Section plane (toward you). So after drawing the Curtain Wall boundary in the Section window, we will click inside the polygon, using the “Sun” cursor:


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Now the outside of the Curtain Wall is behind the Section Line. Therefore, due to the geometry of this Curtain Wall, no physical members (Panel, Frame) of the Curtain Wall are visible in the Section window. However, the result is seen in both the Floor Plan and the 3D window:

To edit the Curtain Wall’s individual Members using Curtain Wall Edit mode, select the Curtain Wall and click the Edit button. (If you select the Curtain Wall in the Floor Plan or Section/Elevation, this is the “Edit in 3D” button.)

Create a Curved Curtain Wall: Geometry MethodsYou can create a curved Curtain Wall in the Floor Plan, Section/Elevation/IE window, or 3D window.When defining the geometry of a curved Curtain Wall, you must first define the cylindrical Base Surface, then mark off the parts of this cylinder onto which the Curtain Wall will be placed.

Note: Curved Curtain Walls are always regularly shaped: the axis of its cylindrical Base Surface is either horizontal or vertical to the input plane when you create it, although subsequently you can tilt it in any direction.

Choose one of the four geometry methods for creating a curved Curtain Wall with a cylindrical Base Surface. For the most part, these are the same methods used to draw circles or arc walls in ArchiCAD.1) Centerpoint and Radius: Click to place the centerpoint. Click a

second time to define the radius and one of the endpoints of the Curtain Wall. Click a third time to define the other end of the wall.Click with the sun cursor to define the “outside” of the Curtain Wall.Click Place to close the dialog. The Curtain Wall is placed.

2) Three Points: Click three times in succession to define the beginning point, another point, and the endpoint of the Curtain Wall. By defining these three points, the reference cylinder’s radius and centerpoint are also calculated.

For an example, see “Create a Curved Curtain Wall on Floor Plan” on page 275.3) Tangential: Use this geometry method to place a Curtain Wall

that forms a full circle. Click three times in succession to define three points on the Curtain Wall. By defining these three points, the reference cylinder’s radius and centerpoint are also calculated. A temporary reference circle appears.If the three tangential points enable more than one geometrical possibility for a full-circle, the eyeball cursor appears. Move the cursor to view the possibilities, then click to choose which geometry you need.


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Click with the sun cursor to define the “outside” of the Curtain Wall.The full-circle Curtain Wall is placed.

4) Radius and Axis: Use this geometry method to create a regular arc-shaped Curtain Wall. This Curtain Wall will always be a half-cylinder shape placed on the input plane.The first two clicks define the Curtain Wall’s beginning and endpoints.Click a third time to define the extrusion length of the arc Curtain Wall.

For an example, see “Create a Half-Cylinder Curtain Wall in the 3D Window” on page 282.

Create a Curved Curtain Wall on Floor PlanThe following building in the Floor Plan is based on a curved slab.

Follow these steps to add a curved Curtain Wall to the South Elevation:Activate the Curtain Wall tool and choose the Three Points geometry method from the Info Box:

Click the three points to define the reference arc of the Curtain Wall.

Click a fourth time to define the angle formed by the two ends of the wall and the cylinder centerpoint.

Click with the sun cursor to define the “outside” of the Curtain Wall.In the appearing Place Curtain Wall follow-up dialog, enter the Curtain Wall height. Here, we will enter 6200 mm.


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For a curved Curtain Wall, you cannot set a slant angle; it will always be vertical.


For details, see “Place Curtain Wall Dialog Box: Floor Plan and 3D Window” in ArchiCAD Help.

Click Place to close the dialog. The Curtain Wall is placed.View the result in the 3D window.


Positioning Curtain Wall in Section View The input plane in the Section window coincides with the Section Plane. When you use an input method which extrudes the Curtain Wall from a Reference Line (such as the Polyline, Chained, or Curved methods), you must define starting point and the length of the extrusion. For this, use the options in the Place Curtain Wall on Section dialog box.• To freely position the beginning of the

extrusion by offsetting the starting point from the input plane: choose the first method. The first field is the absolute length of the extrusion; the third field is its offset from the input plane. (The sum of the two values is shown in the middle field.)

• To begin extruding the Curtain Wall “away” from you, at exactly the input plane (Section line): choose the second method and enter the length of extrusion. There is no offset (the Curtain Wall begins right at the input plane).

• To begin extruding the Curtain Wall “toward” you, at exactly the input plane (Section line): choose the fourth method and enter the length of extrusion.


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• To place the midpoint of the extrusion vector at the input plane, choose the third option. Enter the total extrusion length in the first field below.

Create a Chained Curtain Wall on the Floor PlanUse the Chained geometry method to create a multi-segment Curtain Wall based on a reference line drawn as a chained polyline. For each segment of a chained Curtain Wall, you can set up a separate Scheme, with a distinct pattern for each.In this example, we will place a chained Curtain Wall along a more complex slab contour.

Activate the Curtain Wall tool and choose the Chained geometry method from the Info Box:Trace the outline of the slab to create the Curtain Wall reference line, using the same pet palette controls as when drawing a polyline. Double-click to complete the reference line.

Click with the sun cursor to define the “outside” of the Curtain Wall.In the appearing Place Curtain Wall dialog, enter the Curtain Wall height. Here, we will enter 6200 mm.For a chained Curtain Wall, you cannot set a slant angle; it will always be vertical.


For details, see “Place Curtain Wall Dialog Box: Floor Plan and 3D Window” in ArchiCAD Help.Click Place to close the dialog. The Curtain Wall is placed.


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The result: a single Curtain Wall with three Base Surfaces, based on a three-segment Reference Line.A Frame is always placed at the place where two adjacent segments are joined. Such a Frame cannot be deleted. (If you wish, you can set its type to Invisible, by selecting the Frame in Edit mode and adjusting its Type in Frame Settings.)

A Chained Curtain Wall has as many Schemes as it has segments: you can select one Scheme at a time and customize each Scheme separately.

Make any changes in the Grid Pattern, or modify the Grid Pattern’s origin. The selected Scheme is now a Custom Scheme.See also “Edit Grid Pattern and Position” on page 290.Click OK to apply the changes.

To edit the Curtain Wall’s individual Members using the Curtain Wall Edit mode, select the Curtain Wall and click the Edit button. (If you select the Curtain Wall in the Floor Plan or Section/Elevation, this is the “Edit in 3D” button.)

Define Curtain Wall Input Plane in 3D WindowWith the Curtain Wall tool active in the 3D window, the Info Box provides the following options for defining the Curtain Wall’s input plane:Default: Use the default input plane in the 3D window, which is the same input plane - Project Zero or the User Origin - you use when working with any other tool in the 3D window.Intelligent: Use one of the following “intelligent” methods to define an input plane by a series of clicks:• Surface: Click any surface: the plane of the surface will be your

input plane.• Edge plus point: Click any edge (mercedes cursor) to define a

line.


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A plane appears on screen, rotating around the line as its axis. Then click a point (arrow cursor) to fix the input plane.

• Point plus edge: This is just the reverse of the method above. Click a point, then an edge to define the input plane.

• Three points: Click any three points to define the input plane.

Horizontal: Click on a point to place a horizontal input plane at that point.

Vertical: Click on a point to place a vertical input plane at that point.

Normal: Define a slanted input plane by defining a vector that is perpendicular (“normal”) to the desired plane.

1) Click two points to define the normal vector to the input plane, or

Click on an edge to define the normal vector to the input plane

2) Then click a point through which the input plane will run.

For an example, see “Extrude Curtain Wall from a Slanted Input Plane” on page 282.

Create a Single Flat Curtain Wall in the 3D WindowIn the 3D window, the process is the same as in the Floor Plan. However, the feedback is different.In the 3D window, the default Curtain Wall input plane is the same as the current 3D input plane (Project Zero, or the User Origin).To define other input planes, see “Define Curtain Wall Input Plane in 3D Window” on page 278.With the Curtain Wall tool active, choose the Polyline - Single geometry method and the Default Input Plane from the Info Box.

Click to begin drawing the Curtain Wall Reference Line. No matter where you click, the input plane is fixed, and indicated by a temporary grid. Any Reference Line you now draw will be placed on this input plane.In our example:


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Click at the two front corners of the building to define the Reference Line length. With the “Sun” cursor, click on either side of the Reference Line to define the outside of the Curtain Wall.

The Place Curtain Wall dialog box appears:

By default, both the top and the bottom height values are measured to the Reference Line, and the Curtain Wall will be perpendicular to the Input Plane, but you can choose a different reference level using the pop-up:


For details, see “Place Curtain Wall Dialog Box: Floor Plan and 3D Window” in ArchiCAD Help.

Click Place. View the result.


Draw Curtain Wall Boundary in the 3D WindowWe start with the following building model. We will create a Curtain Wall whose Boundary runs along the opening on the building’s southern face. To do this, we will use the Boundary geometry method in the 3D Window.


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In the 3D window, the default Curtain Wall input plane is the same as the current 3D input plane. However, you can use a different Input Plane to make input easier.For more information, see “Define Curtain Wall Input Plane in 3D Window” on page 278.In this example, we will use the “Intelligent” Plane Input to define the plane that is perpendicular to the slab.With the Curtain Wall tool active, choose the Boundary geometry method and the Intelligent Input Plane Method from the Info Box.

Now you must define the Input Plane by a series of clicks. Here, click the slab edge with the Mercedes cursor (indicating an edge) to define a line. As feedback, an input plane appears in the window, rotating (as you move the cursor) around the line you clicked.

Next, click the upper corner of the building with the Arrow cursor to define the input plane’s final position.

Now click to begin drawing the desired Curtain Wall Boundary on the input plane, clicking at each node as when drawing any polyline.

Note: The Reference Line of this Curtain Wall is the first Boundary segment you draw.

Double-click or click with the Hammer cursor to close the polygon.When the “Sun” cursor appears, click on the polygon surface: the outside of the Curtain Wall will face toward you.View the result.


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Create a Half-Cylinder Curtain Wall in the 3D WindowWe will place a half-cylinder Curtain Wall on a slab in the 3D window.Choose the Radius and Axis geometry method and the Horizontal Input plane method

Click on the slab to place a corresponding horizontal input plane.

Now locate the midpoint of the slab and click once: the axis of our half-cylinder will run through this point.

Hold down the mouse button and drag the cursor to the far end of the slab, then click to define the half-cylinder’s radius. The feedback helps you visualize the structure.

Now move the cursor to define the extruded length of the Curtain Wall, then click to complete the Curtain Wall.

See the result in 3D.

Extrude Curtain Wall from a Slanted Input PlaneWhen creating a flat Curtain Wall, it is extruded from your input line in a perpendicular direction. The input plane is ordinarily either vertical or horizontal.However, in the 3D Window, you can define any input plane.See “Define Curtain Wall Input Plane in 3D Window” on page 278.


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Consider the following model in 3D:

Suppose you want to draw the Curtain Wall so that it is extruded perpendicularly to an input plane which corresponds to the shape of the building. You need an input plane perpendicular to the building’s slant, rather than to the ground.To achieve this, activate the Curtain Wall tool and choose the Single geometry method combined with the Normal Vector input plane method:

In the 3D window, draw a Normal Vector corresponding to the slanted shape of the building (you want the input plane to be perpendicular to this vector). Here, we draw the vector joining the southwest corners of the top and bottom slabs:

When you complete the normal vector, an input plane appears which is perpendicular to it.

Click anywhere to place the input plane: its angle will define the Curtain Wall’s extrusion from the input line. Now you are ready to draw the input line. The input line (as indicated by the rubberband line) is constrained and is projected perpendicularly to the input plane. Click at the two points where you want the Curtain Wall to begin and end: in our case, at the two front corners of any of the slabs.

The Sun cursor appears. Click below the input line to define the outside of the Curtain Wall. The Place Curtain Wall dialog box appears.


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Define the height of the Curtain Wall at its top and bottom. We enter 0 for the bottom and 6200 for the top height value. The reference level is significant: if you would measure from the Reference Line, the bottom of the Curtain Wall would coincide with the slanted input plane, and both the bottom and top of the Curtain Wall would be parallel to the input plane. This is not what we want.Instead, choose Project Zero as the reference level for the top and bottom height values. This way, the Curtain Wall’s top and bottom will both be parallel to the horizontal plane at Project Zero.

Click Place.

System-Level Editing

Use System-level editing to set up or edit the Curtain Wall element as a whole, using a single dialog box.Open Curtain Wall Default Settings by double-clicking on the Curtain Wall Tool. Or select the Curtain Wall you wish to edit, and open Curtain Wall Selection Settings.

Click on the items listed in the left-hand tree structure to open any of the dialog box pages associated with Curtain Wall Settings.Use these dialog box pages to define general System (position, display) preferences, as well as options for the Scheme, Frame, Panel, Junction and Accessory members. (Each option is presented in detail in Curtain Wall Settings in ArchiCAD Help.) Options set here will define the structure and appearance of subsequently placed Curtain Walls. (Once the Curtain Wall is placed, you can customize individual members of a selected Curtain Wall, using Curtain Wall Edit mode.)Modifications to Curtain Wall System Selection Settings will modify all affected parts of the selected Curtain Wall. For example, if you modify a Mullion Frame’s material, the material of all the Mullion Frames in the Curtain Wall will be changed when you click OK to leave the dialog box. However, Custom Frames are not affected by changes to the Mullion Frame settings. • Note that Frame definition occurs on three different pages:

Boundary, Mullion, Transom: this means that a single Curtain Wall will have three different default Frame definitions (or “classes”) at once. You can set all Frame classes to have the same settings if you wish. After editing the System-level parameters of one of the three Frame classes), click the Uniform Frame Classes button


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at the top of the Frame Settings dialog box of any of the three frame classes.

• Note that Panel definition occurs on two separate pages: Main and Distinct: this means that a single Curtain Wall will have two default panel types (or “classes.”)You can set both Panel classes to have the same settings if you wish. After editing the System-level parameters of one of the Panel classes, click the Uniform Panel Classes button at the Top of the Panel Settings dialog box of either of the Panel classes.

When you have finished setting up the Curtain Wall System options, use the Curtain Wall tool to place the Curtain Wall using any of the geometry methods. See “Create a Curtain Wall” on page 270.A placed Curtain Wall can be edited as a whole, like any other construction element, using graphical editing techniques and Edit menu or pet palette commands.

Curtain Wall Display

Curtain Wall display in Floor Plan and Section views is defined in Curtain Wall System Settings.“Curtain Wall Settings: System Page: Floor Plan and Section Panel” in ArchiCAD Help.Note that the Curtain Wall’s default Floor Plan Display option is called “Symbolic with Overhead,” which is unique to Curtain Wall Settings.

In Symbolic with Overhead, Frame and Panel elements are depicted using symbolic display. The Curtain Wall is displayed as cut at the level of the Floor Plan Cut Plane, plus the Curtain Wall’s overhead part (the part above the Floor Plan Cut Plane), and its uncut (downward) part in 3D-like form.

In Symbolic with Overhead mode, Accessories and Junctions are not shown at all on the Floor Plan, and only the Frame centerlines are displayed.

The Symbolic or Symbolic with Overhead options are recommended for regular, vertical Curtain Walls. For other geometries, the Projected options will work better.

Model View Options for Curtain Walls

Go to Document > Set Model View > Model View Options. In the Options for Construction Elements panel, choose one of the two preferences for displaying Curtain Walls. These will affect the display of Curtain Walls in the 3D, Section-type and 3D Document windows only:

• Full: Panels and Frames are displayed in the Curtain Wall.

• Schematic: Only the Scheme (Gridlines, Boundary, Reference Line) is displayed.

Curtain Wall Edit Mode

About Curtain Wall Edit Mode

Any placed Curtain Wall instance is defined by Curtain Wall System Settings. However, you can use Edit mode and its dedicated member-specific tools to access and change the individual members of a selected Curtain Wall, or to add new custom members to it, using the same input, selection and editing methods as in the normal ArchiCAD workspace.

In Edit mode, each member (Scheme, Frame, Panel, Accessory, Junction) has its own Settings dialog box and its own tool, enabling you to change settings and place new Members in this Curtain Wall. (You cannot create a new Curtain Wall in Edit mode; the purpose of


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Edit mode is to provide a deeper level access to the components of an existing, selected Curtain Wall.)Once you change the parameters of any selected Curtain Wall member in Edit mode, that member is no longer tied to Curtain Wall System Settings; it is a Custom member, and its parameters are locally defined, in its individual tool settings dialog box (e.g. Scheme, Frame, Panel, Junction, and Accessory Settings). Custom parameters are set in Edit mode only.Please note that changing the settings of any selected Curtain Wall member in Edit mode will NOT affect the Curtain Wall's System Settings.

Curtain Wall Tool Settings in Edit ModeTools can be accessed in the familiar way from the Curtain Wall Toolbox, available in Edit mode only:Each of these tools has its own settings dialog, with the same appearance and arrangement of controls as the corresponding page of the Curtain Wall Settings dialog.See “Curtain Wall Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.

The only difference is that member-specific Tool settings do not display the navigation tree seen in Curtain Wall System Settings, and they display a different header.

Panel Settings, System Level:

Panel Selection Settings, Edit mode:

For each selected member in Curtain Wall Edit mode, Tool Selection Settings displays the parameters of the currently selected member. If,


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for example, you have selected a panel of class “Main”, the top panel displays, by default, “Class: Main Panel.” These parameters are those defined in the System Settings: Main Panels dialog box.

However, as soon as you change any parameter in this Selection Settings dialog box, the top panel display changes to “Custom.” Clicking OK will apply these Custom parameters to the selected panel(s) only.

A Custom member means that its link to the settings of the Curtain Wall has been broken, and any changes to the Curtain Wall Settings will not affect it.

You can always renew this link by changing the class field back to System.

To edit the System-level Settings without leaving Edit mode, click the System Settings command at the bottom of the Edit mode display palette. (See “Edit Mode Display Palette” on page 288.)

When in Edit mode, you can save and load your Favorite settings individually for each tool, as with any other ArchiCAD tool.

In the individual Tool Settings for Curtain Wall members in Edit mode, layer assignment is displayed but cannot be edited. All curtain wall members will be placed on the layer determined by the Curtain Wall Settings; layer assignment cannot be individually set for its members.

Enter Curtain Wall Edit Mode To enter Edit mode, first select the Curtain Wall. Then click the Edit (or Edit in 3D) button which appears on the selected Curtain Wall.Another way to enter Edit mode: select the Curtain Wall, then the Design > Curtain Wall > Edit System command.

Note: This only works if you have selected a single Curtain Wall. If the selection includes several disparate Curtain Walls, the Edit button will not appear, and you cannot edit individual members of any of them.

When in Curtain Wall editing mode, the model is shown in the 3D window (even if the original Curtain Wall selection took place in a Floor Plan or S/E/IE window). The rest of the building (the “environment”) is shown in background mode.

Note: If the contents of the 3D window do not include the Curtain Wall, you cannot use Curtain Wall edit mode. Make sure that the Curtain Wall can be seen in the 3D window before entering Curtain Wall edit mode.

Once you are in Curtain Wall Edit mode, the regular ArchiCAD toolbox is replaced by a special Curtain Wall toolbox.To edit the System-level Settings without leaving Edit mode, click the System Settings command at the bottom of the Edit mode display palette.


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When you have completed your modifications to the selected Curtain Wall in Edit mode, click OK in the Edit mode Display palette to save changes and return to the 3D window, or Cancel to discard changes.(The same commands are available from a menu: Design > Curtain Wall > Finish Edit System or Cancel Edit System.)While you are in Edit mode, each Undo command will discard only the last modification.Right after you leave Edit mode, clicking Undo a single time will discard all the changes you just made in Edit mode.

Edit Mode Display PaletteThe Edit Mode Display palette appears automatically whenever you enter Curtain Wall Edit mode.To make editing easier, use the Edit mode display palette to show/hide the Curtain Wall elements as needed (click the eye icons to open or close them). You can click them on and off even during an editing operation.

Note: The Edit mode display palette is a display-only editing aid and does not affect the construction or the output of the Curtain Wall element.

“Environment,” in this display palette, refers to the rest of the building model, which you can show or hide as needed to assist in editing. Preselection tags will identify the Environment’s model elements in dimmed form, but in Curtain Wall Edit mode, you can edit only Curtain Wall Members.

Note: If you have trouble identifying the edges of these model elements shown as the Environment, try switching on the Draft or Best Contours option in View > 3D View Mode > 3D Window Settings.

See “3D Window Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.

Select Curtain Wall Member in Edit Mode

Use the selection tools to select any member(s) of the Curtain Wall. To select all instances of any of the members, activate the tool and click Ctrl+A. For example, to select the Scheme, activate the Scheme tool and click Ctrl+A: all parts of the Scheme (Grid lines, the Boundary and the Reference Line) are now selected. If you also turn off the display of Frames and Panels (by clicking the eye icons in the Edit Mode Display palette), the Scheme is now easy to edit.

Note: In Curtain Wall Edit mode, you can use the Marquee to limit the scope of the Find and Select function - to find certain Curtain Wall members either inside or outside the Marquee.

See “Find & Select Palette” in ArchiCAD Help.

Multiselection of Panels and Frames

When you select a single Panel or Frame of a Curtain Wall in Edit mode, an editing aid called a “Grip” appears. The Grip appears at the same time as the pre-selection Info Tag. The Grip gives you a shortcut for selecting multiple Frames or panels, based on the Curtain Wall Grid.When selecting a Frame, you can click one of two buttons on the Grip:


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• the button with the single line will select all the Frames along the full gridline underlying the selected Frame:

• the button displaying multiple parallel lines will select all the Frames that are parallel to the selected Frame segment.

When selecting a Panel, the “Grip” selection shortcut enables you to select all Panels along either the grid’s primary direction or its secondary direction.

Edit Grid

To edit a selected Curtain Wall Grid or individual Gridline, you must use Curtain Wall Edit mode. Available operations include:• Move or delete a selected Gridline• Rotate all the Gridlines of one of the Grid directions• Rotate or Move the Grid as a whole

Note: Rotate Grid is not available for cylinder-based or Chained Curtain Walls.

• Add a new GridlineNote that moving or rotating a Grid, or one or more Gridlines, means that the Frame(s) assigned to that Grid or Gridline are moved or rotated along with it. Deleting a Gridline will delete the Frame on it. The Panel(s) will change in size to conform to the resulting new Frame pattern.To make editing the Grid easier in Edit mode, make sure that the Scheme is visible (and turn off the other members’ visibility as needed).


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Edit Grid Pattern and PositionIn Curtain Wall Edit mode, you can customize the Curtain Wall’s Grid Pattern by editing Scheme Settings. As soon as you edit any aspect of the Curtain Wall’s Scheme Settings, that Scheme becomes “Custom,” rather than System-defined.See “Curtain Wall Settings: Scheme Page: Grid Pattern and Preview Panel” in ArchiCAD Help.To edit a Curtain Wall grid pattern graphically, go into Curtain Wall Edit mode. Make sure that Scheme display is On. (To make selection easier, turn off the display of Frames, Panels, Junctions and Accessories.)Select the Scheme, then double-click the Scheme Tool to access Scheme Settings. A Chained Curtain Wall has as many Schemes as it has segments: you can select one Scheme at a time and customize each Scheme separately.See also “Create a Chained Curtain Wall on the Floor Plan” on page 277.Make any changes in the Grid Pattern, or modify the Grid Pattern’s origin. The selected Scheme is now a Custom Scheme.Click OK to apply the changes.

Move Grid LineTo move an individual Gridline, select it with the Mercedes cursor (clicking any node will select the entire Scheme). Choose the Move Grid Line command from the appearing pet palette:

Drag the Gridline to its new position (it will remain parallel to its original position). Click to place.

Move GridTo move an entire Grid orthogonally, select either a Gridline or the entire Grid and use the Move Grid command from the pet palette.

If you defined the Grid origin as a defined point (as opposed to Custom Origin) in Scheme Settings, then the Grid origin is locked, and you can move the Grid only in its secondary direction.See “Pattern position” in ArchiCAD Help.

Rotate Parallel Grid LinesTo rotate all the Gridlines of one direction (e.g. all the Secondary Gridlines), select one of the Gridlines you want to rotate, then choose the Rotate Parallel Grid Lines command from the pet palette.


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Note: If the Curtain Wall is Curved or Chained, you cannot rotate the primary gridlines, just the secondary ones.

As with other rotation commands in ArchiCAD, draw a rotation vector or enter a rotation angle in the Tracker. Click to complete the transformation.

Rotate Entire GridTo rotate the entire grid, select one Gridline or select the entire Grid. Choose the Rotate Grid command from the pet palette.

Note: Rotate Grid is only available for Curtain Walls having an infinite Base Surface (it is not available for cylinder-based or chained Curtain Walls).

As with other rotation commands in ArchiCAD, draw a rotation vector or enter a rotation angle in the Tracker. Click to complete the transformation.

Delete a GridlineYou can delete an individual Gridline in Curtain Wall Edit mode: Select the Gridline and press Delete.You cannot delete the Grid as a whole.

Add a New GridlineTo add a new gridline, make sure the Scheme tool is active and you are in Grid Input mode:

Click on the place at which you want to place a gridline. Move the cursor around the point you clicked: use the feedback and click either of the orthogonal gridlines to place it:

Edit Curtain Wall Boundary

To edit the Curtain Wall Boundary, select the Curtain Wall and enter Curtain Wall Edit mode.


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Since the Boundary is part of the Scheme, make sure that Scheme visibility in Edit mode is switched to On. In this example, we have turned the visibility of all other Curtain Wall components Off, except for the Environment (so that we can see the walls behind the Curtain Wall).Select the Scheme. Notice that the Boundary is indicated by a heavier line, compared to the gridlines. Alternatively, select the Boundary only (without the Gridlines) by simply clicking anywhere on the Boundary with the mercedes cursor.Click along the Boundary to bring up the Pet Palette, with its polygon or node editing commands.Edit the Boundary as needed.See “Reshaping Polygons and Chained Elements” on page 126.

Switch on the Frames and Panels, and switch off the Scheme, to see the new shape of your Curtain Wall.

Additional Boundary-editing possibilities are available in the Section Window.See “Edit Curtain Wall Boundary in Section” on page 292.

Edit Curtain Wall Boundary in Section

In Section or Elevation, you cannot select or graphically edit the Curtain Wall Boundary, but you can use a set of commands to edit the shape of fills, then apply the edited fill shape to your Curtain Wall Boundary.These commands (Design > Curtain Wall > Boundary Editing in Section) are available only in the Section, Elevation and Interior Elevation windows:• Extract Boundary to Fill• Redefine Boundary from Fill• Subtract Fill from Boundary• Add Fill to BoundaryOpen an Elevation which displays an existing Curtain Wall. Select the Curtain Wall.


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Use Design > Curtain Wall > Boundary Editing in Section > Extract Boundary to Fill. This will create a fill that is in the same shape as the Curtain Wall Boundary. The fill will be in front in the Display Order, so you cannot see the Curtain Wall for now.

Now you can edit the Fill polygon using any of the applicable pet palette commands. This Fill represents the desired shape of your Curtain Wall Boundary.Here we offset all edges of the fill by 350 millimeters, using the Offset All Edges command (available from the pet palette reached by clicking on the node of a selected polygon.)

After editing the fill polygon, use the Design > Curtain Wall >Boundary Editing in Section > Redefine Boundary from Fill command, then click on the Curtain Wall. The Curtain Wall Boundary is redefined to match the Fill Boundary.Delete the Fill and view your edited Curtain Wall.

Other Curtain Wall Editing Possibilities in Section WindowActivate the Fill tool and draw any shape on the Curtain Wall surface. Use Design > Curtain Wall > Boundary Editing in Section > Subtract Fill from Boundary, or Add Fill to Boundary. The Curtain Wall Boundary is modified accordingly.See also “Adding and Subtracting Polygonal Shapes” on page 127.

Add Additional Curtain Wall Boundary

A single Curtain Wall can include several Boundaries. The advantage is that you can create several separate shapes or sections within a single Curtain Wall, yet use an identical Scheme for all of them.In our example, we wish to place a Curtain Wall on the south facade of this building: a single Curtain Wall, using uniform Scheme Settings, but in two separate parts.


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1) Draw a straight Curtain Wall on one of the surfaces using the usual methods.

2) Select the Curtain Wall and go into Edit mode. Make sure that the Environment display option is switched On.

3) Select the Scheme tool and the Boundary Input method.

Now click on the desired Curtain Wall segment in which you wish to draw. (This is relevant for Chained Curtain Walls, which have multiple segments. In our example, there is only one Curtain Wall segment, but you must click anyway.)

4) Now start drawing a new Boundary. You are drawing on the Base Surface of the currently edited Curtain Wall.

Note: Because the Base Surface of any Curtain Wall can be infinite in one or more directions, you always have “space” to draw any number of new Boundaries while still working on the same single original Curtain Wall.

See “Base Surface” on page 268.

5) Complete the new Boundary.

6) View the result, with the Scheme displayed. Note that the Scheme has been extended to accommodate the new Boundary.


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7) Try editing a selected Grid line, or edit the Panel pattern. Note that both “parts” of the Curtain Wall are handled in sync, because they are built upon a single Base Surface and a single Scheme.

Edit Curtain Wall Reference Line

To edit the Curtain Wall Reference Line, select the Curtain Wall and enter Curtain Wall Edit mode.Since the Reference Line is part of the Scheme, make sure that Scheme visibility in Edit mode is switched to On. Press Shift and move the cursor to pre-select the Scheme.Notice in our example that the Reference line is at the bottom and offset from the Curtain Wall. Click the Reference Line to select it.Click to bring up the Pet Palette, with its line editing commands.Edit the Reference Line as needed.For information on editing lines, see “Lines” on page 378 and “Curve/Straighten Element Edge” on page 134.Editing the Reference Line will change the shape of the Curtain Wall Base Surface. (Grid lines, Boundary, Panels and Frames will be modified accordingly.) In our example, we change our straight Curtain Wall to a curved one by editing the Reference Line:

The result:

Curtain Wall Frames

About Curtain Wall Frames

When ArchiCAD creates the Curtain Wall, it will place Frames at predefined locations. You can define three types (“classes”) of Frames for any Curtain Wall: Boundary Frame; Mullion Frame; Transom Frame. The properties of the Boundary, Mullion and Transom Frame classes are defined in the respective dialog boxes of Curtain Wall Settings. If you change any property of the Boundary, Mullion or Transom classes for a selected Curtain Wall, then every Frame in that class will change to reflect these changed settings.See “Curtain Wall Settings: Frame Pages (Boundary, Mullion, Transom)” in ArchiCAD Help.Frames are placed along the Grid when you create the Curtain Wall. If you move or delete a gridline, you move or delete the Frame. (In Curtain Wall Edit mode, you can place additional Frames independent of the Grid.)In a multi-segment (Chained) Curtain Wall, a Frame is always placed at the place where two adjacent segments are joined. Such a Frame cannot be deleted. Boundary Frames are placed along the Curtain Wall Boundary.Mullion and Transom Frames are placed along either the Primary or Secondary gridlines.


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To define which gridlines (Primary or Secondary) the Mullion Frame should follow, use the control in Curtain Wall System Settings: Member Placement panel:

The Transom Frames will follow the other gridlines (in this case, the Secondary Gridlines.)For example, in this image, the Frames in the Boundary class are red; the Frames in the Mullion class (coinciding with the Primary Gridlines) are blue; and the Frames in the Transom class (coinciding with the Secondary Gridlines) are green.The Frames in each class are linked to the settings for each class, defined in Curtain Wall Settings. This allows you to use Frame sets with varying specifications appropriate Frames’ positions in the structure. Frame class properties can be changed all at once, using the Frame class settings pages. In addition, when in Curtain Wall Edit mode, you can reassign selected Frames to take on the properties of a different class, or you can define custom properties for any number of selected individual Frames.

Thus, to modify all the Boundary Frames in the Curtain Wall at once, just select the Curtain Wall, open the Boundary Frames page of Curtain Wall Settings, and make any adjustments. Once you click OK to leave the dialog box, all Frames belonging to the Boundary class will be modified accordingly.To determine whether a given Frame belongs to one of the Frame classes or is a Custom Frame, open the Curtain Wall in Edit mode, select the Frame in question, open Frame Settings, and view the dropdown at the top of the dialog box:

Frame TypesChoose the Frame Type in the “Frame Type and Geometry” panel of Curtain Wall Settings. Depending on the required level of detail, choose an industry-standard parametric GDL Frame, or a simplified built-in Frame prototype with rectangular cross-section.

The Invisible Frame exists as an object, but it is not visible. Use this Frame if you want two neighboring panels to remain two distinct panels without displaying a Frame between them. Invisible Frames are also appropriate when you don't want to burden the model with the Frame details, or when other structures (e.g. junctions) are used to support the panel connections. A seamless panel surface can be achieved if Frames are deleted from gridlines.


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Generic Frame: This is the most common type of Frame. A built-in rectangular Frame type, with a rectangular profile. From the outside of the wall, a "cap" is visible. Butt-Glazed: A built-in rectangular profile, used for inner support of a butt-glazed Curtain Wall surface. The panels will connect to each other in the front of a butt-glazed Frame, so the Frame will not be visible on that side (unless the panels are transparent or a gap is specified.)

Customize an Individual FrameWhen a Frame is selected in Edit mode, you can• Open Frame Selection Settings and change them• Drag, Mirror, Rotate or Multiply the Frame• Delete the Frame

Note: Deleting a Frame is only possible if the two panels on either side of the Frame are both in the same plane. If the panels are not in the same plane, you must first delete the gridline which runs between them. On a non-planar Curtain Wall surface, deleting the gridline modifies the Curtain Wall geometry so that the panels are now in the same plane, and the Frame is deleted along with the gridline.

Set the visibility to make your work easier (for example, turn off the visibility of everything except for Frames.)Select the Frame(s) you want to edit.See also “Multiselection of Panels and Frames” on page 288.Click the Frame tool to enter Frame Selection Settings. Make the needed changes. Note that as soon as you make any changes in this dialog box, the “Class” field at the top changes to “Custom Frame.” This means you have broken the link between the selected Frame(s) and the class to which it earlier belonged.

Click OK to leave the dialog box and apply changes to the selected Frame(s).For details on this dialog box, see “Curtain Wall Settings: Frame Pages (Boundary, Mullion, Transom)” in ArchiCAD Help.

Add New Frame to Curtain WallYou can add an additional Frame to an existing Curtain Wall. Such a Frame can be independent of the Grid, but the new Frame must be drawn so that its endpoints coincide with existing Frames.To add an additional Frame, enter Curtain Wall Edit mode.Activate the Frame Tool. Use the Info Box to define the Frame type and the Frame class whose parameters it should use (e.g. Mullion).

If you want the new Frame to use Custom parameters, open the Frame Settings page and adjust the parameters as needed. The Info Box will now reflect that the Frame Settings are Custom.


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Now draw a new Frame on the Curtain Wall in Edit mode.

If you draw the Frame on a Grid line, then that Frame will be attached to the Grid line. Moving the Grid will move the Frame.If you draw a new Frame that crosses an existing Grid line, the Frame will be segmented automatically where it crosses the Grid line. To select the entire continuous line of the new Frame (not just one segmented Frame at a time), use the grip to select new Frame segments that fall into the same line:

If you draw a pattern of additional Frames within a given cell of the grid pattern, you can easily copy those Frames to any other cell: see Copy Cell Pattern in the next section.

Copy Cell PatternTo copy the Frame pattern of any cell in the grid to another cell, first make sure you are in Curtain Wall Edit mode, with the Frames visible.Then issue the Design > Curtain Wall > Copy Cell Pattern command.Next, click in the cell whose Frame pattern you wish to copy.Finally, click in the cell to which to copy the Frame pattern. The Frame pattern is duplicated.

Frame IntersectionsWhen two Frames meet in a Curtain Wall, the Frame with the higher priority will cut the other one.Frame Priorities are predefined for each Frame class in Curtain Wall Settings.• Boundary Frames: Intersection level 15• Mullion Frames: Intersection level 10• Transom Frames: Intersection level 5


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These values are not editable at the level of Frame classes. The slider shows the intersection levels of the built-in Frames (left to right: Transom - 5; Mullion - 10; Boundary - 15).However, you can change the intersection priority of any single selected Frame. In Curtain Wall Edit mode, select the Frame whose intersection priority you want to change. Go to Frame Selection Settings and adjust the slider to the desired level. Changing the Frame’s intersection level - as when changing any other Frame parameter - will result in a Custom Frame.

Create Common Frame for Adjacent Curtain WallsIf two adjacent Curtain Walls’ Frames coincide and overlap, use this command to clean up the join. (One of the two overlapping Frames will be transformed into a corner-like Frame, and the other will be transformed into an Invisible Frame.)Select both Curtain Walls and use Design > Curtain Wall > Create Common Frames.

View the results:

Curtain Wall Panels

Panels are the flat surfaces - generally glazed - of the Curtain Wall. Panels are automatically placed between Frames and onto the Base Surface. When creating a Curtain Wall, you can define the parameters for two predefined classes of panels in Curtain Wall Scheme Settings.The Curtain Wall’s two predefined classes of Panels are called Main and Distinct. To define the arrangement of the different classes of panels within your Curtain Wall, toggle them by clicking the panel pattern in the Preview window of the Curtain Wall Scheme Settings dialog box: click any panel to switch its class from Main (white) to Distinct (grey) or vice-versa.


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See “Curtain Wall Settings: Scheme Page” in ArchiCAD Help.The properties of the Main and Distinct classes of panels (type, material, width) are defined in the respective dialog boxes of Curtain Wall Settings. If you change any property of the Main or Distinct Panel classes for a selected Curtain Wall, then every panel in that class will change to reflect these changed settings.

See “Curtain Wall Settings: Panel Settings (Main, Distinct)” in ArchiCAD Help.Most of your Curtain Wall panels will be “fixed” glazed surfaces. However, you can insert object-type Panels which serve as Door or Window openings.

See “Place a Door- or Window-Type Panel” on page 300.

Customize an Individual Panel

When a Panel is selected in Edit mode, you can

• Open Panel Selection Settings and change them

• Delete the Panel

• Edit its parameters

Select the Panel(s) you want to edit.

See also “Multiselection of Panels and Frames” on page 288.

Click the Panel tool to enter Panel Selection Settings. Make the needed changes. Note that as soon as you make any changes in this dialog box, the “Class” field at the top changes to “Custom Panel.” This means you have broken the link between the selected Panel(s) and the class to which it earlier belonged.

Click OK to leave the dialog box and apply changes to the selected Panel(s).For details on this dialog box, see “Curtain Wall Settings: Panel Settings (Main, Distinct)” in ArchiCAD Help

Place a Door- or Window-Type Panel

You can place a GDL-based panel which behaves like a window or a door. Some of these are predefined in ArchiCAD 12 and are listed in the Type pop-up list in the Panel Type and Geometry panel:


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For example, suppose you have a Curtain Wall like the following one, and wish to place a door-type panel into it:Select the Curtain Wall and go into Edit mode.Now select the existing panels that you want to replace with a door-type panel. (Only rectangular panels will work.)

However, since you want to replace the two selected panels with just one door panel, first “merge” the selected panels by deleting the Frame between them.To delete the Frame, turn off the panel display so that you can see the Frames better.

Then select the unneeded Frame which divides the two panels.Delete this Frame. Turn the panel display back on (click the eye icon back open next to “Panel” in the list controlling Edit mode display) and notice that the two panels selected earlier have been merged into a single panel. Now select this panel.

In the Info Box, select cw door 2 12 as the Object Type.


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The selected panel is now replaced with a door-type panel, which you can open and close like other GDL doors. This newly placed panel is in neither the Main nor Distinct class; it is “custom.”

Note that this door-type Panel object has an editable parameter called “Top Direction.” This lets you redefine the “top” of the door by 90 degree increments in case you later free-rotate the Curtain Wall and the “top” of the door changes its position.

Curtain Wall Junctions

About JunctionsA Curtain Wall Junction is an optional structure that serves to connect panels to each other in order to support or (more often) to substitute for Frames, resulting in a seamless, more lightweight structure than the traditional Framework. Junctions can only be placed at either or both ends of gridlines.In ArchiCAD, a Junction is a GDL object. Its geometry and display attributes are all determined by their GDL parameters, which you can find in the parameter list of the Junction Type tab page.Additionally, placed Junctions can be flipped to the opposite side of the Curtain Wall, and set up with a custom ID for listing and labeling.

Placement of JunctionsIn ArchiCAD, Junctions can be placed either one by one or automatically at every intersection. Choose either of these options in the Member Placement Panel of the Curtain Wall System page.

See “Curtain Wall Settings: System Page: Member Placement Panel” in ArchiCAD Help.


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When you choose At all Gridpoints, Junctions will be placed at every grid point at creation of the Curtain Wall. Automatically placed junctions are linked to the settings defined in the Junctions page of Curtain Wall Settings.See “Curtain Wall Settings: Junctions” in ArchiCAD Help.Otherwise, the One by one option is applied: this means that no Junctions will be placed automatically, but you can place them one by one manually, using the Junction Tool and Junction Tool Settings available in Curtain Wall Edit mode.Manually placed Junctions can be configured individually with custom properties in Junction Tool Settings, or else you can apply System-level Junction settings (from the Junction page of Curtain Wall Settings) by setting their Class as System Junctions.Junctions are placed on the inside of the Curtain Wall by default.To determine whether a given Junction belongs to the System or is a Custom Junction, open the Curtain Wall in Edit mode, select the Junction in question, open Junction Settings, and view the dropdown at the top of the dialog box:

Add New Junction to the Curtain WallTo add an additional Junction to an existing Curtain Wall, enter Curtain Wall Edit mode.Activate the Junction Tool. If you want the new Junction to use Custom parameters, open the Junction Settings page and adjust the parameters as needed. The Info Box will now show that the Junction Settings are Custom.Junctions can only be placed at either or both ends of gridlines. Usually, you will place a Junction to substitute for a Frame. However, in ArchiCAD, panels can only connect at Frames. If there is no Frame, the Panels will “melt” together to form a seamless surface, making

Junctions unnecessary and difficult to position. For this reason, when you need to substitute a Frame with a Junction, first select Frames at a desired panel connection point and switch them to “Invisible” type. (Use the Frame Type and Geometry panel of Frame Settings.)

Now click the hotspot in the middle of the connection.


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Click to define which side of the curtain wall you want to place the Junction. It will be placed at the nearest panel connection point to your click.Moving the Gridlines (and hence moving the visible or invisible Frames) will also move the Junction. Only one Junction can be added to each Frame gridpoint.

Customize an Individual Junction

When a Junction is selected in Edit mode, you can• Open Junction Selection Settings and change them• Drag the Junction to another panel connection point.• Delete the Junction• Flip the Junction to the opposite side of the Curtain Wall (use the

Flip button in Junction Tool Settings or Info Box):

Set the visibility to make your work easier (for example, turn off the visibility of everything except for Junctions, Frames, and the Scheme).Select the Junction(s) you want to edit.Click the Junction tool to enter Junction Selection Settings. Make the needed changes. Note that as soon as you make any changes in this dialog box, the “Class” field at the top changes to “Custom Junction.” This means you have broken the link between the selected Junction(s) and the settings of the Curtain Wall.Click OK to leave the dialog box and apply changes to the selected Junction(s).

Curtain Wall Accessories

A Curtain Wall Accessory is an optional non-load-bearing member - such as a sun shade, a decoration strip or a canopy - attached to the Curtain Wall at any Frames.

Accessory PlacementIn ArchiCAD, accessories can be placed one by one, in Curtain Wall Edit mode only, using the Accessory Tool. (There is no automatic Accessory Placement method.) An Accessory can be configured in Edit mode with custom properties, but you can also set Accessories to use the System-level Accessory settings from Curtain Wall Settings.See “Curtain Wall Settings: Accessory Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.To determine whether a given Accessory belongs to the System or is a Custom Accessory, open the Curtain Wall in Edit mode, select the Accessory in question, open Accessory Settings, and view the dropdown at the top of the dialog box:

In ArchiCAD, an Accessory is a GDL object. Its geometry and display attributes are all determined by its GDL parameters, which you can find in the parameter list of the Accessory Type tab page.An Accessory’s orientation upon placement is determined by the Frames.

Add New Accessory to the Curtain WallTo add an additional Accessory to an existing Curtain Wall, enter Curtain Wall Edit mode.Activate the Accessory Tool. Use the Info Box to define the Accessory type and set Class to decide whether the newly placed Accessory's properties should be linked to the corresponding page of the Curtain Wall Settings (System Accessory), or not (Custom).


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If you want the new Accessory to use Custom parameters, open the Accessory Settings page and adjust the parameters as needed. The Info Box will now reflect that the Accessory Settings are Custom.

Now place a new Accessory in Edit mode.

Click on a Frame or a Frame endpoint - the endpoint closest to your click will be used as start of the Accessory.

Drag the cursor and click to determine the endpoint of the Accessory.

Click with the eyeball cursor to determine the direction of the Accessory: outside or inside the Curtain Wall.

Moving Gridlines or Frames will move the Accessory along with them.

Customize an Individual AccessoryWhen an Accessory is selected in Edit mode, you can• Open Accessory Selection Settings and change them• Drag the Accessory onto another Frame.• Flip the Accessory to the opposite side of the Curtain Wall (Use

the “Flip” button in Accessory Tool Settings or the Info Box.)• Delete the AccessorySet the visibility to make your work easier (for example, turn off the visibility of everything except for Accessories, Frames and the Scheme.)Select the Accessory(s) you want to edit.Click the Accessory tool to enter Accessory Selection Settings.See “Curtain Wall Settings: Accessory Settings” in ArchiCAD HelpMake the needed changes. Note that as soon as you make any changes in this dialog box, the “Class” field at the top changes to “Custom Accessory.” This means you have broken the link between the selected Accessory(s) and the settings of the Curtain Wall.Click OK to leave the dialog box and apply changes to the selected Accessory(s).


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Curtain Walls and Other Elements

Connect Wall to Curtain WallA Curtain Wall may be connected to one or more walls. Once connected, the wall is trimmed to the Curtain Wall. If you move or free-rotate the Curtain Wall, then the connected wall will stretch accordingly.Connecting a Curtain Wall to a wall can be helpful in adjusting wall geometry to a slanted Curtain Wall.See “Connect Wall to Curtain Wall” on page 306.To connect a wall to a Curtain Wall, select the wall(s) and the Curtain Wall. (You may select any number of walls, but only a single Curtain Wall.)Use the Connect wall... command from the window’s context menu,

or the Design > Curtain Wall > Connect wall command.The Connect Wall to Curtain Wall dialog box appears. Each time you connect one or more walls to the selected Curtain Wall, use this dialog box to specify the exact connection point of the wall(s) to the Curtain Wall.The Outside value: this defines the point at which walls coming from the “Outside” direction of the Curtain Wall will connect to this Curtain Wall.The Inside value: this defines the point at which walls coming from the “Inside” direction of the Curtain Wall will connect to this Curtain Wall.

Both the Inside and Outside wall connection points are expressed as offsets from the Base Surface, as shown in the “Connect Wall to Curtain Wall” dialog box.• The Default option is Curtain

Wall thickness. This is likely to be your most frequent choice. By default, these Inside and Outside offset values total the Curtain Wall’s Nominal Thickness, as defined in Curtain Wall System Settings Positioning Panel. In our example, the Nominal Thickness is set to 400.

For the purposes of offsetting connecting walls from this Curtain Wall, the “Inside” portion of this Nominal Thickness is equal to the Panel offset from the Reference Surface (in our example, 250); the “Outside” portion is what remains of the Nominal Thickness (in our example, 150).So, by default, Outside connecting walls will stop 150 mm from the Curtain Wall’s Base Surface; Inside connecting walls will stop 250 mm from the Curtain Wall’s Base Surface.• If you want connecting walls to stop at points other than at the

Curtain Wall’s nominal thickness, then click Custom offset. Then enter values for the offset from the Curtain Wall’s Base Surface to the Outside and Inside wall connection points.

Click Connect. The eyeball cursor appears: click to define which end of the wall you want to connect to the Curtain Wall. As you move the cursor to either end of the wall, a double-arrow appears on the wall, to indicate that this is the end that will be connected if you click now.


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A wall connected to a Curtain Wall associates itself to the place at which its connecting end intersects the Curtain Wall surface. To redefine the offset for an already connected wall, connect it again.

Disconnect Walls from Curtain WallsTo eliminate the connections between walls and Curtain Walls, do one of the following:Select any Curtain Wall, any wall, or any combination of these elements.Use the Design > Curtain Wall > Disconnect all Elements command. All connections of the selected wall(s) and all connections of the selected Curtain Wall(s) are now broken.To break a particular wall connection to a particular Curtain Wall: Select the connected wall and select the Curtain Wall it is connected to. Use the Design > Curtain Wall > Break Connection command. The wall’s connection to the selected Curtain Wall is broken. (If the wall is also connected to another Curtain Wall, which was not selected, that connection will remain intact. The same is true for Curtain Walls: it remains connected to any additional walls that were not selected.)To break the connection between a particular Curtain Wall and all the walls it is connected to:Select the Curtain Wall, and do one of the following: • Use the Design > Curtain Wall > Disconnect All Elements

command; or• Click the Undo Connections button in the Model panel of

Curtain Wall System Settings.To break the connection between a particular wall and all the Curtain Walls it is connected to: Select the wall, and do one of the following:• Use the Design > Curtain Wall > Disconnect All Elements

command; or• Click the Disconnect All Curtain Walls button in the Model

panel of Wall Settings.

Curtain Walls and Adjacent ZonesAdjacent Zones extend up to the Curtain Wall’s Nominal Thickness, as defined in the Nominal Thickness field of Curtain Wall System Settings (Positioning Panel).

As with walls and columns, you have several options for defining how to calculate Curtain Walls which are bounded by Zones or which serve as a Zone boundary. Use the Relation to Zones pop-up in Curtain Wall Settings (Listing and Labeling Panel) to define how to calculate these Zones.For details, see “Curtain Wall Settings: System Page: Listing and Labeling Panel” in ArchiCAD Help.

Split Intersecting Curtain WallsOne way to precisely connect two Curtain Walls is to make them intersect, then split off the “extra” parts, using the Design > Curtain Wall > Split Curtain Wall command.This command works only for splitting one or more Curtain Walls with another Curtain Wall. It is available in any model window (but not in Curtain Wall Edit mode). It is analogous to the Edit > Reshape >Split command, which works on other ArchiCAD elements.


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In this example, the two Curtain Walls intersect on the Floor Plan.

Select the curved Curtain Wall.Use Design > Curtain Wall > Split Curtain Wall, or the same command from the context menu.

Click on the other Curtain Wall.The eyeball cursor appears. Click either side of the curved Curtain Wall to define which part will remain selected after the Split takes place.

The curved Curtain Wall has been split into two separate Curtain Walls.

Now you can delete the one you don’t need, and the remaining Curtain Walls are joined exactly.Repeat the process to split off, then delete the protruding part of the straight Curtain Wall.

The result on the Floor Plan, and in 3D:

In such a case, the two adjoining Curtain Walls’ Frames may overlap. To remedy this, create a common Frame for both of them. See “Create Common Frame for Adjacent Curtain Walls” on page 299.


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Example: Connect Slanted Curtain Wall to Side Walls

In this example, we have a slanted Curtain Wall placed between two straight walls, which overhang the Curtain Wall.

To trim the walls to the Curtain Wall so that the wall ends are parallel to the Curtain Wall, , we will use the Connect Wall command.

Select the Curtain Wall and the two walls to connect it to.

Use the Design > Curtain Wall > Connect Curtain Wall command, or the same command from the context menu.

The Connect Wall to Curtain Wall dialog box appears.The default connection values assume that you want the walls to connect at the Curtain Wall’s nominal thickness.See “Connect Wall to Curtain Wall” on page 306.So let’s try that: Leave the values as they are and click Connect.Then click with the eye cursor at the near end of either of the walls (this is the wall end to which you want to connect the Curtain Wall). (The temporary double-arrow helps you identify the correct wall end.)The wall connection takes place. The walls are trimmed along the inside of the Curtain Wall, at the default location (in our case, offset from the Base Surface by 250 mm in the “inside” direction.)


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View the connection point up close: the wall meets the inside of the Curtain Wall at its nominal thickness: exactly where the Boundary Frame begins.You may want a different geometry for this wall connection. Suppose you want the wall to connect at the outside limit of the Curtain Wall. You must re-do the Curtain Wall connection.Select the walls and Curtain Wall again. Use the Design > Curtain Wall > Connect wall command again to bring up the Connect Wall to Curtain Wall dialog box, where you can adjust the connection offset to a custom value:Since the wall is coming from the inside of the Curtain Wall, it is the Inside value which you will adjust:

The “Inside” value measures the distance between the wall connection point and the Base Surface, in the “inside” direction. If you want the wall to go past the Base Surface, as in this situation, enter a negative number. Here, we will use -50, so that the wall coming from the inside will cross the Base Surface (at 0) and keep going another 50 mm, stopping exactly at the Curtain Wall’s width thickness on the far side (the outside).

Click Connect. View the result in 3D. Now the connecting wall is aligned with the outside face of the Curtain Wall.

Free-Rotate Curtain WallYou can free-rotate a selected Curtain Wall. It is easiest to select the Curtain Wall in 3D and use the Free Rotate command from the pet palette. (The command is also available from Design > Curtain Wall > Free Rotate.)First click and drag the cursor to define a line as the rotation axis. Then click to define the point from which you wish to begin rotating.

Click to complete.


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Attach Labels to Curtain Wall Members

There are two ways to attach labels to Curtain Wall Members.1) Use the Label Tool’s “Member Label” type to create an

associative label for any clicked Curtain Wall Member, in a Section-type window.Use this method if you need labels on a few particular Curtain Wall Members only.

See “Placing Member Labels on Curtain Walls” on page 419.2) Use the Design > Curtain Wall > Label All Members

command.Use this method if you need labels on all Members, or all of a certain class of Members.

To use this command, select the Curtain Wall in the Section/Elevation/IE window. Click Design > Curtain Wall > Label All Members to bring up the all Members dialog box:

Check the boxes of all the Member types to which you would like to attach a Label. The Labels will be associative; if you have defined a

default content for any of the Member tools (e.g. Junction, Frame), then these definitions will be used in the Label.Click Label to place the labels.

Parametric Objects

About Parametric ObjectsAn integral part of the ArchiCAD design process is placing objects into the plan. For example, Doors and Windows inserted into a wall are objects, as are Stairs and Lamps. Markers, Labels and Zone Stamps are also objects. Many of these objects are accessible when using their dedicated tool. You can access many other items through the Object tool, such trees and cars, office equipment and sanitary ware.Objects are parametric. This means that you can freely configure the placed instance, using the Object Settings dialog box, or the dialog boxes associated with the object-type tools, without actually modifying the external file.For more information, see “Object/Lamp Tool Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.When you place an Object (as opposed to other elements in ArchiCAD), you are placing an instance of an external file located in an object library. ArchiCAD is shipped with a standard object library containing hundreds of preconfigured, editable objects (also known as GDL objects or Library parts). For the most part, you will use ArchiCAD tools to place objects from this standard library. Depending on their subtype, the tool that recognizes and places them can be either the Object tool or a dedicated tool, for example the Stair or Skylight tool.If you open a Project and the Library Loading Report palette informs you that placed objects are missing from the Active Library, those items cannot be displayed on the plan. (The place of missing library parts is indicated by nondescript spots on the plan.)


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You will find most of the objects you need for your project in the ArchiCAD Library - the factory-shipped library of standard objects. The objects are organized into folders and sub-folders to make it easy to locate what you need. The ArchiCAD Library is comprehensive, although localized versions of ArchiCAD libraries will contain special objects which are localized for the standards of particular countries.

When you activate a tool that is dedicated to a particular Object subtype (i.e. Stair, Door), the Settings Dialog box accesses only the relevant part of the ArchiCAD Library. For example, activating the Window Tool gives you access to all the Windows in the ArchiCAD Library, but not Doors or Mechanical Objects.

See also “About GDL Object Subtypes” in ArchiCAD Help.

The Object Tool (chair icon) accesses a wide variety of objects that are not part of a dedicated subtype. These objects are divided into three main folders: Basic Library; Visualization Objects; and Add-On Library, and several sub-folders. As you can see by the folder names, the Basic Library contains all kinds of Furnishings (Beds; Chairs; Office Equipment, etc.); Decorations (such as clocks and vases); Health/Recreation items (such as a piano, a billiard table, a TV). Additional folders contain Building Structures (such as fences and moldings); Special Constructions (such as fireplaces and shutters); Mechanical Elements (such as air conditioners and elevators); and 2D Elements (such as electric and graphic symbols.)

The Visualization folder contains Site improvements (e.g. trees) and objects depicting People and Vehicles.

Object Settings of Library Part ElementsThe Object Settings dialog boxes of Library Part type elements consist of two parts:

On the left, the browser area allows you to locate single library parts corresponding to the active tool in the loaded libraries, either by browsing or by entering search terms to find a library part by name.

Double-click the splitter bar between the two panels to open/close the browser area (or click the black arrow at the top of the splitter bar). If you have stretched the dialog box horizontally, you can move the splitter bar horizontally to rearrange the dialog box.If you select an object (not a folder) in the browser area, its settings appear on the right-hand side of the dialog box.That object’s settings will remain in the right side of the dialog box even if you use the browser to look through library objects on the left. To again return the browser to the status in which it shows currently selected object’s place in the library hierarchy, click the Show in library command, accessible by clicking the black arrow next to the object name in the Preview and Positioning Panel.

The right-hand side of the dialog box contains settings panels.


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In the Preview and Positioning Panel (as in the Info Box), simple navigation controls allowing you to go the previous and next element in the active library set without having to use the browser area.

As for all other GDL Object type element, the Custom Settings panel is only active if the chosen object contains a user interface script.

For descriptions of each control in this dialog box, see “Object/Lamp Tool Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.

Where to Find Objects for Use in ArchiCAD• The standard ArchiCAD library, shipped as part of your

program, contains hundreds of predefined standard objects.

• Using ArchiCAD’s flexible Library Manager, you can load additional libraries or individual library parts at any time. Graphisoft publishes several specialized complementary libraries. Consult your dealer for more information

For more information, see “Libraries” on page 41.• On the Internet, you will find a growing number of websites

dedicated to GDL Objects, such as the Object Depository (ArchiCAD-talk.graphisoft.com/object_depository.php) or ObjectsOnLine (www.objectsonline.com). The Graphisoft website (www.graphisoft.com) contains a directory of such locations. In addition, the GDL Web Control Add-On (www.graphisoft.com/products/ArchiCAD/object_technology/downloads)

allows you to visualize GDL Objects in your web browser and download them directly into your ArchiCAD Project.

• A number of third party programs or Add-Ons let you create or edit GDL Objects. These objects contain GDL scripts as well as other, application dependent data. Consult your dealer for availability information.

• DXF libraries are widespread in the CAD world and cover almost every area of engineering and design. Many manufacturers offer symbols or models of their products in DXF format. ArchiCAD can easily import these libraries.

• You can use existing elements within ArchiCAD to create and save custom objects.

For more information, see “Graphic Creation of Custom Objects” on page 319.• If you have very specific needs and no preconfigured library part

will do, ArchiCAD provides a unique solution with its Geometric Description Language (GDL). Using this very simple programming environment, you can potentially script any building element in the form of library parts.

For more information, see “Scripting Custom Objects” on page 323.• You can sculpt in other 3D applications. ArchiCAD can import

any 3D model you create, such as MaxonForm and those using Zoom or Alias Wavefront. These applications are multipurpose 3D modelers allowing shapes of free geometry.

For more information, see the MaxonForm documentation in the Graphisoft Documentation folder.

Locating a Library PartUse the browser section of the Object Settings dialog box to locate the library part you need. (This function is available in the Settings dialog box of any object-type element: Window, Door, Skylight, etc.)The Settings dialog boxes of Library Part type elements consist of two parts:• On the left, the browser area allows you to locate single library

parts corresponding to the active tool in the loaded libraries, either by browsing or by entering search terms to find a library part by name.


http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/object_depository.php

http://www.objectsonline.com

http://www.graphisoft.com

http://www.graphisoft.com/products/archicad/object_technology/downloads/

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Note: By clicking the down-arrow in the center column of the settings dialog box, you can hide the browser area. This way, the dialog box takes up less space.

• The right-hand side of the dialog box contains settings panels.

If you select an element (not a folder) in the browser area, its settings appear on the right-hand side of the dialog box.A pop-up control in the top left corner of the settings dialog box allows you to arrange the browser area panels vertically or horizontally.Three buttons representing different icon sizes allow you to display the contents of the browsed folder as large icons, as small icons or as a plain alphabetical list that always shows the full names of the elements.The browser area includes the libraries loaded with ArchiCAD.In the Object Settings dialog box, use the drop-down list to choose a way to look for a particular library part:• Choose Folder View to browse

by library folder.

• Choose Subtype View to browse by object subtype.For information about Subtypes, see “About GDL Object Subtypes” in ArchiCAD Help.You can unfold library or subtype folders by clicking the plus sign (or, in MacOS, the arrow) next to their names in the browser panel.• Choose the Find Library Parts option to locate library parts by

name using keywords in a search engine.

Find Library Part Search Engine1) Enter a keyword in the text field.Wildcard search characters may be used in the keyword field:• Use “?” (question mark) to denote any one character• Use “*” (asterisk) to denote any string of characters

Note: Library part names often include a number. You can use these numbers as part of your keyword search.

2) Refine the search by choosing an option from the drop-down list: Find all file names which:

• match keyword• contain keyword• begin with keyword• end with keyword3) Choose a library or set of libraries in the Search in list.For example, if you want to find the set of available bottom hung windows, just type in the phrase “bottom hung” into the Keyword field.4) Press the Find button or Enter

to execute the search.5) View search results.


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In our example, the following bottom hung windows will be displayed:Search results are displayed in the Library Parts found window.Choose a format icon to arrange search results in one of three formats as described for the browser area.Click on any library part icon in the Library Parts found window to view or edit its object settings at right. The library part’s file path, in both its Library Folder and its subtype folder, are indicated at the bottom of the window. If you switch back to Folder or Subtype view after completing a search and selecting/editing an object, the same object will remain selected in those views.

Placing an ObjectTypically, you will follow these steps when placing an object:1) Select the corresponding tool in the Toolbox and open its

settings dialog box by double-clicking the tool’s icon.2) Browse for the appropriate element in the available library

folders.3) Adjust the default settings default to suit your particular situation

or purpose. The external file is not affected in any way by the changes you make in the Object (Lamp, Door, etc.) Settings dialog box.

4) Click at the desired location and place the customized instance of the object.

Placement AnchorThe primary hotspot (object’s placement anchor) can be defined on the Preview and Positioning panel of the Object Settings dialog box. Before placing the Object or Lamp, make sure that you have selected the appropriate hotspot to serve as the anchor.For more information, see “Object/Lamp Preview and Positioning Panel” in ArchiCAD Help.

Placement AidsWhen the Object or Lamp tool is active and you place your cursor inside a construction window, the ghost bounding box of the element is shown and it follows the movements of the cursor. This also allows you to check the active hotspot used for positioning the Object or Lamp. You can switch this ghost box feature off in Options > Work Environment > More Options.When positioning the Object or Lamp, you can use numerical input, gravitation, mouse constraints or the grids. This allows you to fit fixtures or furniture to corners, specific positions, or to each other with great accuracy.

Geometry MethodsFour geometry methods are available in the Info Box for placing Object and Lamp type Library Parts.

• The Orthogonal method automatically places Library Parts in alignment with the normal grid lines unless you specify a rotation angle in the Settings dialog box before placement.

• To place a Rotated Library Part, first define a reference point by clicking any point Use the resulting rubberband line to place the rotation vector. This rubberband line can be constrained using any of the drafting modifiers or enabled Mouse Constraint angles.

• The Diagonal input method works like the rectangle geometry method used for polygonal elements.

• The Rotated diagonal input method works like the rotated rectangle method used for walls, slabs, etc.

The last two methods let you define the A and B parameters of the Object or Lamp graphically. (For most objects, these parameters represent the Length and Width of the object on the Floor Plan.) Note that they are only available if the GDL Object can be freely stretched; some Objects may have fixed or proportionally set dimension parameters.


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The result of this technique also depends on the primary hotspot (anchor). As a rule of thumb, if a hotspot at the corner of the object is selected, you can define both the A and B parameters graphically. If the hotspot is along a side of the object, you can only define one of the parameters graphically and the other parameter will be taken from the Settings dialog box. When choosing a hotspot within the bounding box of the symbol, none of the parameters can be set graphically and the element will be placed as if using the simple orthogonal or rotated methods.

View-Dependent Display of Objects

You can place Objects in both the Floor Plan and the 3D Window. It is also possible to place the 2D Symbol of Objects in a Section/Elevation/IE or a Detail Drawing window. Note that many 2D only elements have specific 2D Symbols for use in Floor Plan and Elevation view.

Many objects can have a different appearance in 2D and 3D views. In Floor Plan view, the degree of detail is scale-sensitive and depends on the setting in Document > Floor Plan Scale.

Choose the appropriate view in the Preview and Positioning panel before placing the Object. Some complex elements may take a long time to display in fully detailed 3D. A good example for this is realistic trees and other plants that consist of a very large number of polygons. In the default ArchiCAD Library, you can find different representations for the same type of Object according to usage.

In the Object Settings Floor Plan and Section panel, the “Show on Story” control (where available) lets you control the stories on which objects will be displayed: on its home story only, or in outline form on other stories as well.

For more information, see “Control Element Display by Story (Show On Stories)” on page 162.

Plants, People and Vehicles can be found both in the 2D Elements and the Visualization folders. The People and Plants in the 2D Elements folder are shown in elevation view and are meant to be placed in Section/Elevation/IE windows. Using these simple representations saves time. Vehicles are also 2D only elements, but they have two or more representations, a top view for the Floor Plan

and side, front and/or rear views for Sections/Elevations. A switch in the Parameter list allows you to choose between them.The counterparts of these elements in the Visualization folder are full 3D representations meant to appear in the 3D Window and especially in PhotoRendered pictures. The Visualization folder also contains a couple of Picture elements used for texture mapping. They are displayed as simple fills in shaded views and only appear in photo-renderings. If you place and activate a Camera, the picture will always face this camera to avoid distortion.

Selecting a Placed ObjectUnlike with walls or other elements constructed on the fly, the cursor can only snap to predefined hotspots of the object symbol. Objects can be placed, selected, and fitted to other elements by these hotspots. (You can also quick-select an object by clicking in its area, provided that Quick Selection is enabled in the Arrow Tool’s Info Box.)

Stretching ObjectsObjects, including Doors and Windows, can be stretched by their hotspots, provided that they have been appropriately defined, that is, on the nodes and edges of their 2D Symbol. Other hotspots cannot be used for stretching/shrinking.To check this, select the Object to display its hotspots.


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You can either use the Stretch command or the pet palette’s appropriate icon to stretch/shrink the Object by a node or an edge.

Note that you stretch the A and B parameters of the symbol, and not of its bounding box. Using parametric 2D scripts, you can easily create objects whose symbol size will not match the A and B parameters. If you make such a symbol, make sure that you define hotspots at the corner of an A*B sized rectangle. These will enable you to stretch that symbol.

See also “Graphical Editing Using Editable Hotspots” on page 318.

Customizing Object ParametersOne common characteristic of Object Type tools (Door, Window, Object, Wall End, Skylight, Lamp and Stair) is that their Settings dialog box includes a Parameters panel. You can customize many parameters in the settings dialog box before placing the Object. Placed Objects can also be selected and their parameters modified.

For information on transferring modified parameters from one object to another, see “Parameter Transfer Between Objects” on page 318.Any Object’s basic parameters are its Length and Width dimensions, called A and B in the parameter list. For example, if you set different values for A and B for a Round Table, you will get an elliptic table. You can customize other dimension parameters. In the case of the table, these include the overall height, the thickness of the table top, or the height or thickness of the frame below the table top.

You will notice that some parameters interact with each other.In the example of the elliptical table, you cannot change the number of its legs, which will always be 4. The Leg Number parameter field is greyed.On the other hand, if the table is round, the Leg Number parameter becomes active, and you can choose to have a table with one, three or four legs.

The number of legs can have an effect on the available leg types. These can either be set with a pop-up in the Parameter list, or picked from the Custom Settings panel of the object.

While most of the parameter changes are most spectacular in the 3D view of the GDL Object, there are some special cases which affect the plan view only.The Minimal Space checkbox (included with many Objects from the default ArchiCAD Library) adds a hatching to the element’s Plan Symbol. This represents the area that you want to keep free.


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Even the smaller details of Objects can be customized. For example the W1 Casement window element, you can experiment with different internal division numbers.

Parameter Transfer Between ObjectsIf you edit an object’s parameters in the Parameters panel - for example, changing the width and height of a window opening - those modifications will be in effect when you press OK to close the dialog box. Then you can place the object with its modified parameters. Once you select a different object - for example, changing from a Casement Window to a Sliding Window - any parameter changes you made to the Casement Window will be lost, and that window’s settings will return to their default values. However, there is a way to transfer your parameter changes to a newly selected object: when you switch to a different library part, press Ctrl+Alt (MacOS: Cmd+Opt) while clicking on the new object.

The cursor will change to a syringe shape, indicating that the current object’s parameters will be transferred to the identical parameters of the newly activated object.

Graphical Editing Using Editable HotspotsDepending on their programming, GDL Objects can have smart editable hotspots (selection dots). You can recognize an editable GDL hotspot by its diamond shape. If you select such an object, click an editable hotspot and choose the stretch or Move Node icon in the pet palette (whichever is appropriate). Clicking an editable GDL hotspot produces the Tracker displaying the editable parameter. Click Tab to enter a value for the GDL parameter.The color of editable GDL hotspots can be set in Options > Work Environment > Selection and Element information.

The diamond-shaped hotspot serves to alert you that in addition to graphical editing, direct numerical editing through the Tracker (for example, setting a window’s sash-opening width by typing it in) is also available through that hotspot (provided that the applicable pet palette option has been selected). In the image below, the Tracker pops up showing the “Sash Opening Width” parameter if the Stretch icon is chosen from the pet palette.


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The diamond-shaped hotspot and associated editing palette is also available in the 3D window. In the image below, you must choose Move Node from the pet palette to activate the Sash Opening Width parameter.

Note: The diamond-shaped hotspot appears only for editing options that produce a specific parameter editing possibility in the Tracker. No other type of function is necessarily associated with this type of hotspot.

Create Patch ObjectWith the Document > Document Extras > Create Patch command, you can save the area enclosed by the 2D Marquee as a parametric 2D Library element. You can later use this to “sticker” your plans in order to provide the necessary detail in Floor Plan and Section views while saving time on modeling. To create a Patch, define a marquee area in the plan window, then select Document > Document Extras > Create Patch. The dialog box that appears will let you specify the location and name of the created element.

If you check the Place Patch Now checkbox, you can place the created element immediately after it has been saved.

Note: Objects created this way will be enhanced with parametric behavior, specified by a special template in the ArchiCAD Library. If this template is missing from the loaded libraries you will still be able to save patches, but they will be plain stickers with no special intelligence. If ArchiCAD fails to locate the Patch Template, it will notify you, and you will have the option to either proceed or cancel the operation.

Graphic Creation of Custom ObjectsIf you cannot find the library part you need, you can create your own GDL object. You need not do any programming; a few techniques using familiar ArchiCAD tools lets you draw and save a customized object easily, using elements as custom building blocks (regardless of their originally intended purpose).

Tracery of a Gothic window modeled with slabs and roofs


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Saving Library Parts from the Project File

2D drawings and 3D models made on the project file with ArchiCAD tools can be saved as library parts. ArchiCAD users don’t need to have any GDL knowledge to make such elements. Objects generated with this method can be stored in “Editable GDL Script” or in “Non-editable binary 3D data” format.Users can modify the scripts of editable objects and they can even add new functions or parameters to them by GDL scripting. Each ArchiCAD tool has an equivalent GDL command that will be used in the 2D and the 3D scripts of the generated object.Project files can be saved as objects, doors or windows. Consequently the generated library parts will be available from the Object, Door or Window setting dialogs.See the next two sections for details on how to save library parts: “Saving 2D Symbols as Library Parts” on page 320; and “Saving 3D Models as Objects” on page 320.

Saving 2D Symbols as Library Parts• Draw the desired 2D symbol in the project using 2D tools (line,

text, fill etc.). Try to draw it close to the origin of the coordinate system if possible.

• Put hotspots on each point where you want the cursor to find the object.

• Select the desired drawing elements.• Save the object with the File > Libraries and Objects > Save

Selection as command. You have to specify a name and a path for the generated library part.(Use the Go to Library control as a quick way to identify the library to which you want to save the object. If no object libraries are loaded, this control is empty.)

• Place it with the Object tool. Note that the created object is stretchable, but will be distorted after stretching since it was not scripted using parametrics.

• If you want to make further modifications to the object, select and open it with the File > Libraries and Objects > Open object command.

Saving 3D Models as Objects

Create the desired 3D model within the project using ArchiCAD construction tools (slab, wall, mesh, roof etc.). For example, you can create a table whose tabletop is made from a slab and legs are made with the column tool. Try to draw it close to the origin of the coordinate system if possible.• Select the desired model elements

and open the 3D window.


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• In the View > 3D View Mode > 3D Projection Settings dialog box, set the 3D view so that it will be the top view of the generated library part. ArchiCAD will automatically rotate the library part according to this setting. If your model is standing on the plan (as in the illustration of the table), use the following settings: top view, azimuth=270°. If your model is lying on its side (see the chair object below) set the following: side view, azimuth=90°.

• If you do not want to show all the lines of the model in the 2D symbol, select the hidden line or the shading representation.

• Save the object with the File > Libraries and Objects > Save 3D Model as command. You have to specify a name and a path for the created library part.

• In the Save as Library Part dialog which appears, set the desired save options. Select the Save as Object option. If you do not want to include the redundant lines in the 2D symbol, check the Remove redundant lines from symbol option. If you want to make further modifications on the library part, select the Editable GDL Script format.

• Place the library part with the Object tool. Note that the created object is stretchable, but will be distorted after stretching since it was not scripted parametric.

• If you want to make further modifications on the object, select and open it with the File > Libraries and Objects > Open object command.

Saving Rectangular Doors and Windows from the Project File

• Create the desired 3D model of the door or window in the project using ArchiCAD construction tools (slab, wall, mesh, roof etc.). The model must be lying at the zero level. The bottom surface of it (at the zero level) will be the exterior side of the window or the door. ArchiCAD will automatically rotate the


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generated object with 90° and create a rectangular hole around it in the wall. For example, the bottom of the slab (at the zero level) will become the outside surface of the window frame that fits to the exterior of the wall, and the thickness of the slab represents the frame.

For more information, see the “Doors and Windows” section of the GDL Reference Guide (a PDF document in the ArchiCAD > Documentation folder or in the ArchiCAD Help menu).• Select the desired model elements and open the 3D window. You

can use any 3D projection settings.• Save the object with the File > Libraries and Objects > Save

3D Model as command. You have to specify a name and a path for the created library part.

• In the Save as Library Part dialog box which appears, you can set the desired save options. Select the Save as Window or the Save as Door option. If you do not want to include the redundant lines in the 2D symbol check the Remove redundant lines from symbol option. If you want to make further modifications on the library part select the Editable GDL Script format.

• Place it with the Window or the Door tool. Note that the created object is stretchable, but will be distorted after stretching since it was not scripted parametrically.

• If you want to make further modifications on the object, select and open it with the File > Libraries and Objects > Open object command.

Saving Custom Shape Doors and Windows from the Project File

This method is very similar to the one used for saving rectangular doors and windows; the only difference is at the first step when you define the model on the plan:• Create the 3D model of your custom shape window or door on

the floor plan as described at the previous section.• Place a slab or a roof that has a contour of the desired wall hole

or wall niche.• Select this slab or roof and open its settings dialog.• Go to the Listing a Labeling panel and change the ID field to

Wallhole if you want to make a hole and Wallniche if you want to make a niche in the wall.

From this point follow the instructions given at the previous section.You can create a custom shape hole in the wall from a slab or a roof that has an ID of Wallhole or Wallniche. Slabs and roofs bearing these IDs will not be displayed as door or window objects in 3D, but rather as a hole or a niche in the wall. (Wallhole and Wallniche are GDL commands used to create holes or niches in walls.)


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You can combine multiple slabs or roofs to create complex holes or niches. Since you can define inclination angle for the roofs, you can even cut non-perpendicular holes in walls.

Note: If you use a single slab as a wallhole or wallniche, make sure that it falls above the zero level. (By default, the top of a slab is at the zero level, which means it will not cut into the wall.)

For Further Information“Introduction to Object Making”, written by leading GDL expert David Nicholson-Cole and published by Graphisoft, provides an easy to follow introduction into Library Part creation with and without GDL.

Scripting Custom ObjectsIf you want to go beyond all of the above possibilities, or if you need Library Parts for which the shape can be controlled with user-definable parameters, your next option is to use GDL and the scripting environment offered by ArchiCAD.When editing object parameters, you may wish to activate the Edit GDL Library Parts toolbar (Window > Toolbars > Edit GDL Library Parts) for quick access to frequently used commands. You can add it to your ArchiCAD menu structure using the Work Environment dialog box.

The creation of new Objects and the modification of existing ones is handled in a single environment: the GDL Object Master Window. In this window, you can add or edit the Parameters, Components, Descriptors, Scripts and the 2D Symbol of the GDL Object.For more information, see “GDL Master Window” in ArchiCAD Help.Each GDL Object can include a scale-sensitive symbol representing it in floor plan view, a set of parameters defining the possible variations of the product family and a 3D script describing the complex geometry of the element. The 3D view of the GDL Object is

generated from the 3D script that takes into account the parameter choices made by the user.

Scripting in GDL is not limited to geometry; you can create elements with many useful attributes, including cost, availability, and texture.

For information on how ArchiCAD projects handle custom attributes of imported GDL objects, see “Custom Attributes of GDL Objects” on page 40.

Some GDL Objects do not contain any geometric data. For example, macros can be text-only files that other Objects can refer to, without needing to include the same script in all of these Object files, while Property Objects contain descriptive data only that is used to calculate element quantities.

To modify an object already placed in your plan, select it, then choose File > Libraries and Objects > Open Object. The GDL Object Master Window appears.

To modify a GDL Object chosen from a library, choose File > Libraries and Objects > Open Object and select the GDL Object you wish to edit in the directory dialog box.

To show only the elements of one of your loaded libraries in the directory dialog box, click the arrow next to the Go to Library


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control and choose one of your current libraries. (If no object libraries are loaded, this control is empty.)

Use the Files of type field to display GDL Objects by file format. Select a file and click the Open button. The GDL Object Master Window appears for that object.

To modify the opened object, use the editing controls of the GDL Object Master Window. In this case, you will be working on the external file itself, not on a placed instance, which means that the changes you make to the external file will affect all of the placed instances of the given GDL Object except parameter values.

Choosing Save when a GDL Object window is active will save the Object; the Project remains unaffected.

For Further Information

The “GDL Reference Guide” (see its PDF version in the ArchiCAD > Documentation folder or in the ArchiCAD Help menu) will help you learn to apply ArchiCAD’s powerful Geometric Description Language for dressing up your Project with objects, ornaments and other details of your own design.

Custom ComponentsIn ArchiCAD, it is possible to save elements created on the Floor Plan as GDL files, so that they become custom components of existing GDL Library Parts. For example, to create a customized door panel as a Custom Component, you can create a Slab which can then be saved as a custom Door Panel. All Doors that use Door Panel types (which have such parameters in their Parameter List) will be able to use this newly created custom Door Panel.

You can create custom components for all types of GDL elements (Windows/Doors/Objects etc.) This enables you to expand the number of options available in your libraries in case default options do not meet your specific requirements.

Let us say you have a usual Door in your Library (“D1 12.gsm” in the example) and you wish to create a new custom Door Panel for that Door. Follow these steps:

1) Using ArchiCAD Construction Elements (such as Slabs), create the Door Panel on the Floor Plan. In case of Door/Window custom panels, what you draw in the X-Y plane of the Floor Plan Window will be ‘stood upright’ in the Window/Door library part (rotated 90 degrees around the X axis – as described in the GDL Reference Guide). For other custom component types, this condition does not apply.

2) Select the drawn element(s) and choose the File > Libraries and Objects > Save Custom Components command.


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3) If you have no elements selected, the command will give you an alert to do so.

4) A Dialog comes up where you can specify the type of Custom Component you want to save it to.

In addition to the Custom Door Panel and Custom Window Panel options, you might choose:• Custom DW Hardw Component, for a custom door knob.• Custom Object Component, for a custom door of a kitchen

cabinet.• Custom CW Panel, for a custom panel inserted into a Curtain

Wall.5) Then specify a Location and File Name for the newly created file.

6) The saved object will be loaded as part of available Libraries. It will become available as a Custom Panel Type for Doors once you have reloaded the library. Note: If you have saved the Custom Component to the ArchiCAD 12 library, you need not reload the library for the object to become available.

Note that if you save it as a type other than Custom Door Panel, the saved object will not be available here, but in its appropriate location (defined by the type it was saved as).

7) In the Door Settings Dialog, set the Custom Panel Name parameter to the desired value (if there is only one custom component defined, the parameter will be automatically set to that value). Set the Door Panel Style parameter to Custom Panel. Then press OK to accept changes.


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The newly created Door Panel is applied to your Door.

Notes:

• Ι t does not matter where the element from which you create the Custom Component is located spatially on the Floor Plan. ArchiCAD will automatically place it to their appropriate location in the library object.

• When applying the custom component, ArchiCAD will automatically resize it, if necessary. For example, you may create a Door Panel-type Custom Component that is 1000 by 2000 mm in size. If you have a Door that is 800 by 2000 mm in size, with its Trim Width 50 mm on all sides, the Door Panel will be resized to 700 by 1950 mm. The program will stretch/shrink all parts of the Door Panel Custom Component proportionately to fit this size.

• You should set the attributes (Pen, Material etc.) values of the Custom Component to the desired values prior to saving it. These values will be applied to the component when it is actually used later in the Project.

Dedicated Object Tools: Doors, Windows, Skylights, Wall Ends, Stairs

Doors/WindowsThe handling and behavior of Windows and Doors are quite similar, therefore they will be described together. In ArchiCAD, Doors and Windows simulate the look and behavior of real-life Windows and Doors. They are always placed into walls.


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Doors and Windows cut real, see-through openings into the wall, so that 3D visualizations are more accurate and lifelike. However, glass panes are represented as solid shapes, allowing opaque openings for standard elevations. The glass material lets light in and you can look through the Windows and glass Doors in PhotoRendered views.The geometry of the Window or the Door is defined by the information included in the Library Part. While some generic elements allow a large amount of freedom in modifying the size and shape of the Window or Door before or after placing it in the project, more specific designs corresponding to real-life manufacturer catalog items can only be placed as defined, with restricted variation possibilities.

Floor Plan Display of Doors/Windows

On the Floor Plan, Doors and Windows are, by default, represented by standard symbols.Attributes for the display of Doors/Windows can be set in the Floor Plan and Section tab page of Door/Window Settings.See “Door/Window Floor Plan and Section Panel” in ArchiCAD Help.

The Floor Plan Display pop-up has two symbol options: Symbolic and Overhead All.

• Symbolic: This is the chosen object’s standard symbol.

• Overhead All: the entire element’s outline is shown with its overhead attributes.

In case of a slanted wall, however, you might prefer a more realistic display of the cut window: choose either Projected or Projected with Overhead to see all parts of the window in a slanted wall.

• Projected: shows cut part of element, plus its uncut (downward) part in 3D-like form

• Projected with Overhead: shows cut part of element, plus the element's overhead part (i.e. the part of the element that is above the Floor Plan Cut Plane.

Depending on the scripting of the Library Part (see the Options parameter), different levels of detail can be displayed depending on the Floor Plan scale.

The Door Options and Window Options settings in Document > Set Model View > Model View Options allow you to show Doors and Windows on the Floor Plan in full, with contours only, or as empty openings, or to show or hide their dimensions or markers.

For more information, see “Model View Options for Construction Elements” in ArchiCAD Help.

Setting the Window/Door Plane in Slanted or Complex Walls

Windows and Doors can be placed in any type of wall, including polygonal, slanted and complex shapes. They can be fitted to slanted wall surfaces using the control in the Parameters Panel of Door/Window Settings.


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If your project contains slanted walls, use the Door/Window Opening Plane pop-up (Preview and Positioning tab page) to make the plane of your openings either associated to the wall plane or remain vertical.See “Door/Window Preview and Positioning Panel” in ArchiCAD Help.• Associated to Wall: the slant of the Window/Wall will be

associated to the Wall into which they are placed. In slanted Walls, the Window/Door slants at the same angle as the Wall. In Double Slanted Walls, the Window/Door slants at the same angle as the side of the Wall into which the Window/Door was placed. Thus, if you move the Window/Door to the other side of the Wall, its slope will change accordingly.

• Vertical: the Window/Door will be vertical regardless of the type of Wall it is placed into.

In Complex Profile Walls, the slant of the Window/Door is determined in the Profile Manager: use the Opening Reference Layer in the Design Layers panel to define the slant of Windows/Doors set into the Complex Wall.For more information, see “Place a Wall/Column/Beam with a Complex Profile” on page 237.

Anchoring Sill or Header HeightsUse the Preview and Positioning tab page to set the height and width of a door/window.See “Door/Window Preview and Positioning Panel” in ArchiCAD Help.Every time you change a window/door height, the change will affect either the sill (the

distance from the floor to the bottom of the window/door) or the header (the distance from the floor to the top.) “Floor” can be (depending on your choice) either the bottom of the wall, or a given story height.

In the Preview and Positioning tab page, the Anchor pop-up lets you choose any one of these constraints, to provide a point of reference for the height position of the Window/Door in the wall.

• Sill to Wall Base: this is the default method.

• Sill to Story 0 (Current Story): the height of the Sill will be measured relative to the level of the Current Story. To choose a different Story, click the Select Story option and choose a story from the dialog box.

• Header to Wall Base: same method as the Sill to Wall Base options, but you must provide the Header height.

• Header to Story 0 (Current Story): same method as the Sill to Story 0 options, but you must provide the Header height.

• Select Story: If you choose this option (select the Story name from the list in the appearing dialog box), the chosen story’s Floor Level will serve as the Anchor from which the Window/Door should be measured. This option may be used, for example, when a Glass Curtain Wall is created and all individual panes must have their heights set to a common height.


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Sill Height Using Subfloor Thickness

Use this control, in the Dimension Marker Panel of Door/Window Settings, to fine-tune the display of your sill height value if your floor level takes into account carpeting or parquet flooring, and your wall base is not at this floor level. ArchiCAD measures the height of a door/window sill from the wall base. But if you want the Floor Plan display of this value to reflect the real floor level, enter the thickness of this additional layer (the Subfloor Thickness) value in the Subfloor Thickness field.

ArchiCAD will still measure the sill value from the wall base, but the door/window marker will show a sill height value that subtracts the subfloor thickness from the entered sill value.For example, say the Wall Base is at -100 mm below Floor Level (Subfloor Thickness is 100 mm). The window sill (parapet) height is 1000 mm, but your effective Sill Height, for the purposes of construction documentation, is really 900 mm from the floor. So the window’s sill height, as displayed in the Floor Plan marker, will show 900 mm.

Note: Entering a value into the Subfloor Thickness field does not affect the actual positioning of the door/window within the wall; it is merely an alternate way to display sill/header height in the door/window marker.Note: Sill height markers use dimension units set specifically for this type of value: go to Options > Project Preferences > Dimensions, and choose Sill Height Dimension.

Placing Doors or Windows

Placement methods are defined in the Preview and Positioning tab page of the Door/Window Settings dialog boxes. The Anchor Point setting decides whether you will place the Window or Door by its centerpoint or its side.When you are satisfied with the choices made in the Window or Door Settings dialog box, you can start placing openings.

Insertion Points for Doors or WindowsWindows and Doors can only be inserted into Walls; they cannot be placed independently in the project.In the Floor Plan, you can place a Window or Door opening at any Checkmark or Mercedes cursor position on a wall.

• To place a window, click at the desired wall edge, then click a second time with the eyeball cursor


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to define the external side of the Window. Sill depth is always measured from this side.

• To place a door, click at the desired wall edge, then click a second time to define the swing direction of the door. For doors without a German type reveal, sill depth will be measured from this side. For doors with a German reveal, sill depth will be measured from the opposite side.

In 3D, you can place a Window or Door anywhere along the length of the Wall. In Section/Elevation/IE windows, you can create new Windows or Doors only by duplicating existing ones using the Multiply or Drag a Copy functions.If you attempt to place a Window or Door near the end or top of a Wall, where there is not enough room to accommodate it, a dialog box will be displayed to warn you and give you the option of discarding the opening. However, you can still choose to place it.

Creating an Empty Opening

To create a simple opening without placing a library part type Door or Window, click the Empty Opening button in the Preview and Positioning panel of the Door or Window Settings dialog box.See “Door/Window Preview and Positioning Panel” in ArchiCAD Help.Then go to the Empty Door (or Window) panel and enter the height and width of the hole. Click along either side of an existing wall.

You can obtain special 3D wall shapes by adding several empty openings to it, or by using Solid Element Operations.See “Solid Element Operations” on page 352.

Moving Wall Openings

Use the Drag, Rotate, Mirror and Elevate commands to move wall openings (i.e. Doors and Windows). All these operations are available in the Floor Plan, Section/Elevation/IE windows and the 3D Window, for slanted and straight Walls only. Door/Windows do not need to be dragged by their hotspots. After selecting the Window/Door, choose the drag, move or multiply command, then click anywhere in the view to define the starting and ending points of the operation’s vector.

Windows/Doors may be dragged/moved/copied along with other Element types in one step. In the following image you can see that the Column is dragged. The Windows, selected together with the column, will also be dragged within their Wall by a distance that equals the component of the Drag vector.


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Windows/Doors may be moved across multiple Wall elements. You can drag or copy a Window from one Wall and end up in another Wall element.

Moving an opening across multiple elements works only if the Wall elements involved have their reference-side wall planes all in the same plane. If there are two vertical Walls involved, their Reference Lines must be aligned in a single vertical plane. If they are slanted Walls, their Reference Wall sides must align in a single slanted plane. The thicknesses and other attributes of these Walls, however, do not need to be identical; the Walls involved do not even need to be connected to each other. Also, when you stretch a Wall with the Marquee, the Windows/Doors included in the Marquee will also be dragged/copied, so they retain their position relative to the end of the Wall.

Dragging a Window or Door

If you want to drag a Door or a Window within the Wall that contains it without moving the Wall itself, select the opening individually.

Rotating a Window or Door

To rotate Doors and Windows, select the opening and click the Rotate command (from Edit menu or pet palette).The selected opening will rotate by 180 degrees around its center (there is no need to draw any vector). Any number of openings can be rotated at the same time.

Note: Rotated text blocks, labels, dimensions and fill polygon area labels are always readable from the bottom and the right side of the drawing.

Mirroring a Window or Door

To mirror a Door or Window, select the opening and click the Mirror command (from Edit menu or pet palette, or use Ctrl+M). The pencil cursor appears. Click either on an edge of the host wall or outside the wall. The Door/Window will be mirrored (with its opening direction flipped laterally) along the axis where you click. If you click outside the host Wall, the mirroring axis is the line perpendicular to the Wall


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at the clicked point. (With trapezoidal walls, the mirroring axis is perpendicular to the reference axis.)

• Mirroring can create an opening that falls entirely beyond the end

of the wall. You can then select and move it in the same plane as the original host wall.

Stretching Doors and WindowsWhen stretching Doors & Windows, you can use reference points outside the host wall. The endpoint of the stretch vector will be projected perpendicularly or orthogonally to the wall (according to the current Cursor Snap Variant in the Control Box) to define the new opening edge. This allows you to position a Door or Window with respect to an element within a room, or in another room, as shown below.

Corner Windows ArchiCAD has a separate Corner Window tool.

The Corner Window Settings dialog box is similar to the Door and Window Settings dialog boxes. There is no separate object type associated with the tool; most of the windows in the standard ArchiCAD library can be placed using the Corner Window tool.Corner Windows are placed at straight wall corners.

When you wish to place a Corner Window at a wall corner, you can click anywhere on the wall: ArchiCAD will automatically snap the window to the nearest corner of the wall and create a mirrored copy of it on the adjoining wall. The second window’s parameters and properties are identical to the first’s. Their angle and position are automatically adjusted.• You can only place one pair of corner

windows at any given corner.• The angle between the two walls cannot be equal to either 0 or

180 degrees.• The placed windows can be stretched manually and individually

without breaking the link between the two windows.

Corner Windows turn into simple Windows if:• You drag away, mirror or rotate any of the two placed Windows.• The angle between the two Walls is changed to 0 or 180 degrees.• One of the Walls is elevated (since Windows are part of the host

Walls, the two Windows’ elevations become different).• One of the connecting Walls is deleted or dragged away.For more information, see “Door/Window Tool Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.

Skylights Skylights are smart GDL Object type elements that can be

intelligently placed in Roof type elements. Use one of the four


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geometry methods in the Info Box (Orthogonal, Rotated, Diagonal, Rotated Diagonal) to place the Skylight.The Skylight Object placed on top of a roof will be automatically inserted in the roof and adjusted to the correct roof slope angle, at the appropriate elevation, rotated to the correct angle (parallel with the roof ’s reference line). A hole will be cut in the roof.

Note: The skylight must fit into a single roof plane.Skylight Objects are stored in the “Dormers and Skylights” folder of the standard ArchiCAD library and can be activated with the Skylight tool.The panels of the Skylight Tool Settings dialog box are similar to those of the Window/Door, Object and Lamp tools.For more information, see “Skylight Tool Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.

Placing a SkylightSkylights can be inserted into Roofs in either the Floor Plan or in 3D view.• In Floor Plan view, you place the skylight inside the outline of the

roof.• In 3D view, click on the roof plane - ArchiCAD will detect the

location of the mouse-click and place the skylight on the roof plane.

Skylights placed in Roofs behave quite similarly to windows placed in walls. For instance, when moving the skylight, its movements are restricted to the roof plane. If you modify the roof plane, for example by changing its pitch, the skylight object will follow suit.

Wall EndsThe Wall End tool allows you to create a correct wall end profile with a single click. Wall Ends can be placed at the hotspots at either end of a wall.Wall Ends are parametric GDL objects, similar to window and door objects. Wall End parameters (such as width and height) can be customized using the Wall End Settings dialog box.For more information, see “Wall End Tool Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.Wall Ends are counted as objects in list schedules. Depending on its type, a wall end might reduce the wall’s surface or volume, but does not add to it. During a Trim to Roof operation, Wall Ends are handled as part of the wall, just like windows. Wall Ends also remain in place if a Stretch, Drag or Split command is executed.

Stairs (Predefined Stair Objects)Use the functions of the Stair Settings dialog box to create and place a predefined stair object.

Note: If you want to create and place a customized stair, use “Custom Stairs with StairMaker” on page 335.

The ArchiCAD Library includes a number of parametric GDL stair objects accessible from the Stair Settings dialog box, which function largely like other objects.

Choose the Stair Tool and open the Stair Tool settings dialog box.Browse the loaded libraries for the predefined stair that suits your project requirement; place it as you would any other object.


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Displaying Stairs on the Floor Plan

On the Floor Plan, Stairs are displayed as 2D symbols using standard architectural conventions. Stairs can be visible across multiple stories: Use the Show On Stories control in the Floor Plan and Section panel to set the stories on which stories the Stair should be displayed.

Use the Parameters and 2D Symbol, Arrowhead, Flight, Tread and Railing Types panels of Stair Settings to define the appearance of each Stair object symbol on the Floor Plan.These settings are described in “Stair Tool Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.Note the following special parameters:


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2D Detail Level

If you choose Scale Sensitive, then the amount of detail shown in the 2D symbol is scale-dependent. Here, the same scale-sensitive stair is shown at 1:50 and at 1:200 scales:

If you choose Custom, then the Stair symbol remains the same regardless of window scale. In this case, you have additional symbol choices in 2D Symbol Type (see below).

2D Symbol Type

Use this control to choose a Symbol Type for the stair on the Floor Plan. Previews of each Symbol Type are shown in the 2D Symbol, Arrowhead, Flight, Tread and Railing Types panel just below the Parameters panel. The selection of available symbols here can vary depending on whether you have chosen “Scale Sensitive” or “Custom” in the 2D Detail Level control.Use the parameters under 2D Symbol Type to fine-tune symbol display. Note the following:• Each Stair symbol has a Breakline which acts as a symbol

cutting plane. Set the vertical position of the Breakline using the “Breakline Position Height” control.

• Visible and Invisible structures refer to the parts of the symbol that fall below and above the Breakline, respectively: you can set separate line types and pens for each type of structure.

• Show or Hide the Walking Line as needed. The Walking Line ends with an Arrowhead: choose an Arrowhead style with the help of previews shown in the 2D Symbol, Arrowhead, Flight, Tread and Railing Types panel just below the Parameters panel. Similarly, you have several choices for the Walking Line’s Start Point.

• Optional text items for the Stair symbol include Numbering of treads, Rise and Run text, and UP and DOWN signs.

Story Sensitive DisplayThe Story Sensitive control (On or Off) is relevant if you are showing the Stair on stories above its Home Story (use the Show On Stories control in the Floor Plan and Section panel to set the stories on which stories the Stair should be displayed).If you turn Story Sensitive On, then a new set of parameters called 2D Above Home Story appears in the Parameter list:Use these controls if you want the Stair to appear differently on stories above the Home Story. “Lower” and “upper” part refer to the parts of the symbol above and below the Breakline.The options you set here apply only to the Stair symbol shown on stories above the Home Story.

Custom Stairs with StairMakerStairMaker Add-OnStairMaker is an Add-On installed with your ArchiCAD program. There are two ways to create new stairs in ArchiCAD with StairMaker:“Custom Stair Based on a Standard Stair Type” on page 336,“Custom Stair Based on Manually Drawn Elements” on page 348.


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Note: To use StairMaker, it must be placed in ArchiCAD’s Add-Ons folder that is located either in the same folder as ArchiCAD, or in the System Folder (MacOS) or at the location defined in the Windows Registry (Windows).

In both cases, you will be prompted to save the new object which will then be available for use. Since Stairs are typically specific to a Project, it is recommended not to save them in a common library folder, but rather set up a folder for Project-specific items and save your Stairs there.

Custom Stair Based on a Standard Stair TypeYou create a new stair based on a predefined geometry type by editing its parameters to suit your needs. There are 21 basic types built into the StairMaker application, which cover almost every standard situation, from straight runs to winders with or without landing and to spiral and circular stairsTo design a new stair based on a standard type, activate the Stair tool, open the Stair Settings Dialog Box, and click the Create Stair button.

In the appearing dialog box, use the two top buttons to choose whether to build a stair or a slope. If you choose Slope, the symbols of those stair types whose geometry can be transformed into slopes

will automatically turn into symbols of slope; all the other buttons become grey.

The dialog box shows the standard stair types you can create with StairMaker. (The last button represents a Custom Stair you design manually with ArchiCAD’s drawing tools, and is always grey when creating a standard stair.) Choose the desired Stair/Slope type and click OK. The StairMaker editing dialog box appears, allowing you to edit the chosen stair type. This dialog box consists of six tab pages, accessed by clicking the appropriate large button on the left of this wizard-type window. Any modification you make on any of the tab pages also affects the other five.


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Geometry and Flight Settings (StairMaker)Note: This tab page is part of the StairMaker editing window. To access it, activate the ArchiCAD Stair tool, open Stair Tool Settings, and click the Create Stair or Edit this Stair command. Choose a standard stair type. From the appearing stair editing window, click the Geometry and Flight Settings (top) button from the six buttons at the left.

For detailed information on each control in this tab page, see “Stair/Slope Geometry and Flight Settings Tab Page” in ArchiCAD Help.The Geometry and Flight Settings editing window contains preset values for the available parameters and a preview of the floor plan symbol on the right. The changes that you make on the geometry parameters are reflected on this symbol.Note that several controls on this tab page have lock/unlock icons. You should set the desired geometry and flight settings here, and then lock them. If you do not lock them, modifications on subsequent tab pages may cause StairMaker to automatically recalculate these values. If they are locked, then StairMaker will ensure that subsequent options you set are compatible with this basic geometry. In the picture below, for example, we have locked the height of the stair at 2800 mm and the number of steps at 16. These will never be changed, no matter what other settings you make on this or the other tab pages.

Set Stair GeometryOn this page, you set the main geometric parameters of the stair: the total height, the horizontal bounding parameters, the flight width, the length, the length of the walking line, as well as the number of risers, the form and the number of the treads in the winder range, the dimensions of the landings, the value of the arrival offset, and the closing angle of the flights. The available fields change according to the type of stair.


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You can add an optional top tread to the stair in the bottom section of this tab page: click the button on the right to add a top tread to the stair at top floor level as shown below.It may either have the same depth as the stair’s other treads, or you can customize the depth of the extra tread by entering a value in the editable field.If you leave the extra tread depth field’s value at zero, the top tread at floor level will have the same depth as the other treads. To change the top tread’s depth, enter a positive value.

Define Tread SettingsBottom right in the dialog box, Tread Settings are shown. By setting these parameters, you can define the geometry of the Treads or the angle of the Slope, based on the same geometry. To the right of these fields, the longitudinal section of the stair is shown, giving you instant feedback on your changes.

It is easier and more comfortable to climb the stairs if the sum of twice the riser and the run (2*Riser + Run parameter) is within the range of 60 to 63 cm, or 24 to 25 inches. To ensure this condition, you can define a range of values for the (2*Riser) + Run parameter in the Tread Settings section.The last parameter is not editable. It only shows the current value of the (2*Riser) + Run parameter.

Note: Stair geometry definition is based on the (2*Riser) + Run rule. Every time you modify a parameter, StairMaker checks that the (2*Riser) + Run parameter is still in the appropriate range. In addition to this hierarchy, you may lock one or more parameters by clicking on the lock button. Locked parameters will not be modified. If parameters need changing,

StairMaker will skip locked parameters and look for the next value in the hierarchy. If editing is not possible without changing a locked parameter or if too many parameters are locked, an alert will appear.

Break Line in Stair SymbolUsually, only the lower part of a stair is displayed in full on the floor plan, on its home story. There is a double break line on the 2D Symbol of the stair showing where the stair is cut.

Note: The break line used for GDL Stair symbols is conceptually similar to the Floor Plan Cut Plane used for ArchiCAD construction elements, but the break line is unrelated to the cut plane.

In the Preview picture in the Geometry and Flight Settings editing window, the endpoints of the two break lines can be dragged along the stair outline while the lines remain parallel. If the whole stair will be displayed on the floor plan, moving the break line will have no effect.

Editing the “U-Return Winder” StairSome of the available stair types have one or two winders. In the following example using the stair type called “U-Return Winder”, we will see how winders are handled.

Note: Some other Winder-type Stairs available from StairMaker use a different parameter logic.

As you can see in the Preview, a part of the stair is highlighted and all treads in the highlighted area are skewed. The highlighted section is


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the winder range for the stair. If the entire run is highlighted, then all treads are skewed with respect to the line of travel.Tread edges outside the winder range are perpendicular to the line of travel. (For a comfortable stair, the winder range usually includes at least the entire curved portion of the line of travel, so that non-skewed treads are all in the straight run section.)

You can change the extent of the winder section with the mouse. First move the pointer onto the stair (the pointer takes a form that may remind you of a spreadsheet editor).Press and hold the mouse button while moving it along the stair. Some treads turn white as you make the winder section shorter at the end. Release the mouse button, and StairMaker will show the new outline of the stair. Make sure that you define a winder section without overly skewed treads.

You can see that the treads shown in white are no longer skewed. You can also change the skewed state of a single tread by clicking.

For example, to make the nose of the bottom tread straight, simply click on the second tread. The first tread turns white.The winder section is “fixed” on the middle tread of the curve, i.e., you cannot shorten either end of the winder range beyond this tread.

If you shorten both ends of the winder range until the middle tread, you will see something like the illustration.In StairMaker, the tread edges before the beginning and after the end of the winder range are perpendicular to the line of travel. These two edges define a line of travel segment and an inside segment.


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Enter a dimension for the narrowest tread at the stair’s inside segment (“s” in the illustration below) using the parameter field in the Flight Settings section. StairMaker will divide the stair’s inside segment into treads as shown.This value will be assigned to the middle tread of the stair run (or to the two middle treads, if the number of treads in the winder range is even).As an alternative to the standard winder, you can create a radial winder. When using this method, the edges of the treads in the winder range meet in a single point. You can select this method by clicking the Radial Winder button.You can change the location of the centerpoint by clicking on it. A dialog box will then prompt you to enter numeric values for the offset.

The location and the offset are displayed with dashed lines. If the corner is chamfered or filleted, the offset is still measured from the imaginary corner. The offset at custom angled stairs looks like this.If you choose a U-Return Winder stair, StairMaker will automatically set the radial winder midpoint to the midpoint of the arced line of trave.

If you choose a “Straight Run with winder at both ends”, you can define the upper and lower extra length along the side of the stair. The angles of the first and the last edge of the stair depend on this offset.

Note: You cannot define radial winders for this stair type.Stair types with winders let you chamfer or fillet the corners of the run. To do this, move the pointer to a corner until it takes the form of a perpendicular sign.Click on one of the stair’s corner points to open a dialog box offering the three corner shapes available.


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The Plain corner is the “normal” corner shape. When you start editing a new stair, all corners are plain.Choose the Chamfer radio button from the dialog box. Editable text fields appear where you can edit the chamfer length. Enter a value and click OK.

Now fillet the other corner.

You can change the corner shape at any time. If you move the pointer to a chamfered or filleted corner it will again show the perpendicular sign.

See also “Stair/Slope Geometry and Flight Settings Tab Page” in ArchiCAD Help.

Structure and Landing (StairMaker)Note: This tab page is part of the StairMaker editing window. To access it, activate the ArchiCAD Stair tool, open Stair Tool Settings, and click the Create Stair or Edit this Stair command. Choose a standard stair type. From the appearing stair editing window, click the Stair Structure button (second from top) from among the six buttons at the left.

For detailed information on each control in this tab page, see “Stair Structure & Landing Tab Page” in ArchiCAD Help.The Stair Structure is set on the second tab page of the stair editing window. The content of this tab page changes according to the construction type of the stair.In the Structure section, you can choose among five ways to model the stair in 3D and edit the related parameters.The following 3D alternatives are offered:• Solid Stair with Treads:


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• Stair with Carriages:

• Stair with Stringers:

• Treads only:

• Solid Stair:

The upper and lower slabs should be set to exactly join the Floor Plan Symbol within ArchiCAD, no matter which 3D alternative is selected in StairMaker, and even if a top tread at floor level is added to the stair.

Note: When the stair construction is changed, the fields for treads and nosing may change as well, according to the current construction options.


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The parameters of the stair’s structure vary according to the selected type. These changes will also appear in the stair geometry tab page and in the parameters of the stair.In the bottom left section of the window, you can customize both the upper and lower structural and subfloor + finish thicknesses.

StairMaker automatically adjusts the stair parameters to these slab specifications.StairMaker automatically adjusts the stair height by referring to the top elevation of the connecting bottom floor slab as zero. If you use a separate slab for modeling the subfloor + finish in ArchiCAD, you only need to enter the thickness of this slab in the corresponding fields. When you place the stair in ArchiCAD, the positioning height in the Object Settings dialog box can be set to zero.If you do not use any separate slab for subfloor + finish in your design, set the subfloor + finish thickness to zero.You can set up the landing thickness of those stairs that have one or more landings in the editable text fields in the Landing section of the Structure tab page.StairMaker makes clean intersections at the bottom of the stair between the runs and landings if you click the Clean Intersections button at the bottom of the Landing section. The following dialog box will appear:

StairMaker cleans up these intersections by changing the thickness values of either the landing or the run. Select the desired option in the dialog box.Using the other set of radio buttons, you can choose whether the length of the landing is modified along the upper or the lower run.StairMaker recalculates the parameters with the new values, and the 2D symbol of the stair will be updated.If the stair type has two landings, your options affect the lower landing and StairMaker will apply them automatically on the upper one.In the Attributes section of the Structure tab page, you can define the pencolor used for the Stair’s contour and the Materials of each of the Stair’s sides in the 3D Window and PhotoRendering.

Tread Settings (StairMaker)

Note: This tab page is part of the StairMaker editing window. To access it, activate the ArchiCAD Stair tool, open Stair Tool Settings, and click the Create Stair or Edit this Stair command. Choose a standard stair type. From the appearing stair editing window, click the Tread Parameters button (third from top) from among the six buttons at the left.

For detailed information on each control in this tab page, see “Tread Settings Tab Page” in ArchiCAD Help.The properties of the individual treads of the stair are set on the third tab page of the Stair editing window accessed by clicking the third button from the top on the left.


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The content of the Tread Settings tab page changes according to the current stair Structure settings.

Note: This option is not available if the stair structure has been set to Solid Stair or Solid Slope on the previous tab page.

In the Tread section of the tab page you can set up the exact parameters of the stair’s tread:• define the thickness of the tread• define the nosing on the front and on the sides• define the thickness of the front of the risersIn the Attributes section of the tab page, the Pen Color and Material pop-ups allow you to define the 3D appearance of the treads. You can assign different materials for each side of the treads.

Railings (StairMaker)

Note: This tab page is part of the StairMaker editing window. To access it, activate the ArchiCAD Stair tool, open Stair Tool Settings, and click the Create Stair or Edit this Stair command. Choose a standard stair type. From the appearing stair editing window, click the Railings button (fourth from top) from among the six buttons at the left.

For detailed information on each control in this tab page, see “Railing Settings Tab Page” in ArchiCAD Help.You set up the railings of the stair or the slope on the fourth tab page of the stair editing window. Here you will again see a preview of the symbol of the stair showing the current choices for railings.Using the three buttons on the top of the tab page you can define whether the railing settings should affect both sides of the entire stair

(All Stair-Rail mode), one side of the entire stair (One Side mode), or a selected segment (One Segment mode). Selection of the segments is indicated by a red line in the preview area. The mode chosen here is also in effect when setting the post.

Clicking the first icon selects all the segments in the preview of the stair. Parameter settings will affect the whole of the stairs. A single railing type will be used for the whole stair with the same offset and parameter value for each segment. With regard to the offset value, the program automatically ensures the integrity of the railing, which means that the segments will intersect accordingly.

When switching to this mode from either of the other two (One Side mode or One Segment mode) each flight inherits the stair-rail and post settings of the lower starting flight’s first left-hand segment.

After clicking the second icon, the left and right stair-rails can be set independently. The left stair-rail is selected by default as displayed in the preview of the stairs. To switch to the right stair-rail, move the cursor to the other side of the stairs until it takes the form of a stair-rail, then click it.


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The settings displayed on the screen are always those relevant to the selected railing, and any changes in the values of the parameters will affect only the selected railing. In this mode, the program uses single railing types for both sides of the stairs.

When switching to this mode from All Stair-Rail mode, both sides inherit the settings chosen in the previous mode. When switching to this mode from One Segment mode, the whole flight inherits the settings of the lower starting segment.Clicking the third icon allows you to define a railing for each flight (segment) independently. By default, the first segment of the left railing is selected, as shown in the preview of the stairs. To select another segment, simply click it.Different offset values can be used for each segment. In this case, the elements of the stair-rail belonging to different segments will not fit each other automatically. Positive or negative upper and lower overhang can be defined manually for each railing segment.

When switching to this mode from either of the other two (All Stair-Rail mode or One Side mode), all stair-rails inherit the previous settings. The overhang values of the stair-rails will be identical to those calculated automatically in the previous mode.In the preview area that displays the floor plan of the stairs, each segment of the railing is represented by a line that shows where the centerline of the railing lies. To switch off a railing, first select it, then choose the No Railing option from the Railing type pop-up. A thin line will indicate the place of the stair-rail.The types and parameters of the selected railing are set in the Railing Setting section. The available railing types are listed in the pop-up menu placed at the top of the dialog box. The content of the pop-up window depends on the available definitions. In the railing preview area (above the stair-rail type pop-up) you can see the small image of the selected railing type.

The editable parameters under the pop-up window are generally valid regardless of the railing type. They define the position of the railing as related to the sideline of the stairs, the height of the posts and the baluster as related to the stairs, and the overhang values. In One


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Segment mode, the lower and upper overhang relates to the current segment, while in the other two modes they concern the lower overhang of the bottom segment and the upper overhang of the top segment.The parameters of the railing types will be displayed in the list of additional parameters in the Stair Settings dialog box.The settings and placement of the posts of the railing are defined in the Post Setting section.If the selected type does not contain posts, this section will be dimmed.The position of the posts relative to the centerline of the stair-rail can be defined with the radio buttons and the parameter field. The rule according to which the posts are to be placed along the selected segments of the railings is defined with the radio buttons.The placement of the posts can be defined by:• setting up an approximate distance between the neighboring

posts (the posts are placed alongside the flight or the segment at a given distance from one another)

• placing a post on every tread (on landings, an approximate distance will be used), or

• setting the number of the posts.Using the Snap to Corner checkbox, the program automatically places posts to the segment ends and places additional posts on the segments according to the rule defined above.The position of the posts placed automatically by the program can be modified one by one by double clicking on the post on the selected stair-rail segment. A dialog box appears, where the position of the post can be set up numerically. Some of the available railing types are illustrated below.

Symbol Settings (StairMaker)

Note: This tab page is part of the StairMaker editing window. To access it, activate the ArchiCAD Stair tool, open Stair Tool Settings, and click the Create Stair or Edit this Stair command. Choose a standard stair type. From the appearing stair editing window, click the Symbol Settings button from among the six buttons at the left.

Use these controls to define and edit the 2D appearance of your custom StairMaker stairs. For detailed information on each control in this tab page, see “Symbol Settings Tab Page” in ArchiCAD Help.The controls in the 2D Detail Level section give you graphical feedback on symbol choices for the 2D symbols of the stair, its walking line, and its railing.


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Attributes shows all parameters in logical groups: 2D Symbol Type, Walking line Settings, Text Display, Rail Display on Symbol, Carriage Display on Symbol, Story Sensitive Settings, 2D above Home Story.

Once you have created and saved a StairMaker stair, you can edit these same parameters directly from the Stair Settings dialog box.

For details, see “Stair 2D Symbol and 3D Attributes Panel” in ArchiCAD Help.

Listing Settings (StairMaker)

Note: This tab page is part of the StairMaker editing window. To access it, activate the ArchiCAD Stair tool, open Stair Tool Settings, and click the Create Stair or Edit this Stair command. Choose a standard stair type. From the appearing stair editing window, click the Listing Settings button (last button) from among the six buttons at the left.

Each element and property of the stair can be listed with the Document > Schedules and Lists menu commands. Stairs will be listed as library parts. The list can be set up individually in ArchiCAD; however, if you wish to list a part of the stair, be sure that the box beside it (in this tab page) is checked.


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For more information, see Calculation.

Check and Save Stair

From the bottom of any of the tab pages, you can click Check Stair to run a check on the stair geometry you have set up.ArchiCAD will let you know whether the stair is okay, or whether its geometry is incompatible:

If you are satisfied with your stair type, click Save As to navigate to a location of your choice and to name the stair.

Custom Stair Based on Manually Drawn ElementsCustom stairs can be generated from a set of manually drawn elements using the Line, Arc and Fill tools. Design > Create Stair Using Selection command launches the StairMaker add-on to allow you to add the necessary options and details of the custom-made geometry.With the Create Stair Using Selection tool (Design menu), you can create custom stairs from a stair contour and a line of travel designed with ArchiCAD’s 2D drawing tools.Standard Stair types work with fixed geometrical data. If you cannot find the stair type you want among the predefined templates that cover most of the common stair forms, you can define the geometry of your Stair within your ArchiCAD project.1) Draw the exact contour of the

stair with the Fill tool. The fill that defines the stair cannot contain any holes.

2) Define the line of travel by using connected Lines and Arcs inside the fill polygon. The segments of the line of travel need to be connected properly, i.e., they cannot cross each other or the sides of the fill. It has to be a continuous chain of lines. Begin drawing the arcs and lines from the starting edge of the stair to define the appropriate direction of the line of travel.


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Notes: The endpoints of the line of travel must snap exactly to the sides of the fill polygon but cannot connect adjacent edges or nodes of the fill polygon. Corners within the line of travel define landings. If the connection of two segments of the line of travel is not tangential, it will define a landing.

3) Select the fill polygon and all segments of the line of travel

4) Choose the Design > Create

Stair Using Selection command in order to transform these floor plan symbols into a stair object.

5) The Stair Type dialog box appears. StairMaker automatically finds possible stair types for your draft. If none of the predefined Stair Types match the sketch, you can only define a Custom Stair.Note: If the defined geometry cannot be interpreted by StairMaker, you will receive a warning message describing the problem. Make the necessary changes according to the rules of the stair definition, and try again.

6) Select the required Stair type and click the OK button. StairMaker then displays the stair editing window. For custom stairs, some of the basic geometry parameters are not available and story height is locked by default:

You can still customize:

• stair shape parameters

• the number of treads

• inclination angle (parameters of the riser and the run)

When finished, click the OK button to automatically create the stair at the location defined in ArchiCAD. You will also be prompted at the same time to save and name your stair.

You will then see the new stair displayed on the Floor Plan and can also view it in 3D. The original 2D elements are not deleted automatically.

Element ExtrasThis section contains advanced functions which give you great leeway in designing and manipulating standard elements. These include:

• TrussMaker, used to create girder and truss objects

• Solid Element Operations

• Interior Elevation, a tool used to create Interior Elevations of Zones


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TrussMakerTrussMaker is a built-in tool allowing you to create girder and truss objects for visualization purposes. It is accessed from the Design > Design Extras menu. Technically, TrussMaker is an ArchiCAD Add-On and is loaded with ArchiCAD on startup.

Creating Trusses in the Floor Plan

Start by drawing the framework of the truss in the Floor Plan window with the Line and Arc/Circle tools. Use different pen colors for the different parts of the truss, as seen below. Pen thicknesses have been exaggerated for clarity.

When you are satisfied with your design, select the lines making up the truss and choose the Create Truss command from the TrussMaker hierarchical menu.

The TrussMaker Settings dialog box appears, allowing you to choose a shape and define options for creating the truss.For more information, see “TrussMaker Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.When you have finished customizing your truss, click the Save button at the bottom right of the dialog box. You will then be prompted to name the new truss object and place it in your active library.

The new truss appears on the Floor Plan on the baseline of the contour. Go to the 3D window to visualize it, and then drag it into its final location.

Editing Trusses

The framework drawn on the Floor Plan is not associated to the truss after it has been created and placed (and can only be used to create new trusses). Modifying this outline has no effect on placed trusses.TrussMaker offers you an additional method for editing placed trusses.Select a truss and choose the Edit Truss command from the TrussMaker menu or the TrussMaker palette.An alert will appear, prompting you to create a new Section window. Draw a simple section line with the Section/Elevation/IE tools, open the new Section/Elevation/IE window and then choose Continue Editing from the TrussMaker menu or palette. The original framework will appear in the window and you will be able to edit it.


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When you have finished making your changes, choose the Create Truss command again.The TrussMaker Settings dialog box will appear, with the same options as seen above. The only difference is that in addition to the Save button, a Save as button appears.• If you click Save, TrussMaker will display a warning telling you

that you are about to save a library part under an existing name. Clicking Overwrite will replace the previous truss, while clicking Cancel will abort the whole process.

• If you click Save as, a new truss object will be created. TrussMaker will prompt you to name this object and find a place for it in the library.

Creating Trusses in Section/Elevation/IE Windows

You can create a truss in a Section/Elevation/IE window:1) Draw a Roof on the Floor Plan and add a Section Line.

2) Open the corresponding Section/Elevation/IE window.

3) Fit the framework of the truss to the roof. Draw the outline with lines as you would on the Floor Plan.

4) Select the framework’s elements and choose Create Truss from the TrussMaker hierarchical menu. (Design > Design Extras > TrussMaker)

5) Make the appropriate settings in the TrussMaker Settings dialog box and save the object.

An alert will be displayed, informing you that the new truss object has been created on the Floor Plan. The truss is placed on the same line as the section line and will therefore appear in the Section/Elevation/IE window as an element that was cut on its edge.

6) Display the new truss with the roof in 3D or in another Section window.


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Solid Element Operations

About Solid Element Operations

Solid Element Operations allow you to create complex shapes using Boolean operations, including subtraction, addition and intersection. The result is associative: if you modify the location or the attributes of the elements that participate in the operation, the linked elements will be updated accordingly.

Solid Operations can be performed on elements in any model window by choosing Design > Solid Element Operations.

For more information, see “Edit Targets and Operators (Solid Element Operations)” in ArchiCAD Help.Solid Element Operations distinguish two roles:

• A Target is an element whose geometry will be modified by the solid operation.

• An Operator is an element that affects the geometry of the element it is linked to.

The operation does not modify or delete the Operator element. You can hide the layers of the Operator elements after the operation has been performed without resetting the modified shape. You can also set the Operator’s layer to be shown as Wireframe, which allows you to still see the Operator element’s contour and adjust it as necessary.

In the illustration below, a Target Wall’s shape was modified by subtracting a Roof type Operator shape. On the left, both elements

are shown; in the middle, the Roof ’s layer has been hidden; on the right, the Roof ’s layer has been set to Wireframe.

An Operator can work on multiple Targets, and a Target can be affected by multiple Operators. Each element can be a Target and an Operator at the same time, which permits nested Solid Element Operations. The operation remains in effect as long as the involved elements are present. If you wish to keep the obtained shape permanently, save it as a GDL Object from the 3D Window.

Restrictions and Remarks

Roofs participating in Solid Operations will behave as any other elements, unlike when trimming elements to Roofs.

Bypass automatic intersections: Solid Operations do not affect the results of automatic intersections, for example those created with Walls and/or Columns, if they are included in the same Layer intersection group. Before performing a Solid Operation on such elements, change the Layer intersection number of one of them.

Beams: If you intend to apply an operation between Beams, the Operator must have at least the same 3D Intersection Priority number as the Target. If the Target’s priority number is higher, the operation will appear to have no effect.

Nested operations: If the desired shape can be only be obtained through a number of nested operations, pay attention to the order in which you apply them. For example, an Operator element may affect a Target that is also an Operator affecting another Target, and so on.


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Solid Operation Types

Five types of operations can be performed. The illustration below shows the effect of each: the starting Wall shape is shown at far left, followed by each of the five operations. The Operator element is shown in Wireframe mode.

• Subtraction cuts out the shape of the Operator from Target.

• Subtraction with upward extrusion cuts out both the shape of the Operator from the Target and its vertical projection from the bottom of the Operator shape to the top of the Target.

• Subtraction with downward extrusion cuts out both the shape of the Operator from the Target and its vertical projection from the top of the Operator shape to the bottom of the Target.

• Intersection keeps only the common part of the Target and the Operator.

• Addition adds the shape of the Target to the shape of the Operator.

Solid Operations: Element Display and Calculation

The solid operation affects the model shape, that is, the 3D view and the generated Section/Elevation/IE model and Detail Drawing view.

Below is the Section view of the elements shown above. The Operators are shown in Wireframe, above, and their layers are hidden, below.

The Floor Plan view of both Target and Operator elements is unaffected. Putting the Operator element on a Wireframe layer does not affect its display. If the Operators’ layer is hidden, then they will not appear in the Floor Plan, but you will not be able to edit them until you make the layer visible again.

Note: If you select only the Target on the Floor Plan and display the selection in 3D view, the modified shape will be shown, but without displaying the Operator, even if it is on a visible or a Wireframe layer.

If you perform a Solid Operation on a Section/Elevation/IE view, you need to rebuild the window’s contents to see the results.All listing commands will be performed on the modified shapes.

Solid Operation Example

In this example, we have created a complex stair footing shape for a spiral staircase, quickly and easily, using a Solid Element Operation.1) Place the Stair Spiral in the plan using the Stair Tool


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2) Create a curved wall to encompass the spiral stair.

3) Open the dialog box using the Design > Solid Element

Operations command.4) Select target element: the curved wall.

5) Click Get Target Elements.6) Select operator element: the spiral stair.

7) Click Get Operator Elements.

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8) Choose an operation type: Subtraction with upwards extrusion.

9) Click Execute. The Solid Element Operation is complete.

10) Click in an empty space to deselect the stair.

11) View the result in 3D.

Model View OptionsThe display and output of Model View elements can be set globally in Document > Set Model View > Model View Options. Model View Options affect the on-screen and output display of construction elements, fills and zones, and certain GDL objects throughout the project.

Model View Options do not affect the display or output of the 3D window.

Exception: The two Model View Options for the Curtain Wall (Full and Schematic) affect the display and output of Curtain Walls in the 3D and 3D Document window only (including Curtain Wall Edit mode).

Model View Options (and saved MVO Combinations) are applied globally to your current model.

Set Model View Options

Use the dialog box at Document > Set Model View > Model View Options to set the following options (divided into separate panels):

1) Options for Construction Elements: Show/Hide and other options affecting the display and output of Beams, Column Symbols, Doors, Windows, Section Markers, Curtain Walls and Mark-up items.

For more information, see “Model View Options for Construction Elements” in ArchiCAD Help.2) Override Fill Display: Fill and zone backgrounds and patterns.

For more information, see “Model View Options Override Fill Display” in ArchiCAD Help.

3) Options for GDL Objects: Switches the 2D display preferences for certain GDL objects (e.g. ceiling lamps, air diffuser, smoke detector) between “Floor Plan” and “Ceiling Plan.” Use these options if you want to change the display and output of all relevant GDL objects in the project. (You can also set these display options for each object individually, using the parameters in the Object Settings dialog box.) The following images show these three objects with Model View Options set to Floor Plan (on the left) and Ceiling Plan (on the right.)

Clicking OK will close the dialog box and apply your chosen display options to all affected elements in the project.


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Model View Options Combinations

After customizing one or more sets of Model View Options, you can save them as Model View Options Combinations, using the controls at the top section of the dialog box. Several Model View Options Combinations are predefined for your convenience; you can modify and save these under new names, if desired.Model View Option Combinations can be saved and easily applied to individual views depending on their purpose (for example, for use as Drafting plans or Site plans): different views can be displayed using different model view options.If you do not save the customized configuration, it is called “Custom”, an unsaved collection which reflects the current state of the Model View options. These custom settings can remain in effect even after you close the dialog box, but they are not saved under that name.Once you are satisfied with your set of options, you should save it under a new name using the Store As button in the Model View Options Combinations panel of the dialog box.For more information, see “Model View Options Combinations Panel” in ArchiCAD Help.The active Model View Options Combination is displayed in the Properties section of the Navigator Project Map, View Map and Publisher Sets. It is accessible and editable at the bottom of the

Organizer’s Project Map (View Settings and Storing Options) and in the Quick Options Palette.

Apply a Model View Options Combination to the ProjectTo apply a saved Model View Options Combination to the current model, do one of the following: • use the Document > Set Model View menu to choose a Model

View Options Combination• open Document > Set Model View > Model View Options

and choose one of the defined Model View Options Combinations from the top panel. Check the settings in the rest of the panels to see what will happen if this Model View Options Combination is applied.

• use the appropriate pop-up in the Quick Options Palette to choose a Model View Options Combination

See “Quick Options Palette” on page 74.• use the appropriate

pop-up at the bottom of the Organizer’s Project Map (View Settings and Storing Options) to choose a Model View Options Combination.


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Apply a Model View Options Combination to a Saved ViewWhen saving a view from any model window, the view’s current Model View Options Combination is also saved along with the view. To apply a different Model View Options Combination to any single view, use its View Settings dialog box.

For more information, see “Saving a View” on page 73.

On-Screen View OptionsThe View > On-Screen View Options command produces a list of items (generally aids in editing) that can be shown or hidden on screen, depending on your preferences. Other items in this list let you toggle between line weight options and vectorial vs. bitmap display of fills. Click any item to toggle its status.

This status has no effect on whether the item will be displayed on your output; it affects only on-screen display.

For a quick way to access these commands, activate the Window > Toolbars > On-Screen View Options toolbar.

On-Screen View Options Commands

Use the View > On-Screen View Options command to access these options (for a quick way to access these commands, activate the Window > Toolbars > On-Screen View Options toolbar).

• Clean Wall & Beam Intersections: Toggles the clean wall and beam intersection mode on and off.

• Walls & Beams Reference Lines: Use this option to toggle between displaying walls and beams with their reference lines and their contour lines.

• Roof pivot Lines: Use this option to specify whether Roof pivot lines are displayed on the floor plan.


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• True Weight: Use this option to toggle the True Weight display of Lines on or off. If it is off, lines will be displayed in Hairline, and the following option (Bold Cut Lines) is not applicable.Note: The Hairline option in On-Screen View Options affects on-screen display only. For hairline output, use the Hairline checkbox in the Print or Plot dialog box.

• Bold Cut Lines: Use this option to specify whether Construction Elements are displayed with bold cut lines.

• Marker Range: Use this option to toggle the on-screen display of Marker Range items on or off. These items are: Section and Elevation depth lines and distant lines; Elevation/Interior Elevation lines and limit lines; input polygons defining Detail and Worksheet area.

• Highlight Source Markers: Use this option to toggle the on-screen display of source marker highlights on and off. Source markers are those which create a viewpoint when you place them. The color of source marker highlights is set in Options > Work Environment > More Options.

• Vectorial Hatching: Use this option to turn Vectorial Hatching display on or off. If it is off, then fills will be displayed in their bitmap patterns. This control affects on-screen display only for all Fills (regardless of fill type).

• Drawing Frames: Use this option to show/hide Drawing Frames on the layout.

• Master Items on Layout: Use this option to specify whether Master Items are displayed on the layout.

• Show/Hide Drafting & Editing Aids: Use this option to show or hide all available drafting aids. Drafting aids include Fill Handles, Figure Handles, Text Boxes, and Bézier Spline handles.

Use the next four toggles to show or hide each of these drafting aids individually.

Partial Structure DisplayAbout Partial Structure Display

The Partial Structure Display function allows you to display and output composite and complex elements in simplified form.See “Composite Structures” on page 31 and “Place a Wall/Column/Beam with a Complex Profile” on page 237.For example, when collaborating with other designers or with engineers, you may prefer to publish a Structural Plan that shows complex and composite elements only partially: displaying their core only, or displaying them without finishes.Use Document > Partial Structure Display to set these display preferences. Partial Structure Display settings affect composite and complex structures only.Unlike Model View Options, which affect 2D windows only, Partial Structure Display affects the display of elements in 2D and 3D windows alike.You can assign a different Partial Structure Display for each window (e.g. Floor Plan, 3D). For a quick way to assign Partial Structure Display to the current window, use the Partial Structure pop-up in the Quick Options Palette.See “Quick Options Palette” on page 74.You can save different Partial Structure Display settings on a view-by-view basis.

Choose Partial Structure Display Preferences

Use the Document > Partial Structure Display dialog box to choose your preferred display. • Entire Structure: this

is the default setting.


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• Without Finishes: The entire structure, except for skins/components defined as “Finish,” is displayed.

• Core Only: Only those structures defined as “Core” will be displayed.

Partial Structure Display Settings in ArchiCAD Windows

Partial Structure Display settings can be assigned in the following window types:• Floor Plan (a single Partial Structure setting is in effect for every

Floor Plan window)• 3D Window (one setting for the 3D window)• Section/Elevation/Interior Elevation/3D Document: Each

instance of these window types can have its own Partial Structure Display setting (i.e. you can have three Section windows with three different Partial Structure settings).Exception: You cannot set a Partial Structure Display setting for a Drawing-type Section or Elevation, or for any Independent viewpoint.


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• Worksheet and Detail: If the source viewpoint is in the Floor Plan or is an Auto-update viewpoint, then you can set Partial Structure Display settings for Worksheets and Details (separate ones for each window, if needed.)

See also “Partial Structure Display Settings in Windows Based on a Source Marker” on page 364.

Save Partial Structure Settings by View

The Partial Structure Display setting is saved with the view.

This means you can save different Partial Display Settings for each view: for example, you can save two different views of the same Section, each having a different Partial Structure Display. The Properties section of the Organizer Project Map and Organizer View Map provides feedback on the selected item’s Partial Structure settings.

How to Define Skins of a Composite Structure as “Core” or “Finish”

For composite elements (Wall, Slab, Roof): skins can be checkmarked “Core” in Options > Element Attributes > Composite Structures. You can check multiple skins as “Core,” but these skins must be adjacent to each other.


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For composite elements: skins can be defined as “Finish” in Options > Element Attributes > Composite Structures.

You can define multiple adjacent skins as “Finish,” but they must include one or both of the outermost skins.A skin cannot be both “Finish” and “Core.”If you wish, a skin can be neither Core nor Finish (leave both checkboxes unchecked).

How to Define Components of Complex (Profile) Elements as “Core” or “Finish”

For Profile elements (Wall, Beam, Column): Components can be checkmarked “Core” or “Finish” in Design > Profile Manager.If you wish, a skin can be neither Core nor Finish (leave both checkboxes unchecked).

Visualizing the Entire Structure

Even if you are using a Partial Display option, ArchiCAD gives you several types of feedback to help you identify the entire original structure if needed.You can always choose the Entire Original Structure option for your Trace Reference:1) Activate the Trace function.2) From the Trace drop-down menu, use Choose Reference, and

select Entire Structure as the Trace Reference.


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In this Section, the composite walls are displayed with Core-Only settings, but the “Entire Structure Display” reference (in red) indicates the full wall structure.

When selecting a partially displayed element, hotspots will appear at their original location. The selection highlight, however, is shown only on the displayed parts of the elements.

Preselection feedback will also help you identify the entire as well as the partially displayed parts of the elements. The preselection highlight is shown only on the displayed components, but the cursor recognizes the reference line even if it is not on a displayed part of the element - as shown by the bold Mercedes cursor in this image.

The Info Tag displays the Thickness of the original, entire element, even if it is currently only in Partial Display:

Columns In Partial Structure Display

Although regular Columns have a “Core” and a veneer, they are not considered composite elements for the purposes of Partial Structure Display. Regular columns will always display both the Core and the Veneer regardless of the Partial Structure Display setting.

To display a column without its veneer, create a Complex column and set the veneer component as a “Finish”. Then switch Partial Structure Display to “Without Finishes.”

For Columns “wrapped” by walls: No wrapping occurs if you are using Core only display.


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Zones and Partial Structure Display

Regardless of which Partial Display option is in effect, zones are not affected: zones that extend to an “Inner Edge” are calculated to include the “finish” component of a surrounding structure, even if the finishes are hidden according to the current Partial Structure Display Setting.

Floor Plan Cover Fills in Partial Structure Display

If you have assigned a Cover Fill to any composite or complex element (this might be a Roof, Slab, or Mesh), then the Cover Fill will appear regardless of the Partial Display option that is in effect.To override Cover Fill display settings, use the Override Fill Display panel in Document > Set Model View > Model View Options.

Dimensions in Partial Structure Display

Dimensions are connected to the Partial Structure display setting: each Partial Display mode has its own set of dimensions: you can have a set of dimensions in your Core Only view, and other sets of dimensions in your Entire Structure and Without Finishes views. If you switch between Partial Structure Display settings, the dimensions associated with the earlier Display setting will not be visible. To see the Dimensions again, switch back to the Partial Structure Display setting in which the Dimensions were placed.This wall is displayed with the Core Only display setting:

If you now switch the display setting to Entire Structure, the dimension shown in Core Only disappears, and the other dimension - the one previously created with the Entire Structure display setting - appears.

You can copy-paste dimensioned elements between two views whose Partial Structure Display settings are dissimilar. However, if you try to paste


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dimensioned elements that do NOT appear in the given Partial Structure display, those dimensions will be lost after you paste. If you are copy-pasting dimensioned elements between two views whose Partial Structure Display settings differ, a warning appears:

Partial Structure Display Settings in Windows Based on a Source MarkerOften, you will be working in a model view (Section, Elevation, Interior Elevation, Detail or Worksheet) in which the elements have their source in a different model window. However, if a your source viewpoint is a Manual-Rebuild or Drawing-type view/viewpoint, you would run into problems if you tried to change the derived view’s Partial Structure Display Settings, because the source viewpoint might not be in updated condition. Therefore, ArchiCAD does not let you change the Partial Structure Display settings for views derived from Manual-Rebuild or Drawing-type sources. The following view settings belong to a view whose source is a Manual-Rebuild model; the Partial Structure Display settings cannot be changed.

The solution: go back to the source view (or make a copy of it) and change its update type to Auto-update.In the opposite case: Suppose you have an Auto-update viewpoint with several views derived from it. Then you change the viewpoint to “Manual Update” or “Drawing type.” This is possible, but be aware

that the views deriving from this source - even if you’ve already created these views - will, when rebuilt, change their Partial Display settings to match those of the source viewpoint.

If you do change the Partial Structure Display settings of a source viewpoint which is of Manual Rebuild type (even though its derived views are based on an Auto-Rebuild source), ArchiCAD warns you of the consequences for the derived views: the views’ Partial Structure Display Settings might change:

You can go ahead and continue Rebuild, or you can cancel the process. Again, the solution is to go back to the source view (or make a copy of it with the Partial Display Structure settings you need) and change its update type to Auto-update.

When you do rebuild such a view - one whose source has changed from Auto-Rebuild to Manual Rebuild - you are again warned that your view’s Partial Structure settings will change:


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Intersections of Partially Displayed Elements

Intersections will behave just as they do when the entire structure is displayed: No further skin intersections will be cleaned up as a result of changing to partial display.

Exception: Complex (Profile) Elements that are set to Partial Display may end up with cleaned-up intersections in some cases.

Doors and Windows in Partial Structure Display

The 2D display of Doors and Windows should clean up as a result of changing to partial structure display. The Door/Window objects in the ArchiCAD 12 Library have been reprogrammed to show correctly in Partial Structure Display.

However, if you are migrating earlier-version ArchiCAD projects to ArchiCAD 12, you should keep the following tips in mind:

1) If you want to keep the old library objects, but also use the new library objects, do the following:

• load the AC 12 library .lcf file

• load the subset libraries from ArchiCAD 10 and 11

This way, the compatible “old” elements will be automatically replaced by ArchiCAD 12 library elements. The incompatible “old” elements will remain in place, and will not conflict with the ArchiCAD 12 objects.

2) If you want to continue working on your project using the new objects:

• Load the AC 12 library .lcf file

• The non-compatible elements in your migrated project will be shown as Missing library parts; you must replace them one by one (and reset their parameters). The compatible elements will be automatically replaced by AC 12 library parts.


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Documentation

DOCUMENTATIONTo complement the modeling functions with which you build up your Virtual Building, ArchiCAD includes a complete set of drafting and dimensioning tools.In current practice, architects are still expected to deliver interim and final drawings on paper. To help you create this documentation with maximum efficiency, ArchiCAD’s package includes a built-in layouting function optimized to prepare a documentation set using the views generated in ArchiCAD.Layouting is an integral part of ArchiCAD. Using the Layout Window, you directly access the views of the Virtual Building, then compile a complete Layout Book: a virtual representation of your paper documentation. Changes in your ArchiCAD model are instantly updated in the Layout Book. The Publisher function is a handy concept dedicated to the architectural design workflow: Here you set up and save publishing preferences for any number of publisher sets: you define whether to print, plot, upload them to a server or save them to disk. Once a publisher set is defined, you can output or republish it at any time, using the same properties, at the push of a button. ArchiCAD provides a professional interface with your plotting/printing devices. Plotters (which are usually large-format devices) process output information on a vector basis, while printers (of any size) are raster-based devices. Ideally, the end results of both processes are identical. Graphisoft provides dedicated plotter drivers for most plotters; for printing, you must use printer drivers provided by the vendor.The Calculation function is one way to create list outputs in ArchiCAD. The Calculation process is summarized at the end of this chapter.

DraftingDrafting Elements are strictly two-dimensional: they include Fills, Lines, Hotspots, Figures and Drawings. With the exception of Fills and Drawings, they do not appear in list views.

Drafting elements have various uses:

• Details that you did not wish to model fully with construction tools.

• Positioning and drawing aids for the placement of construction elements.

• Their outlines can be used to generate complex 3D shapes using the Magic Wand tool.

• Decoration purposes or elaborating on details, especially in the Section/Elevation/IE and 3D Document windows or on Details and Worksheets.

The Floor Plan and Section/Elevation/Interior Elevation and 3D Document display of drafting elements depends on the attribute choices made for them in their respective Tool Settings dialog boxes. Attribute sets for Drafting Elements (pencolors, line types, fill types) are managed from the dialog boxes in Options > Element Attributes. For faster display or output, the 2D appearance of some of the attributes can be modified by the View > On-Screen View Options commands.

For more information, see “On-Screen View Options Commands” on page 357.The typical steps in creating a drafting element are the following:

1) Select the corresponding tool in the Toolbox and open its settings dialog box.

2) Adjust the settings to suit your particular situation or purpose, or click the Favorites button on top of the palette to select a predefined element configuration. Click OK to confirm the settings.

3) Choose a Geometry Method in the Info Box allowing you to create plain, curved, chained, rotated or polygonal variations of the elements, where applicable.

4) In the 2D window, define the location or the length of the drafting elements.


Documentation

Fills

About Fills

Fills are geometric 2D hatching patterns that help you distinguish and decorate the elements of your project.Fills can either be • assigned to construction elements (Walls, Columns, Beams, Slabs,

Meshes, Roofs, Zones, parts of Objects) • or used as purely drafting elements, placed with the Fill tool.

These Fill elements are useful to represent areas that you do not want to render in 3D, to add shadows or other graphic touches, or to measure the area of polygons.

Fills assigned to construction elements can be displayed in the Floor Plan, Section/Elevation/IE, 3D Document, and Detail/Worksheet windows. For most elements, you can select a Cut Fill (for example, for surfaces cut by a Section or the Floor Plan Cut Plane) and a separate Cover fill (in which to display uncut surfaces, such as the top of a slab on the Floor Plan.)

As vectorial hatching, fills can also be used to embellish materials in the 3D Window and the 3D Document.

Similarly to 3D construction elements, 2D Fills can appear in calculations with associated properties, descriptions and components.ArchiCAD includes a predefined set of default fill patterns, or fill types. Each fill type has a “background” and a “foreground” whose colors and patterns you can set separately.You can access them from the Options > Element Attributes > Fill Types dialog box where you can define, edit, duplicate, rename or delete them.

Fill Categories

There are three Fill Categories with their default uses:• Cut Fills: Hatching displayed on the cut parts of construction

elements on the Floor Plan, Sections/Elevations/Interior Elevations, 3D Document, or Details/Worksheets, wherever a construction-type element is cut so that its section is visible.


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• Cover Fills: Hatching on Slabs, Roofs, Meshes and Zones on the Floor Plan.

• Drafting Fills: Simple 2D Fills drawn by hand in any model window. They do not have any relationship with construction elements such as Walls, Slabs or Roofs.

Every fill type is assigned to one or several of these categories. The fill category determines which element the fill can be assigned to. For example, a Fill Type must be set to “Cover Fill” if you want it to be available as a Cover Fill choice in Mesh/Zone/Roof/Slab settings.To assign Fill Categories, open the Options > Element Attributes > Fill Types dialog box and check one or more boxes in the Availability and Bitmap panel.

Notes: When assigning a 3D Vectorial Hatching in the Materials dialog box, you can use only Cover Fills.

Fill Category: Advanced Settings for a Freehand FillWhen drawing a freehand fill with the Fill Tool, you can specify to which Fill Category the Fill should belong, using the Advanced Settings panel of Fill Settings.

This can be handy for purposes of Model View Options or their classification when saving as DXF/DWG. See also “Fill-Hatch Conversion Table” in ArchiCAD Help.For example: if you have a Wall in a Section, and you unlink it from the model, Fills generated from the section of the Wall will belong to the Cut Fill category. If you draw additional Fills in the Section window, you can set these fills to be in the Cut Fill category, so that they will be treated the same as the cut fills coming from the construction element.

Assign a Fill to a Construction Element

To define a default fill type for a construction element, or change the fill of a placed element:1) Activate the element’s tool; or select the placed element.2) Go to the Floor Plan and Section panel of its Settings (or click

Floor Plan and Section button in the Info Box.)

3) For the listed Cut Fill and Cover Fill parameters, click the fill name or icon to access the list of available fill types.

4) Choose the desired Fill Type from the pop-up list.


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Assigning a Cover FillIf an element is not cut on the Floor Plan - typically Slabs, Zones, Meshes and Roofs - it will not display the cut fill here, but can display a cover fill if you assign one.• For Slabs, Meshes and Roofs, check the “Cover Fill” box in Floor

Plan and Section.

• For Zones, activate the “Cover Fill” button in the Floor Plan Panel of Zone Settings.

Notes: When assigning a 3D Vectorial Hatching in the Materials dialog box, you can use only Cover Fills.

Draw a Freehand Fill

When drawing a 2D fill, first activate the Fill tool in the Toolbox and choose one of the three Geometry Methods from the Info Box.Drawing Fills with either the Polygon, the Rectangle or the Rotated Rectangle method is similar to the process for drawing walls. For an illustration of this process, see “Create a Chain of Walls” on page 222 and “Create a Rectangle of Walls” on page 223.When creating a freehand fill with the Fill Tool, you can specify to which Fill Category the Fill should belong.For more information, see “Fill Category: Advanced Settings for a Freehand Fill” on page 369.

Defining Fill Types

ArchiCAD includes a predefined set of default fill patterns, or fill types. These include Solid Fills, Vectorial Fills, Symbol Fills, Gradient Fills, and Image Fills.

You can access them from the Options > Element Attributes > Fill Types dialog box where you can define, edit, duplicate, rename or delete them.For more information, see “Fill Types Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.


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You can modify this set manually or by importing items with the Attribute Manager. You can also combine several fill types to create composite structure attributes for Walls, Slabs and Roofs.Solid Fills include:• the Foreground Fill: You see only the Foreground, because it

covers up the Background.• the Background fill: You see only the Background, because the

Foreground is set to zero.• Three fills whose foregrounds are of predefined Translucence

(25%, 50%, 75%).These percentages can be adjusted by hand in Options > Element Attributes > Fill Types:

In addition, you can create a new solid fill type with any translucence value you wish: click New, and choose Solid fill from the Add New Fill dialog box.

In the Fill Appearance Panel of the Fill Types dialog box, set the Translucency percentage (in this case, 65). The new Fill Type will henceforth appear in the fill pop-up.

Vectorial Fills can be assigned to construction elements in 2D windows. You can also assign Vectorial Fills to Materials, which are displayed in the 3D window. See “Display of Vectorial Hatching” on page 372.


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Some properties of vectorial patterns can be adjusted, including their scale, angle, spacing, availability and associated screen-only bitmap display.See “Fill Edit Vectorial Pattern Panel” in ArchiCAD Help.Symbol Fills can be assigned to construction elements. You can edit the symbol pattern of an existing fill, or draw a new symbol fill entirely.See “Create New Symbol Fill” on page 375.Gradient Fills and Image Fills are Drafting fills only, and thus are available only from the Fill Tool’s pop-up. (Drafting fills are drawn by hand, using the Fill Tool.)See “Gradient Fills” on page 376 and “Image Fills” on page 376.

Fill Display Mode: Vectorial vs. Bitmap

Each fill type has two faces or display modes: vectorial and bitmap. By default, all fills in your project are set to be displayed as Vectorial Hatching in View > On-Screen View Options. If you turn this control off, fills will be displayed on screen in bitmap mode. When printing or plotting fills, the vectorial face will be used even if the on-screen display is set to bitmap.For more information, see “On-Screen View Options Commands” on page 357.The bitmap versions of all predefined fill patterns approximate their vectorial equivalents. If you change a vectorial pattern or generate a new symbol type pattern, you will need to create its bitmap version manually.

Display of Vectorial Hatching

On the Floor PlanElements will display the hatching of a vectorial fill on the Floor Plan only if you have activated View > On-Screen View Options > Vectorial Hatching.

In the 3D WindowConstruction elements in the 3D Window are displayed using the Materials assigned to them in the Model panel of the element’s

Settings. If these Materials include a Vectorial Hatching, this Hatching will be visible in the 3D Window only if you switch the Vectorial 3D Hatching control to “On” in View > 3D View Mode > 3D Window Settings dialog box, and only if you are using the Internal 3D Engine.

For more information, see “3D Window Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.

See also “Assign a Vectorial Hatching to a Material” on page 40.

In the Section/Elevation/IE and 3D Document Windows

Section/Elevation/IE and 3D Document windows will display vectorial hatching only if you have checked the Vectorial 3D hatching box in the Model Display panel of the Settings dialog box.For more information, see Section Model Display Panel (for Source Section markers only) and “3D Document Model Display Panel” in ArchiCAD Help.Vectorial hatching settings have no effect in rendered views.

Set Orientation of Vectorial Hatching

You can manually define or change the orientation of a fill pattern’s vectorial hatching. • For a Fill drawn manually with the Fill tool, use the controls in

the General Settings panel of Fill Settings.


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• For Cover Fills assigned to a Mesh, Slab, Roof, or Zone, use the controls under Cover Fill in the Settings dialog box.

The orientation of the fill pattern is indicated by its handles. Fill handles appear only if you enable Fill Handles (Drafting and Editing Aids) in View > On-Screen View Options.

Link to Project Origin

If you choose Link to Project Origin, the orientation of the hatching will always be orthogonal independently of the transformations made on the element.

Link to Fill Origin

If you choose Link to Fill Origin, a single handle appears on the placed fill to define and show a visual feedback of the orientation of the fill. In this case, the fill pattern starts at the origin of the fill element.

When creating a new fill using the Link to Fill Origin option, you will enter the vector after placing the fill polygon. The cursor changes to the shape of a fill handle arrow.

Click twice to define the origin and direction of the fill pattern. Your first click will determine the Fill’s origin and the second one the endpoint of the orientation vector.

Note that the handle does not necessarily have to be located inside the Fill. You can even drag the handle out of the body of the fill after placing it. Clicking on the handle selects the entire Fill; selecting the Fill also selects the fill handle.

To change the fill orientation vector later, select the Fill, click the endpoint of the fill handle arrow and rotate it. Make sure the Move Sub-Element icon is active on the pet palette.


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Use Distorted Fill

A third option (available in Fill Tool Settings/Fill Info Box and Slab Tool Settings only) allows you to Use Distorted Fills. This means that instead of a single handle showing the orientation vector, two handles will appear at the origin of the fill and you will be able to manipulate the hatching pattern by modifying the length of either handle and the angle closed by the two handles. Note that (if Guide Lines are active) a Guide Circle appears when you take hold of either handle, so that if you start distorting the fill but then decide to return to its original orientation, you can pull the handle back to its original location on the Guide Circle.

There are two special uses for distorted fills that can greatly enhance the realism of your design.

In Drawing-type Sections, construction elements are exploded into lines and fills. If you select those fills and enable the Use Distorted Fills radio button in their settings, they will be displayed according to their real geometric position. Compare the two pictures below: Fills are linked to the project origin on the left and distorted on the right.

Cover fills of Roofs can also be represented according to their real geometric positions with this feature. While you cannot manually

distort the pattern of a cover fill, you can set the Distort with Slope control in the Roof Settings dialog box to automatically distort its cover fill to follow its slope.To do this, select the roof and open its Roof Settings dialog box. Make sure that the Cover Fills checkbox is active in the Floor Plan and Section panel and enable both the Align with Slope and Distort with Slope controls.For more information, see “Roof Floor Plan and Section Panel” in ArchiCAD Help.

Compare the two sets of roofs below, with distortion disabled on the left and enabled on the right.


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Model View Options: Global Settings for Fill Display

By default, fills are displayed according to the options set in their individual element settings dialog boxes. However, you can use Model View Options’ Override Fill Display panel to assign a uniform logic to the display of all the fills in your project in Document > Set Model View > Model View Options.

For more information, see “Model View Options Override Fill Display” in ArchiCAD Help.

Create New Symbol Fill

Symbol fills can be created by the user from a sketch drawn in any model window, with the following steps:1) Draw a pattern using Lines, Arcs and

Hotspots. Make the pattern fit into a rectangle shape. Make sure the top, bottom, left and right sides of the pattern are in continuation with each other.

2) Select all the components of the pattern and choose Edit > Copy.

3) Choose Options > Element Attributes > Fill Types. Click the New. button, enter a name for the new fill and select the Symbol fill radio button, then click OK to set the name and type.

4) In the Edit Symbol Pattern panel, click the Paste button above the Preview window. The pattern appears in the Preview window. Check the Show Pattern Unit box to highlight a single unit of the pattern in the preview window of this dialog box.

Note: If the selection of copied components includes splines, fills, text or other elements, these will not be pasted into the Fill Types dialog box.

5) Use the controls in the Edit Symbol Pattern panel to set the size, pattern and rotation angle for the symbol fill.

See “Fill Edit Symbol Pattern Panel” in ArchiCAD Help

6) Click OK to exit the dialog box and save changes.

Note: The fill’s screen-only bitmap pattern must be edited manually in the Availability and Screen-Only Pattern panel of the Fill Types dialog box.

See “Fill Availability and Screen-Only Pattern Panel” in ArchiCAD Help.If you wish to change a symbol fill after the original components have been deleted from the window you copied them from, you must first choose the symbol to be edited within the Fill Types dialog box, and press the Copy button. By pasting the symbol fill back into the window, it becomes editable once more.

Adding Area Text to a Fill

If the Show Area Text checkbox has been marked in the General Settings panel of the Fill Settings dialog box, the Hammer cursor will appear when you finish drawing the Fill, prompting you to position the text with a click.


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The text block is created by calculating the area of the Fill. The text settings will be the same as the default values of Dimension texts.

Note: If the fill contains holes, they are subtracted from the fill area.

To modify the font settings or even the content of the area text, select the text only (not the Fill itself) and edit the Dimension Text Settings (in this case, the last command of the Edit menu changes to Dimension Text Settings).For more information, see “Dimension Text Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.The measurement unit and accuracy of the area value are defined in Options > Project Preferences > Dimensions.For more information, see “Dimensions Preferences” in ArchiCAD Help.Area value labels are always readable from the bottom or from the right after a rotation or a mirroring.

Gradient Fills

The purpose of Gradient Fills is to enhance architectural graphics; they do not indicate any physical properties, and so they are available for 2D fills created with the Fill tool (Drafting fills) only. Gradient Fills are not available for the surfaces of construction elements (Cut Fills and Cover Fills).To get a linear gradient fill, choose two different pen colors (foreground and background) on the General Settings panel of Fill Settings. For more information, see “Fill Tool Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.

When placing the Fill, you will see that the pattern is a mix of the two colors with a transition area between them.

The location, angle and the size of the transition area can be modified with the fill handle provided that you enable Fill Handles (Drafting and Editing Aids) in View > On-Screen View Options.

The other type of the gradient fill is of radial, that is, of basically circular shape. In this case, the two pen colors (foreground and background) define respectively the inner (next to the core) and outer colors of the gradient fill.

With the fill handle, you can modify the origin of the gradient fill and the extent of both colors as well as that of the transition area.

Note: When moving the fill handle, make sure you select the Move Sub-element icon on the pet palette.

Image Fills

The Image fill lets you use images as the foreground part of Drafting fills.


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Important note: Image fills are available only as Drafting-type fills. Thus, image fills can be applied only to fills drawn with the Fill tool; they cannot be applied to construction elements.

By default, ArchiCAD 12 provides two Image fills as Attributes, but you can define your own.

To create a new Image fill, go to Options > Element Attributes > Fill Types. Click New.In the Add New Fill dialog box, choose Image fill.In the appearing Fill Types dialog box, note (in the Availability and Screen only Pattern Panel) that this Image fill is a Drafting fill. Image fills can be Drafting-type fills only - that is, 2D fills drawn by hand using the Fill tool. (Image fills are not be available to apply to construction elements).For Image fills, the second panel is called Fill Texture.For more details, see “Fill Texture Panel” in ArchiCAD Help.Click the Load Image button to bring up a library directory dialog box. Browse for the desired image and click OK to load it.

Use the Image Size controls to fine-tune the size and pattern of your Image fill.

Note that the “Mirroring” controls give you different options for setting up the repeating patterns within your Image fill.


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Click OK to save the newly created fill as a project attribute.

LinesThe following straight and curved line elements can be created in ArchiCAD using the different Line tools and geometry methods.

• Single straight line segments, series of Chained straight and Curved line segments, Rectangles and Rotated Rectangles.

• Circular Arcs and full Circles• Elliptical Arcs and full Ellipses• Straight or Curved Polylines• Natural Splines, Bézier curves and Freehand curves Double-clicking any of the Line type tools will open a dialog box in which you can adjust the settings of the given tool.In each of these dialog boxes, the Uniform Settings for Line Tools checkbox allows you to apply the settings made in this dialog box to all line-type tools: Line, Arc/Circle, Spline, Polyline.For more information, see Line Tool Settings, Arc/Circle Tool Settings, Spline Tool Settings and “Polyline Tool Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.

Line Categories in ArchiCAD

ArchiCAD allows you to assign categories to your lines. (Use the Advanced Settings panel of the Line Settings dialog box.) You can then use line categories to fine-tune model view options and export settings for lines depending on their category.ArchiCAD has three line categories:• Drafting line: Simple 2D drafting line. Lines drawn with the

Line tool will be in this category by default.• Cut line: Contour line of a 3D element on a cutting plane.

Note: You can choose to display lines in the Cut line category in boldface: In View > On-Screen View Options, choose Bold Cut Lines.

• Skin Separator Line: Separator line between skins of composite structures, including walls, columns, slabs and roofs.

Line categories can be useful if, for example, you have exploded a composite wall into its constituent lines and fills. By default, in the Line Tool’s Advanced Settings Panel, all the contour lines are put into the “Cut line” category, while all the skin separator lines are put into the “Skin Separator” category.


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All other lines are placed into the Drafting category by default. However, if you draw lines by hand into a Detail Window, Worksheet, Patch, Section/Elevation/IE or 3D Document window, you can assign categories to these lines according to their function in the plan. This way, when assigning a model view option, even hand-drawn lines can be considered Cut lines or Skin Separator lines. Assigning line categories can also be useful if you save your file in DXF/DWG format: the DXF/DWG Translation Setup dialog box allows you to define a separate layer onto which Skin Separator lines can be exported.

Drawing a Single Straight Line Segment

To draw a single straight Line segment, choose the Line tool in the Toolbox and the Single Line geometry method in the Info Box. The Line segment is defined by clicking at its two endpoints.

Note: This CAD-like drawing method is the default method for drawing segments in ArchiCAD, but you can change it in Options > Work Environment > Mouse Constraints & Methods.

Stretching or Shrinking Lines

To stretch/shrink a straight line with the menu command:1) Select a line.2) Choose the Edit > Reshape > Stretch command.3) Click an endpoint of the selected line and move it.4) Click again to either define the new endpoint as an extension (or

reduction) of the previous length. The line is stretched or shrunk and, if needed, rotated according to the new endpoint. The other endpoint will remain at its original position.Note: Multiple Lines with overlapping endpoints can all be stretched at the same time using the Stretch menu command or with the Marquee tool.

For more information, see “Stretching with the Marquee Tool” on page 128.When using the pet palette:

1) Select a line.2) Click one of the line’s endpoints. The pet palette appears. Choose

the stretch icon: Click to define the new endpoint.

Drawing Circular Arcs and Full Circles

To draw a circular arc or a full circle, choose the Arc/Circle tool in the Toolbox and one of the Geometry Methods offered by the first icon in the Info Box (Centerpoint, Three Points or Tangent Point).Note: These methods are identical for drawing curved walls.See “Create a Curved Wall” on page 220.These methods differ in the basic points they define.• The first option defines the centerpoint and radius of the arc or

circle. Your first click defines the centerpoint. A ghost contour follows your cursor until you click a second time to define the radius. After that, only a partial ghost curved segment is shown, until you click a third time to define the length of the arc. If you need a full circle, double-click when defining its radius. When all three points are defined, the ghost contour is replaced by the fully displayed circle.

• The second option defines the circle by three points on the arc’s

circumference. The first two clicks define two points that you will probably locate on points connecting other elements, grid intersections or special snap points. After that, a ghost circle follows the cursor until you click a third time to define the third point. A fourth click is needed to define the length of the arc segment.


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• The third option only defines full circular shapes based on three

tangential edges or points. In this process, you select three initial points: these can be a tangent edge (indicated by the Mercedes cursor), a node (indicated by the Checkmark cursor), or a free-floating point (indicated by the Crosshair cursor.) An endpoint cannot qualify as a tangent edge when using this method, so a maximum of two endpoints are allowed. If more than two are selected, the process will revert to the second method described above. Only linear tangency is allowed: all tangent points must be on the straight edges of Slabs, Lines, Walls, etc. If you click a radial edge with the Mercedes cursor, the resulting Circle will pass through that point rather than being a tangent to the curve.

The next step depends on the geometric situation.• If there is only one solution, the circle is automatically drawn.• If there are two or four solutions, the Eyeball cursor appears and

the ghost contour of the Wall flips from one position to the other as you move the cursor around. Click when it is at the right place to complete the circle.

• If there is no solution (for example, if you define three parallel edges for tangency), no circle will be made.

Note: Unlike circular Walls, Circles can be fully closed. You will obtain a single element, not two half-circles.

Stretching Curves

You can modify the circumference or radius of Curved Walls, Arcs and Circles with either the Stretch command or the pet palette icon.

Angular Stretch• Use the Angular Stretch

icon to change the element’s arc length by dragging its endpoint (or reference line endpoint, in case of a curved wall) along the curve.

• Alternatively, transform an Arc into a full Circle or the other way around.Note: A curved Wall stretched into a full circle will be transformed into two half-circular elements.

Radial StretchUse the Radial Stretch icon

to increase or decrease the element’s radius by dragging its edge or reference line.

Stretch EllipseYou can modify the shape of a closed ellipse or full circle by stretching it.


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• Select the ellipse or circle.• Click on a node to bring up the pet

palette.• Choose the Stretch Ellipse icon.• Drag the cursor to stretch the ellipse

along its axis or stretch the circle into an ellipse.

• Click to complete.

Editing an Arc Using its Tangent

Edit an arc from any point along its edge using the tangent to the nearest arc endpoint.• Click on the edge of any arc and

choose the Edit segment using tangent icon from the pet palette.

• The tangent to the nearest arc endpoint appears on the plan. Move the cursor to edit the tangent line by choosing a new tangent endpoint. A rubberband line indicates the shape of the resulting new arc. Click to place.

Drawing Elliptical Arcs and Full Ellipses

To draw an elliptical arc or a full ellipse, choose the Arc/Circle tool in the Toolbox and one of the Geometry Methods offered by the second icon in the Info Box (Diagonal Ellipse, Semi-Diagonal Ellipse, Ellipse Radii).The Diagonal Ellipse method creates an Ellipse constrained into a rectangle.This method stretches the ellipse of an invisible rectangle held by the two points of its diagonal.1) Click the starting point of the imaginary rectangle.2) By stretching the imaginary diagonal, you get

ellipses of different sizes drawn into the invisible rectangle.

3) With the second click you choose the ellipse of the appropriate size.

The Semi-Diagonal Ellipse method works in the same way as the Diagonal method but here you define the imaginary rectangle by its centerpoint and the endpoint of its semi-diagonal.The Ellipse Radii method defines an elliptical arc by the major and another radius of an ellipse and the angle of the arc.

1) Click the centerpoint of the ellipse.2) Choose the orientation of the major radius, by clicking again.


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3) You get the rubberband line of the second radius, which you can stretch to different sizes and angles. Notice the accompanying ellipse that fits the length of the two radii. If you stretch the minor radius too far away or right in line with the major radius, you cannot draw the ellipse.

4) In the final phase, ArchiCAD holds the ellipse while you define the side angle of the arc. First, you use a rubberband line to define the side where the angle starts from. Then you define a different side that closes the angle, while ArchiCAD follows the angle with the Elliptical Arc. Neither side of the angle remains visible when the final arc is drawn.

Convert Ellipse to Circle

To convert an ellipse to a circle:• Select the ellipse.• Choose one of its nodes to bring up the pet palette.• Choose the Convert Ellipse to

Circle icon.The ellipse will be transformed into a circle, whose radius is equal to that of the ellipse at the clicked node.

Drawing Splines

To draw a natural Spline or a Bézier curve, choose the Spline tool in the Toolbox and the first (natural spline) or the second (Bézier curve) Geometry Method icon in the Info Box.Natural splines can be defined by placing nodes, which the program automatically connects, thereby generating a smooth custom curve. The angle of the tangent and the shape of the spline generated with it is affected by each subsequent node defined. You can conclude this operation by double-clicking on the last node or by clicking the OK button in the Control Box. Clicking OK always results in a closed spline.

Bézier splines are somewhat more complex in nature, but they allow more accurate reproduction of specific custom shapes. Bézier splines are defined by nodes, just like natural splines, but they also have editable tangent handles on either side of these nodes, plus one tangent handle at each end (if it is an open spline). The shape of the Bézier spline is affected by the direction of the tangent and the length of each tangent handle.When defining Bézier splines, click once to place a node, and keep the mouse button depressed. By moving away from the node in any direction, you are in effect defining the initial tangent, and the length of the handle that defines the curvature. If you release the mouse button, ArchiCAD will assume that you wish to jump to the definition of the next node with your next click. Keep the mouse button depressed, and then define the next tangent and node as above. You can conclude this operation by double-clicking the last node or by clicking the OK button in the Control Box. Clicking OK always results in a closed spline.You can edit Bézier splines by varying the length of each handle separately: use the pet palette command for Move tangent handle. Note that there is only one angle associated with both handles of a node, but the length of each handle may be different. The longer the editing handle, the smoother the curve will be at the control point. You can pull out the handles from sharp nodes to turn them into curved ones.

Note: The visibility of the editing handles of Bézier splines depends on the status of the View > On-Screen View Options >


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Spline Handles toggle. If this toggle is set to “Show,” then all editing handles are visible on the Floor Plan. If the toggle is set to “Hide”, then only the editing handles of the spline last selected will be visible; if the selection is removed, no editing handles will be visible.

For more information, see “On-Screen View Options Commands” on page 357.

Editing Splines

When the Spline tool is selected in the Toolbox, you can freely edit selected splines in the following ways.• Insert new node: Click a spline with the

Mercedes cursor; then use the Add new node to Spline command from the pet palette.

• Delete a node: Choose the Modify Spline path command from the pet palette, then drag a node onto its neighbor to delete it, thereby modifying the shape of the spline.

• Move a node: Choose Modify Spline path from the pet palette, then drag a node to move it without changing its handles.

To unify a series of connected splines:• Select the splines.• Choose the Edit > Reshape > Unify command.

Drawing Freehand Curves

To draw a freehand curve, choose the Spline tool in the Toolbox and the third Geometry Method icon in the Info Box.This method is particularly useful to mark up documents. When you start marking-up, ArchiCAD automatically activates the Spline tool with the Freehand geometry method.For more information, see “Project Mark-Up” on page 508.

The Freehand method always creates natural Splines.

Drawing Polylines and Chained Lines

By combining the capabilities of the various line type tools, you can create a series of chained straight and curved line segments using the Polyline tool or the Chained geometry method of the Line tool.The difference between the two options is the result they produce.• Polylines are single elements drawn using the Polyline tool.• Chained lines are a set of connected line segments drawn with

the Line tool. Each line segment is a separate element, although they can be grouped before or after they are created. To group a chained line, activate the Edit > Grouping > Autogroup command before you start to draw Chained lines, or select the set of Chained lines you have drawn and activate the Edit > Grouping > Group command.

To draw a Polyline, choose a geometry method for the Polyline tool: Polyline method, Rectangle method or Rotated Rectangle method. To draw a Chained line, choose a geometry method for the Line tool: Chained method, Rectangle method, or Rotated Rectangle method.


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With either method (Polyline or Chained Line) you produce a series of straight or curved line segments joined at their endpoints.• Draw a line segment and click to complete the segment.• As you click to complete one segment, you simultaneously begin

the next one. • Click the OK button in the Control Box or double-click the last

endpoint to complete the polyline or chained line.For an illustration of this process, see “Create a Chain of Walls” on page 222.• To cancel the last-drawn segment of a polyline or chained line,

use the Backspace key.

Continue a PolylineYou can extend a completed Polyline from either end:• Select the existing polyline.• Click on either endpoint of the

polyline.

• Choose the Continue Polyline icon from the appearing pet palette.

• Draw additional line segments, then double-click (or click OK in the Control box) to complete the polyline.Note: When extending the original polyline, you can backspace to delete the last drawn segments, but you cannot delete segments of the original polyline.

Create Rectangles with Line or Polyline Tool Using the Rectangle method with the Line tool will produce four individual Line segments, grouped by default. Using the Rectangle method with the Polyline tool will produce a single Rectangle.

With the Rotated Rectangle method, you first define a rotation vector for the rectangle’s reference line. The rotation vector also defines the length of the two segments parallel to it. By hitting the Shift key once, you can unlock the length component constraint and use only the rotation angle component of the rotation vector.

Decompose a Polyline

To decompose a Polyline:• Select the Polyline.• Choose Edit > Reshape > Explode into Current View.You will then obtain a series of Lines and Arcs.

Note: If the Edit > Grouping > Autogroup command is active, the result will be grouped.

Unify Drafting Elements into Polyline

Connected Lines, Arcs, and Polylines can be transformed into a single Polyline.• Select all connecting elements• Choose the Edit > Reshapes > Unify command. The attributes of the last selected element will be applied to the unified set of elements.You can unify multiple sets of selected, connected items with a single Unify command.

Note: To unify items that are Grouped, you must first Suspend Groups.

For more information, see “Grouping Elements” on page 140.

Open a Closed PolylineTo open a closed polyline by deleting one of its segments:• Activate the Arrow tool.• Ctrl-click (Cmd-click) the line segment you wish to delete.

Note: Use the same method to cut a polyline having at least 3 segments into two independent polylines.


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HotspotsHotspots are simple points indicated by a small cross. Their main role is to help position elements in 2D views. Hotspots do not appear on printed and plotted outputs and can be deleted when they are not needed anymore.For more information, see “Hotspot Tool Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.

Placing HotspotsWhen you have made your Pen Color and Layer choice in the Hotspot settings dialog box, you are ready to place Hotspots. Just click at the desired location. In some situations, you may need to continue construction starting exactly on a given point of an element at a location where it has no hotspot or special point. The solution is to generate hotspots that will allow you to snap to this point.

Note: Starting with ArchiCAD 10, the Guide Line function is also available for locating intersection points and other useful snap points.

For more information, see “Guide Lines” on page 97.You can automatically generate Hotspots at intersection points on the imaginary extensions of elements. The Hotspot tool must be active.1) Select a line, edge or arc and place the cursor on top of another

(the cursor will be in the Mercedes form).2) Ctrl-click (Cmd-click) to generate a hotspot.

Note: Ctrl/Cmd-clicking the edge of a Roof while another one is selected will fit the clicked edge to the common ridge (if any) of the two roof planes. With the Wall or Line tool active, selected Walls or Lines will be extended to meet the intersection point with the clicked edge.

To place a Hotspot at a remote tangential point, select the arc(s) and Ctrl-click (Cmd-click) with the Checkmark cursor on any element (hotspot or node).Tangential hotspots will be generated on the imaginary extensions of arcs or curved edges.It is also possible to add Hotspots with a Ctrl-click (Cmd-click) to:• A parallel projection of a wall, a line or the edge of a roof, a fill or

a slab from a selected hotspot.

• A perpendicular projection from any element hotspot (Checkmark cursor location) or any empty space (Crosshair cursor location) to a selected wall, slab, roof, fill edge or line.


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FiguresFigures are image files imported and then embedded into the ArchiCAD project file. They can be inserted in any of the 2D windows (Floor Plan, Section/Elevation/IE and 3D Document window, Detail, Worksheet, Layout). Figures are placed and manipulated by the dedicated Figure tool.

For more information, see “Figure Tool Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.A placed Figure can serve as a background image to the ArchiCAD model by using the Align View function.

For more information, see “Align View” on page 529.You can also place the cropped content of an ArchiCAD window in the plan as a figure.

For more information, see “Copy Cropped Image File with Marquee Tool” on page 88.

Note: Drawings, in contrast to Figures, are assigned ID numbers and (optionally) titles. Their frames can be cropped. Unlike Figures, Drawings represent linked files that can be updated.

For more information, see “Drawings in Model Views” on page 386.Figures can be displayed either with or without handles or as simple placeholders. This setting is global, that is, it affects all placed Figures. The choice can be made using the Figure Handle toggle under View > On-Screen View Options > Show/Hide Drafting and Editing Aids.

Note: Regardless of the import method, the images of Figure type elements are embedded in the Project and can make the file quite large. Use sizes and resolutions only as needed to prevent overloading the Project.

Placing FiguresWhen you have made your choices in the Figure Settings dialog box, just click with the cursor to place the Figure. If the result does not satisfy you (for example, the image is too small or too large), open the Figure Settings dialog box again, and adjust the size, resolution or other settings before placing the Figure again.For more information, see “Figure Tool Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.You can also stretch the placed Figure, using the Shift key to constrain the diagonal and keep the image’s proportions. If desired, however, you can stretch the Figure’s X and Y dimensions independently.Before you place the Figure, its ghost contour follows the movements of your cursor showing its proportional size. The ghost contour’s anchor point is sensitive to element nodes and edges. To make this option inactive, go to Options > Work Environment > More Options > Show Ghost Bounding Box of Objects, Columns, Figures and Drawings.You can also place Figures in ArchiCAD directly, without using the Figure tool, by pasting bitmaps originating either from another ArchiCAD window (for example a PhotoRendered Model picture) or another image-processing software. The pasted element will be handled as a Figure by ArchiCAD.

Note: Images imported by this method are always pasted pixel by pixel in the current zoom.

Drawings in Model ViewsDrawings are ArchiCAD views and external files that have been placed into the project. You can customize the size, title and framing options for your drawings. (Figures, in contrast, do not have these features.) Unlike Figures, imported drawings can be updated


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automatically to reflect all changes in the source file, or you can opt to update them manually.Drawings can be placed into either Model views or Layouts.Drawings placed into Model views are external files (such as DWG, PDF files and image files). They cannot include ArchiCAD views. Drawings placed onto Layouts, however, include ArchiCAD views (from the current project file and other project files), as well as all other external files available to ArchiCAD.For information on Drawings in the Layout Book, see “Drawings in the Layout Book” on page 427.The Drawing Tool allows you to place Drawings into your project and to access and define the Drawing’s settings. You can customize some options by default before actually placing a drawing.For more information, see “Drawing Tool Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.

Deleting a Drawing

To delete a drawing, select it and delete it like any other ArchiCAD element. Note that deleting a drawing is not undoable EXCEPT if the active window is the same type (e.g. Floor Plan or Layout window) as the window which contained the deleted drawing.

Placing Drawings into a Model window

Drawings can be placed into any model view except a 3D Window or a Schedule view. Placing a Drawing into a model can be useful if, for example, you receive a standard roof structure detail drawing from a manufacturer in PDF format. You can place this PDF document as a Drawing into your Detail window, add your own alterations or markups as needed, then place it as a modified detail onto a Layout.Similarly, an external DWG file can be placed as a Drawing into your model as a vectorial drawing. This is a simpler solution for accessing DWG files in ArchiCAD, as opposed to the more complex method of attaching the DWG file as an XREF.Images placed with the Drawing tool in a Model view can be preferable to placing images with the Figure tool, since such a Drawing retains its source file information and can be updated.

Drawings placed into a model view (as opposed to onto a Layout) are scale-independent.

To place a Drawing into a Model window:

• Activate the Drawing Tool.

• Click in the model window where you want to place the Drawing.

• The Link to directory dialog box opens. Browse for the desired file, select it and click Open.

Note: If you are importing a multi-page PDF document, a dialog box prompts you to choose which of the pages you wish to place.

• The Drawing is placed by the anchor point that you selected in Drawing Settings (by default, its centerpoint).

Alternatively, use the File > External Content > Place External Drawing command to access the same dialog box.

You can change the settings of placed Drawings in the Drawing Settings dialog box.

For more information, see “Drawing Tool Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.


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Drawings placed in Model Views are listed in the Drawing Manager, and can be updated and managed the same way as those placed on Layouts.For details, see “Managing and Updating Placed Drawings” on page 433.

AnnotationAnnotation Elements display numeric or textual data in 2D views, either about the elements they refer to or as standalone informative elements.• Dimensions are added to construction elements and drafting

elements in the Floor Plan and the Section/Elevation/IE, 3D Document, and Worksheet/Detail windows using Dimension tools.

• The Grid Tool allows you to place Grid elements individually or in a Grid System. Grid elements are part of the model and serve as an editable framework for placing multiple elements or for identifying locations in the model.

• Texts are inserted using the Text tool, in text blocks accompanied by a flexible formatting options.

• Autotext is a text element containing a definition filled in automatically by the program. Autotext can be placed in both Model Views and Layouts.

• Labels allow you to link text information or a symbol to construction elements and 2D Fills. Freestanding Labels are also available.

DimensioningArchiCAD’s dimensioning tools give you great flexibility in annotating the Virtual Building with your choice of measurement units and standards.Dimensions are associative, which means that dimension values will be updated automatically if the element they are associated to is modified.

Exception: Dimensions you set to be “static” are not associative.See “Static Dimensions” on page 390.ArchiCAD supports the use of different Dimensioning Standards.

You can apply a dimensioning standard or customize it for the current project in Options > Project Preferences > Dimensions.For more information, see “Dimension Units” on page 23.For a quick way to change the dimension units of your project, use the Dimensions pop-up in the Quick Options Palette.See “Quick Options Palette” on page 74.Dimensions can be placed in the Floor Plan, the Section/Elevation/IE, the 3D Document, and the Detail and Worksheet windows.The 3D Document window has some unique dimensioning options.See “Linear Dimensions in the 3D Document Window” on page 393.The following dimensioning construction options are available: • Linear Dimensions display element lengths, both curved

and straight.• Elevation Dimensions (a construction method of the

Linear Dimension tool) display height values in Section/Elevation/IE and 3D Document views.

• Level Dimensions display height values on the Floor Plan.

• Radial Dimensions display the radius of curved elements.

• Angle Dimensions display the angle in degrees between pairs of lines or edges.

Placing Dimensions

The general process for dimensioning is as follows:1) Select the appropriate dimensioning tool; choose settings,

construction and geometry methods.For more information, see “Dimension Tool Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.


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2) As applicable, click along the element you want to dimension; these clicks create temporary reference points that indicate exactly where dimension units should begin and end. As you click on the element to be dimensioned, the element will be highlighted, as an aid to help you identify which element you are working on.Note: This highlight functions if the “Highlight contours of related element(s)” checkbox is active in Options > Work Environment > Selection and Element Information.

3) Double-click after placing the final reference point.4) Click the black hammer cursor where you want the dimension

chain to appear. • For some dimension types, a rubberband line follows your cursor

to help you choose the correct dimension direction.• Linear Dimensions dimensions offer additional options

(involving additional clicks) for determining the dimension line location.

See “Linear Dimension Line Placement Options” on page 390.• You can revoke any marked Reference Point by clicking it again.

Glossary of Dimensioning Terms

• Reference points are temporary nodes that you create on ArchiCAD elements during the dimensioning process.If you place a reference point at an ineligible location (or in empty space), the cursor shows a rectangular reference point (as shown in the image below) instead of the regular circular one. This means that the reference point will be a static one and will not follow suit when the dimensioned elements are stretched or dragged.

See also “Static Dimensions” on page 390.

Reference points are temporary; they disappear after you click to place the dimension chain.

The Dimension Chain appears after you click the hammer cursor at the end of the dimensioning process. A dimension chain, for Linear Dimensions, consists of • a dimension line along

the length of the element;• witness lines (perpendicular to the dimension line), if

Dimension Settings are set to display them;• dimension points (where the dimension line intersects with the

witness lines).

A dimension unit connects two adjacent dimension points and includes the written dimension values.

Reference points

Dimension chain

Dimension points

Dimension lineWitness line

Dimension units


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Static Dimensions

Static Dimensions are an exception to the general rule that dimensions in ArchiCAD are associative. You can opt to make any linear or level dimension a static dimension, by enabling the Static Dimension checkbox in Dimension Settings.

The dimension line of a static dimension will not follow any modifications to model elements.

Once a dimension has been made static, it cannot be made associative again. If none of a dimension chain’s markers are attached to construction nodes, the dimension chain will become static.

Static dimensions behave like other dimensions in two ways:

1) If rotated or mirrored, the value is always turned so that you can read it from the bottom.

2) If the Dimension Unit is modified in Options > Project Preferences > Dimensions, all values will be updated.

For more information, see “Dimensions Preferences” in ArchiCAD Help.

Linear Dimensions

Linear Dimensions measure linear distances along an element, either straight or curved. Four construction methods are available in both the Info Box and the Dimension Settings dialog box.

See “Linear Dimension Tool Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.

• With the Linear method , distances between two adjacent Reference Points are measured and displayed.

• With the Cumulative method , the first Reference Point is considered the zero point of the dimension chain. All dimension values of the chain will give you the distance between any Reference Point and the zero point.

• With the Base-line method , measuring the dimensioning distances is the same as with the Cumulative method, but the zero point is not marked.

• With the fourth icon , you create Elevation Dimensions.For more information, see “Elevation Dimensions” on page 394.Geometry Methods for Linear Dimensions are set in the Info Box.• The default Any Direction method enables

you to create dimension chains at a variety of positions relative to the element’s position: either parallel to the first two reference points placed, or horizontal/vertical, or parallel to another edge/surface of your choice.

• The X-Y Only method restricts the dimension line zones to horizontal and vertical only, relative to the screen.

• The Arc Length method allows you to dimension curved elements.

The Geometry Method you choose applies to the entire dimension chain, and cannot be set unit by unit.

Note: There are additional Geometry Methods for use in the 3D Document window. See “Linear Dimensions in the 3D Document Window” on page 393.

Linear Dimension Line Placement OptionsTo dimension a straight element, place a series of dimension points along the element, then double-click.The next step is to move the hammer cursor to the position where you want to place the dimension line.When dimensioning a straight vertical or horizontal edge, a rubberband line provides feedback when placing the dimension line:


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However, dimensioning an element in any other position - and if you are using the default Any Direction geometry method - will give you three dimension line options (“zones”): vertical, horizontal, or parallel to the first two dimension points in the chain. Move the cursor around to get feedback on the possibilities.

For example, when dimensioning the slanted roof in the Section below with the Any Direction method, use the parallel option to place the dimension line parallel to the roof:

Alternatively, by moving the hammer cursor to another “zone”, you can choose a horizontal or vertical dimension instead:

An additional dimension line vector is also available: After the black hammer cursor appears, you can move this cursor to any straight line/edge in the project.

Note: In the 3D Document window, you must align the dimension to the edge of a construction element - line segments do not work.

In the following image, we have dimensioned the slanted roof and the black hammer cursor appears, and the standard three dimension line directions (horizontal, vertical, parallel to roof) are available.

Suppose you want to dimension the roof using the vector parallel to the diagonal, instead of parallel to the roof. Move the cursor over the diagonal. The cursor then changes to the “Mercedes + parallel


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dimension” cursor shape, to indicate that it has found an edge, to which the dimension line can be parallel:

Click now to constrain the dimension line to be parallel to this line/edge. Now drag the dimension line to its final position and click with the black hammer to place the dimension chain.

Linear Dimensioning of Curved ElementsThe Arc Length geometry method measures the length of a curved line or wall.With the Linear Dimension tool active, choose the Arc Length Geometry Method from the Info Box.

• Click with the Mercedes cursor on a circular arc or a curved edge - you don’t have to find the end points, you can click anywhere on the curve.

• ArchiCAD automatically marks the end points of the arc or the

edge. This is the edge that arc length will be measured on. You may click any other points you want to add to the dimension chain.

• Double-click anywhere in the workspace with the Empty Pencil cursor or click the OK button in the Control Box to finish selecting arc points for dimensioning.

• The Hammer cursor appears, prompting you to place the dimension chain. Click to place the dimension chain.

Note: The Arc Length geometry method cannot be used for elliptical arcs and splines, Curtain Walls, or for (closed) circles. To achieve an approximate dimensioning of an elliptical arc or spline, first select it and turn it into a series of arcs using the Magic Wand tool, then use the Arc Length geometry method to dimension the arcs.

For more information, see “Magic Wand” on page 143.


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Linear Dimensions in the 3D Document Window

In the 3D Document window, use the Linear Dimension tool to place dimensions as needed. All the options for Linear Dimensions are available except Arc Length.As in 2D windows, you can limit the options to the X-Y Only constraint, or use Any Direction to place the line parallel to the first two clicked points.Furthermore, as in 2D windows, the Any Direction option lets you constrain the dimension line by clicking with the mercedes+parallel dimension cursor on any other line/edge.In the 3D Document window only:You can constrain the plane in which the dimension line is to be placed.To choose a plane constraint for linear dimensions in the 3D Document window, choose among the options in the Linear Dimension Tool Info Box:• the horizontal plane• the vertical plane• any other planeThe default is the “Any Plane” option, which gives you the most freedom.

Choose Dimension Plane in 3D Document WindowWhen placing a linear dimension in the 3D Document window with the “Any Plane” or the Vertical geometry method, you can choose the dimension plane.Suppose we wish to dimension the width of the roof in a 3D Document.Activate the Linear Dimension tool. Select the “Any Plane” geometry method in the Info Box, as well as the “Any Direction” option.

As usual, click at both ends of the roof, then double-click. The black hammer cursor appears.

Next, choose the plane in which you wish to measure the dimension. Move the cursor onto the roof. The magnet+dimension line cursor appears, indicating that you will select a surface as the dimension plane.Click to measure the dimension along this plane.Now the cursor will move only in this defined plane. Click one more time to place the dimension line at the desired location.


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Offset Dimension PlaneOnce you have placed a dimension line in the 3D Document window, you can offset it within its current plane. This option is available for dimensions in the 3D Document only:

The usual dimension line editing options are also available from the pet palette (insert/merge dimension point, drag or align dimension line.)See “Editing a Dimension Chain” on page 398.

Dimensioning Overlapping ElementsYou may have to dimension elements that overlap with each other. The “element detection” feature makes it easy to know which element you are associating your dimension to.By default, element detection is activated in ArchiCAD. During dimensioning or parameter transfer operations, the contours of related elements will be highlighted to help you identify which element you are working on.In the following image, the element detection highlight tells you that the linear dimension you are placing will be associated to the highlighted column, not to the wall.If you’d rather associate the dimension to the wall, move the cursor until the wall is highlighted, then place the dimension.

(Another way to select one of several overlapping elements is to pre-select one of them, then click TAB until the Info Tag indicates that the required element is ready to be selected.)To activate/deactivate element detection, go to Options > Work Environment > Selection and Element Information, and activate/deactivate this checkbox: Highlight contours of related element(s) when placing or editing element.You can set a unique color for this highlight.

Elevation Dimensions

A special case of the linear Dimension tool is the Elevation Dimensioning construction method. Elevation Dimensions allow you to place height markers in Section/Elevation/IE and 3D Document windows.You can also use Elevation Dimensions on the Floor Plan, but there they only measure the Floor Plan’s Y-axis from the current Project/User Origin.Elevation Dimensioning is calculated based on the Dimension Origin, which you can set as needed in the Dimension Settings dialog box.See details in “Elevation Dimensioning Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.


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A series of Elevation Dimensions behaves as an associative dimension chain. You can select and edit the whole series by clicking on the invisible axis of the chain (where the cursor changes to Mercedes with Arrow) with the Arrow tool, or Shift-clicking with another tool active.Individual markers in the chain cannot be edited.Place individual markers by clicking the point you want to dimension, then double-click, or click OK in the Control Box. Use the Hammer cursor to position the marker. To place a chain of Elevation markers, click multiple points, then double-click (or click OK in the Control Box) and use the Hammer cursor to place the chain.

Note: Hotlinked Modules placed in the Project may contain Elevation Dimensions that refer to a User Origin. In this case, the dimension values will be the same as in the source Project. Different rules apply if you move the Elevation Dimensions in the host Project:

• If you select and move all elements related to an Elevation Dimension without selecting the dimension chain itself, the dimension chain will move with them. The origin of the dimension values will keep its position, which means that the numbers will change.

• If you select and drag elements together with the Elevation Dimension they relate to, and the dimension chain has a custom origin, the origin will move with the dimensions, which means that the numbers will keep their values.

Dimensioning Wall Thickness

In the Floor Plan, you can dimension wall thickness in a single click by clicking on the wall’s Reference Line. (The wall should be a regular or slanted straight wall.)

In this example, with the Linear Dimension tool active, move the cursor to the wall’s Reference Line. (It is indicated by a bold Mercedes.)

See “Wall Reference Lines” on page 219.Click once on the Reference Line. Two dimension points appear.


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Double-click to complete the dimension chain and place it with the Hammer cursor.If you place a series of wall-thickness dimension markers along a chained wall, only the dimension points located on walls perpendicular to the dimension chain will be displayed.

Radial Dimensions

Radial Dimensions display the value of the radius of a curved element. Radial dimensions have two main parts: the Dimension Line and the Label.• Click on a point of the curved element.• Draw the dimension line, either toward the

centerpoint of the curve or in the opposite direction. The radial dimension must always originate from a curved element.

• Click again to place the label, which shows the value of the radius.Label orientation can be selected in the Radial Dimensioning dialog box.

Stretching and Moving Radial DimensionsYou can adjust a placed radial dimension with the aid of the pet palette:Use the Stretch Radial Dimension icon to stretch the dimension.

Use the Move Radial Dimension icon to move it.For more information, see “Radial Dimension Tool Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.

Note: Deleting the dimensioned element will also delete any Radial Dimensions associated with it.

Level Dimensions

Level Dimensions are point-level elevation markers common to architecture and site planning. They measure the element’s vertical height along the Z-axis. They are available in the Floor Plan and in Worksheet/Detail windows. They are not available in the Section/Elevation/IE window or 3D Document.

Note: You can place Elevation Dimensions in a Section/Elevation/IE window.

See “Elevation Dimensions” on page 394.To place a level dimension in your Project, select the Level Dimension tool, then click anywhere in the window. The elevation of the active story is immediately displayed along with a standard level dimension marker.The Level Dimension Marker style can be chosen from the pop-up in the Level Dimensions Info box:

The units used by the Level Dimensions are a project-wide preference set in Options > Project Preferences > Dimensions. Click the Level Dimension icon and choose your preferred measurement unit.


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Level Dimensions placed with Gravity On on top of Slabs, Roofs or Meshes are associated to them.For more information, see “Gravity” on page 110.You can edit the level dimension text separately as well as drag, rotate, and otherwise modify the text independently of the marker. The Level Dimension markers are individual elements, and each one can be individually edited. They can be dragged, rotated and mirrored, with or without copies, as any other element.If multiplied together with the reference element, the copies of the markers will be associated with the copies of the elements. If you multiply only the Level Dimension, the copies will be associative with the same element (or the story level) as the original.Associated Level Dimensions remain linked to the elements they were placed on top of, even if they are no longer inside the contour of these elements. If a Level Dimension falls outside the contour of the element it is associated to, its value changes according to the following rules:• With Slabs, there is no change: the value is the same as if the

Level Dimension were still inside the Slab’s contour.• With Roofs, the value displayed is calculated by a projected

extension of the roof (that is, what the value would be).• With Meshes, it is the Story’s height that will be displayed (but

the Level Dimension remains associated to the Mesh).For more information, see “Level Dimension Tool Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.

Angle Dimensions

Angle Dimensions display angle values between a pair of lines or linear edges. An angle dimension can be either acute or obtuse

; you choose this geometry method from the Angle Dimension Settings dialog box or the Info Box.For more information, see “Angle Dimension Tool Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.

Note: Angle dimensions not available in the 3D Document Window.

To dimension an angle, first define the pair of lines or edges by choosing exactly four reference points. These four points will determine two infinite lines that ArchiCAD will use to calculate the angle dimension.Choose reference points in one of the following ways: • Click any existing line or edge (wall,

slab, roof, mesh, fill). This will immediately place two reference points on the clicked line/edge.

• Click the hotspots of existing elements.

• Click anywhere on the plan or on a Guide Line (in this case, the angular dimensions will not be associative).

Now you have defined two infinite reference lines, which divide the space into four quadrants.With the reference points defined, the Hammer cursor appears. Click to place the angle dimension. The arc of the angle dimension will pass through the point you click.The Angle Dimension Info Box offers two construction methods:

• With the Inner Dimension (acute) construction method, only the quadrant of the space in which you click with the Hammer cursor will be dimensioned.


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• With the Outer Dimension (obtuse) construction method, ArchiCAD will calculate the angle of the clicked quadrant, plus the two adjacent quadrants.

Placing Angle Dimensions on Curves

Select the Angle Dimensioning tool in the Toolbox, then click the bent polygon edge or circular arc you wish to dimension. The two endpoints of the arc will be automatically marked.

Finally, place the dimension line with the Hammer cursor.

Note: It is always the arc side of the angle that will be dimensioned, regardless of the geometry method you choose, or which side you click to.

Editing a Dimension Chain

• If you transform all of the elements a dimension chain refers to, the chain will be transformed along with the elements.

• If only some of the elements are edited, the Dimension Line will keep its place and angle, and only the markers, witness lines and values involved will change.

• If dimensioned elements are multiplied, you must also select the dimensions. The copies of the dimensions will be associative to the copies of the elements.Note: You can drag or rotate a dimension chain as a whole. Units or points cannot be dragged, rotated or mirrored away from the parent dimension chain.

Select Part of the Dimension Chain• Select the whole dimension chain by clicking at a “free spot”

on the dimension line with the Checkmark with Mercedes cursor.• Select a Dimension Unit by clicking its midpoint with the

Checkmark with Arrow cursor.• Select the Dimension Text by using the Quick Selection cursor.

Or click on the lower left corner of the text with the Checkmark with Arrow cursor. When one or more dimension chains are selected, double-clicking the Text tool’s icon in the Toolbox opens Dimension Text Settings.

For more information, see “Dimension Text Content Panel” in ArchiCAD Help.

Insert New Dimension PointsYou can insert any number of new dimension points into the chain. First, select the chain. Then, with the Dimension Tool selected, Ctrl/Cmd-click on the desired new Reference Point. The new point can be located between existing chain points or anywhere outside the dimension chain.


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The existing dimension units will be divided into the necessary number of units.Another way to insert a dimension point is to use the pet palette. Select the dimension chain. Click on the dimension line to bring up the pet palette. Choose the Insert/Merge Dimension Point command.

Click on the element whose dimension you want to add, or click anywhere on the dimension line to place a dimension there.

The dimension chain becomes longer as needed. You cannot insert points by selecting the dimension units directly; you must select the entire chain.

Note: You can insert one reference point at a time into a single dimension chain.

Delete a Dimension PointIf you select and delete a dimension point in the middle of a chain, the adjoining two dimension units are merged.

If the deleted point was at the end of the chain, the last unit disappears and the chain becomes shorter.

Delete a Dimension Unit or ChainIf you select and delete a dimension unit in the middle of a dimension chain, the chain will be broken into two separate parts.

You can eliminate an entire dimension chain by selecting and deleting it.

Merge Dimension ChainsSeparate dimension chains can be merged by selecting one of the chains and Ctrl/Cmd-clicking on the other one.Another way is to use the Insert/Merge Dimension Point command from the Pet Palette: select one dimension chain, bring up the pet palette and click the command, then click on the other dimension chain to merge it.

The second chain will be deleted and its Reference Points added to, and dimensioned by, the first (selected) chain.You can use this technique even with dimension chains that are not parallel with one another and/or have no overlapping parts at all.


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Drag a Dimension ChainDimension chains can be dragged to a new location: use the Drag command from the pet palette of a selected Dimension chain.

Note that associative Dimension chains can only be dragged along the direction of their witness lines. You can move the cursor anywhere when dragging, but only the perpendicular component of the movement will be applied to the chain.

You cannot drag a Radial Dimension away from the element it dimensions; you can only move it to another location along the element’s curve.

Align Dimension Line to an EdgeIf you want to line up a dimension line with another existing line or edge in the window, use the pet palette’s Align dimension line command.First, select the Dimension chain. Choose Align dimension line from the pet palette.

Click with the cursor on a straight edge or line. The selected Dimension chain will align itself with the clicked element.

Rotate DimensionsYou can use rotation to change the orientation of a Dimension chain after it is completed: use the Rotate Dimension command in the pet palette of a selected Dimension chain.Rotated Dimension Chains will remain associated to the same nodes, so you will see the length and the values change along with the witness lines.

After a rotation, all the reference points will automatically be redimensioned and projected along the new direction, with the original hierarchy maintained. Dimension lines will always be kept right side up; if you rotate them upside down, the numbers will move to the opposite side.

Mirror DimensionsDimension chains can be moved to the opposite side of a Wall by mirroring. Choose the Mirror Dimension command from the pet palette of a selected Dimension chain.

As when mirroring any other element, click twice to define the mirroring vector and place the Dimension chain in its new position. For more information, see “Mirroring Elements” on page 116.


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The value positions are always automatically recalculated by ArchiCAD so that you can read them from the bottom or from the right.

Modify the Witness Line

Witness line styles (e.g., None, Fixed, Custom, or Dynamic) are chosen in the Type and Font and the Marker and Witness Line Options panels of Dimension Settings.

See “Linear Dimension Tool Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.You can edit the length of custom and dynamic witness lines on screen for one or both witness lines of a dimension unit, or for all the witness lines in the chain: select the witness line(s) you want to edit, and drag.

To edit all the witness lines, select the Dimension chain and choose the Edit Length of Witness Line command from the pet palette.

Move the cursor to the place where you want the witness line to end. (The Tracker’s Distance field shows the length of the witness line measured from the Dimension line.) Click to define the new witness line length for all the witness lines in this Dimension chain.

Dynamic witness lines will never extend beyond the reference node of the dimensioned element.

Dimension Text Options

Use the options in the Type and Font Panel of Linear Dimension Settings to set options for displaying Dimension Text in Linear Dimensions.

Note the Horizontal checkbox: it is available if you choose the second, “Interrupt” option to display dimension text. Check the


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Horizontal box if you wish to display dimensions horizontally, rather than in the same direction as the dimension line.

When the 3D Document is active, the Horizontal option is checked by default.

See also “Dimension Type and Font Panel” in ArchiCAD Help.

Move or Edit Dimension Text

Dimension Text items are individually editable. You must first select the Dimension Text item (not the entire Dimension line).

To Edit Dimension Text items graphically:

Once you select a dimension text item, you can change its position and/or orientation using Edit functions (e.g., Drag, Rotate).

To undo the position changes of all modified dimension text items, open the Options > Project Preferences > Dimensions dialog box. and check the Revert All Dimension Text to Automatic Position checkbox.

To reset the position of a selected custom text item, check the Revert to Automatic Position box at the bottom of the Dimension Text Settings.

To Edit Dimension Text Settings:

Select the Dimension Text, then do one of the following:

• click the Text icon in the Info Box

• double-click the Dimension Tool icon in the Toolbox

• click the Edit > Dimension Text Settings command. (This command is only available when a Dimension Text is selected.)

Use Dimension Text Settings to set a custom value for the selected dimension, if needed. Once you set a custom value, this dimension is no longer associative.

For more information, see “Dimension Text Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.

Associative Dimensions in Sections/Elevations/IE and 3D Document

Dimensions in the Section/Elevation/IE and 3D Document windows are associative, meaning that every dimension point you create adheres to its reference point. For instance, when you stretch the Window in the wall, it will cause the entire dimension chain to be automatically updated.


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Elevation Dimensions and Angle Dimensions are also associative.

• When a Model type Section is turned

into a Drawing type Section, hotspots are generated on the elements to mark the associated dimension points.

For more information, see “Assign Section Status” on page 178.• When the Drawing type Section is

updated from the model, the dimensions associated to the hotspots will be regenerated to reflect the changes to the model.

For more information, see “Updating Sections” on page 182.

Secondary Dimensions (Add-On)

The Secondary Dimensions function allows you to add metric unit equivalents to dimension values displayed in feet and inches, and vice versa. The Secondary Dimensions hierarchical menu is located in the Document > Document Extras hierarchical menu.

Note: If your program does not display the Secondary Dimensions menu, you can add it to your work environment.

For more information, see “Menu Customization Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.

Use the Document > Document Extras > Secondary Dimensions > Convert Dimensions dialog box to set the unit and the number of decimals of the converted dimension value.Click OK, and the secondary values will appear on the opposite side of the dimension line. The new values will be placed as a text block, and can be edited as any other text block.• If nothing is selected on the

Floor Plan, all placed dimensions will be converted.

• If there are selected dimensions, only their values will be converted.

Changes made to dimensioned elements do not automatically update the converted dimensions.Choose Document > Document Extras > Secondary Dimensions > Refresh converted dimensions to update both the value and the location of the dimension. Again, this command will work on either all dimensions (if nothing is selected) or selected ones.If you do not need equivalents any more, simply choose Remove converted dimensions from the Secondary Dimensions menu.

Automatic Exterior DimensioningYou can add automatic associative linear Dimensions to selected elements with Automatic Dimensioning functions. First, select elements on the Floor Plan (or even the entire Floor Plan).Choose the Document > Document Extras > Automatic Dimensioning > Exterior Dimensioning command and set the options in the dialog box as desired.


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Next, define the direction of the dimension lines. Do this in one of two ways:• Click the side edge of any element (the dimension direction will

follow the element direction); or• Click in an empty area, then click a second time to define the

dimension direction.Finally, click with the hammer cursor to place the dimension line (the one nearest to the selected elements). If you choose to place dimensions on all four sides, this distance also marks the overall distance between the nearest dimension lines and the bounding box of the selected elements.

Exterior Dimensioning takes walls and openings into consideration. Up to four dimension lines are placed automatically: the opening dimensions, the dimensioning of the interior walls, the facade dimensions and the overall dimension. If any of these dimension lines is unnecessary (e.g., there are no openings, or the facade is straight), it is discarded.

Automatic Interior DimensioningThe Document > Document Extras > Interior Dimensioning hierarchical menu allows you to add associative interior dimensions to selected elements.

The Automatic Interior Dimensioning dialog box contains options for dimensioning Columns and composite or profile (complex) elements.Choose preferred dimensioning options.detailsYou then have to draw a line across the selected elements. Walls, Columns, Beams, and Slab, Roof and Mesh edges perpendicular to or crossing the drawn line will be dimensioned. The line can consist of several segments. Double-click to finish drawing the line. An additional click is needed to determine the place of the dimension line. After placing the dimensions, the crossing line disappears.

The Grid ToolAbout the Grid Tool

The Grid Tool allows you to place Grid elements individually or in a Grid System; it is a regular tool in the ArchiCAD Toolbox.Grid elements are part of the model and serve as an editable framework for placing multiple elements or for identifying locations in the model.While the Construction and Snap Grid (set in the View > Grid Options > Grids and Background) is a global, equally distributed net covering the whole 2D window, and is used as an input and editing aid, the Grid Tool creates a custom local structural grid. The grid created by this tool is interactive, so you can


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edit grid elements even after placing them. Grid elements can be edited using the Grid Tool Settings dialog box.See “Grid Tool Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.Grid elements can be placed in either the Floor Plan or the 3D window, but they can be displayed in Sections, Elevations, Interior Elevations and the 3D Document as well.A Grid element marks a vertical location in the model. Like other model elements, Grid elements are saved along with views.Grid element on the Floor Plan:

Grid element in the 3D window:

To place a whole scheme of horizontal and vertical gridlines in one step, use the Design > Grid System command. The follow-up Grid System Settings dialog allows you to configure the system of Grid

Elements and to place dimensions, beams, columns or optional library parts at the grid intersection points.See “Grid System Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.This image shows a Grid System in 3D with Beams and Columns placed at intersections:

Components of a Grid Element

A Grid Element has two main components: Grid Marker and Grid Line.The Grid line can be displayed in three different formats to suit your documentation needs.Grid Markers can be switched on and off optionally at both ends of the Grid Line.See “Grid Tool Floor Plan Panel” in ArchiCAD Help.You can stagger grid markers away from the Grid line graphically, using a pet palette command. (See “Editing a Grid Element” on page 408.)


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When you stagger the grid markers sideways, a certain line segment will be staggered together with the markers. The length of this line segment is the Staggering value.The default Staggering length for any Grid element can be set in both the Floor Plan and Section/Elevation panels of Grid Tool Settings.

Visibility of a Grid Element

Provided that their layer is visible, Grid elements are visible on:• the Floor Plan, on any or all stories: Use the Show on Story

pop-up in the Floor Plan panel of Grid Tool Settings.

See “Grid Tool Floor Plan Panel” in ArchiCAD Help.• the Section/Elevation windows, if the Section or Elevation

settings allow: Use the Show Grid Elements checkbox on the Grid Tool Panel of Section/Elevation Settings. There are two sets of filtering criteria for display of Grid elements on this Section: You can filter by Grid element Story, and/or you can filter by Grid element Name.

See “Section Grid Tool Panel” in ArchiCAD Help.• 3D window and 3D

Documents, if the Grid element is set to appear in 3D: Use the Display in 3D view checkbox in the 3D View panel of Grid Tool Settings.

Detail and Worksheet windows will not display the grid elements, just their exploded views.By default, Grid elements are displayed in 3D as lines only, and are not displayed in renderings. However, you can choose to display Grid elements as model elements in 3D so that they appear in renderings, with a cross-section and materials: to do so, adjust the options in the 3D View panel of Grid Element Settings.See “Grid Tool 3D View Panel” in ArchiCAD Help.


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Creating a Straight Grid Element

Grid elements can be created in the Floor Plan or 3D window. The Straight Grid Element method produces one straight Grid Element at a time.

After setting up the element settings or choosing a Favorite, select the Grid Tool. Choose the Straight Grid Element geometry method from the Info Box. Click to place the endpoints and to define the length of Grid Element.The moment you start drawing the Grid Element , a ghost contour appears and it follows the cursor until you click at the second endpoint.

Creating a Curved Grid Element

After setting up the element settings or choosing a Favorite, select the Grid Tool. Choose one of the two Curved Grid Element Geometry methods from the Info Box.

The first option defines the curved Grid by the arc's centerpoint and radius. Your first click defines the centerpoint. A ghost contour of the circular grid follows your cursor until you click a second to time to define the radius. After that, only a partial ghost curved segment is shown, until you click a third time to define the length of the arc grid ’s circumference. When all three points are defined, the ghost contour is replaced by the fully displayed Grid Element.

The second option defines the curved Grid by three points on the arc's circumference. You will probably place first two points so that they connect other elements, grid intersections or special snap points. Next, a ghost circle follows the cursor until you click a third time to define the third point.

A fourth click is needed to define the length of the arc segment. The ghost arc is now replaced by the fully displayed Grid Element.


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Editing a Grid Element

Edit Length of Grid LineAny Grid elements can be stretched with Pet palette commands: select the Grid Element, then choose the Stretch icon.

Stagger Markers Away from Grid LineSelect a Grid element. Click on the editing hotspot which represents the staggered part of the Grid marker, and then drag the Marker, together with the staggering length, to a new position.

Edit Grid PositionThe horizontal position of a grid element can be edited on the Floor plan and 3D window only. Select the Grid Element and use the familiar pet palette commands and shortcuts to Drag, Mirror or Rotate the Grid element, or copies of it.

The vertical position (Z-value) of a grid element can be edited in the 3D window or through the Grid Element settings dialog/Info box.See “Grid Tool 3D View Panel” in ArchiCAD Help.

Place a Grid SystemTo lay out a complete orthogonal or curved grid mesh, use the Grid System function. The Grid System command can save you a lots of time by automating the task of placing multiple Grid Elements in one step, following a defined scheme, and even placing elements on dedicated positions. You can also place dimensions throughout the Grid system in one step.A Grid System is a collection of Grid Elements; each Grid element continues to act as a distinct element, even though they are placed as part of a system.Select Design > Grid System. Adjust the settings. See “Grid System Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.The number of horizontal and vertical grid lines to be placed in this Grid System depends on what you set in the Grid Positions panel: click the plus and minus signs to add or remove individual Grid lines from the Grid System.

The number of Grid lines is shown in the “axes” field below.Click in the Distance field of any Grid line to define its distance from the previous Grid line:If you do not know the distance you will need between your Grid lines, check the Distribute box for either or both Grid line directions (i.e. horizontal and/or vertical grid lines). This will enable you, when you place the Grid system, to set the beginning


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and endpoints of the Grid system in the given direction, divided into the number of Grid lines defined in the list.When you are satisfied with Grid System Settings, click OK.You will see a ghost grid system at the cursor, which you can place with two to four clicks:• the first click defines the location of the anchor point you

selected in the settings • the second click defines the rotation of the grid system • if you selected the Distribute function as well, then one or two

additional clicks are required to define the full distances for distribution in one or both directions, depending whether you checked Distribute for one or both directions.

Note: You can select and edit all or selected elements of a placed grid system by selecting them using any of the ArchiCAD selection methods.

See also “Selecting a Grid System” on page 410.

Place Object, Column or Beams with Grid System

Use the General Settings panel of Grid System Settings to place an Object or Column automatically at every Grid intersection point; or to place a Beam along every Grid line of the Grid System.The Settings button next to each checkbox will take you to the relevant Tool Settings dialog box (Column, Object, Beam).For details on these controls, see “Grid System General Settings Panel” in ArchiCAD Help.Although these checkboxes mean that Beams, Columns or objects are placed at each Grid intersection, these elements are independent of


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the Grid and will not be moved or rotated along with the Grid System.

Dimension Grid SystemTwo additional checkboxes in the General Settings panel of Grid System Settings enable you to automatically dimension each Grid line segment in the system, and/or to place a single total dimension for each Grid line.These dimensions are associated to the Grid system.The Settings button to the right of the Dimension checkboxes take you to Dimension Default Settings, where you can set the options for the chosen Dimension type for your Grid System. For example, you can set all of the individual Grid line dimension text to be displayed in italic, while the Total Dimension values are displayed in bold type.Note that if you would like to use uniform Dimension settings for both dimension lines, then you can use the Chain button to link them together, in the General Settings panel of Grid System Settings.

Selecting a Grid System

You cannot select a Grid System as a whole with a single click, but you can select any of its components. ArchiCAD will recognize them as part of an existing or potential Grid System if the selected Grid Elements are:

• straight Grid Elements at right angles to each other

• straight Grid Elements parallel to each other, and which are both crossed by another straight Grid Element at a right angle

• curved Grid Elements which have the same arc angles

If your selection meets any of these criteria, it is possible to open the Grid System dialog on this selection and modify the settings.

If not (for example, you select several straight parallel Grid Elements which have no perpendicular gridline), you will be advised:

Text Blocks Using the Text tool, you can create multiline texts with full-scale

font options, multiple styles and alignment in any direction. Text blocks can be created in the Floor Plan, in Section/Elevation/IE and 3D Documents, and in Detail and Worksheet windows, and on Layouts. You can format the content of text blocks as a whole (using Tool Settings or Info Box), and you can also individually format characters within the text block (using the Text Editor).

Text blocks are always readable from left to right even after a mirroring.

The advantages of freely editable text elements are available for the Label tool as well as the Text tool. (Rich text functions are not available for other textual items in ArchiCAD.)


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Depending on the state of the Textbox Handles toggle in View > On-Screen View Options > Show/Hide Drafting and Editing Aids, all text blocks can be framed with brackets at each corner handle.This makes text blocks easy to locate and edit, while keeping the text readable.

Placing Text Blocks

Before starting to type into a text block, you can determine whether it will be a “breaking” or “non-breaking” text block.A breaking text block’s width remains fixed, with the line of text “breaking” automatically to the next line when it reaches the limit during input. A “non-breaking” text block’s width depends on how much text you enter; you can type as many characters in the same line as you wish. Use a non-breaking text block if you are not sure in advance how long the text will be.To place a “breaking text” block:1) Choose the Text tool.2) Draw a rubberband rectangle to

define its corners on the worksheet. This rectangle defines the text block width.

A Text Editor window and a Formatting Palette appear on the screen.For more information, see “Formatting Palette and Text Editor Controls” in ArchiCAD Help.

3) Type the desired text into the Text Editor. A flashing text cursor indicates your position in the text block.

Note: The style and formatting of a newly placed Text Block depend on the settings in the Text Settings dialog box and Info Box. If you want different style or formatting for particular characters or paragraphs you are typing, use the Formatting Palette.

• In addition to typing in text, you can use the controls of the Text Editor to add the following predefined items to the text block- Autotext

For details, see “Autotext” on page 413.- Symbols- Favorites

For more information on Symbols and Text Favorites, see “Formatting Palette and Text Editor Controls” in ArchiCAD Help.• Once you reach the end of the text block, additional text will be

automatically entered on the next line.

• You can start a new line at any time by hitting the Return key on your keyboard.

• Click Cancel (Control Box) to cancel the text editing operation.4) When you are finished, click OK in the Control Box; or click on

an empty space on the worksheet; or press Ctrl-Enter (Cmd-Enter).

To place a “non-breaking” text block:1) Choose the Text tool.2) Double-click on the worksheet. An editing window and a

formatting palette appear on the screen.

Text Editor

Formatting Palette


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3) Type the desired text into the Text Editor. The editing window (and the resulting text block) will extend indefinitely as long as you keep typing or until you hit Enter. The width of the text block will be determined by the width of the longest line of the block. A flashing text cursor indicates your position in the text block.

• You can start a new line at any time by pressing Enter.

• Click Cancel (Control Box) to cancel the text editing operation.

4) When you are finished, click OK; or click on an empty space on the worksheet; or press Ctrl-Enter (Cmd-Enter).

The Formatting Palette appears:

• when you are entering text into the Text Editor

• by double-clicking inside an existing text block with the Arrow tool in Quick Selection mode

• by selecting an existing text block (with the Text tool active) and clicking inside the text

Formatting Text Blocks As a Whole

Use the Text Settings and Info box to format the Text Block as a whole.

Double-click the Text tool to open the Text Settings dialog box, which has two panels:

• The Text Style panel settings apply to the appearance of your text characters.

• The Text Block Formatting panel settings apply to the shape and appearance of the text block.

For more information, see “Text Tool Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.

To stretch a Text Block, select it and reshape it using any of its corner nodes. A rubberband box provides feedback as you stretch; the text in the block will automatically rearrange itself according to the new outline.

Resizing Text Graphically

You can change the size of the text inside the text block using a Stretch technique. Select the text block and stretch it with either the Stretch menu command or the pet palette. Move the cursor along the text block’s diagonal, and press the Shift key to constrain it to the diagonal.

With Shift still pressed, click to define the new size. The font size will grow or shrink proportionally.

Applying Favorite Text Settings

To apply Favorite settings to the entire text block, select the text block, switch to a Favorite in the Text Settings dialog box, and click OK (or double-click the desired Favorite from the Favorites palette).

For more information, see “Favorites” on page 46.

Formatting Individual Components of Text Blocks

To format individual characters, lines and paragraphs that have been typed into your text block, or to switch styles while typing, use the Formatting Palette and the indent/tab controls of the Text Editor.


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The Text Editor and Formatting Palette appear as soon as you click on the Floor Plan (with the Text tool active) and begin typing into the text box.The controls of the Formatting Palette and Text Editor apply only to the text you are entering in the Text Editor, or to selections inside the Text Editor.For more information, see “Formatting Palette and Text Editor Controls” in ArchiCAD Help.

AutotextAn Autotext is a text element containing a definition filled in automatically by the program. After you insert an Autotext definition, the program will fill in the data that apply in the current context. . This data - which can be text or a numerical value - is automatically updated in accordance with the changes made to the model, layout or drawing. You can add Autotext to any window where the Text tool is active (Floor Plan, Section/Elevation/IE, 3D Document, Detail, Worksheet, 2D Symbol of GDL Object, Layout, Master Layout). Autotext is also available as part of the ID’s of Interior Elevations.The style of the Autotext can be formatted the same way as for any manually typed text.

How to Insert Autotext

1) Activate the Text tool 2) Click on screen. The Formatting Palette and Text Editor appear. Use one of the following ways to insert Autotext:• Click the button in the

Formatting Palette to display a dialog box listing the possible Autotext choices.You can pick among Autotext in several categories, or choose the All category to see them all. The “Recent” category will list recently inserted Autotext choices.

The Preview area will either display the relevant value of the chosen Autotext definition, or else a placeholder text plus ‘#’. This means either that the information is not available yet (for example, the ‘#Client Name’ has not yet been filled in the File > Info > Project Info dialog box) or that it cannot be processed for some other reason (for example, because the view has not been placed onto a Layout).

The other way to insert Autotext:• Right-click at the insertion point in

the Text Editor and choose the appropriate command from the Insert Autotext hierarchical menu.


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If the information is already available, the appropriate text will appear in the Text Editor after you have selected it.

If the referenced information is not available, you will see a placeholder text.

When the missing information becomes available, the placeholder text is immediately updated with the relevant data.You can add any number of Autotexts, and type additional static text, in the same text block. The current Text Settings will be applied. To format individual characters or parts of text within a text block, use the Formatting Palette.For more information, see “Formatting Palette and Text Editor Controls” in ArchiCAD Help.

Autotext Sources

There are several sources of “Autotext”

• Project-specific information such as the name of the project (not necessarily the same as the file name), the name of the architect, the date of issue or any other piece of information entered in the File > Info > Project Info dialog box.

For more information, see “Project Info” in ArchiCAD Help.

• Layout-specific information such as the name or ID of the layout, the name or ID of the subset, the number of layouts in the layout book.

• Drawing-specific information including the name, drawing scale and magnification factor of the drawing.

• Information that comes from a specified drawing (one which you define as an Autotext Reference.)

For more information, see “Autotext Reference Drawing” on page 414.

• System-dependent information (file name, path, date of creation and modification, etc.).

Adding Autotext to GDL Objects

You can use Autotext when scripting GDL objects.

For example, if you use a GDL object-type Title block placed on a Master Layout, you can script the Title block to show the Project Name.

In a GDL script window, the Text Editor interface (with its lists of Autotext entries) is not available, so you must use the corresponding formatting codes.

For a list of Autotext codes for use in GDL scripts, see “Autotext Keywords” in ArchiCAD Help.

Autotext Reference Drawing

ArchiCAD lets you set a particular drawing as an Autotext reference. This means that your Autotext does not necessarily have to refer to the view or layout onto which you are placing the text.


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To set a drawing as Autotext reference, select a drawing in the Navigator or Organizer or on the layout, then right-click to display a context menu and choose the Set as Autotext Reference command. (The same command is also available from the Drawing Manager.)

Once defined as an Autotext Reference, this drawing will appear as a choice in the Insert Autotext dialog box.The Autotext entries that use the Reference as source will then show values based on the reference drawing.If you later define a different drawing as Autotext Reference, earlier Autotexts referring to the original drawing will remain unchanged.

Autotext KeywordsThe following Autotext Keywords are available when using the Autotext commands. Use the keywords in the right-hand column to insert Autotext items into GDL scripts.

To show this Autotext Type this What it looks like if Autotext is UndefinedProject InfoClient <CLIENT> #ClientProject Name <PROJECTNAME> #Project NameProject Number <PROJECTNUMBER> #PlnCompany <COMPANY> #CompanyStreet <STREET> #StreetCity <CITY> #CityState/Country <COUNTRY> #State/CountryPostal Code <CODE> #PostArchitect <ARCHITECT> #ArchitectCAD Technician <DRAFTSMEN> #CAD TechnicianProject Status <PROJECTSTATUS> #Project StatusDate of Issue <DATEOFISSUE> ##/##/####Keywords <KEYWORDS> #KeywordsNotes <NOTES> #NotesCustom 1 <CUSTOM1> #Custom 1Custom 2 <CUSTOM2> #Custom 2


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Note: Your Drawing Scale, if you customize it in Drawing Settings, is distinct from its Original Scale (the scale of the Drawing’s source view).

Custom 3 <CUSTOM3> #Custom 3

System autotexts These autotexts are system-generated and always show the correct value if you have already saved your project file at least once.

Short Date <SHORTDATE> 11/20/2007Long Date <LONGDATE> Tuesday, November 20, 2007Time <TIME> 3:54 PM

System autotexts (File-dependent)

These system autotexts will be undefined until you save your project file at least once.

File Name <FILENAME> #File NameFile Path <FILEPATH> #File PathLast saved at <LASTSAVEDAT> ##/##/####Last saved by <LASTSAVEDBY> #Last saved by

Layout autotextsLayout Name <LAYOUTNAME> #Layout NameLayout ID <LAYOUTID> #LayIDSubset Name <SUBSETNAME> #Subset NameSubset ID <SUBSETID> #SubIDLayout Number <LAYOUTNUMBER> #LayNo1Number of Layouts <NUMOFLAYOUTS> #Drawing Name

Drawing autotextsDrawing Name <DRAWINGNAME> #Drawing NameDrawing ID <DRAWINGID> #DrgIDDrawing Scale <DRAWINGSCALE> 1:######Original Scale <ORIGINALSCALE> 1:######Magnification <MAGNIFICATION> ###%


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LabelsLabels are text blocks or symbols optionally linked to construction elements and 2D fills. Labels allow you to identify or comment elements or parts of your design.Labels can be framed or unframed, with leader and arrowhead. They can contain custom text specification, predefined automatic texts, or a symbol.See “Label Tool Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.There are three kinds of labels:• Independent labels are manually placed in the Floor Plan or in a

Section/Elevation/IE or 3D Document window using the Label tool. Typically, you will use an independent label to display information that does not come from the model (“install snow picks here”).

• Associative labels can be added to placed elements or assigned automatically when the element is created. Typically, you will use associative labels to identify model elements and their parameters.

• Member labels can be added, in Section/Elevation windows only, to any individual Curtain Wall member.

Placing Independent Labels

Independent Labels can only be placed manually. First, set the Label Tool’s default Type to “Independent” by doing one of the following• Choose Independent Label from the pop-up options in the Label

Info Box:

• Or go to the Label Settings Content and Preview Panel and select Independent Label at the top of the list:

At the top of the Content and Preview panel, click the button at upper right of this panel to choose the type of independent label:• If you choose Text, then click OK to close the dialog box, use

the Label Tool to place a predefined default text or a custom text in the Label’s Text Box as described below.The predefined default text is whatever you type into the Text Label panel.

• If you choose any of the symbol-style labels, ArchiCAD will insert this symbol object - a predefined GDL object - when you place the independent Label. When such a symbol Label is placed as an Independent Label, it is not associated to any element in the plan.

With the Label Tool active, click anywhere in the workspace to start drawing an independent label. Two additional mouse clicks define the direction and end of the pointer line.• If the label content is Text, but no default text has been

defined in Label Default Settings: draw a rubberband box after the third mouse-click to define the width of the label text box. If you do not want to predefine the text box width, simply click again at the end of the pointer line.


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As with the Text tool, the Text Editor and Formatting Palette will appear. Type any length of text in the text box and click OK in the Control Box to complete the label.

To format individual characters, lines and paragraphs that have been typed into your label text block, or to insert text symbols, use the Formatting Palette and the indent/tab controls of the Text Editor as described for the Text Tool.

See “Formatting Palette and Text Editor Controls” in ArchiCAD Help.

• If the label content is Text, and a default text has been defined in Label Default Settings: the label is completed after the third mouse-click.

• If the label content is a Symbol: the label is completed after the third mouse-click. ArchiCAD will insert this symbol object - a predefined GDL object - when you place the Label.

Placing Associative Labels

Associative Labels can be added to selected placed elements, or they can placed automatically at the same time the element is created.

Associative labels, unlike independent labels, remain attached to the element even when you move the element. If you delete the element, its associated labels are also deleted.

To add an associative label to a placed element:

Do one of the following:

• Select the element, then activate the Label (element type) checkbox in its Settings; or

Activate the Label Tool, set its type to Associative in the Info Box, then click the element to place its label. The Tool-specific default label, if any, is placed. (See Tool-Specific Default Labels, below.)

To add an associative label to an element each time you place it:Open the element’s Default Settings dialog box. Go to the Listing and Labeling panel.Now activate the Label (element type) checkbox. (To define or change the content of the Label, you can access Label Settings here.) See Tool-Specific Default Labels, below.

A Label will be appended every time you place an element of that type.

Tool-Specific Default Labels

You can assign a default Label type to each ArchiCAD tool individually using the Content and Preview Panel of Label Settings. For example, here the Wall label default is the Label object “Wall Label 12.”


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Every time you click a Wall to place an associative Label, or every time you automatically label a Wall when placing it, ArchiCAD will place the Wall Label 12.

In addition to Symbol labels, the default Label for any Tool can also be any Text, its ID, or a Unique ID.

Placing Member Labels on Curtain Walls

A special kind of Associative Label is the Member Label. It is available only in a Section/Elevation/IE window, and only for Curtain Wall members.

Note: To attach an associative Label to the Curtain Wall element as a whole (as opposed to any of its component Members), use the Associative Label type as described above.

The Member Label works just like the Associative Label type. It will automatically append an associative label to the Member you click. If you have defined default text or other default label content for the Curtain Wall Member tools in Label Settings (Curtain Wall Junction, Frame, Panel or Accessory), then this default content will appear in the associative Member Label.

To place a Member Label, open a Section/Elevation/IE window which displays the Curtain Wall with the member you wish to label. With the Label Tool active, select the Member Label type from the Info Box.


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Click on the Curtain Wall Member (e.g. Accessory) to which you wish to attach a Label. The Label is placed.

Define Default Text Content of Labels

The default text content of Independent, Associative and Member Labels are defined in Label Settings (Text Label Panel). The Default Text field is only available if you have chosen a Text-type Label on the Content and Preview panel.See “Label Text Label Panel” in ArchiCAD Help.

Symbol Labels

Symbol Labels are GDL Objects. They can be scripted and/or graphically defined and can even include bitmaps. They can display all kinds of element information on the drawing, for example the skins of a composite Wall.You can create your own Symbol Labels as you would any other GDL Object by choosing the File > Libraries and Objects > New Object command.For more information, see “Scripting Custom Objects” on page 323.

Text Editing in ArchiCADFor information on placing and editing Text Blocks using ArchiCAD’s dedicated Text tool, see “Text Blocks” on page 410.

Search and Replace Text

The Search and Replace Text function is available for the following text-type elements in ArchiCAD:• Text blocks placed with the Text tool• Labels• Dimensions• Zone Stamps• Parameters of GDL Objects

The Edit > Search and Replace Text command opens the Search & Replace dialog box. This function lets you search texts in all eligible element types. It works on the Floor Plan and in Section/Elevation/IE, and Detail and Worksheet windows. It does NOT work for Autotext items.

Note: The Search and Replace text function is not available for text-type windows. (Text-type windows include all Listing


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windows created with the Calculation function, GDL script windows, Project Notes, and Report windows.) In text type Windows, the Find & Replace command offers similar functions.

For more information, see “Editing Commands in Text-Type Windows” on page 421.

Spell Checker

The Document > Spell Checker command allows you to check the spelling of your ArchiCAD project. The available features are similar to those used by Microsoft Word.

Note: Spell Checker is not available for text-type windows.Use Spell Checker Preferences (Filters) to define which parts of the ArchiCAD project you want to spell-check.

• Choose to search on either All Stories or Current Stories.

• Check the boxes of the element types you wish to include in the Spell Checker process. Spell Checker can work on Text blocks, Zones, Labels, custom text entered into Dimension labels, and on Door, Window, Object and Lamp parameters.

Spell Checker uses Microsoft Word’s Spelling Check, which means that you must have Microsoft Word installed on your computer together with the dictionary of the language you are using.In Microsoft Word, use Tools > Options > Spelling and Grammar to set your desired preferences. ArchiCAD’s Spell Checker will also use these preferences.In addition, on the MacOS only, several freeware and shareware applications are available that take advantage of the Word Services spell checker suite.

Warning: Spell Checker relies on Microsoft technology. ArchiCAD can only locate Word’s Spell Checker if its pointer is correctly written in the Windows Registry. If you have properly installed Microsoft Office, Spell Checker will work without any problem. If you have manually modified the location of Microsoft Word, ArchiCAD will not be able to use its spell checking features. Moreover, the Spelling commands must be installed with Word.

Editing Commands in Text-Type Windows

Text-type windows include all Listing windows created with the Calculation function, GDL script windows, Project Notes, and Report windows.Only a single editing step can be undone/redone in a text-type window.When a text-type Window is active, most of the Edit menu commands change in order to provide you with basic word processing features.

Note: Search/Replace Text and Spell-check do not work for text-type windows.


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The Text Style command opens a dialog box determining how your text will look both on screen and for printing.

Choosing the Find & Replace command opens the Text Window Find dialog box which offers the searching options used in most word processing applications:

The Find Selection command searches for the selected string in the text according to the direction set in the Text Window Find dialog box. (The default Find Selection shortcut is Ctrl+H; to Find Selection Backwards, use Ctrl+Shift+H.) The Find Again and Replace Again commands repeat the last find or replace operation in the direction set in the Text Window Find dialog box.The Go To Line command allows you to go to the desired line by simply entering a number in the edit box. This feature is especially useful when editing or checking GDL scripts.The last six commands apply to GDL scripts, and are active only if a GDL script window is active.

For more information, see “Text Editing Commands in GDL Script Windows” in ArchiCAD Help.

The Layout BookOne of the most important contributions of computer-aided design to architecture is that it facilitates parallel planning and documentation processes. With ArchiCAD, it is possible to work on several project phases, both design and documentation, simultaneously.The output of architectural drawings on plotted layouts, to be submitted to clients, contractors and building authorities, is traditionally considered the final phase in the work of the architectural team. With ArchiCAD, the creation of the construction documentation really becomes an integrated part of your design work.Layouts contain all the drawings and images that compose the architectural documentation of your project – views, external drawings, List views, Element Schedules, Project Indexes.The layouts that you create can include views from both the currently open project file and from other ArchiCAD projects, as well as external drawing and picture files.Every Layout is associated with a Master Layout that defines its size and some other attributes. This helps automate such tasks as the inclusion of a company logo.In ArchiCAD, layouts are part of the project. Each ArchiCAD project file includes a Layout Book whose content is displayed in the Navigator.

Layouting Work EnvironmentArchiCAD allows you to fit your work environment to the tasks and skills required for the current phase of the project development. This means that you can choose a dedicated Work Environment Profile (Layouting), which concentrates only on the features that you currently need for constructing the layout book.When a Layout window is active, only the relevant menu commands and tools are available.


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Note for earlier users: Earlier versions of ArchiCAD included PlotMaker as a stand-alone application to handle layouting and documentation. As of ArchiCAD 10, these functions are all integrated into ArchiCAD. For tips on adapting your workflow to this integrated environment, see the ArchiCAD 12 New Features Guide, available from ArchiCAD’s Help menu or the ArchiCAD > Documentation folder.

You may wish to activate the Layouts and Drawings toolbar (from Window > Toolbars) to have quick access to frequently used commands.When the Layout Book is active, you can assign a separate pen set applicable to the Layout Book only. When defining these attributes, the Options > Pens and Colors command indicates that these attributes apply to elements placed on layouts in the Layout Book, rather than for the project’s Model Views.There is a single Layer set for the entire Virtual Building, but you can define separate layer settings for the Layout Book and for Model views.

Note: Layer settings for the Layout Book serve to show/hide elements directly placed on layouts, such as lines, texts and drawings as a whole. Layout Book layers do not affect the drawing content, which is determined by the layers of its associated view.

Layout Book ComponentsAbout the Layout Book

At the core of the ArchiCAD layouting concept is the Layout Book that includes all the layouts defined for the project, optionally organized into subsets (represented by folders). The Layout Book tree structure can be accessed in the Navigator and Organizer.Although it is possible to use a flat structure in your Layout Book, Layouts are ideally organized in “chapters”, that is, folders known in ArchiCAD as subsets. This is especially useful when working on larger projects requiring many drawings.

A pop-up button at top left of the Layout Book map allows you to view the components of your Layout Book according to the current view, that is, Tree by Subsets or Tree by Masters.

• Tree by Subsets groups your Layouts according to Subsets and shows the names of the drawings that belong to each. In Tree by Subsets, Drawings are accompanied by icons that correspond to the file type.

• Tree by Masters lists your Layouts according to the Master Layouts they are assigned to.

You can move and rearrange elements using the drag and drop technique to:

• Create hierarchical Subsets

• Move a Layout from one Subset to another

• Apply a Master Layout to a Layout

• Move a Drawing from one Layout to another Layout

Note: In this case, the proportionate distance of the Drawing from the Layout origin remains unchanged.

While you are editing the elements of your Layout Book, the Navigator or Organizer palette keeps track of which element you are working on.

• Elements selected within the Navigator will be highlighted.

• When you move over and work in the Layout window, the highlight changes to a box.

Important: Operations involving Navigator/Organizer items (such as drag and drop between Navigator maps, deleting items from a map, or adding items to the Publisher set) are not added to the undo queue, and are not undoable.

For more information, see “Navigator Layout Book” on page 74.


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The easiest way to access the settings of any item of the Layout Book is to select it in the Organizer or Navigator palette, then click the Settings button at the bottom of the Properties section. Or use the commands of the context menu of the selected item in the list, or the commands of the Document > Layout Book menu.

Note: Another way to gain an overview of Layouts or Drawings in your project, or to sort them by criteria, is the Project Index function.

For more information, see “Project Indexes” on page 217.

When you start a new project, the ArchiCAD Layout Book contains a number of predefined layouts and master layouts that correspond to the needs of your national version.All or some of the layout management functions are available from various locations in the ArchiCAD interface:• The icons at the bottom of the Navigator palette• The set of icons of the Organizer palette’s Layout Editor view

• The context menu opened by right-clicking an item in the tree view of the Navigator or Organizer palette

• The commands of the Document > Layout Book menu


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LayoutsTo open a particular layout in the Layout Window, double-click its name from the Navigator’s Layout Book or the Organizer palette’s Layout Editor. You can also choose its name from the Window menu or use the Open Layout dialog box that is available from the Toolbar. Here you can activate the corresponding Layout window. (To open a Layout in a new, separate window, select the Layout in the Navigator and choose Open in New Window from the context menu.) To navigate sequentially among Layouts in the Layout Book, click the navigation arrows at the bottom of the window to move to the previous, next, first or last Layout in the Layout Book. Click the button showing the current Layout number to access the Go to Layout command.The contents of the layout windows are saved with the project.• The white area represents the usable print area of the paper

delimited by a blue frame.• The gray area represents the non-printing area (margins) of the

paper.

The displayed size and the margins of the Layout are defined by the Master Layout. When printing the Layout, you can fit it to the actual paper size used by the device, with the Fit to Page control of the Print dialog box.For more information, see “Print Layout” in ArchiCAD Help.You can place, arrange and transform drawings in the Layout window, and manually add 2D elements as well as Autotext items.For more information, see “Drawings in the Layout Book” on page 427.

Create New LayoutTo create a new Layout, choose the Document > Layout Book > New Layout command; or click the New Layout icon in the Navigator or the Organizer; or use the New Layout command from the context menu of any Layout Book item in the Navigator.Once you create a new Layout or Subset, the Navigator’s Tree by Subsets view will list it directly underneath the currently highlighted element. If the Layout window is currently open, the new Layout will replace it by default. If a Subset is currently highlighted in the Navigator palette, the New Layout command will place a new Layout as the last element inside the Subset folder.You can also create new Layouts automatically when placing and importing drawings.You can delete any Layout in the Layout Book except the last one: the Layout Book must always contain at least one Layout.

Master Layouts

The Master Layout defines the size of the Layouts (pages) of the Layout Book. The graphic and text items that you place on the Master Layout will appear on every Layout that uses it as a template.

Note: You can choose to hide the on-screen display of these elements on all Layouts (but not on individual ones) by turning off View > On-Screen View Options > Master Items on Layout. This option also affects Master items on Layouts used as Traces.


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A Layout Book typically includes multiple Master Layouts, but each layout is assigned to a single Master Layout.ArchiCAD includes several Master Layout templates. You can use one of the predefined Master Layouts, or customize your own. The Master Layout templates include commonly used title blocks which are composed of 2D drawing elements and text items, including Autotext. Autotext consists of special predefined automatic text items that are generated by the program.For more information, see “Autotext” on page 413.For example, the Title Blocks of the Master Layout template pictured below includes Autotext items for the Project Name, Drawing Name, Project Status and Layout ID, among others, as well as text items and a logo. You can edit a title block by opening the Master Layout and using the 2D editing and text tools to modify it.For more information, see “Master Layout Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.The Master Layout can also contain a Grid for Drawing IDs and other master items, such as Autotext, that will appear on all of the Layouts assigned to it.

Note: If you show a Layout as Trace, all Master Layout items will be shown as part of the Trace.

The color of Master items on the Layout, and whether they should be displayed below or above the Layout, are configurable in Options > Project Preferences > Layouts.The Master Layout can be accessed by double-clicking its name in the Layout Book. This will open or activate the corresponding Master Layout. By

default, all Layouts and Master Layouts open in the same window, but you can also choose to open a new window for each one of them.Master Layouts are placed in the Masters folder of the Layout Book and can be given distinctive names.One of the Master Layouts will be applied by default to newly created Layouts. The default Master Layout is shown as earmarked.To choose a different Master Layout that should be used by default, select it in the Navigator or Organizer palette and use the context menu, or check the Set as Default for New Layouts box in its Master Layout Settings dialog box. To apply another Master Layout to a Layout• Drag and drop any Master Layout onto the selected Layout• Drag and drop a Layout onto any Master Layout• Select a Layout, then choose

another Master Layout from the pop-up menu at the bottom of the Navigator Palette or in the Settings dialog box of the selected Layout.

The same options are available for creating Master Layouts as for simple Layouts.For more information, see “Layouts” on page 425.

Subsets

A subset is a folder inside the Layout Book. Subsets allow you to easily organize your layouts and to define numbering rules for them. When working in the Navigator or Organizer, you can place any Layout into a Subset simply by dragging and dropping it into place.If you create a new layout in the Organizer palette when right-clicking the name of a subset, it will be placed automatically in this subset. A Subset folder is indicated by an folder icon with a small number 1.


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Subsets are not required; you can place a Layout into the Layout book without placing it into a Subset. However, subsets are useful in organizing large-scale projects with multiple sets of documentation. When assigning IDs to Layouts, you can reflect the subset hierarchy as part of the Layout ID system, to make it easier to find the right Layout when needed.

Subsets can be named upon creation and renamed in the Navigator palette Properties section.

For more information on IDs, see “Layout and Drawing IDs” on page 434.

When setting up the contents of a Publisher Set, you can add a shortcut to any Layout Book Subset: this means Publisher Set items are created which are linked to the Subset folder and to its contents. This means that any changes to the contents of the Subset in the Layout Book are also reflected in the contents of the Publisher Set.

See “Defining a Publisher Set” on page 443.

Drawings in the Layout BookDrawings are ArchiCAD views and external files that have been placed onto a Layout. The Layout can include views from the current project file and other ArchiCAD project files. External drawing and picture files as well as PDF files can also be placed on the layout. From the layouting point of view, all these are collectively called Drawings.

Note: Drawings can also be placed into Model Views.

See “Drawings in Model Views” on page 386.

You can arrange and manipulate placed Drawings on the Layout as needed. (Although you can place any number of ArchiCAD views on a Layout, you cannot embed views within each other.)

You can customize the size, scale, title and framing options for your drawings in the Drawing Settings dialog box.

For more information, see “Drawing Tool Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.Imported drawings can be updated automatically to reflect all changes in the source file, or you can opt to update them manually.

Placing Drawings Onto the Layout

Drawings can be placed on layouts separately or collectively in the following ways.

When a model view window is active:Choose Document > Save view and place on Layout, or right-click anywhere in the window and choose the command of the same name from the appearing context menu.The layout window will become active and a placeholder symbol with a double arrow representing the drawing will be displayed. Move it with the cursor and click to place it. During drawing placement, ArchiCAD will use the Drawing’s Anchor Point as set in Drawing Default Settings. The same Anchor Point will anchor the drawing in case its source view is later modified and the drawing updated.For more information, see “Drawing Properties Panel” in ArchiCAD Help.


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With a Layout window active:Go to the Navigator or Organizer palette and drag and drop one or several items (viewpoints, views or views originating from external ArchiCAD files) directly onto the layout. When added to a Layout, viewpoints are converted to Views with their current settings. The newly created view is added to the View Map as well as to the Layout Book.

Using the Layout Editor of the Organizer:In the Organizer’s Layout Editor, drag and drop viewpoints, views and external files from the appropriate hierarchy list on the left side into the Layout Book on the right side. (Or use the Place Drawing command on the left side of the Organizer.)

Note: When placing several items from the Navigator/Organizer simultaneously onto a Layout, the placement obeys the rules (such as “Auto Arrange”) set in the drawing Placement panel of Master Layout Settings.

See “Arranging Multiple Drawings on the Layout” on page 429.

Using the Drawing Tool:With a Layout window active, choose the Drawing tool from the Toolbox, then click in the layout and use the appearing Place Drawing dialog box to choose a Drawing linked either to an external source (click Browse for a directory dialog box) or to a view of the current project (select a view, then click Place).

The placement of the drawings obeys the following rules:• If you drop an item on the name of an existing layout, the

drawing will be added to that layout.• If you drop an item on the name of a subset or the Layout Book

itself, the drawing will be placed on a new layout created automatically inside the subset (or at the topmost level of the Layout Book.

By default, when placing model views onto a Layout, its drawing frame will be adjusted to show only the zoomed area of the model. (This default setting can be changed in Options > Project Preferences > Layouts.) Once the zoomed view is placed, you can later opt to readjust the frame to fit other parts of the model view, either manually using pet palette commands, or using the Fit Frame to Drawing radio button in Drawing Settings.For more information, see “Drawing Tool Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.


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To place a drawing from an external application:

Use the File > External Content > Place External Drawing command, then select files from the file system. (The PDF format, many image formats, DXF and DWG are among the available formats.)

See also “Importing PDF Files As Drawings” on page 429.

To import a Drawing from another ArchiCAD project file:

Use the File > External Content > Place External Drawing command, then select the PLN file you need. The Import Drawing/Layout dialog box will display the view list of the file and you will then be able to pick views to place on the layouts.

Placing a view from another ArchiCAD project file will launch another instance of ArchiCAD.

Note: If you do not wish to launch ArchiCAD with each view placement, go to Options > Work Environment > More Options and check “Do not launch new instance of ArchiCAD.”

Once you have placed a view from an external ArchiCAD project file into the current one, the view map and Layout Book structure of this source file will be at your disposal in the Project Chooser, and you will be able to place additional drawings easily into the current project’s Layout Book.See “External Projects in the Navigator” on page 76.For more information, see “Import Drawing/Layout from ArchiCAD Project” in ArchiCAD Help.

Arranging Multiple Drawings on the LayoutWhen placing multiple Drawings onto a layout, the Drawings will arrange themselves according to the Drawing Placement logic defined in Master Layout Settings.If the layout is defined (in Master Layout Settings) as using the Auto Arrange feature, the drawings will be placed according to these definitions in Master Layout Settings.

Note: The default logic is “Auto Arrange.” If you are placing only a single drawing on the Layout, it will be placed in the center of the Layout.

For more information, see “Auto Arrange New Drawings” in ArchiCAD Help.

If the layout onto which you are placing the drawings uses a Grid for Drawing IDs, the drawings will be placed in the appropriate cells.For more information, see “Align and Assign Drawings to a Grid” in ArchiCAD Help.

Importing PDF Files As Drawings

As when importing any other external file, use the File > External Content > Place External Drawing command. If the PDF file


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being imported is password-protected, you will have to provide a password when prompted.If you are importing a multi-page PDF document, a dialog box prompts you to choose which of the pages you wish to place.

You can also place PDFs into ArchiCAD 2D windows through drag-and-drop. In the case of multi-page PDFs, the dialog box that prompts you to choose a page will also appear.A PDF file placed on the Layout, like any other item, becomes a Drawing. The Drawing name consists of the PDF file name. The page numbering is displayed in the Source View field of the drawing.Like any other external linked drawing, placed PDFs can be automatically or manually updated in ArchiCAD.

Modifying Drawings on the Layout

While the modifications made on drawings placed on the Layout are performed in their original views, there are a number of special functions available in the Layout window.The operations performed on drawings in the Layout window are not reflected in the original view.

A Drawing placed on the Layout can be stretched by dragging one of its boundary hotspots after selecting it with the Arrow tool. You can also drag or rotate placed drawings or their copies. With the Edit > Move > Multiply command, you can create multiple copies of the same Drawing and then customize each copy.The Layout and Model can refer to different pen tables. This means that you can define a separate set of pens to use on Layouts for the best printing and plotting results.

Note: The Layout’s Pen Set affects elements placed directly on the Layout (such as Master Layout items like the Title Block). The Drawing’s pen set affects the content of placed drawings and is assigned in Drawing Settings.

For more information, see “Pens & Colors/Pen Sets” on page 33.By default, drawings are displayed using the pen sets defined in their source views.

The View Drawing’s own Pen Set button lets you access, edit, and rename this pen set, if desired.Alternatively, use the Pen Set drop-down in Drawing Settings to choose any other pen set from the project’s pen sets. For more information, see “Pen Set” in ArchiCAD Help.Selecting the Edit > Explode into Current View command will deconstruct selected elements into drawing primitives (points, lines and fills). The appearing dialog box gives you the choice to keep the original elements along with the primitives, or replace the original elements with the drawing primitives. In the latter case, the placed drawing will be deleted.


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Drawing Titles

Each Drawing placed on a Layout can have a title containing graphic elements and information referring to the drawing data, such as Drawing ID, Name, and Scale.

Note: Drawings placed in Model Views do not have Titles.

The actual drawing title is based on a Title Type. Title Types are GDL Objects that can be assigned to Drawings by default (automatically) or assigned manually to selected Drawings.To assign a title to a Drawing, select the Drawing and open the Drawing Settings dialog box. In the Title panel, select a Title type from the pop-up menu.To assign a title by default to each newly placed Drawing, open Drawing Default Settings (the Default settings come up if no Drawing is selected) and choose a Drawing title.Drawing Titles are laid out automatically with the associated drawing. A Drawing Title is a sub-element of the drawing. Using the Title panel of the Drawing Settings dialog box, you can define, assign and format Title Types according to your preferences and create new ones as Library Parts.

For more information, see “Drawing Tool Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.

Create a New Title TypeIn the Layout window, use the available 2D tools (e.g. lines, text blocks) to design a Title Type to fit your needs. Select the components of this new Title Type. Use File > Libraries and Objects > Save as Title Type to save this object. Once saved, your Title Type is available from the pop-up the Title panel of Drawing Settings.Once saved, you can subsequently edit this custom-created Title Type graphically: Use File > Libraries and Objects > Open Object. From the directory dialog box, select the Title Type you want to edit. Click “2D Symbol” to access the graphical editing window for this object. Make your changes using 2D tools.

Note: Make sure the scale of the GDL 2D symbol window is set to 1:1, to make editing easier.

Drawing Title Reference to Drawing Source (“Back Reference” to Layout Containing Source Marker)The Title panel of Drawing Settings gives you access to the Back Reference function.Back Reference allows you to add Layout ID information to the Drawing Title: specifically, the ID of one or more Layouts that


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contain a Drawing that shows the source marker of the current Drawing. Thus, the Back Reference function is useful if the current Drawing is based on a Section, Elevation, Interior Elevation, Detail or Worksheet.

Click Back Reference to bring up the dialog box of the same name.

This dialog box lists every Layout that displays the source marker of the current drawing. (Or which would display the source marker if the Drawing Frame hadn’t been manually altered.)

First check the Enable Back Reference box, then select one or more of the Layouts whose ID you wish to display. (Check Select All

available if you want the Drawing Title to display the ID’s of all Layouts listed here.)Click OK to close the dialog box and return to Drawing Settings.The Drawing Title Preview shows an Autotext in the place where the Drawing Title will contain the Layout ID information.In this example, if you have checked “Select All available,” the final Drawing title looks like this:

Note: Make sure that the parameters of the Drawing Title object you are using have enabled the Back Reference function:


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Managing and Updating Placed Drawings

All drawings placed in the ArchiCAD project belong to one of the two following types:• Automatic update. This means that the drawing placed on the

layout will be updated automatically when the layout is activated (brought to front or selected for output). Automatic updates also occur before publishing. If a drawing comes from a different source than the currently opened project file, then ArchiCAD will check whether it requires updating or not, and perform an update if necessary.

• Manual update. This means that the drawing is frozen in the state its source view or file was in when placed on the layout or updated. This can be useful if you wish to keep the drawings untouched until they are approved or you are ready to move on to the next stage in your work.

You can override the default update type setting for selected placed drawings in their Drawing Settings dialog boxes.For more information, see “Drawing Tool Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.The Drawing Manager palette is the place where you can check the status of the placed drawings, modify their update type, reestablish, repair or change links.

For more information, see “Drawing Manager” in ArchiCAD Help.The Drawing Manager can be accessed from the Window > Palettes menu. You can also access Drawing Manager by clicking the top left

icon in the Navigator or Organizer palette and choosing the Show Drawing Manager command.This will display a dialog box that lists all the Drawings you have placed in the Project (both Layout Book and Model views), including those referring to external projects and external drawings such as PDF files. The Drawing(s) contained in the active window are listed in boldface.By selecting any drawing in a list, you can use its context menu to access the most important drawing-related commands, such as Drawing Settings and Open Source View.

Note: You cannot edit a selected drawing’s parameters directly in the Drawing Manager. To edit drawing parameters, use Drawing Settings.

By default, the Type, ID, Name, Status, Layout (Placed to), Source View and Path are shown for each drawing. You can sort items by any of these properties by clicking on its column header. You can then perform a secondary sorting function: clicking a second column header will further sort within the hierarchy obtained by the first sorting. To customize the list columns, right-click any column header to bring up a list of available columns. Toggle these on and off as needed.The column widths can be graphically resized.

Note: If you enable the “Cut Plane” column, it will display the Cut Plane height of the Drawing’s source, when applicable. This field will display “N/A” (not applicable) if the drawing is not based on a Floor Plan viewpoint, and/or if the drawing was created in an earlier version of ArchiCAD that does not use Cut Planes.


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The Status field indicates the status of the placed Drawing in the Layout.• OK status means the Drawing is updated.• Modified means that the source file has been modified and the

placed Drawing requires an update in order to reflect the latest status of the source file.

• Embedded: This Drawing has no link and cannot be updated. (If it once had a link which has since been broken, the Drawing manager displays its former source view for information purposes only.)

• Unavailable: The source of the linked drawing cannot be found.• To be Updated: Temporary status of a drawing included in the

set of Drawings to be updated, but the update process has not affected this drawing yet.

• Updating: Temporary status of a drawing currently being updated.

• Needs Checking: ArchiCAD’s automated background quick-check function cannot determine definitively whether the drawing needs an update or not. If this status appears, you can either:- click the Check Status button to see whether the drawing is either OK or Modified. In the latter case, if the drawing’s update method is Manual, you can decide whether to update it or not. (A Drawing set to Automatic update will be updated as soon as you activate its Layout.)- click the Update button to achieve an updated status.

To update linked Drawings if its source file has been modified:• In the Drawing Manager, select one or more Drawings from the

list, then click the Update button, or• In the Navigator or Organizer Layout Map

view, select a Drawing from the tree view, then click the Update button or right-click and choose the Update command from the context menu.

You can also update all drawings at the same time if nothing is selected in the Navigator or Organizer’s Layout Map view.

If the Layout Book contains Drawings whose source is a linked PMK file (created in the Publisher out of an ArchiCAD model view), you can re-link all these PMK-based drawings back to their original model view. Select the PMK files in the Drawing Manager (multiselection is available) and use the following command from the context menu: Link to original Model View.

See the workflow description at “Larger Projects” on page 438.When opening a project that includes drawings whose source views or files have been modified, the Update Drawings dialog box is displayed. You can then either choose to ignore this warning, update all drawing links or go the Drawing Manager and decide to only update selected ones.

Deleting a Drawing

To delete a drawing, select it and delete it like any other ArchiCAD element. Note that deleting a drawing is not undoable EXCEPT if the active window is the same type (e.g. Floor Plan or Layout window) as the window which contained the deleted drawing.

Layout and Drawing IDsBoth Layouts and Drawings have IDs assigned to them, as an aid in organizing, navigating and outputting your project. The primary use of assigning Layout IDs is to achieve the automatic numbering of the


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Layout Book. While an automatic logic can be applied to the whole Layout Book, ArchiCAD provides maximum flexibility in customizing the assignment of IDs to meet your preferences.

Simple Layout Numbering

The simplest way to number your Layouts is to number each layout sequentially, like the pages in a book. To do this, you do not need to consider Layout IDs; just place an Autotext for “Layout Number” in the Master Layout. The Layout Number is a number assigned to each layout in the order it is created; it is shown at the bottom of your Layout Window. Through the Autotext, this number will appear on each Layout.

However, if you want to use a “smart” numbering system that accounts for adding and removing Layouts in the Layout Book hierarchy, you should use the Automatic Layout ID assignment logic.

Automatic Layout ID Assignment

Due to the complexity of most architectural projects, and to enable you to retain the desired numbering sequence even after Layouts are added and removed from the Layout Book, most users will prefer to use an automated method which assigns an ID to each layout. The smart ID assignment system automatically adjusts itself whenever the Layout Book is changed (for example by the addition of new Layouts, changes in the Layout order or in the document structure).“Layout ID” is available as an Autotext entry, so if you add the Layout ID Autotext to the Master Layout’s Title block, then each Layout will be numbered with this ID.

For more information, see “Autotext” on page 413.

Go to Document > Layout Book > Book Settings. Choose your preferred method for assigning Layout IDs:

• Use Hierarchy (Tree view by subset): Use this method if you want your Layout IDs to reflect the Layout’s location in a particular subset. IDs will reflect the tree structure hierarchy: Layout IDs will “inherit” the IDs of the subsets in which they are located - as in the illustration below.

Both the prefix and the style (1-2-3, A-B-C, etc.) of the layout/subset ID can be customized. The resulting layout ID is usually a letter-number combination, such as A-03/a.

See also “Book Settings Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.

Note: At any level of ID assignment (Book Settings, Layout Settings or Subset Settings), you can choose a style of “No ID”. As part of the automated ID system, every sub-item in that group (e.g. every layout in that subset) will be assigned an “empty” ID, which is like no ID at all.

• Use Flat Layout Order: This method will assign an ID to Layouts only (not taking subsets into account), from top to bottom in the Navigator Layout Book. Layouts will receive


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sequential IDs regardless of their hierarchical position - as in the illustration below. If you change the order of Navigator items, their IDs will change accordingly.

Custom Layout/Subset IDsEven if you use the Automatic ID assignment logic defined in Book Settings, you can still assign a custom ID to any Layout or Subset.In Layout or Subset Settings, assign a custom ID to the selected layout or subset. The Layout/Subset will still “count” as part of the ID sequence (e.g., if the previous Layout is A-01, the custom Layout might be Suppl.-01, and the following Layout will be A-03.)• If you do not want the custom ID to be counted in the automatic

ID sequence, check the “Do not include this Layout (Subset) in ID sequence” box.

Once you have customized a Subset ID, you then have the further choice of making the IDs of Layouts in this subset either follow the new logic (incorporating the subset’s custom ID), or else retaining the ID logic of the overall Layout Book structure irrespective of the customized subset ID.For more information, see “Layout Settings” in ArchiCAD Help and “Pens & Colors/Pen Sets” on page 33.

Another way to assign a custom Layout or Subset ID is by typing it directly into the Properties panel of the selected Layout (Subset) in the Navigator Layout Book.For details, see “Book Settings Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.

Drawing IDs

Each drawing placed onto a layout is automatically assigned a Drawing ID. The Drawing ID appears in front of the Drawing Name in the Navigator and the Organizer palette. The method of ID assignment is defined in Drawing Settings. Note that the Drawing Name and the Drawing ID are defined separately.For more information, see “Drawing Identification Panel” in ArchiCAD Help.In the Identification panel of Drawing Settings, choose one of these options for defining the Drawing’s ID:• By View ID: The Drawing will have the same ID as its source

view. This option is often the most useful if your Layouts contain one Drawing each. (This option is only available if the Drawing’s source is an ArchiCAD view.)

• By Layout: The Drawing will get an ID based on its “Parent” Layout: the Drawing ID will have the Prefix/Style you define in Layout Settings, in the “IDs of Drawings on this Layout” panel. This option is most useful if your Layouts contain multiple Drawings.

For more information, see “Layout Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.• Custom: Assign any custom ID to this Drawing. You can also use the Grid for Drawing IDs feature of your Master Layout to automatically place drawings in cells and assign IDs in a matrix or a flat structure.For more information, see “Master Layout Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.


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Layouting Workflow SchemesArchiCAD’s Integrated Workflow Control ensures optimal workflow for projects of any size, complexity and type (single-user or shared project). The following outline introduces some workflow models you might use in various situations, and covers the topic of layouting in a TeamWork environment.

Smaller Projects

Smaller projects typically mean smaller design teams (or solo practices) and smaller drawing sets. Smaller practices tend to be less

structured, and more often than not the same architect takes care of the entire design process, including layouting.In such cases, the project usually consists of a single file which contains all the drawings that make up the documentation, with the possible exception of a number of external files such as pictures, PDF format tables and descriptions, and standard details.When using the single-file model, you can build up the structure of your layout book by defining the necessary number of subset folders and adding to them the viewpoints and views set up previously in the project file.If the placed drawings are defined as automatically updated, the layout book will be continuously in synch with the design work. The activated layout will reflect the latest changes made on the plans, sections and other drawings.

Mid-Size Projects

Projects of somewhat larger size or complexity usually require a team of architects who will divide the work among themselves using ArchiCAD’s TeamWork functionality, without breaking down the project into several files. The layouting is best handled by a dedicated team member who, when signing in to the project, will skip all other workspace options and reserve all the layouts instead. This person can also use a special Work Environment scheme defined especially for layouting and plotting purposes. In this scenario, the person responsible for layouting will work basically the same way as in the case above. Updating the layouts will then be connected to the sending and receiving processes of the other team members.


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Larger Projects

In larger architectural practices which handle large, multi-building projects, it may be more practical to break down the large project into smaller entities. Each of these subordinate entities (for example, buildings located on the same site) will then constitute a project file, which can still refer to a single set of templates, modules and libraries.However, the documentation will probably extend to the entire project, taking drawings from all the project files.In this case, it makes sense to define a single Layout Book that will accommodate views and files originating from all of the project files that make up the project.There are basically three solutions:

Single File Containing Model and Layout Book

If there is a large main file in the project with one or two smaller additional files, you can opt to build up the structure of the layout book in the larger file as you would in the single file model above, and then also open the smaller files, locate their views in the Organizer, and add them to the Layout Book.See: “To import a Drawing from another ArchiCAD project file:” on page 429.See also “External Projects in the Navigator” on page 76.

Multiple Project Files, with Separate File for Layout Book OnlyIf there are many project files of about the same size and complexity, it may make sense to create an additional project file that does not contain any construction elements, just the Layout Book. You can then open the other files one by one and add their views to the Layout Map, possibly by creating a subset folder for each of them or by defining another custom hierarchical structure.When a layout is activated in the multiple file model, ArchiCAD checks whether it contains drawings that originate from project files other than the active one. If there are, it will then start updating those drawings that are set to be updated automatically. If the file containing the given drawing is open in another ArchiCAD session, the update occurs instantly. If the file containing the given drawing is not currently open, then another ArchiCAD session will be launched to open it.


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Multiple Project Files, Separate Layout Book, Separate Drawings (PMK Files)

This workflow can be appropriate if several individuals are working concurrently on the model and documentation through a network.

In this workflow, as in the previous one, the model is located in one or more project files, and the Layout Book in a separate project file. The Layouting procedure, however, is different: Layouts will contain Drawings whose source is in an external file, rather than directly linked to project views.

The model designer will create views as usual in the ArchiCAD file. Instead of placing these views directly onto the Layout, s/he will use the Publisher function to save or upload the views in PMK format, a native ArchiCAD drawing format which takes up relatively less hard drive space than many other formats.

See “Defining Output Format” on page 444.

The architect responsible for the Layout Book will then place these PMK drawings on the Layout, using the Drawing Tool and the Place Drawing dialog box, or the File > External Content > Place External Drawing command.

See “Using the Drawing Tool:” on page 428.

These placed Drawings, like any other Drawing, are either Auto-update or Manual-update. Their source is the PMK file. Consequently, it is the model designer’s responsibility to ensure that every time an ArchiCAD view is modified, the PMK file created from that view is also replaced, so that the Drawings linked to these PMK files can be updated.

Advantages of this workflow:

• Updating documentation may be quicker, because it involves updating a single, small-sized drawing file at a time.

• Opening the Layout Book might take less time, since the PMK files serving as the Drawing sources are located outside the project file.

• If the PMK-based Drawings are set to Auto-update, then they will be automatically updated when the Layout is published.

If necessary, you can break the Drawing’s link to the PMK file and re-link the Drawing to its original model view. To do this, select the PMK file(s) in the Drawing Manager (multiselection is available) and use the following command from the context menu: Link to original Model View.

Layouting in Teamwork

For more information, see “Working Inside the Reserved Area” on page 463.When working in a team scenario, layouting is often entrusted to one or more dedicated members of the design team.

When signing in to the shared project as teammates, these members will skip the first screens of the sign-in wizard and go directly to the Layouts (the one displayed after Details).

Only entire layouts can be reserved. Newly added layouts automatically belong to the teammate who has created them. However, any Team Member can place items onto any Layout, even Layouts he/she does not own.

Placed drawings cannot be reserved separately. Drawings can be added to any layout by any user, and the owner of the drawing is the person who placed it and who manipulates it on the layout. (Each


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Drawing’s Navigator icon will indicate whether it belongs to you or to another Teammate.)

Note: Upon sending and receiving changes, the user will be prompted to hand over the control over of placed drawings or other layout items to the person who owns the layout.

The basic components of the Layout Book (the structure of the Layout Map, the Subsets, the Master Layouts) belong to the Team Leader, and teammates cannot modify them. The owner of the layout can define its settings, modify the elements of the layout and even delete the layout. All other members of the team can view reserved layouts.

PublishingOutputs are the end result of the architectural design workflow; ArchiCAD gives you a high degree of flexibility in printing, plotting, and electronic publishing.

For quick outputs of the current on-screen view, the Print and Plot commands are available directly from ArchiCAD’s file menu; the Print and Plot dialog boxes contain familiar options.

You will normally use printing for creating fast outputs on which you can check various aspects of your design and plotting for creating the final documentation that will be submitted and sent to the client, the building authorities and the subcontractors.

For large-scale, planned outputs of one or more publisher sets, the Publisher function is a handy concept dedicated to the architectural design workflow. Using the Publisher palette, you set up and save preferences for any number of publisher sets: you define whether to print, plot, upload them to a server or save them to disk. Once a publisher set is defined, you can publish or republish it at any time, using the same properties, at the push of a button.

PrintThe File > Print command will bring up a Print dialog box which varies slightly depending on the view you are printing: Layout, 2D or 3D. For more information, see Print 2D Document and “Print Layout” in ArchiCAD Help.

Note: The following descriptions are based on the Windows interface.

For a discussion of the print/plot features unique to MacOS, see “Printer/Plotter Settings for MacOS” in ArchiCAD Help.

Items to be PrintedThe Print command enables you to print the current view, or just a particular Print Area of the view, as set in the Print dialog box. From the Layout Window, you can print just the Layouts which are selected in the Navigator.Items that cannot be printed include Hotspots, selection dots, Section depth lines, Roof pivot lines, Cameras and their paths.The lines of the Construction Grid can be optionally printed from the 2D windows by checking the Print Grid checkbox. Note that you can only print the grid if Grid Display is ON.Items on a Trace view can also be printed.

Note: Elements that are located on remote stories but individually set to display on the current story will always appear on the output.

Use the Document > Set Model View > Model View Options dialog box to specify the display of model items on the Floor Plan, and thereby the printed output.For more information, see “Model View Options” on page 355.


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Header/Footer

When printing from ArchiCAD’s 2D or 3D window or Layout window, you have the option to place a Header or Footer on the printed page. You set the content of the Header/Footer in Header/Footer Settings.

For more information, see “Header/Footer Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.

Output Color

If you are using a printer that supports color or grayscale output, the color of the printed elements is defined by:

1) The setting made in the Print dialog box. Checking the Black and White box will print all colors in black independently of any other setting.

For more information, see “Print 2D Document” in ArchiCAD Help.2) The setting made on the Properties panel of the Drawing

Settings dialog box for each individual drawing placed on the layout.

For more information, see “Drawing Tool Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.Note: In the Drawing Settings Properties panel, the Pen Set pop-up allows you to choose a pen set for the drawing; the Colors pop-up allows you to choose the colors that will be used for printing it. Since the color and grayscale pensets are not connected, it is not indifferent whether you first choose the Color pen set and then choose to display the drawing in grayscale or the other way round. The two results can be entirely different as shown below.

PlotThe File > Plot command brings up the Plot 2D document dialog box.

For more information, see “Plot 2D Document” in ArchiCAD Help.

Note: The following descriptions are based on the Windows interface.

For a discussion of the print/plot features unique to MacOS, see “Printer/Plotter Settings for MacOS” in ArchiCAD Help.

Plotter drivers shipped with ArchiCAD all use the HPGL vector-graphic language. We refer to any printing device that supports HPGL as a 'plotter'. Graphisoft provides dedicated plotter drivers for most plotters; for printing, you must use printer drivers provided by the vendor.

Note: Many current large-format output devices come with printer drivers which make the device function as a system printer. If the device is also HPGL compatible, you can use the dedicated plotter drivers provided by Graphisoft.

Plotter Setup

When outputting documents to a plotter, you first need to set up the plotter for ArchiCAD. The communication with the plotter device is ensured by specific plotter drivers stored in the PlotWare folder located by default in the same directory as ArchiCAD.

Choose File > Plot Setup to open the Plot Setup dialog box.

For more information, see “Plot Setup” in ArchiCAD Help.

Note: The ReadMe file also contains extensive information on issues related to plotting, such as recommendations on the choice of drivers and cables, and network plotting.

When first using a plotter with ArchiCAD, you need to connect to it by clicking the Setup button in the Connection area.

You can only plot graphic data from ArchiCAD. If a text window is in front, both the Plot Setup and Plot commands appear in gray in the File menu.


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Plot versus Print

Some of the basic differences with printing:

• You cannot define a plot range; the entire contents of the active window will be plotted. From a Layout Window, you can choose to plot the Layouts selected in the Navigator.

• You can choose a color for the lines of the window grid, if you wish to plot it from a 2D window.

• Elements in a Trace view cannot be plotted.

You may prefer Plotting to Printing in these cases:

• Spool Folder: You can output a print/plot job into a file in both Printing and Plotting. However, if you need to collect your output jobs into a spool folder (so PlotFlow can take the plot jobs from the Spool Folder and send them to the plotter), use the Plotting function. Set the location of the Spool Folder in the Plot Setup dialog box.

• Grayscale Output Color: When Plotting, you have the option to select the color choice of the output: Color, Grayscale and Black and White are the available options. The Print dialog box lets you mark the Black and White checkbox if you prefer Black/White to color. (You can, however, also achieve grayscale output when printing: use grayscale Pen Sets for Model Views, or set grayscale display for Drawings placed on Layouts.)

• Speed: Plotting is generally faster than Printing, so if you have a high-volume output job, you should consider Plotting.

Publisher FunctionArchiCAD’s Publisher feature automates and simplifies the repeated and consistent output of a larger number of documents (Publisher items). You set up Publisher Sets, predefine some options and properties and then can publish them at any time and any number of times by simply clicking a button. This function is vitally important in the documentation phase but it also comes in handy when preparing a project for review by contractors or clients.

Each Publisher item refers directly to a View or to a Layout. The View or Layout settings of the item are displayed at the bottom of the Publisher, but are not editable. The only additional settings controlled in the Publisher are the output format and related options (these are accessible in the Format tab page at the bottom of the Publisher). The icon of each Publisher item corresponds to its output format. In the image here, each of the Floor Plans is set to a different output format: DWG, DXF and PDF.Publisher Sets are stored with the project, so you can access them any time, adjust settings if needed, and re-publish them.By clicking the Publish button, you can publish a single set or all defined publishing sets or even selected views.The Publisher function is controlled by the Publisher map of the Navigator or the Organizer. You can also access the Publisher from the Document > Publisher > Publish menu command.


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Planning to Publish

While Publisher automates and simplifies the publishing process, publishing all or part of a project can be a major task. All of the views to be published must be generated or updated, which can require considerable computer time.When planning to publish via the Internet, you should give some thought to the files you are going to send. For example, if you publish extensive 3D views of a Project, this could create very large files, which not only could take a long time to send but might be too large to be easily downloaded by your target users.In general, plan your publication carefully, making sure that you publish all that is required but nothing that is unnecessary.

Note: When you use the Publish function to output a publisher set, previously saved or uploaded files of the same name will be overwritten without warning.

If you have finished setting up the publication but do not want to actually start publishing, you can simply close the palette without clicking the Publish button. All Publisher settings are preserved with the project.

Defining a Publisher Set

To define a Publisher set in the Publisher tree structure, choose New Publisher Set from the pop-up menu at the top of the Publisher, then give it a name. Named Publisher sets are listed at the bottom of this pop-up menu (in this image, the Publisher sets are called “1-Views” and “2-Layouts.”)Next, add any combination of Layouts and Views to the Publisher set. Select the desired items from the View Map or Layout Map on the left side of the Organizer, then do one of the following:

• click the Add Shortcut command at the bottom of the View Map/Layout Map.

• drag and drop the selected items into the Publisher setNote: If you select a Subset from the Layout Book or a View Map folder, the Add Shortcut button will create a shortcut linking the selected Subset/folder to a corresponding folder in the Publisher Set at the right. Any changes to the contents of the Subset will also take place in the linked Publisher Set folder (similar to a cloned view map folder). In contrast, if you drag and drop a Subset or folder into the Publishing Set, a corresponding folder is created, but it is not linked and does not follow any subsequent modifications to the Subset/folder contents.

In this image, the first Publisher Set item was created by selecting a Subset in the Layout Book and clicking the Create Shortcut button. Similar to a cloned folder in the View Map, it is a shortcut to the Layout Book Subset: all modifications to the Subset contents will be reflected in the Publisher Set item. Use Create Shortcut to ensure that Subsets and View Map folders are recreated in updated form in the Publisher Set.


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The second Publisher Set item was created using drag and drop. It is not a shortcut, just a one-time copy of the Subset folder.

Once the Publisher set is assembled, you can click on any of the Publisher items (i.e. views or layouts in the Publisher set) to view its Properties in the Properties panel below. These properties are view-only and not editable.For more information, see “Publisher Controls” in ArchiCAD Help.

Defining Output Method

Use the Publishing Set Properties dialog box to choose an output format for the Publisher Set.• Click the Publishing Properties button in the Organizer; or• Choose Publishing

Properties from the pop-up menu in the Navigator Publisher Set.

You have four options here:• Print• Save files• Upload to Internet• PlotDepending on your format choice, you will set specific output options. For details, see “Publisher Set Properties Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.

Defining Output FormatIf you choose Print or Plot in Publishing Properties, the Format tab page lets you choose the device to send the files to, directly access the Page Setup/Plot Setup dialog boxes, and configure some of the output options without having to exit the function. The Publisher is the optimal tool for batch printing and plotting large numbers of files.If you choose Save or Upload to Internet, use the Format tab page to choose an image format for outputting the file. Files can be saved or uploaded in a large variety of formats including all standard image formats and CAD exchange formats. You can choose file formats for the contents of a folder or individually for each view.As of ArchiCAD 12, the PMK format is available for saving views in the Publisher. This is a native ArchiCAD drawing format which takes up relatively less hard drive space than many other formats. Saving views in PMK format can be a good workflow if your project is divided among multiple files (e.g. Model pln and Documentation pln).See the layouting workflow descriptions at “Larger Projects” on page 438.

Note: If you are working in AutoCAD and open a DWG that was originally saved from ArchiCAD, an Alert may appear. However, you should go ahead and work with the saved DWG in AutoCAD - no stability problems should result.


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For some formats, a variety of options are available - in these cases, an Options button is displayed, and you can choose among compression settings, color depths, and other options depending on the chosen format. If you choose PDF format, the Format options change significantly.For more information, see “PDF Output” on page 446.If the selection contains several files with different file formats, the Format field displays “Various.” When uploading files, enter the host or FTP server name, your user name and password. You can also type the explicit server address in the Path field.You can also send an email message to one or several recipients of the uploaded file, or even attach the files themselves to the e-mail. First, enable the “Send an email” checkbox.

Note: You must first define your own email options in Options > Work Environment > Publisher.

In the appearing E-mail dialog box, enter the recipient information and set other options as desired. Recipients can be typed in, or accessed using your own customized Contacts list (Document > Publisher > Contacts).

Note: The email will not be sent if the publishing process fails.

Viewing and Redlining DWF Files

When planning to save files for review by a contractor or a client who does not have ArchiCAD installed but wish to have a feedback from them, your best choice is the DWF file format with the Project Reviewer web environment. In DWF format, the published files can

be viewed through the Internet or an intranet with the Java-based Project Reviewer web environment by anyone who can access the files’ location via a LAN or an FTP connection, without having to install or even be familiar with ArchiCAD. Colleagues, contractors, subcontractors or clients can view the design in a web browser application, add their remarks by redlining it, and send back their corrections or suggestions to the author of the project. Project Reviewer can be included with the published file set.For more information, see “Project Reviewer” on page 503.Redlined DWF files can be incorporated in the ArchiCAD file by using Project Mark-Up.For more information, see “Project Mark-Up” on page 508.See also “Publisher Set Properties Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.

Publishing Process

Use the scroll-down list at the bottom of the Publisher to choose which item(s) to output:• If you choose this set, the entire

active publication set will be published. • If you choose selected items, only the items currently selected

in the active publication set will be published. • If you choose all the sets, all currently defined sets will be

published. Click the Publish button at the bottom of the Publisher to begin the publishing process.The icons next to the view names inform you whether the job is completed, under way or failed. You can also click Stop, which will end the whole publishing procedure, or Pause, which will cause publication to pause, and change the Stop button to read Continue, allowing you to continue publication later.


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A log file containing information on each publishing process is saved to the location you specify in Options > Work Environment > Publisher (“Publisher log location”).

PDF OutputOn the MacOS, PDF output is integrated with the System software. The interface described in the sections below is used with Windows only.

Create PDF Output Using the Publisher

From the Publisher, you can save or upload one or more views in Acrobat PDF (Portable Document Format). (Views listed as Publisher items in the Publisher are set to PDF format by default.)1) Open the desired Publisher Set in the Organizer’s Publisher.

Make sure that either “Save” or “Upload” is selected from “Publishing Properties.”

2) Choose Publisher item(s) from the Publisher Set.

3) In the Format section of the Publisher, set Format to “PDF.”

4) Click Page Options to set the Paper Size and Orientation of the resulting PDF Document.

5) Click Document Options to define your preferred settings for the content of the resulting PDF Document.

6) At the bottom left of the Document Options dialog box, click PDF Options to create an optional password.


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Note: The Arc resolution setting reflects the fact that the PDF format does not recognize arcs/circles and must approximate them by converting them to polygons. The Arc resolution setting defines the accuracy of these polygons.

7) Publish the selected item(s) as usual.

PDFs created with ArchiCAD can include standard PDF features such as thumbnails and bookmarks.

Save Document in PDF Format

To save the contents of the currently active window as a PDF file, go to File > Save As, and choose PDF as the file format.

Click Page Options to set the Paper Size and Orientation of the resulting PDF Document.

Click Document Options to define your preferred settings for the content of the resulting PDF Document.

At the bottom left of the Document Options dialog box, click PDF Options to create an optional password.

Note: The Arc resolution setting reflects the fact that the PDF format does not recognize arcs/circles and must approximate them by converting them to polygons. The Arc resolution setting defines the accuracy of these polygons.

Document Options will vary depending on the type of the active window you are saving from.

• For a 2D or 3D document, Document Options are similar to the options in the Print 2D/Print 3D dialog boxes.

For more information, see “Print 2D Document” in ArchiCAD Help.When saving to PDF, you can save the contents in Color, Black & White, or Grayscale.


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• For a Layout, you can choose to output multiple Layouts into a PDF files, or else just the current Layout (at its current zoom or in its entirety), just as when printing a Layout. (No Page Options button is available when saving to PDF from a Layout window.)

• For a formatted list, you have Scaling options and the ability to place each zone or page of the list onto a new sheet. (No Document Options button is available when saving to PDF from a formatted list window.)

3D Content in PDF (WIN only)

When creating a PDF, ArchiCAD allows you to take advantage of the U3D file format (in Windows only).When publishing a PDF document from ArchiCAD, you can embed a U3D file into the PDF, then “navigate” the view within the PDF as if it were a 3D model.1) From the 3D window, save the desired model view as a file using

the “Save as” command. Choose the “U3D file” format from the list of available formats. It is recommended to clear unnecessary detail from the 3D model as much as possible, in order to optimize the navigation speed in the resulting PDF document.

2) In the Navigator or Organizer Palette, save the desired model as a 3D view. If you prefer, add the 3D view to a Layout.

3) Next, add the 3D view (either on its own or as part of a Layout) to a Publisher set. Select the 3D view (or Layout) in the Publisher Set.

4) Set the Publisher Set Properties to PDF format. (This is the default publishing format.)

5) In the Format tab page at the bottom of the Publisher palette, choose Document Options, then PDF Options.

6) Check the “Embed 3D content” checkbox.7) Click the “Browse” button to select the file you saved in U3D

format (in Step 1 above).


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8) If you are publishing a Layout, select the 3D view on the layout into which you want to embed the U3D file. (If you are publishing a view, the U3D will be embedded into that view.)

9) Click OK.10) In the Publisher, select the desired publisher item and publish it

in PDF format. The resulting PDF file will contain an embedded, navigable U3D file.The U3D model embedded in the PDF can be navigated only by using Adobe Reader 7.0 or later.

CalculationArchiCAD’s integrated database of construction elements can be used to display, in list format, the number, quantities and components of elements in a project and the elements’ spatial disposition (zones). The following chapter sums up the basic concepts involved in the calculation process and enumerates the list types that can be obtained.The report-generation process described in this section is a simple output function; use predefined list templates to generate simple lists. Advanced users may wish to use customized formatting and define customized filtering properties.The entire process is described in detail in the ArchiCAD 12/Graphisoft Documentation/“Calculation Guide.pdf ”, also available from the ArchiCAD Help menu.Some of the commands referenced in this section are not visible in ArchiCAD 12’s default work environment profiles. If you plan to configure lists (recommended for advanced users only), first use Options > Work Environment > Menus to add the following commands to an existing menu (i.e. Document > Schedules & Lists):• Set up List Schemes• Edit Database• New Properties• Edit Properties• Last Selection’s Properties• Link Properties to Criteria

However, most users will prefer ArchiCAD’s Interactive Schedule function. Interactive Schedules are part of the Project Map, and the schedules produced can be saved as views and output on layouts. As its name indicates, an Interactive Schedule is a two-way editable item which is linked to the project elements that it contains.For more information, see “Interactive Schedule” on page 209.

Calculation SourcesWhen performing calculations, ArchiCAD can take raw information from the following sources:• The construction elements placed in the project. Construction

element information includes the size, surface, volume, ID number, and the attributes and parameters defined for the elements in their settings dialog boxes or through graphic input.

• Property Objects assigned to construction elements. Property Objects are special GDL Object-type files without a 3D Script or a 3D view. Property Objects can include references to databases as well as Component and Descriptor data explicitly defined for that individual item. Property Objects are generally used to describe specific structures for the purposes of calculation: for example, the quantities and the detailed description of reinforced concrete beams used in the project.

• Calculation Databases organized by Keys and containing Components, Descriptors and measurement Units. Construction elements refer to these data directly, through Property Objects. Property Objects may be assigned to construction elements. Afterwards, Components and Descriptors created within the assigned Property Objects can be linked directly to database items, hence the connection between a construction element and a database entry.

• Components can either be the material ingredients (steel, concrete, etc.) of a structure, or anything (price, man hours, etc.) that can be measured in proportion to elements of the structure type. Each Component has a name, a code, a quantity definition, a unit and a reference to its proportion to related construction elements.


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• Descriptors are text elements related to structure types, e.g., finishing, security, shipping, assembly or handling information. Descriptors are simply displayed in reports: they are not used in calculations and are not linked to components or element parameters. Each Descriptor has a name (also called short text), a code and the full description (long text).

Properties can be associated with construction elements either through criteria or individually. Each Property Object can be linked to a unique combination of element selection criteria, e.g., the Property Object called “Concrete Wall” can be associated with all walls of concrete block fill that are drawn in pen No.12 and placed on the “Exterior Walls” layer. When this option is active, ArchiCAD filters the project’s construction elements and automatically links the Property Object in question to all elements matching the given Criteria. Criteria sets are saved within the active Library so that they can be used in multiple projects.

You can create criteria in the Link Properties to Criteria dialog box. Property Objects available in loaded libraries may be linked to criteria or you may create your own Property Objects and link those.

You can also choose to assign Property data directly, individually for each element. In this case the link is established manually item by item in the Listing and Labeling panel of each eligible element’s Settings dialog box.

A Construction element (Wall, Column, Beam, Slab, Roof, Mesh, plus Fill) can be assigned a Property Object. A Component in a Property Object can be defined in four different ways:

1) Defining a Component/Descriptor that is linked to a Database item.

Component definition. All fields (DBSet, Key, Code, Name etc.) of the Component come from a Database.

2) Defining a Component/Descriptor that exists only in that Property Object, and is not linked to a Database item.

Component definition. Code, Name and Quantity do not come from a Database, they may be set by the user freely.

3) Defining a Local Component/Descriptor using the Property Script of the Property Objects that is linked to a Database item.

Component is defined locally in Property Script. Number of parameters show that it is linked to a Database item. Components defined outside of the Property Script will not be listed.


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4) Defining a Local Component/Descriptor using the Property Script of the Property Objects that is not linked to a Database item.

Component is defined locally in Property Script. Number of parameters show that it is NOT linked to a Database item. Components defined outside of the Property Script will not be listed.

When at least one Local Component/Descriptor is defined in the Property Script, Components and Descriptors created elsewhere in the Property Object are ignored and will not be listed. Either write a Property Script, or define Components/Descriptors. Do not mix the two kinds, as only one kind will be listed always. A Library Part-type element (Wall End, Window, Door, Corner Window, Skylight, Object, Lamp, Zone) can have a Property Object assigned to them with Components defined in one or more of the above 4 ways, or Components/Descriptors can be defined using the Library Part’s own Component/Descriptor area or Property Script. So in the case

of a Library Part, there are 8 possible ways to define Components/Descriptors. Property Object mainly exist because Construction elements do not have their own GDL Scripts where Component/Descriptors can be defined, hence the need for Property Objects.

Calculation SetupThe sorting and analyzing of data, the calculation of required results and the formatting of reports are all done in accordance with the configuration of the selected List Scheme. List Schemes are predefined sets of instructions on how the ArchiCAD listing engine should process project information to present the required results. List Scheme formats can be of two types:• Plain Text reports display calculation results in editable

tabulated text format. The reports appear in text windows and can be saved as plain text files, tabbed text files for use in spreadsheets or tables in HTML files.

• Graphic outputs allow for both alphanumeric and image information, including element symbol drawings, logos and other bitmaps. Graphic output reports can be saved as RTF List files, or ArchiCAD Project files. It is also possible to copy all or part of these lists into an ArchiCAD plan.

Though the contents of each language version are different, some predefined list schemes are embedded in ArchiCAD and available even if ArchiCAD is running without an active Library.If you need to define custom data or assignments, read the detailed instructions in the ArchiCAD 12/Graphisoft Documentation/“Calculation Guide.pdf ”.

List TypesArchiCAD can generate three types of calculation reports: Element Lists, Component Lists and Zone Lists.Element Lists are best used when creating schedules and inventories, and to display the parameters of construction elements in a project. To generate Element Lists, ArchiCAD filters the project or the selection set for construction elements according to the


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configuration of the selected List Scheme. Elements matching the filter settings will be listed together with element Parameters, Components and Descriptors, if so defined in the List Scheme.

Component Lists are generated when bills of materials, quantity takeoffs or price lists are required. These reports typically sum up and display component type properties; however, certain element parameters can also be listed.

Zone Lists are generally used to create room schedules and finish schedules. Zone Lists can include parameters of Zones and related construction elements. When related construction items are listed, the report is in fact an Element List where the range of calculated elements is limited by the Zones they belong to.

Depending on what you want to appear listed in your list, you may choose the type of List you need to use. Some common examples are:You want construction elements listed with basic data and parameters about them listed:

Element List

You want parameters specific to construction elements (such as: Door Sill Height, Number of holes in Slab) listed:

Element List

You want to create Door/Window schedules Element List

You want quantities of components associated with construction elements listed:

Component List

You want descriptors associated with construction elements listed

Component List

You want to create room schedules Zone List


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Displaying ListsThe range of elements that will be used in calculation depends on the current selection made on the Floor Plan.• If there is no selection made, all elements will be used and

filtered by the listing command’s List Scheme by type or other criteria;

• If there is a selection made, only selected elements will be used.For more specific element ranges, use the Setup List Schemes command and define filters.When you activate a list type window while elements are selected in the project, there may be a conflict between the listing command’s criteria and the selection. (For instance, if you choose a Window schedule when the current selection also contains Walls and Doors.)In Options > Work Environment > Imaging and Calculation, the Selected Elements to be Calculated pop-up menu offers three options for managing this situation.

• If you choose the List All option, all the selected elements will be calculated in the list, even though they do not correspond to the filtering criteria.

• If you choose the Use Filters option, the filters defined for the list scheme will be applied to the selected elements; elements that do not correspond to these criteria will be ignored.

• If you choose the Show Alert option, a warning of conflict will appear. You will then be able to choose between the two options described above.

Example:

If we have a basic text list scheme that will list walls, their layer and User ID, the result would be the following.However, if you make the above selection with the Marquee and list it, the following alert appears (if that was your choice in Options > Work Environment > Imaging and Calculation).

You want Zones or detailed Zone parameters (such as: Zone Extracted Area, Zone Area Reduction) to be listed:

Zone List

You want main Zone parameters (such as: Zone Name, Zone Number) listed for Zones where listed construction element is located:

Element List


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If you choose Use Filters, ArchiCAD takes all elements of the selection, and lists only those among them that fulfill the listing criteria (list Walls), so the result is the following.

In case you choose List All, all elements falling into the current selection (2 Walls, 1 Window and 2 Doors) will be listed regardless of the filter with the below result.

Note: The multi-story selection method (thick Marquee) works here as well. With the thick marquee, all elements within the Marquee will be included in the selection and the resulting list.

Element InformationThe Element Information Palette displays information about the dimensions of element(s) selected on the Floor Plan. (Use Window > Palettes > Element Information to display it.) With this feature, you can get instant feedback on some simple quantities that do not appear in the elements’ settings dialog boxes, without having to use any listing commands.The Information Content buttons in the top section of the palette define what information will be shown. If none of the buttons is active, only the number and type of the selected elements is displayed.

The six buttons display, from left to right:• ID, Layer and Linked Property information

• Length, circumference and thickness values

• Area values


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• Height values

• Surface values

• Volume values

You can combine these pieces of information and save and print them by choosing from the pop-up menu commands in the top right corner of the palette.

See also “Element Information Highlight” on page 80 and “Element Information Pop-up (Info Tags)” on page 81.

ID ManagementThe ID field is located on the Listing and Labeling panel of all construction element type tools as well as the Fill and Zone tools.

The ID serves to identify and group elements in list views. You can also use the ID in the Label associated to elements.The text string within the ID field cannot exceed 15 characters. Any character can be used.

Note: All construction elements also have a unique, automatically generated, unique ID (GUID) which is conserved throughout the life of the Project. You can also use this identifier for labeling or in lists.

Filtering or grouping elements by their IDs is used by many List Schemes. Totals obtained in calculations can refer to elements that


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have the same ID. Therefore, the content of the ID may be significant.• If a number is included anywhere in the ID field, drawing

successive elements will add one to this number for each new element, provided that the Auto ID Increase checkbox is enabled the Options > Project Preferences > Miscellaneous dialog box. If there is no number in the ID field, each new element of the given type will have the same ID.

• If elements are duplicated or multiplied, the IDs of the replicas will remain the same as those of the originals.

• If you paste elements into a Project, you may have elements with conflicting IDs.

• When working on a shared Project (Teamwork), Teammates working in different workspaces may also generate dissimilar elements with the same ID.

• The Element ID Manager in the Document > Schedules and Lists menu allows you to set the ID numbers of the project’s elements based on their characteristics (attributes). You can also use it to modify automatically generated ID numbers. Settings can be saved and stored for future use.

The configurations you create and save with the Element ID Manager help you prepare Project elements for a clearer reading of quantity takeoffs.

Note: This command is only available when viewing the Floor Plan Worksheet.

When you choose Document > Schedules and Lists > Element ID Manager, a dialog box appears.At the top of the dialog box, a pop-up menu lists the different settings you saved for the different element types. You can define several settings for any element type, or simply work on the current element choice. The Edit Settings pop-up allows you to save, rename and delete settings.

Note: To change a saved setting, select and edit it, then save it again under the same name.

The dialog box includes two tab pages: Sort Elements for defining attribute choices, and ID Format for defining custom ID sets.

When the Sort Elements tab is active, the pop-up under the tabs allows you to choose an element (Tool) type. In the top right corner of the dialog box, the figures show how many of the Project elements belong to the active element type.• If any elements are selected on the Floor

Plan, Element ID Manager works on selected elements only. In this case, two figures are displayed: the number of selected elements and the number of elements of the active type.

• If nothing is selected on the Floor Plan, the command works on all placed and visible (not on hidden layers) elements.

The list on the left contains the criteria that can be chosen for the given element type. This list is the same as the one used by the Edit > Find & Select command.Select the criteria you need in the list and click the Add button. This will place the selected criteria in the list on the right.


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Elements that have the same grouping criteria will get the same ID. When you’re finished choosing criteria, click to open the ID Format tab page, which allows you to define custom ID Formats.

ID’s can contain up to 15 characters or numerals. Element ID Manager allows you to subdivide the ID into four parts.

For any of the parts, you can type plain text, a counter or a story number into the ID Components field. You can also opt not to use one or more of the four parts.• When choosing the Text type, you can type custom

text up to the number of characters defined.• When choosing the Counter type, you can type either numerals

or letters such as “aa” that will change incrementally in the ID.• When choosing the Story No. type, you cannot enter custom

text; the ordinal number of the story will be used.Note: Story No. is only available as a type if you’ve selected “Story” as a Grouping criterion.

When you have finished configuring the settings and ID formats, click the Change ID's button in the bottom right corner of the dialog box. The Element ID List dialog box appears.You can validate the changes made by clicking OK or return to the configuration dialog box by clicking Cancel and make further adjustments.You can save your settings using the Edit Settings pop-up menu on top of the dialog box.

The name of the saved set then appears in the Settings field and can be accessed at any time from that pop-up menu. These settings are saved by ArchiCAD in a separate file and can be reused for further Projects, even after choosing New and Reset.


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Collaboration

COLLABORATION

Architects often need to work together with each other and with professionals of other disciplines who use other software. Moreover, interactive communication with clients is also a growing concern.ArchiCAD offers a solution to all of the above by allowing teams of architects to work simultaneously on the same project, by automating the inclusion of repetitive structures that may originate from different compatible programs, by implementing an intelligent import-export and merge process, and by supporting an on-line redlining process that does not even require the installation of ArchiCAD.This chapter describes these collaborative functions of ArchiCAD: Teamwork; Hotlinks; Data Exchange; and Consultation.

TeamworkWith ArchiCAD’s Teamwork functionality, several members of a team of architects or related professionals can work simultaneously on various aspects or parts of the same project.

Project Setup in TeamworkTo use Teamwork, you first need to set up a shared ArchiCAD project. Although it is possible to start a Team Project from scratch and use the default settings provided by ArchiCAD, it is recommended to first define a number of basic criteria before sharing the Project, since changing them when there are already several people working on it is more difficult. These settings include:• Project Scale and Measurement Units• Stories and Layers• Attributes (Pen Colors, Line and Fill Types, Composites,

Materials)• Grids and Display Options• Active LibrariesFor details on these attributes and settings, see “Configuration” on page 15.

When this is done, the project Administrator can Share the project (using the Teamwork > Share this Project command) and the members of the ArchiCAD team can Sign In to it. (Teamwork > Sign in).The sign-in process is detailed at “Sign in” in ArchiCAD Help.

Note: Once a project has been shared, the file will have the extension .plp. However, no teammate can open the .plp file directly. To work on a Teamwork project, you must use the Teamwork > Sign In command.

For more information on file types in Teamwork, see “Teamwork Files” on page 473.

Team Roles

The team using the Teamwork functionality can be organized along a wide variety of principles. The flexibility of the software makes it equally possible to use rigorous sets of house rules by defining strict hierarchical access privileges in larger offices, and to leave a large amount of freedom in smaller practices, where the people working on the same project are in face-to-face contact.There are five possible roles in Teamwork: Administrator, Team Leader, Teammate, Mark-Up and View Only. The first two have to be defined in advance by the person sharing the project, who can either allow free access by any teammate or set up a strict cast of members who may access the project with centrally set passwords.Role definition takes place during the project sharing process.See “Sharing the Project” on page 460.The Administrator is the person who coordinates the team and first shares the project. It is his sole privilege to:• Allow the signing in of other Team Members• Disconnect Team Members• Alter other Team Members’ passwords


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• Handle the Administrator and Team Leader passwords• Define or modify backup optionsThe Administrator can alter Project Sharing parameters using Teamwork > Project Sharing Setup.

For more information, see “Project Sharing Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.There can only be one Administrator for a project, but he or she can reach the project from any computer, provided that the proper name and password is used.

Important: When signed in as the Administrator, it is not possible to work on the project or reserve areas.

The Team Leader is the person responsible for the project. It can either be a physical person (a given member of the team or even the same person as the Administrator provided that he/she is also registered as a team member), or a fictitious person identified by a password only. In practice, this means that any member of the team can assume the role and acquire the rights of the Team Leader when using the latter’s unique password.The Team Leader has exclusive rights to:• Modify and delete Layers• Modify and delete Layer Combinations• Create, modify and delete Stories• Modify and delete Pen Color, Material, Fill Type, Line Type,

Zone Category or Composite attributes• Define or modify measurement Units and methods• Create or modify the structure and the basic components of the

Layout Book, including Subsets and Master Layouts• Reassign abandoned Mark-Up Entries• Modify the loaded Library set used by the TeamThere can only be one person signed in as Team Leader at a time. Some attribute modifications are permitted only with exclusive access to the Project, which means that nobody else can be signed in at that moment and that the Team Leader reserves the entire project.A Teammate is any team member working on any part of the shared project. When signing in to the shared project, the Teammate is prompted to reserve a part of it by making the appropriate choices

in the Sign In Wizard windows. The part of the shared project reserved by a Teammate is called a “Workspace”.For more information, see “Teamwork” in ArchiCAD Help.The following options are available for making reservations:• Working on any or all stories

• Working on any or all layers

• Working on any or all sections/elevations

• Working on any or all detail drawings

• Working on any or all camera/animation paths

• Working on any or all layouts

• Working on a physical area defined by a rectangular or polygonal marquee

• Any combination of the aboveTeammates can either be defined by the Administrator or self-registered.Registered Team members can also sign in to the project in the special Mark-Up role. In this case, they cannot create any new elements, only add corrections or highlight elements that need to be checked or modified by other Teammates. Note that Teammates and the Team Leader can also use Mark-Up tools; this special role prevents any accidental modification of the Project.For more information, see “Teamwork and Project Mark-Up” on page 510.Viewers (using the View Only option), that is, anyone able to access the shared project through the network, can open a copy of the project, save it in Single-user project format to his own computer and work on this copy. Modifications made to this copy by the Viewer do not appear in the Team Project.

Sharing the Project

The project is shared by its Administrator after the basic settings have been defined. This means that a plain solo project has been prepared with all scale, unit, story, layer, attribute, grid and display options and libraries. The project may or may not already contain a certain number of basic structures.


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Careful preparation is of the utmost importance, since changing the basic settings requires that all currently signed in users stop their work in progress.When the Administrator is satisfied that the prepared plan or template file is ready, he or she opens it in ArchiCAD, chooses the Teamwork > Share this Project command and sets up the project in the dialog box that opens.For more information, see “Project Sharing Setup” in ArchiCAD Help.All teammates can view project sharing information in Teamwork > Project Sharing Info.For more information, see “Project Sharing Info” in ArchiCAD Help.

Security Options and Local Drafts

There are two security options available when sharing a project: ‘Open Access’ and ‘Registered Members only’. Generally, open access is more than adequate on most small projects. However, for larger projects, the Administrator might want to limit the access to the file to selected members only. It is also possible that the project leader signs in with the name of the teammates and he or she saves a series of local draft files. In this case, the teammates do not have to sign in, they just open and work on the respective draft files. At specified intervals, the project leader can review their work and send the approved changes back to the main Teamwork file using Teamwork > Send and Receive Changes.

The local drafts can also be created so that they relate to a particular discipline.For example, anyone who wishes to work on the structure can open the Structure.PLC and start working. This local-draft method also makes it much faster to change workspaces. It is faster (and more reliable) to open a PLC file and start working than to Sign in to a particular workspace. The PLC option for a controlled sign-in also works faster, allowing many users to start work at the same time without having to wait to sign in sequentially. If the sign-ins are set up for layers and stories, control over sign-ins related to Hotlinked Modules is much easier to maintain, as the user cannot place items outside his workspace. This avoids any change in

sign-in ID that would result from placing elements in someone else's workspace.On larger projects, it is worth considering a Login related to discipline. These logins can be preset by the CAD Manager (or the project architect) who would create the logins. The Local Draft file could then be saved under the combined names of the Project and the Discipline.For example: the project entitled ‘myproject’ with discipline ‘structure’ would be saved as ‘myprojectStructure.plc’.

PasswordsTeamwork provides the opportunity to protect both user logins and the Administrator and Team Leader logins. Password definition takes place during the Project Sharing process.For more information, see “Project Sharing Setup” in ArchiCAD Help.Administrator and Team Leader passwords are mandatory. The Administrator must be named. The Team Leader can be any user logged in with the Team Leader password.For small, straightforward Teamwork projects, you can set all the mandatory names and passwords to ‘admin’ and avoid having to remember passwords.User passwords are generally unnecessary. Individual users do not have to have a password; they need not be named prior to sharing the project.On larger, more complex projects involving contractors, it may be critical to password-protect the various user logins. In this case, one person (usually the CAD Manager) should be made responsible for managing ALL user logins and passwords and keep these documented in a secure place.For information on handling lost or forgotten passwords, see “Human Errors” on page 474.

Reservation

Team members need to reserve a part of the project when signing in. They will have the exclusive right to work on this part of the project


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as long they keep this reservation. Every single element of the project either belongs to a specific teammate or to none of them.The reservation is performed by choosing the Teamwork > Sign In command and by making the appropriate choices in the dialog box that appears.For more information, see “Sign in” in ArchiCAD Help.All along the sign-in process, the Teammate is informed about the options that are not available to him or her (that is, stories, layers, sections, etc. that have already been reserved by another Teammate).Views cannot be reserved as part of the sign-in process. The teammate who reserves a particular viewpoint (such as a Story) as part of the Sign-in process will also own the view created from that viewpoint.See also “View Maps and Publisher Sets in Teamwork” on page 464.

Navigator Feedback on Reserved ItemsIcons of Navigator items in a shared project give you feedback on the items’ status:• The teammate icon indicates a Navigator item that does

not belong to you (e.g. belongs to another teammate or is unassigned).

• A green icon indicates a Navigator item that you have created but have not yet shared with the other teammates by sending and receiving changes. Until you do so, the other teammates cannot see it.

• All other Navigator items (without the teammate icon and which are not green) belong to you.Note: Layers are not listed in the Navigator, but Layers reserved by other teammates are also marked with the teammate icon in Layer Settings.

For more information, see “Navigator Color Codes” on page 68.

Modifying Attributes in a Teamwork ProjectEvery teammate signed in to a shared project is able to view the project’s current attribute sets in Options > Element Attributes, but these attributes are not editable. Only the Team Leader can modify individual attributes or (using exclusive access) delete them.However, any team member can create a new attribute and edit it freely before executing a Send & Receive Changes command. At this stage, the newly created attribute is shown as underlined in its dialog box as in the image below. After Send & Receive Changes, however, the new attribute becomes a project attribute and is no longer editable by anyone except the Team Leader. (And it is no longer displayed as underlined.)

Changing Workspace

Once you are signed into a Teamwork project, you can reconfigure your reserved workspace by using the Teamwork > Change My Workspace command. The Sign in palette appears, allowing you to redefine your workspace.

Notes: Before changing your workspace, you must first send recent changes from the current draft.Changing your workspace will make all your other draft files (if any) obsolete, and you will not be able to send any changes from them.If you want to change your workspace without sending changes, first sign out, then sign in again with a different workspace reservation.


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Working Inside the Reserved Area

Story or Layer

Reserving a Story or Layer means that you reserve all the elements on that story/layer; you will have the exclusive right to place or edit elements on the reserved story or layer. (Exception: Any Teammate can create elements on the ArchiCAD layer without reserving the entire Layer.)

If you choose to limit the reserved area to the marquee area, your name will appear on the Floor Plan with a green boundary showing the size of the reserved area. Areas reserved by other teammates appear inside a red boundary.

You cannot create elements outside your reserved workspace, with this exception: when working on a reserved story limited by a marquee and in a reserved layer, you can still create elements outside the physical boundary of the marquee.

All elements that have at least one hotspot inside or on the boundary of the area reserved with the marquee are considered to be inside the reserved area. If an element has hotspots in two or more workspaces, that element belongs to the person who first reserved it.

Elements partially included in different workspace marquees can only be edited by one Teammate at a time. To hand over these elements, select them and choose Teamwork > Send & Receive Changes. You will be prompted to release these elements as in the previous case.

Detail

If you are the owner of a Detail, this means that you have the exclusive right to modify the detail drawing (e.g. add new elements and modify existing elements), and to update the drawing. The Detail marker, however, belongs to the teammate who owns the Floor Plan or Section on which it is located. That teammate can make changes to the detail content, but changes will not be reflected in the detail window until you (the Detail owner) issue an update.

Section/Elevation/IE and 3D Document

If you are the owner of a Section (or Elevation/IE/3D Document), this means that you have the exclusive right to modify the Section marker, and to place new elements into the Section window. Other teammates can open the Section window and access/modify those elements which belong to their workspace.

Layouts

Layout settings are managed by the Layout’s owner, but other Teammates can place drawings and other elements (and move them and crop them) on a Layout owned by a different Teammate. Layouts can be deleted by the Layout owners (or by the Team Leader with exclusive access).

Note: Drawings themselves cannot be reserved as part of the Sign-In process.

For more information, see “Layouting in Teamwork” on page 439.

Master Layouts and Layout Book

Any team member can create a Master Layout, but following a Send & Receive Changes command, the Master Layouts will be owned by the Team Leader, who can access and modify Master Layout Settings. Any Team Member, however, is free to place any item onto a Master Layout.

The Team Leader must use exclusive access to make structural changes, such as the place of layouts within the Layout Book and deleting a Master Layout. (Layout Settings, however, are controlled by the owner of the individual layout.)


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Note: Master Layouts in Teamwork behave similarly to Attributes in Teamwork: any team member can create a new one; following Send & Receive, the new item is henceforth owned by the Team Leader, who must use exclusive access to delete it.

Mark-upAny teammate can use the Mark-up feature to add Mark-up items to any part of the shared project, regardless of its reservation status.For more information, see “Teamwork and Project Mark-Up” on page 510.

Hotlinked ModulesUsing Hotlinked Modules can be combined with the Teamwork functionality for working on complex projects shared by several architects.Modules can be reserved by Story, Layer and Area.For more information, see “Hotlinked Modules and Teamwork” on page 492.

Additional Information• Elements that are locked (whether reserved by others or not

reserved at all) cannot be modified, but can be viewed in all window types (Floor Plan, 3D Window, Sections/Elevations, lists). These elements can be selected, their settings dialog boxes can be viewed, their parameters can be copied from there or picked up by using the Edit > Element Settings > Pick Up Parameters command or the corresponding shortcut (Alt-click on the element in Windows, Cmd-click on the element in MacOS).

• The owner of a Drawing, Detail or Section (Manual-rebuild and Drawing-type) has the exclusive right to update these elements.

• When updating the Team Project, you have the option of either releasing the elements created outside your area for use by other Teammates or keeping them reserved.

• If somebody else has created an element in your reserved area and has released it for your use, you can choose either to keep it or to discard it.

For more information, see “Send & Receive Changes” in ArchiCAD Help.

View Maps and Publisher Sets in Teamwork

Managing View Maps in TeamworkEach Teammate and the Team Leader has access to the project’s View Map through the Navigator/Organizer.For more information on the Navigator/Organizer maps, see “The Navigator Palette” on page 65.In a shared Teamwork project, the View Map has two parts: the “Public Views” and “My Views”. The pop-up menu on top of the Navigator allows you to switch from one to the other.Each teammate and the Team Leader has his/her own My Views, whose views can be seen and managed only by that teammate. Views from My Views can be added (using drag and drop) to the Public Views of a shared project, to his/her own unshared Publisher Set, or to the Layout Map. (Drawings placed into the Layout Book which originate from My Views lose their linked status.)Views in Public Views are visible to all teammates, but the Public View Map’s structure is managed by the Team Leader only, and only the Team Leader (using exclusive access) can adjust view settings and clone folder settings and delete views. In the Public Views, all teammates can navigate among the views, duplicate them, and use them in any Publisher set. Any teammate can create a new view or folder in the Public View Map, but these will not be visible to other teammates until the Send & Receive Changes command is executed. Until then, the icon of the newly created view is shown in green, and the teammate who created it can adjust its settings and its place in the View Map structure as needed. After Send & Receive, these new views and folders are henceforth owned by the Team Leader (and no longer green).Elements in the view map created prior to sharing the project will automatically become part of the public view map and owned by the team leader. That is, only the team leader can modify and delete these views.


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The view map that will form the basis for the documentation should be created either by the team leader or by the documenting team. A possible workflow: the documenting team signs into the Team Project without reserving any workspace other than the layouts. This way they will not interrupt the work of the architects, and will still be able to create views.

Publisher Sets in TeamworkEach Teammate can create any number of Publisher Sets, which can be shared. To share or unshare a Publisher Set, use the pop-up menu at the top of the Navigator. A shared Publisher Set is indicated by an open-hand icon.A shared publisher set is accessible by all Teammates, who can make use of the publisher items, but cannot adjust any of the format/output settings of those items. If a publisher item in a shared Publisher set is linked to a view that the Team Leader subsequently deletes, the owner of the Publisher set receives a notification. An unshared Publisher set is not visible or accessible to other Teammates. It can include any view from either My Views or Public Views, or a Layout from the Layout Book. If your unshared Publisher Set contains a link to a view from My Views, however, you cannot share that Publisher Set.You can publish all shared sets, even if they contain views that are not in your workspace. When saving or uploading files, the location defined by the author of the set will be used. To save or upload them to a different location, select and duplicate the set.The Team Leader can modify Master Layout Settings and Master Layout elements. Layout Settings, however, are controlled by the owner of the individual layout.

View Sets of Teamwork Projects from ArchiCAD 9 and EarlierView sets in teamwork projects created with ArchiCAD 9 are combined into a single View Map starting with ArchiCAD 10, with each former view set placed into a separate folder of the View Map. An equal number of Publisher Sets will be created, whose format options will reflect the output options of the former view sets.• Shared view sets from ArchiCAD 9 will be combined into the

Public View Map (owned by the Team Leader), and will also be converted as a shared Publisher Set (owned by the original view set owner).

• Unshared view sets from ArchiCAD 9 will be part of the new My Views (of the original view set owner), with a corresponding number of unshared Publisher Sets (owned by the original view set owner).

Workflow in TeamworkThe following sections describe the functions and features specific to the work on a shared project.

Sending and Receiving Changes

Changes made by any team member are sent to the shared Team Project by choosing Teamwork > Send & Receive Changes, or (optionally) when signing out.Changes sent to the Team Project do not appear automatically in other Teammates’ copies. In order to see changes made by another Teammate, they too have to choose Receive Changes.For more information, see “Send & Receive Changes” in ArchiCAD Help.

Working on a Local Copy

Relying continuously on the network may sometimes be troublesome, since the more people use the network simultaneously, the more it may slow down all of them. Moreover, some team members may need to work at home or in a remote location. You may also want to


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save changes in a state of the Project that is not yet ready for sending and receiving changes and made visible to other Teammates. In this case, the solution is to make a local Draft copy of the Shared Project, preserving the Sign-In reservations made.To create a local Draft copy of the Shared Project, choose the File > Save command.The created file can be opened similarly to a Solo Project, by choosing File > Open and the ArchiCAD Teamwork Draft format option. This file contains all the relevant data about the Team Project, including the reservations made by the Teammate.

Note: Sending in changes to the Shared Project does not mean that your local copy is also saved at the same time. However, sending changes does trigger an Autosave, which will allow you to reopen the Draft in case of any error during the send-receive process.

Since the Draft contains all the information available at the time of its creation, you can continue working on it as you normally would if you were still connected to the network.Of course, changes can only be sent in once you are reconnected to the network, and the same applies for updating changes made by other team members.This way, subcontractors and consultants can also be made part of the team by incorporating them as off-line team members with reserved workspaces.If you save multiple Drafts with variations of the design, you can send changes from any of them. You cannot continue to work on changes made to different Drafts with this option.

Signing OutChoosing the Teamwork > Sign Out command breaks contact with the Team Project and releases your reserved workspace for other teammates who may wish to sign in to it.If you have made any changes, you are prompted to send them in. Choosing No in this dialog box means that your changes will be lost.

Note: If you have saved a Local Draft copy of the project and then signed out without sending in your changes, they will not be

copied back to the central project and will be lost. You can however still include these changes later by choosing the File > File Special > Merge command.

ArchiCAD will remember your last Workspace reservation and, when you next Sign In, offer you the same options by default.

Teamwork Techniques

Workspace allocation is the first crucial point of working in a team. It is crucial that the right person reserve, at the right time, the appropriate areas, layers, stories or sections/elevations. The importance of timing may not be so obvious at the moment of the Sign In, nevertheless, it must be carefully weighed and managed. Timing has the most significance when using Marquee selection on long or extensive elements. The reason is that all elements having at least one selection point inside or touching the area reserved with Marquee will be allocated to the user making the selection first. For instance, if a long wall has one selection dot - that is, five centimeters - inside the Marquee and 15 meters outside, it will still belong to the team member defining the Marquee area (unless another teammate signed in and reserved the other part of that wall earlier).Grouped elements are also individually reserved. If any part of the group is not in the workspace of a teammate, he or she will not be able to edit the group as a whole. The group must be suspended to be able to edit the individual elements that are included in the workspace.The risks of careless workspace reservation are more obvious: unnecessary monopolization of entire stories or layers can be a nuisance in the design process, whose correction may delay the work of the entire team, especially when working off-line.

Note: If the team chooses to use the marquee to define workspaces, the team leader can define the workspaces with draft


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lines prior to sharing the project. When the teammates first sign in, they can use the magic wand ('space'-click) to select a predefined workspace. This is very helpful when the geometry of the building requires arched workspace boundaries.

Naturally, the correction of already allocated workspaces or the exchange of elements might also be necessary simply because of the modification of the project, which is the very nature of architectural work.If you plan to place elements at a considerable distance from the Project Origin (e.g. you are working in real-world coordinates), you should make some preparations your plan before sharing the project. In case of an empty plan, place at least one distant element before sharing the project. In case of an existing project, place an element at the desired distance, then save it, open it and save it again before sharing the project. (This is necessary to allow ArchiCAD to perform a background algorithm that improves the accuracy of large-scale projects.)Both the correction of mistakes and modifications can be carried out in various ways, some more sophisticated than others. We detail these methods in the following examples.

Extending WorkspaceUser ‘A’ has a wall entirely inside his marquee-defined Area, on which ‘B’ should work from now on. ‘A’ would like to reallocate this element by releasing it. At this moment, ‘A’ cannot put the wall onto a layer belonging to ‘B’, since the layers reserved by others are inaccessible for him or her. Similarly, ‘B’ cannot do anything at all with the elements in the Area of ‘A’.

Sign Out - Sign In‘A’ creates a new layer and places the wall onto it. He then signs out by sending his changes when prompted to do so and informs ‘B’ about this change. ‘B’ sends and receives changes, then signs in to the same project under the same name. Teamwork will ask ‘B’ whether to discard the previous (and still active) Sign In and, when it is accepted, offers the previous workspace settings. ‘B’ adds the new layer created by ‘A’ to his or her own reservation list. When ‘B’ has communicated his or her action, ‘A’ signs in again under his/her old user name.

Advantages: Because of the built-in automatism of Teamwork, this solution is fast, easy-to-remember and definitely works with all kind of elements.Drawbacks: Since Teammates cannot delete layers, this method can result in a remarkably high number of unnecessary layers in the Team Project (although any two users can use the same single layer for exchanging elements.) The element will be placed on a different layer, which may cause problems during the breakdown (visualization) of the project. The Sign Out-Sign In process creates a new Sign In ID.

See also “Human Errors” on page 474.

Dragging the Element‘A’ selects and drags the element from inside his or her Area into the Area of ‘B’ with a given vector, then sends changes. When the dialog box warns about elements outside his or her area, ‘A’ releases them. Then ‘A’ informs ‘B’ about the value of the vector, so that, after getting changes and reserving the offered elements released in his or her area, ‘B’ can drag the wall back to its original position. After this, the wall will belong to ‘B’, although it is placed in the Area of ‘A’.

Advantages: No superfluous auxiliary layers, no need to sign out and sign in again, moreover the element remains on the same layer. Drawbacks: Especially good communication is needed between the team members to avoid inaccurate placement. This method might take long and is prone to mistakes. It also assumes that the layer on which the element is placed has been reserved by both users.


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Copy and Paste

‘B’ selects the wall - which, since it belongs to ‘A’, will have gray selection dots - and simply copies it by using the Edit > Copy command, then pastes it to the Floor Plan with the Paste command. Since elements are pasted exactly to the same spot in ArchiCAD, now you have two walls sharing the same physical space. These elements are identical in all respects, except that one of them belongs to ‘A’ while the other belongs to ‘B’.

‘B’ tells ‘A’ to delete the wall. After doing so, ‘A’ sends and receives changes and now sees that the wall is in its place again, with no apparent change to the original situation. However, if ‘A’ selects the

wall, it is reserved by ‘B’. ‘B’ sends and receives changes in order to see only one wall in that position belonging to him or her.

Advantages: Fast and efficient, no auxiliary layers, no need to sign out and sign in again, no chance of misplacement, and the element remains on the same layer. It works with any kind of element.Drawbacks: Risk of creating unintended duplicates, which can alter calculations, resulting in false values in the call-offs.

Taking Over WorkspaceThe basic situation is quite similar to the previous one, but now the wall is in both Areas, though reserved by ‘A’ because ‘A’ signed in earlier. Again, ‘B’ would like to work on the element from now on.

Note: All the solutions described above can be used.

Cutting the Element‘A’ selects the element and with the Edit > Reshape > Split command, simply cuts it just outside his or her Area. ‘A’ sends and receives changes and releases the element “created” outside the marquee area. ‘B’ receives changes and reserves the offered free element in his or her Area.


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Advantages: Very simple, fast and efficient, no auxiliary layers, no need to sign out and sign in again, no chance of misplacement, and the element remains on the same layer. In addition, both team members can work on the element.

Drawbacks: Needs extremely good communication in order to avoid different modifications of the “same” element. (For instance, A and B should not set different colors, hatches, height etc. for the two halves of the wall.) Cannot be used with all element types, at least not easily. For instance, in the case of roofs, fills or slabs, cutting an element results in a border line displayed along the cutting line, which can spoil the drawing. With walls, the only problem is placing an opening to that spot.

Releasing the Element

‘A’ selects the given wall and sends and receives changes. In the appearing dialog box, he is prompted to release the selected elements for the other teammate. After ‘A’ has released the element, ‘B’ chooses Teamwork > Send & Receive Changes. In the appearing dialog box, he is informed about the existence of released elements inside his area. By clicking the Include in My Workspace button, he now becomes the owner of these elements.

For more information, see “Send & Receive Changes” in ArchiCAD Help.Advantages: Fast and efficient, no superfluous auxiliary layers, no need to sign out and sign in again, no chance of misplacement and the element remains on the same layer.

Drawbacks: Needs very good communication between team members. Only works with elements that are inside the Marquee reservation areas of both teammates.

Area ModificationDuring the design and drafting process, it might be necessary for team members to change their workspace allocation (either the Marquee Area or the layer-story settings, or both). However, this change is often temporary and the user needs to return to the originally reserved workspace.

Situation 1‘A’ needs to temporarily work on some additional layers and on a separate area, outside the Marquee Area allocated to him or her. The needed workspace is entirely free (no one has reserved it). ‘A’ does not sign out. He or she saves a Draft and signs in to the same project under a different, yet typical name (for instance ‘A1’) reserving the necessary workspace. This way ‘A’ can keep his or her original workspace setup untouched; moreover, the temporarily occupied area can be freed by ‘A1’ simply signing out.

Situation 2‘A’ needs to temporarily work on some additional layers and on a separate area, outside the Marquee Area allocated to him or her. The needed workspace is not free; it is entirely or partly in the workspace of ‘B’. This means that ‘A’ will have to temporarily take over a segment of the area of ‘B’, who needs to continue working in the remaining space. ‘B’ signs out. He or she then signs in for the remaining part under a different, yet typical name (for example ‘B1’). ‘A’ also signs out, then signs in to the same project under a different, but typical name (for example ‘A1’), reserving the necessary workspace. Alternatively, ‘A’ does not sign out, instead saves the Draft and signs in to the same project under a different, but typical name (for example ‘A1’), reserving only the extra workspace necessary. This way, both ‘A’ and ‘B’ can keep their original workspace setups untouched, which means that signing in under the old user name (‘A’ or ‘B’) can be done right away. Moreover, the temporarily occupied area can be freed when ‘A1’ signs out.


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Working Off-Line

During a longer period of off-line work, many Draft copies of the Draft might be saved for safety reasons. The appropriate management of these files can save time and unnecessary work, and prevent data loss. Organizing the files is tricky and must be done according to your individual needs. When saving a Draft file, it will contain all the information of the Team Project at the moment of last choosing the Teamwork > Send & Receive Changes or Receive Changes command. From that point on, the teammate can work on this Draft as on a Solo Project. This means that the work might be continued on a different (usually remote) computer onto which the file can be transferred via any portable data storage device. Though this is similar to the single-user ArchiCAD environment, there are a few important issues worth mentioning.

Off-Line LibrariesDepending on the library management solution used in the office and to the data storage device available, the library can be any of the types detailed in the Techniques section.For more information, see “Libraries” on page 41.

Copy of the Central LibraryRequires a high capacity data storage device onto which the Central Library can be copied. On reestablishing the network, the library parts modified or created during the off-line work must be copied manually into the Central Library.

Copy of the Satellite LibraryRequires a high capacity data storage device onto which the Satellite Library can be copied. On reestablishing the network, you must overwrite the old Satellite Library with the new one, or manually copy into the old Satellite Library all the library parts modified or created during the off-line work.

Important: In the latter case, you must also copy the manually the “Dates” catalogue file that contains the information about the modifications, which will be used for synchronizing the Satellite Library with the Central Library.

Copy of the Local LibraryThis is merely a relocation of the library.

Archive File

In any of the previous cases, an archive file can be saved by using the File > Save As command. Before returning to the office, a new archive should be saved, which, on opening, will recreate the archive library on the local computer. The new or modified elements must be copied manually to their source library, according to the library management method employed.

Library Management in Teamwork

Proper management of Library Parts, those indispensable elements of the day-to-day work with ArchiCAD, is significant when working in a team. In general, when managing libraries, keep everything as simple as possible. The following recommendations will help you avoid problems.For more information, see “Libraries” on page 41• Avoid overloading the network.• Keep the paths to the Libraries standard on each project.• New, project-based library parts should be saved in the project

library.• Always retain the Standard ArchiCAD libraries (provided as part

of the ArchiCAD package) in their original installation location (in the ArchiCAD folder). Remove the Custom Text Folder from the ArchiCAD Standard library and place it in your Project directory template.

• Establish and adhere to an office rule that the libraries as installed must NOT be moved or modified.

• Locate the Project Library on the Server Machine in the appropriate Project Directory.

• Locate any Add-On Libraries on the Server Machine.• On MacOS: if you are moving from 10.2.xx to 10.3.xx, save and

reshare your Project after first reloaded the libraries as a PLN.


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The Project directory on the Server should look like this:

The sections below describe three ways to address library management, depending on the type and speed of the computers and the network being used.

Central LibraryWith fast and efficient networks only.All teammates use the Central library on the server via network.When working with a Central Library, new elements created by any user can be immediately used by the other teammates after reloading the libraries, while modifications of the library parts can be seen after pressing Option/Alt while choosing View > Refresh > Rebuild in Floor Plan view.

Advantages: There is only one copy of all elements; easier to administer; changes are more apparent because of the live connection.Drawbacks: It can increase the communication time.

Local Cache LibraryWith any kind of network.All teammates have their own local copy of the Central Library on their own computers. On the very last screen of the Sign In Wizard, users must choose the Create LAN > Local Cache Library option and then use the Browse button to indicate its location on the local computer. In the designated folder, an exact replica of the Central Library will be created and a link between the libraries established.


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If there is a live connection to the network, newly created or modified and saved library parts will appear in the Central Library immediately.If there is no live network connection, the new or altered elements will only be copied into the Central Library after choosing Send & Receive Changes, Sign In or after reloading the library with File > Libraries and Objects > Library Manager.For more information, see “Library Manager Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.

Other teammates using their own Satellite Libraries can see the changed or newly created library parts after choosing the Send & Receive Changes, Receive Changes, Sign In or after reloading the library with Library Manager.However, if any additional library is loaded next to the originally generated Satellite Library folder, the elements in this library will not be transferred to the Central Library automatically. This either has to be done manually (see “Separate Libraries” on page 472), or the library part should be opened with the File > Libraries and Objects > Open Object command and saved into the Satellite Library folder.If a library part is deleted from a central library, a warning appears. It is possible to either delete the part from the local cache, keep it in the local cache, or copy the part from the local cache back to the central library.

Advantages: Easy-to-use, can be used in a mixed computer platform environment, supports off-line work, does not put an extra burden on the networkDrawbacks: The preparation takes longer, it needs local computers with large hard disk capacity - every library for every project must be on every computer during the projects’ life-span.

Separate LibrariesThe traditional method, works with any kind of network (or even without a permanent network).The Central Library is copied onto the local computer manually before signing in. During the first sign-in, the local library has to be specified in the Library Manager. (If Library Manager does not appear during the sign-in process, it has to be manually opened and the loaded libraries checked.) After selecting the local Library, the Draft will have no link to the Central Library, which means that all changes must be followed up and administered by the user, manually copying the modified and new library parts from the local computer to the Central Library and vice versa.

Advantages: Does not put an extra burden on the network and can be used in a network-down situation. Modifications are easier to monitor and manage. This is the traditional ArchiCAD method and thus more familiar to users.


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Drawbacks: The preparation takes longer; requires local computers with very large hard disk capacity; requires disciplined workflow.

Changing the Default Library

The names and locations of the original libraries (active when sharing the file) are stored with the Team Project. When signing in to the project, the user gets the file with these libraries loaded by default. Nevertheless, new libraries can be added to this list by using the File > Libraries and Objects > Library Manager command. On saving the client file, this new list will be saved, but only locally. The next time the same teammate signs in on the same computer, this same list will be offered. However, if he or she signs in on a different machine, only the Central Library will be loaded. Changing the library list locally has no effect whatsoever on the Team Project. It can only be modified by the Team Leader and only in exclusive access mode.

To change the Central Library, all the Teammates have to sign out and then the Team Leader signs in with full access. The change in the set of loaded libraries takes effect after sending and receiving the changes.

Teamwork Files

When you set up a Teamwork project and work with it, the following files are created and used.

• <Project>.plp is the Teamwork file.

• <Project>.plc is a local draft of the signed-in user.

• <Project>.bpc is the backup of local draft.

• <Project>.pca is a local draft archive.

• <Project>.lck is the lock file. It appears when a teammate starts a Teamwork process (sign in, send, receive, sign out) and prohibits other teammates from accessing the plp file. It disappears after the process is finished. If such a file does not disappear after the teamwork process is finished, administrator should delete it manually.

• <project>.txt is the log file recording teamwork processes.

• ACScratch.tmp is a temporary file during the save process which contains the same data as the plp. If this file is renamed to <project>.plp, there is a good chance that it will fully recover an up-to-date version of the lost plp file.

• orig_########## is a temporary file during the save process which contains the same data as the previous version of the plp. If this file is renamed to <project>.plp, there is a good chance that it will fully recover the previous state of the lost plp file.

• <user project>.prf is the Teamwork preferences file specific to the user and the project.

When you send and receive changes or connect to the central project file (plp) for any other action, Teamwork goes through the following steps.

1) <project>.lck is created.

2) A scratch file for the project file is created (ACScratch.tmp).

3) Information is saved into ACScratch.TMP and Scratch_##########.

4) The old <project>.plp is renamed to orig_######.

5) ACScratch.TMP is renamed to <project>.plp.

6) If the renaming is successful, orig_###### is moved to the backup folder and renamed to <project>.plp.

7) <project>.lck is removed.

Troubleshooting in TeamworkWhen working with Teamwork you have to take care of proper workflow organization and administration. In the Human Errors section we cover the most typical user errors. Since working with Teamwork also involves network operations, the possibility of computer errors is more significant than in single computer environments. The Hardware/Software Problems section deals with the most typical computer errors.


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Compatibility Note

You cannot work with different versions of ArchiCAD on the same Team Project.

This means that you should only start using Teamwork with a Team Project when all of the potential Team Members have been equipped with the same version of the program.

To use an earlier version Team Project with a more recent version of ArchiCAD, the Team Leader must sign in with exclusive access. Before the sign-in process, ArchiCAD will warn the Team Leader that the Team Project will become inaccessible to users of previous versions.

After this, the Team Leader should sign out. The Team Project is now updated and ready to be used by all Team Members. It cannot be accessed any more with an earlier version of the program.

The last used workspaces of the Team Members are preserved in the process. After the Team Leader has finished, all Team Members can sign in again with ArchiCAD to their workspace as it was.

Human Errors

Users can make errors when they do not perfectly understand processes and rules in Teamwork, or when they make simple errors such as forgetting a password. The following section lists the most common user errors.

Unnecessary Sign Out

The urge of signing out at the end of the day is the most common misunderstanding of the Teamwork process. There is no online connection in Teamwork when you are signed in. Thus if you want to proceed on your work at home there is no need to sign out. Moreover it is prohibited since you will lose your Sign In ID and won’t be able to send your work into the central project file anymore. Even if you do not proceed with your work at home it is an unnecessary circle to sign out in the evening and sign in again next morning. On larger projects, that can result in very inefficient way of working because of the long sign in/out times.

Forgotten Passwords and User NamesThis is the problem most likely to happen in day-to-day work. The general rule is that with the Administrator password you can recover any situation. On the other hand, the Administrator password cannot be replaced by anything else.Nevertheless, since passwords are meant to provide security and monitoring, losing track of them can under no circumstances lead to data loss.

Forgotten Teammate/Team Leader Password when Signing InThe Administrator can assign a new password in Teamwork > Project Sharing Setup.For more information, see “Project Sharing Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.

Forgotten Teammate/Team Leader Password when Opening a DraftOpen the file with the Administrator password. Later, the Administrator can assign a new password in Teamwork > Project Sharing Setup.

Forgotten User NamesAnyone can look up the user names in Teamwork > Project Sharing Info, or in the <project>.txt file.For more information, see “Project Sharing Info” in ArchiCAD Help.

Forgotten Administrator NameAnyone can look up the Administrator’s user name in Teamwork > Project Sharing Info.

Forgotten Administrator PasswordAll team members have to send their changes, then sign out. The Administrator signs in View Only mode and saves the file as a solo project. After sharing this file, the team can be set up again.


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Version Problems

During teamwork, unwanted data might be transferred due to opening a new file, or, as quite often happens in architectural work, users might realize that an earlier version of the file contains a better solution to a given problem. Unfortunately, going back to previous versions is sometimes very difficult, if not impossible.

The basic rule is that every user has a Sign In ID. This is an integer which increases with every subsequent Sign In. Once you signed in again to the same project under the same user name, the data from the previous Sign In can no longer be transferred to the Team Project. (In other words, data from a Draft with a smaller Sign In ID cannot be sent to the Team Project.)

This is because a smaller Sign In means that you have previously discarded your reservations by signing out. After this, any other teammate was free to make reservations in the same area. Using the Sign In ID of an outdated Draft could create conflicts in some items of this area.

Nevertheless, data from files with the same Sign In ID might be sent to the Team Project, although ArchiCAD keeps track of the modifications via the Send Changes ID. This is another integer which gets a higher value after each Teamwork > Send & Receive Changes command. If sending data from a file with a smaller Send Changes ID (that is, from an earlier phase of your work), the program will prompt you to validate the overwriting of the newer data and ID.

Note: You can find the Sign In ID of the file either in the Get Info (MacOS)/Properties (Windows) window, in the Project Sharing Info dialog box, in the Preview part of the File > Open dialog box, or in the <project>.txt file.

Sending Unwanted Changes

Close the Draft without saving it (or save it under a different name), then open the file at its original state (that is, before the unnecessary modifications were made). Choose Teamwork > Send & Receive Changes. The program will ask you whether to overwrite the changes made with a more recent ID with the changes of a previous one.

Returning to Previous Sign In

It might become necessary to return to the design phase of your previous Sign In. Open the current Draft (the one with an active link to the Team Project), and save it under a different name as a solo project for safety reasons. Delete everything from this file, then merge the earlier Draft into the current one. After this, send the changes to the Team Project.

Hardware/Software Problems

Most computer errors come from unstable computer networks resulting in interrupted Sign In, Sign Out and Send & Receive Changes processes. We give you solutions to the most common computer errors in the next section.

No Network or the Network is Down

In the case of a partial network or if there is no network at all, everyone has to sign in on the same (say master) computer, where the sharing takes place. Local Drafts can then be saved to any portable data storage device and transferred to the individual teammates’ computers. When any of the teammates wants to send and receive changes, he or she has to save a Draft at the given stage, copy it to a data storage device, open it on the master computer and then choose Teamwork > Send & Receive Changes. Since the same tedious process must be repeated with every Send & Receive Changes, the workflow should be carefully organized by creating Design Leveling Points, when everyone copies their local Drafts on the master computer.

Attention: All Teammates, with the exception of the last one, will have to send and receive changes twice in order to see everyone else’s work.

Note: Although you might find that it is an acceptable way of using Teamwork, bear in mind that this is only a stopgap solution and not, by any means, the equivalent of a working network.

Locked Project File

Network errors may cause the Project file to become locked.


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If you try to send your changes then, a message will appear stating that you cannot sign in, sign out or send changes because such an action is under way by another user.

Check in your computer’s file system whether the Project file is locked. If it is, unlock it, and try sending in your changes again.

“Cannot create backup!” Warning When Sending Changes

This reflects an error during the backup process. This means that the old .plp file could not be moved to the backup folder; however this does not mean that the Send/Receive process was unsuccessful. Check that user privileges set for the project and backup folder are sufficient to create and delete files and folders. (Privileges should be set to ‘read, write, delete and rename’.)

Make sure that the full path of the files in the bottom folder does not exceed 256 characters.

“Cannot write Teamwork Notes” Warning

Indicates that the <project>.txt file cannot be created. Check that privileges are sufficient to create/modify this file.

“Cannot write plan file!” Warning When Sending Changes

Indicates that a problem occurred in the I/O process.

Check if ACScratch.TMP has been created. If it has, it can be renamed to <project>.plp. This will recover the teamwork project file including all the modifications. If no ACScratch.TMP file is available, but orig_########## exists, it can be renamed to <project>.plp. This too will recover the teamwork project file, but without the latest modifications.

Corrupted Draft

Open the last Backup copy of the current Draft. Team Project backup copies are stored in the Backup folder next to the Team Project. Do not open the backup file from the Backup folder directly; you should first copy it to another location, then open it.

If there is no Backup copy available, then the latest of the previous versions of the file – with the same Sign In ID - should be used. You can find the Sign In ID of the file either in the Get Info (MacOS)/Properties (Windows) window or in the Project Sharing Setup dialog box.

Note: Data from a Draft with a smaller Sign In ID cannot be sent to the Team Project.

If there is neither a Backup copy nor a previous file with the right ID, all changes since the last one will be lost. In this case, you can either sign in again with the same name and password and discard your previous connection, or the Administrator can clear your signing in by choosing the Force Sign Out option in the Project Sharing Setup dialog box.

Corrupted Team Project

If you suspect an error, or experience abnormal behavior in the Teamwork file (crashes when sending changes, etc.), the administrator should cancel all signed-in teammates and the team leader should sign in the project with exclusive access. He or she should try to attempt a ‘send changes’, and sign out. This is similar to re-sharing, and might help to recover the file. If this does not help, replace the corrupted Team, Admin and .txt file with the last Backup copies. Team Project backup copies are stored in the Backup folder next to the Team Project. Do not open the backup file from the Backup folder directly; you should first copy it to another location, then open it.If the Sign-In ID of a teammate is the same in this backup copy as in the corrupted Team Project, the backup version can be brought to the same level as the crashed one by choosing Teamwork > Send & Receive Changes. Those teammates whose Sign In ID is newer than the one stored in the backup version can only merge or copy their work.If there is no Backup copy of the Team Project, Teamwork cannot be continued. All teammates have to choose Show My Workspace Only, then save their Drafts as Solo Projects; then these files can be merged together by using File > File Special > Merge. When all files have been merged, the newly created project can be shared again.


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Important: Use this method only if all project elements have been reserved to someone’s workspace, because any unreserved elements will be lost.

Teamwork StrategiesArchitectural firms of different sizes may have different concerns when working on a shared project. The sections below detail possible solutions for small, medium and large firms.

Small Firms

The office is too small to have a CAD Manager, the network is a simple workgroup solution, connecting 2 to 7 machines, or there is no coherent network at all. Every employee is responsible for the maintenance of his or her own computer and software. The projects are small or medium sized and, if teamwork is necessary, all the architects work on the same project during a given period. Everyone knows about the others’ work, colleagues are in close contact, in most cases they are in the same room. There is usually only one or two senior architect(s); the other architects are at the same level, and responsibility is shared.

The Team

The Administrator is a fictional person, in fact a name and a password only. Since security is not an issue, both should be very simple and easy-to-remember and might be known to everyone. Anyone can assume the role of the Administrator, if necessary. The password is stored in a safe and accessible place and under normal circumstances is not used.The Team Leader is probably the senior architect of the office, at least at the early design stage. He or she develops the design to its conceptual phase, then shares it with the others. Later, someone else can take over this role, if needed. Since communication is easy within the team, and off-line work is improbable, good pre-sharing file preparation is important but not vital.Should the teammates have any problem with the settings and options, a general Sign Out and a new Sign In can be organized easily,

during which someone signed in as Team Leader with full access can correct the error.All other employees are Teammates. At this office size, labor management is flexible, so access should be open for any colleague to sign in.

Note: If for some reason you feel that the controllable Registered Members Only access is necessary, you can modify the list of users at any time by signing in as Administrator and choosing the Teamwork > Project Sharing Setup command.

Sign In

As in all cases, the Sign In must be coordinated, since only one person can sign in at a time. Obviously, in such a small office with good communication among the staff, coordination should not be a problem.The design and drawing parts are assigned to the architects and draftsmen after previous discussions. However, they can sign up and arrange the final details of the sharing together, thus diminishing the chances of bad workspace allocation. Even so, should correction be needed, workspace reservations can easily be changed here at any time by signing out and signing in again with modified workspace parameters. All the teammates involved in this process can be informed without too much trouble.

Network

With such a limited number of computers, there is no server machine and the Team Project is usually stored on the computer from where it was shared. In fact, it can be stored on any of the computers, provided that it can be accessed by the other machines. (A server, if one exists, is the best location.)

Libraries and Templates

The Team Library should be placed next to the Team project, on the same computer. This means that the Team Library should be placed on the server (if there is one), or else on the machine on which the Team Project is stored. Small practices often work on very similar projects or for the same client, so they can use the same custom


Collaboration

library parts many times. These items should be in a custom library on the master computer, where Satellite Libraries can be created.The network may not be fast enough to use a Central Library. In this situation, either Satellite Libraries or local Libraries extracted from Draft Archives should be used. The basic parameters (preferences) of similar projects are often identical (materials, layers and layer combinations, dimension settings, etc.). For these projects, preset but empty files may be created and saved under typical names, for example Supermarket, Cottage, Garage, etc. These files are called Project Templates. When preparing a Team Project, you can simply open such a Template file and save it under the actual name of the project.

Third PartiesThe consultant partners are usually small offices or even one-man bands working manually or with specific CAD systems. ArchiCAD can flawlessly read and write DXF and DWG files, the most widely used CAD file formats. Assuming that the software used by the consultant is also capable of reading/writing DXF or DWG files, their work can be incorporated into the team project.During the Sign In session, sign in for the consultant (under his/her or a fictional name), reserving certain layer(s). Save a Draft, from which DXF/DWG files can be saved for the consultant partner. His or her changes can simply be merged or copied back to this file, then be communicated to the others by choosing Teamwork > Send & Receive Changes.

Medium Size Firms

The office probably does not have a CAD Manager. The network is a workgroup style solution, but more complex: a server connects 10-20 machines, and the printers and plotters are shared. Every employee is responsible for maintaining his or her own computer and software. The projects are medium-size or large, architects work in teams on the same project during a given period. There is a two-level hierarchy, with a few teams each working on a different project and led by a senior architect. Everyone knows about the work of the other teams; the colleagues are usually in close contact, often in the same room,

but off-line work may occur. The senior architect is in charge of the actual project and takes responsibility for it.

The Team

The Administrator is the Senior Architect. Security is an important issue since the Senior Architect takes full responsibility for the project; he needs to be in full control of the basic changes. The password is stored in a safe place and under normal circumstances is rarely used.

The Team Leader is again the Senior Architect. He develops the design to its conceptual phase then shares it with some of the other architects of the team. The Sharing may be multilevel (see later under Sign In). Later, other architects and draftsmen can join the project. Communication is easy within the teams; however, if there is off-line work, good pre-sharing file preparation is very important. Should the teammates have any problem with the settings and options, a general Sign out and a New Sign In can be carefully organized, during which the Senior Architect as Team Leader with full access can correct the error.

Note: Do not Force Sign Out Teammates when working off-line. Generally speaking, use Force Sign Out only as a last resort for disconnecting “illegal” users or for avoiding duplicates.

All other employees are Teammates. Depending on the project size and on the number of projects running simultaneously, access might be Registered Members Only but usually (and preferably) Open Access. The Open Access mode is better since the senior architect is not a proper Administrator, so correcting the user list would mean an unnecessary task when the workspace allocation could be easier controlled personally.

Note: If for some reason you feel that the more official Registered Members Only access is necessary, you can modify the list of users at any time during the teamwork session by signing in as Administrator and choosing the Teamwork > Share this Project command.

For more information, see “Project Sharing Setup” in ArchiCAD Help.


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Sign In

The Sign In, as in all cases, must be coordinated, since only one person can sign in to the same project at a time. Obviously, when working in small teams with good communication among the team members, coordination should not be a problem. In case of larger projects, multilevel sharing is recommended. In this case, the Team Leader (senior architect) prepares and then shares the project, with only a few senior office members signing in. They take the design further until it reaches a point at which more colleagues need to join. At this point they have to sign out and a new Sign In session can take place. This process is repeated as many times as necessary until the whole team can work on the project. At each level of sharing, it is advisable to make a thorough check of the design. This way the complete design process is better controlled. The design and drawing parts are assigned to the architects and draftsmen after preliminary discussions. Should correction be needed, workspace reservation can easily be changed any time by signing out and signing in again with modified workspace parameters.

Note: If you would like to reassign some elements to your teammate without having to change the workspace, or to sign out, please refer to the section “Teamwork Techniques” on page 466 for additional information.

Network

There is a server machine. The Team Project can be prepared and shared on any of the computers, then saved to the server. For integrity reasons, it is strongly recommended that all local Drafts (of all currently signed in users) be saved to the server into a separate folder at certain design stages. This way, a sort of “history” of the design can be created, which can help correcting any errors. The server is used only for storing the Team Project file, so it does not require a copy of ArchiCAD. The server must be accessible at all times from all the computers of the team (or even the entire office).

Libraries and Templates

The Team Library should be placed next to the Team Project on the server. As architectural practices often work on very similar projects or for the same client, they can use the same custom library parts

many times. These items should be in a custom library on the server, where Satellite Libraries can be created. The network may not be fast enough to use a Central Library. In this situation, either Satellite Libraries or local Libraries extracted from Draft Archives should be used.The basic parameters (preferences) of similar projects are often identical (materials, layers and layer combinations, dimension settings, etc.). For these projects, pre-set but empty files may be created and saved under typical names, for example Supermarket, Cottage, Garage, etc. These files are called Project Templates. When preparing a Team Project, you can simply open such a Template file and save it under the actual name of the project.For more information on template files, see “Template Files” on page 17.

Third PartiesThe consultant partners are small offices or independent contractors, usually working with specific CAD systems. ArchiCAD can flawlessly read and write DXF and DWG files, the most widely used CAD file formats. Assuming that the software used by the consultant is also capable of reading/writing DXF or DWG files, his/her work can be incorporated into the team project.During the Sign In session, sign in for the consultant (under his/her or a fictional name), reserving certain layer(s). Save a local Draft, from which DXF/DWG files can be saved for the consultant partner. His or her changes can simply be merged or copied back to this file, then be communicated to the others by choosing Teamwork > Send & Receive Changes.

Large Practices

There is a CAD Manager responsible for the proper operation of the CAD systems used at the office and for the seamless management of the connections and the files created. The computers, other software and the network are maintained by the technical group. The network is a client/server solution with a high capacity remote server, or servers, connecting all the machines, which may even be in different locations. There are several different size teams organized in a multilevel hierarchy, all led by a senior architect, who is personally


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responsible for the work of the team. The teams are in separate zones of the network with preset access privileges. The senior architects report to the partners and managers of the office. The CAD Manager organizes the work of all the teams and is in close contact with the senior architects. The projects are usually large, the architects in each team work on the same project during a given period, though many teams may work on the single, large project. The employees in the team do not necessarily know about the work of the others, and off-line work is frequent.

The Team

The CAD Manager is the Administrator of all teams. The CAD Manager shares the projects prepared by the Team Leader, creates the necessary space on the server, establishes the links, makes sure that the Loaded Libraries are saved to the right location, and sets the necessary file and operating system access rights.

Note: If there is only one server for the entire office (for all the teams) and the work does not involve multiple teams, then the Project File and the Library may be saved instead to a computer belonging to the given team.

Security is an issue of utmost importance since it is the key to comprehensive job allocation. The CAD Manager (with the help of the Team Leader) creates the team list using the Registered Users Only access option and giving passwords to each Teammate. The password is known only to the Administrator and stored in a safe place. The Administrator plays a vital role during the Sign In session.

The Team Leader is the Senior Architect of the team or, in case of multi-team work, one of the senior architects as Deputy Project Architect. He or she develops the design to its conceptual phase, then shares it with other architects of the team. The Sharing may be multilevel. Later, other architects and draftsmen can join the project. Because of the large number of participants, communication inside the team is not always simple. This is why thorough and well thought-out file preparation is particularly important. Should the teammates have any problem with the settings and options, a general Sign Out and a new Sign In with the help of the Administrator can be carefully organized, during which the Senior Architect as Team

Leader with full access can correct the error. The Team Leader also has an important role during the Sign In session.

Note: Do not Force Sign Out Teammates when working off-line. Generally speaking, use Force Sign Out only as a last resort for disconnecting “illegal” users or for avoiding duplicates.

All the other employees are Teammates. Because of the project size and the number of projects running simultaneously, access is Registered Users Only. Teammates work with ArchiCAD as single users, using only the Teamwork > Send & Receive Changes and Receive Changes commands. All crucial actions like Sign In or Sign Out are performed by or with the help of the Administrator. Because of this, Teammates also have and use their own passwords.For more information, see “Project Sharing Setup” in ArchiCAD Help.

Sign In

The coordination of Sign Ins at this office and team size can be difficult and prone to errors. Not only do Teammates have to select the appropriate layers, stories, sections/elevations and areas, but they also have to do it at the right time. In addition, the Administrator and the Team Leader have to keep track of workspace allocations since they take all the responsibility for the project.The best solution for avoiding these conflicts is that the Administrator and the Team Leader handle signing in for all Teammates. After preparing the Project file, the Team Leader copies it onto the computer of the Administrator with the list of architects and draftsmen he or she would like to involve in the project. The Administrator then shares the project with the Registered Members Only access option and signs in under the name of each user onto the arranged workspace in the right sequence. After each Sign In, the Administrator saves a local Draft (or Draft Archive) onto the actual user’s machine, then gives the Teammates their passwords.In case of these large projects, multilevel sharing is almost inevitable. This means that the Administrator, after the preparations made by the Team Leader, shares the project and signs in for a few senior office members only. They take the design further until it reaches a point at which more colleagues need to join. At this point they have to sign out and a new Administrator Sign In session can take place.


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This process is repeated as many times as necessary until the whole team can work on the project. At each level of sharing, the Team Leader should make a thorough check of the design. This way the complete design process is better controlled.Should correction of the work allocation be needed, workspace reservations can easily be changed any time by signing out and signing in again with modified workspace parameters.

NetworkSelecting the computer to house the Team Project, Libraries and backup copies is the task of the Administrator. The Team Project can be prepared and shared on any of the computers, then saved to this machine (usually the server). For integrity reasons, it is strongly recommended that all Drafts (of all currently signed in users) be saved to the server into a separate folder at certain design stages. This way, a sort of “history” of the design can be created, which can help correcting any errors. The chosen computer is used only for storing the Team Project file, so no copy of ArchiCAD is necessary. This machine must be accessible at all times from all the computers of the team (or even the entire office).

Libraries and TemplatesThe Team Library should be placed next to the Team Project on the master computer. Large architectural practices and construction companies often have typical elements used in most of the buildings they design (curtain walls, cladding panels, openings, etc.). In addition, these companies tend to be specialized, which means that similar problems might occur needing more or less similar solutions. These oft-used elements should be stored in custom libraries on the server where Satellite Libraries can be created.The network is probably fast enough to serve all teammates at the same time, so a Central Library can be used. Nevertheless, appropriate access privileges should be set to avoid deleting or modifying library parts.The basic parameters (preferences) of similar projects are often identical (materials, layers and layer combinations, dimension settings, zone stamps, zone categories, etc.). For these projects, the CAD Manager or the Team Leader can create preset but empty files and

save them under typical names, for example Commercial, Office, Hospital, etc. These files are called Project Templates. When preparing a Team Project, the CAD Manager or the Team Leader can simply open such a Template file and save it under the actual name of the project. Using Templates can significantly reduce the risk of making mistakes.

Hotlinked ModulesModules are useful for very large projects. Such projects can be divided into modules, for example by wings or by stages of design development. Each module is considered a shared Team Project. The Team Leader is responsible for managing the central host project and the sharing of the modules.For more information, see “Hotlinked Modules and Teamwork” on page 492.

Third PartiesThe consultant partners are usually large offices themselves, working with specific CAD systems. ArchiCAD can flawlessly read and write DXF and DWG files, the most widely used common CAD file formats. Assuming that the software used by the consultant is also capable of reading/writing DXF or DWG files, their work can be incorporated into the team project. In addition, ArchiCAD can interpret AutoCAD’s XREF files, meaning that if the members of the consultant company work in a group, their referenced file can be read into ArchiCAD without losing its link.During the Sign In session, sign in for the consultant partners (under their or a fictional name) reserving certain layer(s). Save a local Draft, from which DXF/DWG files can be saved for the consultant partner. His or her changes can simply be merged or copied back to this file, then be communicated to the others by choosing Teamwork > Send & Receive Changes.


Collaboration

Hotlinked Modules

About Hotlinked ModulesHotlinked Modules allow you to insert the contents of external ArchiCAD files (sources) into the currently open Project (host).A Hotlink is a logical pointer to an external source file.A Module is a set of construction elements placed on the Floor Plan using a Hotlink.Hotlinked Modules can be used, for example, to manage the repetitive structures of buildings such as hotels or offices with a large number of identical rooms: if rooms are placed as a hotlinked module file, you can modify all the rooms in one step, by just updating the module’s source file. Moreover, the same structures can be used in multiple projects. This is also a good way to subdivide large projects into easier-to-handle smaller files.

• The source file of a Module can be a Solo Project, a Team Project or a Module-type file from ArchiCAD 12. If you would like to use an older-version file as a hotlink source, you must first open and save the source file in ArchiCAD 12.

For details on converting legacy hotlinks, see the Migration Guide for ArchiCAD 12 in the Getting Started booklet.• The host file can include any number of Hotlinks.• The Modules’ content can be updated upon command if the

hotlinked source file changes.• The elements of a hotlinked module are included in the host

Project, which means that even if the hotlinked source file is not currently available, the Module is still present and visible, but can’t be updated as long as the referred source file is absent.

• Elements belonging to a selected Module have hollow square marks on their hotspots. If several Modules are selected, their selection dots will have different colors to help you distinguish them.

• Multiple instances of the same Hotlink can be placed, each instance being a separate Module. The placement parameters of each instance can be different even though they share the same Hotlink.

• The Module can only be edited as an entity (similarly to Library Parts or Groups). They cannot be ungrouped and their elements cannot be edited as long as they remain part of a placed Module.

• You can use the Find & Select command to locate Module elements by Hotlink.


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For more information, see “Find and Select Elements by Criteria” on page 84.• Managing (modifying, updating, breaking, deleting) a Hotlink will

have an effect on all of its placed Modules.

There is a difference between Modules “placed” in Projects and Module “type files”.Modules placed in Projects are sets of elements coming from Solo Project, Team Project or Module type files.Module type files are a simplified type of ArchiCAD file (with extension .mod). They contain no Section/Elevation/IE or 3D Document data, active Library or preferences information and only refer to attributes actually used by their elements. Module-type files can either be placed as Modules or merged into a project through the File > File Special > Merge command. Merged elements cannot be updated from the source file.For more information, see “Merging Files” on page 20.

Source File Data InterpretationThe Hotlinked Modules feature is strictly a Floor Plan to Floor Plan communication, which means that only elements appearing on the source file’s Floor Plan will appear in the host file.• Source file elements keep their story-relative elevation values.• Section/Elevation/IE markers and the contents of

Section/Elevation/IE and 3D Document windows as well as Cameras of any type are skipped when placing the Module.

• Library Parts: Placing a Module does not import any of the Library Parts it refers to. Make sure that the Library Parts used by the source are also available to the host, by either using the same Libraries for both source and host, activating the source’s Libraries in host file or putting an alias/shortcut to the source’s Libraries into the host’s Libraries.

• Stories: When you create a Module that contains multi-story elements, or which includes several stories, you have the option of including all stories or selected stories as part of the module.

For more information, see “Modules Involving Multiple Stories” on page 486.• Pen Colors: The settings of the current Project will be applied to

the Module.• Materials, Line Types, Fill Types and Composites: If the

elements of the Hotlinked Module use attributes that have the same names as those of the current Project, they will use the attributes of the host file. If no material, line type, fill type or composite of that name exists, new attributes will be added to the host file. However, once an attribute is part of the host file, that attribute will not be updated by any modifications to the same attribute in the Hotlinked Module file.Note: Attributes imported with the Hotlinked Modules are added permanently to the Project, i.e., they will not be removed when deleting Hotlinks or Modules.

Legacy Hotlinks from Older ArchiCAD VersionsWhen opening a project which contains hotlinked modules from older-version source files, ArchiCAD will display a warning about legacy files, with instructions for how to make the modules updateable in ArchiCAD 12:For details on converting legacy hotlinks, see the Migration Guide for ArchiCAD 12 in the Getting Started Booklet.


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Create ModuleThere are two ways to create a module: to save a module-type file, and to save selected elements as a module file.

Save a File as a ModuleOn the Floor Plan, create the set of elements you want to use as a module.Use File > Save As, and choose the .mod file format.

Note: If you are creating a module that involves multiple stories, you can set the range of stories to include in the file.

For more information, see “Modules Involving Multiple Stories” on page 486.Click OK to create the module file and close the dialog box. You can then place this module file into your project.See “Place Module” on page 484.

Save Selected Elements as Module1) Draw some elements in the Floor Plan and select them. You can

select elements from several stories by using the Marquee tool’s multistory option.

2) Go to File > External Content > Save Selection as Module. A directory dialog box will appear, prompting you to save the selected elements as a module file.

• By checking the Replace selection with this hotlinked module file, you can immediately replace the selected elements with the module file.

• If you have selected certain elements and copied them to the clipboard, you can save a module that will include those elements only: use File > Save As, then choose the Module File from Clipboard file format.

Note: If the selection contains elements that cannot be modified (e.g. they are locked, located on a locked layer or reserved by another Teammate), an alert will warn you. You will then have the choice of either creating the module with the editable elements only, or canceling the operation altogether.

The Apply offset/rotation of most recently broken hotlinked module checkbox is only available in this dialog box if a hotlinked file has been broken; otherwise it is gray.

See “Apply Offset and Rotation of Edited Module” on page 487.

Place ModuleTo place a module, choose File > External Content > Place Hotlinked Module. The dialog box allows you to choose a hotlink and edit its placement settings (e.g. layer, orientation, mirror effect, elevation), then place the module.

For more information, see “Place Module Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.


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The controls in this dialog box apply to the currently chosen Hotlink, as displayed in the “Hotlinked to” field in the bottom half of the dialog box. To choose a different hotlink, click the Choose Hotlink button to open the corresponding dialog box.For more information, see “Choose Hotlink” in ArchiCAD Help.If the desired Hotlink does not exist yet, click the New Hotlink button to add a new file to the list.

A directory type dialog box will appear. Choose the desired file to use as the hotlink, then click Place Module to place it in the project.If the desired hotlink’s source file is in an older version of ArchiCAD, you will be directed to open and save that file in ArchiCAD 12 before using it as a hotlink source.

Modules are placed in grouped mode. They cannot be ungrouped, and their elements cannot be edited individually.

Module Master LayerThe whole module is placed on a Master Layer, which you can check or change in the Place Module or Module Settings dialog box.

The elements of the module keep their element-specific layer assignment and are placed on the corresponding layers of the current Project, if layers with these names exist. If necessary, new layers will be created.The Master Layer controls the visibility and locking of a module as an entity. This Master Layer is an ordinary layer of the host file and can include any other elements.• Different instances of the same module can be assigned to

different Master Layers.• Element-specific layers control the visibility of the elements

within the module.• Locking a Master Layer has priority over the Delete and Break

Hotlink commands in the Hotlink Manager dialog box. These commands only act on modules with an unlocked Master Layer.

For more information, see “Hotlink Manager Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.• Layer Combinations of the source file are not imported with the

modules.Note: For best results, use the same layer structure in both the source and the host file.

Edit Parameters of Placed ModuleTo edit the placement parameters of a placed module, select it, then use File > External Content > Hotlinked Module Settings.For more information, see “Module Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.


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Modules Involving Multiple StoriesWhen saving a project file as a module file, and if the project contains multi-story elements or several stories, ArchiCAD will, by default, save all of the stories as part of the module.

Save Particular Stories in ModuleAlternatively, you can save only certain stories in the module: when you save the module using File > Save As, click the Options button in the Save As dialog box to bring up Save Options.The default choice is All Stories, but you can choose just the current Story, or a specified range of stories to include in the module file. Any element that falls within this range will be included in the module.To place such a multistory module file for the first time, use the Place Module dialog box. (File > External Content > Place Hotlinked Module), then click New Hotlink to add the multistory module’s hotlink to the list of available hotlinks.When you place this module, the “Match Stories” dialog box appears.

Here, type in the story number of the module which you want to place on the current story in the host project. The rest of the stories of the module will be placed accordingly (i.e. on stories above and below the selected story).

Note: If you try to place a multistory module into a project that contains fewer stories than the module you are placing, a warning will appear. The module stories which do not “fit” in the host project will not be placed.

Place Single Story of a Multistory ModuleYou can place just a single story from a multistory module:After selecting the module’s file name from the New Hotlink directory dialog box, you can decide to place only a single story of the multistory module: check Open in single story mode, then choose a single story of the saved module (including all elements that are entirely or partly present on that story) from the Choose Story dialog box.

Editing Module ContentTwo workflows for editing modules are described here:

Edit Hotlink Source in Separate ArchiCAD

To edit the elements of all the instances of a placed module, the easiest way is to edit the Hotlink Source file.


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In Hotlink Manager (File > External Content > Hotlink Manager), choose the desired source file from the Hotlink Sources list. Then click “Open in Separate ArchiCAD.”Another ArchiCAD opens on your machine, with the source file. Edit the file as needed, then save it.

Hint: If you want to see the Floor Plan context of the placed module while editing its source in the second ArchiCAD, use the “Trace” function: save the Floor Plan (in the first ArchiCAD) as a view and place it onto a Layout. In the second ArchiCAD, use the Organizer to access the first ArchiCAD and copy this Layout into the second ArchiCAD. Select this Layout in the second ArchiCAD’s tree structure and choose “Show as Trace” from its context menu.

Return to the first (host) project. Go to File > External Content > Hotlink Manager. In the Hotlink Source list, note that the Status of the edited module’s Hotlink Source now reads Modified. (If needed, click Refresh Status to get the latest status messages.)Click Update to update the hotlink. This action is carried out once you click OK to close the Hotlink Manager dialog box.

Edit Module: Break Link, Edit Elements, Replace Hotlink

Another way to edit a module is to break its hotlink, then edit it, and replace the previous hotlink with the newly edited module.1) Select the module to edit on the Floor Plan.2) Choose File > External Content > Hotlinked Module Settings.For more information, see “Module Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.3) Check the Break Hotlink of Selected Modules box, and click OK

to close the dialog box.

4) Edit the elements as needed. (Use Edit > Grouping > Suspend Groups to enable editing.)

5) Select the elements again and choose File > External Content > Save Selection as Module.

6) Give the new module file a unique name. Note: If you choose the old name of the module file, you will overwrite the previous source file and thereby overwrite all placed instances of the module file, not just the selected module.

7) Click Save. The new, edited Hotlinked module is placed.

Apply Offset and Rotation of Edited ModuleWhen several instances of a module have been placed with different rotation and offset values, and you edit the source file after breaking its hotlink, a relocation effect occurs when you save the modified source file.


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To correct this: Follow the steps listed above to break the hotlink and edit it.

When saving the edited selection as a module in the Save Selection as Module dialog box (see step 5 above):Check both the Replace selection with this hotlinked module file and Apply offset/rotation of most recently broken hotlinked module boxes. Click the Save button.

The placed module instances keep their relative locations.

Managing HotlinksUse the Hotlink Manager (File > External Content > Hotlink Manager) to gain an overview of and manage all the modules in your project.

See “Hotlink Manager Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help for a description of each control.The “Hotlinked Modules” list (in the top half of the dialog box) displays the hierarchy of modules hotlinked into the current project. Each module listed here represents a vertical “slice” (that is, one or more stories) of its source file.

The list is hierarchical, indicating any nested modules at a lower level in the tree structure.

The following image shows three single-story modules placed from source file A.pln, and a multistory module (from B.pln) which also contains the nested module C.mod.


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Select any module in this list to view the hotlink type (single- or multistory), the names and numbers of the story it contains, and the number of placed instances of this module in the project. Hovering your cursor over any hotlink displays an information tag with the module’s location in the host file.Note that selecting a module in this list also highlights the name of its source file in the “Hotlink Sources” list further down in this dialog box.The “Hotlink Sources” list displays the source files of the hotlinked modules, together with the status of each of these files. Use the buttons at the right of the Hotlinked Modules list and the Hotlink Sources list to manage the modules, their links and their source files.

Nested ModulesIt is possible to have several levels of hotlinked modules nested into each other. Nested Modules are listed in the Hotlink Manager’s Module list according to their location in the module hierarchy. If you do not want to include elements from nested modules in your project, you may choose to skip the nested modules by checking the corresponding box in the Hotlink Manager dialog box.

In this case, the elements coming from nested modules will be excluded from the instances placed on the Floor Plan (but will, of course, still be present in the source file).If you select such a nested module in the Hotlinked Modules list, you cannot change or break the hotlink (these commands and the module name itself are greyed), but you can save it as a new file. You can also open or update the nested hotlink’s source file in just one step, by clicking the Update button in the “Hotlink Sources” section below. However, the Relink command is available only for the source files of modules at the top of the hierarchy, not for nested modules.


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If two files refer to each other (for example, each containing one of the wings of a two-wing building), the Skip Nested Modules checkbox in the Hotlink Manager dialog box is checked automatically, in order to avoid recursion resulting in the duplication of elements.

It is also possible to hotlink a file to itself. Here again, the Skip Nested Modules box will be checked.

Note: Since this method will also ignore all other nested modules, use it only with files that do not contain any other placed module.

Deleting Modules from the Floor Plan

To delete a module placed on the Floor Plan, select it and press Backspace or Delete. (To select it, Suspend Groups should be

disabled; that is, the module should be in grouped mode.) All the elements making up the module will be cleared from your Project.If you want to clear all the instances of the same Hotlinked Module, you can go to the Hotlink Manager dialog box, select a Hotlink’s name and click the Delete button.

Breaking HotlinksTo break the hotlinks and preserve the elements of ALL instances of one or more modules, select the module in the Hotlinked Modules list in the Hotlink Manager dialog box (File > External Content > Hotlink Manager). Then click the Break Hotlink button. The result: the elements contained in the module are now regular editable ArchiCAD elements, no longer part of a module and no longer linked to any other source file.To break the hotlink of any single instance of a placed module, select the module and use the Break Hotlink of Selected Module in File > External Content > Hotlinked Module Settings.Once the hotlink is broken, the placed elements can be edited.See “Edit Module: Break Link, Edit Elements, Replace Hotlink” on page 487.After you break the Hotlink of a placed Module, the elements will be automatically grouped. However, restrictions on grouping will be valid (e.g., Dimension Chains will not be included in the group).

Updating HotlinksIf the source file of a hotlinked module is changed, the placed instance of the module will be updated only if you use the Update command in Hotlink Manager. (File > External Content > Hotlink Manager.) The Hotlink Sources list indicates which source files, if any, have been “Modified” and thus are out of date. Select the file and press Update.


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Once you press OK to close the dialog box, the module instances originated with this source file will be updated in your project.If you click the Update, Relink or Relocate commands for selected Hotlink Source files, these scheduled actions are noted in the files’ status column with a yellow triangle (at this point, you can still cancel the operation). The actions are not carried out until you press OK to close the Hotlink Manager dialog box.

Warning: Carrying out these actions means that your ArchiCAD project’s entire Undo queue will be cleared!

When pasting or merging data containing placed modules into a file containing instances of the same Hotlinks but with different update times, it is always the more recent module content that will be used, forcing the updating of the older instances.

Warning: After this operation, the Hotlink may still be outdated.

To set update preferences when opening a file containing hotlinks, go to Options > Work Environment > Data Safety > Hotlink Update.

For more information, see “Hotlink Update” in ArchiCAD Help.

Restoring Missing Hotlinks

The elements making up the module are actual elements, not just references to items. This means that when you save the Project file containing the hotlinked module, all the data you need is saved, even if the source files are not available anymore. You can work with a Project file containing modules whose source is not available just like with any other modules, except that the modules cannot be updated.

To recreate a live Hotlink to a module whose source is lost or not available:

1) Choose File > External Content > Hotlink Manager.

2) In the list of Hotlinked Modules, select the name of the hotlink which needs a new source file.

3) Click the Save as file... button and name the newly created file (it will be a module-type file with extension .mod).

To redefine the location of a Hotlink Source listed as “Missing” in Hotlink Manager:

Click Relink and use the appearing “New Hotlink” directory dialog box to provide the location of the Hotlink Source (which is probably missing because it was moved to a new location.) As long as a Hotlinked Source is missing, ArchiCAD cannot update its module instances.


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Note: Relink is available only for source files of top-level hotlinked modules; you cannot relink the source file of a nested hotlink. If the source of a nested hotlink is shown as “Missing,” open the file into which the nested hotlink is placed, and relink the source file.

Replacing Hotlinks

To replace an existing hotlink with a different hotlinked module, select the hotlink from the Hotlinked Modules list at the top of the Hotlink Manager, and click Change Hotlink. From the appearing dialog box, choose another hotlinked module from this project, or click New Hotlink to create a new one.

You can also replace a Hotlink Source file with another one: in the Hotlink Sources list in Hotlink Manager, select the source file to replace and click Relink. All module instances based on the original source will now be replaced by modules based on the new source you relinked here.

If the new source file has a different story structure than the host file, you will be warned that some dimensions may be lost if you continue the relink process:

You can replace multiple source files with a different set of source files if the replacement files are all in the same folder: select the files in Hotlink Manager, then click Relocate. In the directory dialog box, define the location of the folder containing the new source files.

The Relocate command is available only if you have selected multiple Hotlink Source files.

Modules: Multiplatform IssuesHost files located on either MacOS or Windows based computers can accommodate modules created on the other platform.

However, moving the host file to the other platform will require that you manually select the appropriate file for each hotlink by clicking the Change Hotlink button in Hotlink Manager. (File > External Content > Hotlink Manager). After this, the host file will store hotlink path names according to both platform standards. If you then change any Hotlink to point to another file, the path name for the other platform will be cleared.

For more information, see “Hotlink Manager Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.

Note: There is an exception to this rule. If this file has the same name as the one the Hotlink previously pointed to, the path name for the other platform will be preserved.

Although it is possible to use Hotlinks having the same file name but placed at a different location as long as you’re working on either MacOS or Windows, moving the file to the other platform will merge these different path names. Therefore, it is recommended to use different file names for different module content even if you’re working in a single-platform context.

Hotlinked Modules and TeamworkUsing Hotlinked Modules can be combined with the Teamwork functionality for working on complex projects shared by several architects.

For information on reserving your workspace in Teamwork, see “Reservation” on page 461.

Modules can be reserved by Story, Layer and Area.


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• When reserving a module by Layer, you must select the Master Layer of the module, not the layers of the elements making up the module.

• When reserving a Marquee area, each module that has at least one element inside your workspace will be entirely reserved by you.

Teammates can manage the module instances inside their own workspaces.• You can Delete and Break Hotlinks to your reserved instances.

Note that the Hotlinks dialog box will show that all instances have been changed, not just yours. Click OK and open the Hotlinks dialog box again to see the real situation.

• You can update every instance of placed modules, both those reserved by you and by other Teammates. If you choose Teamwork > Send & Receive Changes or Receive Changes, ArchiCAD will update all instances with the newer versions. Note that your update can only act on the Team Project if your

Workspace actually did include such a module. Otherwise, all modifications will revert if you choose Send & Receive Changes.

• You can change the Hotlink of your instances of placed modules. When you then choose Send & Receive Changes, you will see that only your own instances will actually change, while those reserved by other Teammates will revert to the original Hotlink (resulting in more Hotlinks).

Important: To avoid confusion, it is recommended that Hotlinks be changed in Exclusive Access mode by the Team


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Leader. If this is not feasible, all teammates should change to the same hotlink independently of each other.

• Choosing Check and update Hotlinks automatically from the Hotlink Update choices in Options > Work Environment > Data Safety is not effective when choosing Sign In > Sign Out or Send & Receive Changes. On the other hand, it will be effective when opening Draft Copies.

For more information, see “Hotlink Update” in ArchiCAD Help.

XREFsExternal reference files (XREF) are similar to Hotlinked Modules, except that they are DXF or DWG files and not ArchiCAD files.

External referencing is a way of saving disk space and work. You can attach a DWG or DXF file to your drawing, which will be loaded into the Project and displayed. You can, for example, snap to all drawing elements within the XREF and print or plot them. A common use for XREFs is to draw elements that are common to several kinds of drawings within a Project (e.g., the outlines of exterior and interior walls). If you have a file containing this data, you can attach it to other drawings that can use the geometric information contained in the XREF file without the Project file actually having to contain the data. Also, if the source of the data in the external reference (the DWG or DXF) is changed, then these changes can be updated immediately so the latest data is always available.

XREF is available in both ArchiCAD and AutoCAD - both applications can detect circular references.

In ArchiCAD, external reference files work much as they do in AutoCAD. ArchiCAD XREFs can display 2D elements from DWG files, but three-dimensional AutoCAD elements (such as Solid elements) are not visible in ArchiCAD’s 3D window.

You can attach and detach XREF files in ArchiCAD, unload and reload them, bind them to the project file and view information about them. These functions are available from the File menu under the External Content > XREF Manager and Attach XREF commands.

For more information, see XREF Management Dialog Box and “Attach XREF” in ArchiCAD Help.The XREF Management dialog box displays information about the attached files, including the name of the reference (usually the same as the attached file), its status (Loaded, Detached, Reloaded, Unloaded or Bound), size, type (Attach or Overlay), Date and the number of instances.

Note: If any of the functions described in this chapter do not work properly, the DXF/DWG Add-On may be missing, or the DXF/DWG Translator is not set. You can check this easily by choosing File > Open and looking for the appropriate file types in the Files of type field. The missing Add-On can be loaded with the Add-On Manager command in the Options menu.

XREFs and the Layer StructureWhen you attach an external reference file to an ArchiCAD Project, a layer will be created for it. The resulting layer names will have the following format: ‘XREF_NAME | LAYER_NAME’.For example, the PEN_56 layer of a DWG file that was attached to the project with the XREF name 3D_STUFF will become the layer 3D_STUFF|PEN_56.In Layer Settings, the layers of any attached XREFs are listed separately, at the bottom of the layer list.


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Layers of XREF projects cannot be unlocked, but you can show or hide these layers. When the XREF is detached, a dialog lets you choose between retaining or removing the detached XREF’s attributes, including layers, linetypes and fills.

If you do not want XREF layers to appear in Layer Settings, use the display filter pop-up at the top right of the dialog box and choose “Hide Xref layers”.

XREF layers are not available from layer selection pop-ups in other parts of the user interface (e.g. Tool Settings dialog boxes and Info Box). However, if an XREF element is included in the last selection, its XREF layer does appear - for information purposes only (in italics) - in the Layer chooser pop-up.

If you want to do not want to import unused attributes of the XREF: click the Settings button in the Attach Xref dialog. In the appearing Settings dialog, check the Purge all unused Attributes box on the Miscellaneous page of the Settings of the Selected Translator.

Using XREFs in Round-Trip CommunicationIn this Teamwork scenario, you are assigned to work on one part of a larger project. You get the whole project (or the part of it relevant to your job), extend it with your part and send it back. In this case we recommend that you use the XREF (External Reference) model. Using this model you can see all parts of the project, but modify only the part assigned to you.

The XREF model is based on a “master” AutoCAD file containing general information (e.g. a site map).

• First, attach this “master” file as an XREF to your ArchiCAD plan to see the current state of the project.

• Detail plans, including your file, are added as XREF’s. Make your modifications in your external file, using ArchiCAD. You will be able to modify only your file.

• Meanwhile, other members of the project team are working on their files in parallel. To receive the changes made by the others, reload the “master” file. The updated file contains all the modifications submitted by the other parties.

• If you want the others to see the work you have done so far, you can send your changes by exporting your work in AutoCAD format.

The XREF model preserves the “master” AutoCAD file: each team member works only on his/her own part without being able to


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modify others’ work, because externally referenced files don’t have to be sent back to their original sources.Due to essential differences between ArchiCAD and AutoCAD, perfect round-trips are not possible. (For example, if you import and then export something, polylines and structures are lost.) In practice, however, you can rely on the suggested XREFs, which do not involve overwriting the other party’s original file, so that you don’t need to rely on a perfect round-trip. If you work in round-trip communication, your file never gets overwritten. The specialist gets new DXF/DWG files from you from time to time, which contain imperfect reproductions of his modifications. You can avoid these imperfections if you keep his additions in a separate XREF file, attached as an external reference to the file you send back to him.

Data ExchangeArchiCAD is fully prepared to work in collaboration with users of other CAD systems, especially those supporting AutoCAD’s native DWG and the industrial standard DXF formats.The DXF/DWG Add-On is installed together with the ArchiCAD package and is smoothly integrated in the ArchiCAD user interface. It allows you to:• Open AutoCAD drawings as ArchiCAD Projects or ArchiCAD

Library Parts.• Merge AutoCAD drawings with your ArchiCAD Project file.• Place AutoCAD drawings as ArchiCAD Drawings to Layouts or

Model Views.• Add AutoCAD drawings as external references (XREFs) to the

ArchiCAD Project.• Import BLOCKs from an AutoCAD drawing and create

ArchiCAD Library Parts out of them within their own newly created Library.

• Save your ArchiCAD Floor Plans, Sections/Elevations, Detail Drawings and 3D Views in AutoCAD formats.

• Save your ArchiCAD Layouts in AutoCAD formats.

• Set up Translators to make it easier to apply a customized set of conversion rules to the equivalent elements and functions of ArchiCAD and DXF/DWG files.

Opening DWG/DXF FilesYou can open DXF and DWG format files in ArchiCAD as Drawings or Layouts. Choose File > Open and then select the file you need in the directory dialog box.

Conversion rules for data exchange between ArchiCAD and AutoCAD can be stored in a file called a Translator (extension XML).

To use the default translator, just choose the Open command, and the selected file will be opened in ArchiCAD. The default translator of ArchiCAD is set up in a way that the translation gives correct results in most of the cases.

At the same time, because of the differences between AutoCAD and ArchiCAD correct translation requires custom set up in certain cases.

To switch translators or adjust settings before opening the file, choose Settings to open the DXF/DWG Translation Setup dialog box.

This dialog box is accessible:

• when you begin a data transfer operation, by pressing the Settings button in the Save, Open or Merge directory dialog box or the Attach XREF dialog box, if the import/export file format is DXF/DWG

• directly with the File > File Special > DXF-DWG Translation Setup command

• when opening a DXF/DWG file through the File > Libraries and Objects > Open Objects command

• through the File > Libraries and Objects > Import Blocks from DXF/DWG command

You can perform translator management every time the Translator dialog appears – whether during data exchange (open and save) or through translation setup.


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Note for Teamwork users: Using common Translators ensures that all team members have access to the same conversion options. It is therefore recommended that the CAD Manager (or a person filling the same type of role in your office) manage the set of Translators and place them on a server. To use the translators, each team member must first introduce them into their list of Translators.

For more information on Translator settings, see “DXF/DWG Translation Setup” in ArchiCAD Help.

Opening as Library PartYou can also open a DXF/DWG file as a Library Part by choosing the File > Libraries and Objects > Open Object command. This will open the Library Part master window where you can configure the new object obtained from the entire file.For more information, see “GDL Master Window” in ArchiCAD Help.

Opening with Drag-and-DropYou can also import DXF/DWG drawings using Drag-and-Drop: Left-click the AutoCAD drawing, dragging it over the desired location and dropping it. The file will be opened using the last-used DXF/DWG Translator. With this method, the DWG/DXF file is simply merged into the ArchiCAD Project file. The 3D content of the file is not imported, only its 2D appearance.If several DXF/DWG files are drag-and-dropped, only one of them will be dropped; since you cannot control which file will be dropped, it is recommended to drag-and-drop only one such file at a timeThere are several ways to use Drag-and-Drop techniques while opening/merging AutoCAD drawings:• Drag-and-dropping a DXF/DWG file onto the background of

the ArchiCAD application window, the ArchiCAD menu bar or the ArchiCAD icon will result in opening the file.

• Drag-and-dropping a DXF/DWG file onto the ArchiCAD Floor Plan, Section/Elevation/IE or 3D Document window or Detail/Worksheet window will place the file as a Drawing.

• Drag-and-dropping a DXF/DWG file onto a Layout will place the Drawing onto the Layout.

Opening with i-Drop® (Windows Only)‘i-Drop®’ is a technology by Autodesk that is freely available. It allows users to download DWG/DXF objects from the web and drop them directly into their CAD software of choice. ArchiCAD now supports this functionality. The needed software (which is an Internet Explorer extension) may be downloaded from Autodesk.Web pages usually contain a preview of how the object looks. When dragging the cursor over the object preview picture, it changes into an “I-Drop Indicator” cursor form, which shows it is an object that may be drag-and-dropped into your CAD application.To use such an object in ArchiCAD, press the left mouse button while your cursor is over the preview picture of the object. Drag it over the ArchiCAD Window (Floor Plan, Section/Elevation/IE or 3D Document Window or Detail/Worksheet Window) and release the mouse button. ArchiCAD will download the object from the web. During the process, a process indicator may appear showing the current stage of the download.Each such object may consist of two files: the DWG/DXF file and a preview picture file. ArchiCAD will download both, if they are available. The preview picture may or may not be available, or it may not be the same image file that is shown on the web page as a preview. ArchiCAD saves the downloaded files into the folder defined in Options > Work Environment > Web Objects.


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The default location of this folder on Windows is:C:\Documents and Settings\<USER>\My Documents\Graphisoft\Dropped Objects

Opening Password-Protected FilesIn AutoCAD 2004 and later versions, it is possible to protect drawings with a password.When importing or opening such a file, you may encounter such a situation.Currently, on the MacOS platform it is not possible to open password-protected AutoCAD 2004 and later DXF/DWG files because the operating system does not support the encryption method used by these password mechanisms. In such a case an alert will come up on your MacOS.On Windows the operating system may be such that it does not support the password decoding routine. In this case you will be alerted that the file cannot be opened. If the system supports the decoding routine, a dialog appears where you can enter the password you received from the person sending you the file.For XREF files, the program will require the password the first time the XREF is reloaded in ArchiCAD. If several XREF files are being reloaded, only the password-protected file will not be reloaded if its password is not entered correctly.

Opening Blocks as Library PartsThe closest analogy of an AutoCAD block is an ArchiCAD Library Part. Block references (insert entities) match the library part instances. The difference: while a library part is a separate file, the block is stored within the AutoCAD file itself. Converting blocks into library parts is the only way to preserve the blocks’ 3D structure. However, it may be more efficient (use less storage space) to explode relatively complex blocks (e.g. if you explode 100 instances of a block containing 100 lines you end up with 10000 lines).Drawbacks of converting blocks into library parts:

• You must regularly weed through the object libraries created during DXF/DWG import, to eliminate duplicate and unnecessary items

• Some editing functions available for details stored in blocks will not be available for the library part instance

ACIS ImportA new function allows you to convert AutoCAD 3D Solids, Regions and Bodies into GDL Objects. Opening or merging such objects brings up a Browse dialog box, where you choose the folder to which to save the GDL objects you will create.

Saving DWG/DXF FilesYou can save a project view or layout in ArchiCAD in DXF and DWG formats. (No DWG save is possible from a schedule, index or list view.)

Note: If you are working in AutoCAD and open a DWG that was originally saved from ArchiCAD, an Alert may appear. However, you should go ahead and work with the saved DWG in AutoCAD - no stability problems should result.

When the Save directory dialog box is displayed, choose the format you need (DXF or DWG) and enter the name under which you wish to save the file. The Translator field in the Save dialog box lists default translators you will use in most cases (such as “for as is output”). If you don’t know which default translator to use, choose Settings to open the DXF-DWG Translation Setup dialog box. Each default translator listed at the top is briefly described in the Description field.


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For more information, see “DXF/DWG Translation Setup” in ArchiCAD Help.

Entity ConversionSimple ArchiCAD elements get converted into the corresponding AutoCAD entities:• Hotspots to points• Lines (without arrowheads) to lines• Circles to circles• Arcs (without arrowheads) to arcs• Ellipses to ellipses• Elliptic arcs (without arrowheads) to elliptic arcs• Texts to multiline texts.• Fills to hatches.

Note: fills in walls, columns and library parts are treated the same way.

• Pictures to images• Dimensions (all kinds) to dimensions

Note: ArchiCAD and AutoCAD dimensions have different aspects of appearance to be configured, so your dimensions will often appear differently. The possible locations of the dimension text relative to the dimension line is the most apparent difference.

Arrowheads make these elements (the lines and arcs) “complex elements”.Complex elements: their drawing details are made up of more than one AutoCAD entity. Unless you choose “Explode complex ArchiCAD Elements,” they are drawn into a block each and an insert is placed into the entity section.• Walls: they are drawn into blocks named WALL_<n> where n is

the index of the wall element. The block contains visible contour lines, fills (see notes to the polygon fills), block references to windows and doors and an attached label. The window and door

references may be followed by their window dimension block references and attached label references if they have any.Note: the contours of an arc wall aren't arcs, but polylines made up of straight segments.

• Columns are drawn in blocks named COLUMN_<n> where n is the index of the column element. The block contains the visible contour lines, the fills (see notes to the polygon fills) and the block references to the attached label.

• Windows are drawn in blocks named WINDOW_<n> where n is the index of the window element.

• Doors are drawn in blocks named DOOR_<n> where n is the index of the door element.

• Objects are drawn in blocks named OBJECT_<n> where n is the index of the object element.

• Lights are drawn in blocks named LIGHT_<n> where n is the index of the light element. Note on windows, doors, objects and lights: when the library part doesn't have any 2D script, it may have up to 8 different looks depending on “Use Symbol Colors,” “Use Symbol Linetypes” and the possible mirrored state. So one library part of this kind cannot have more than 8 blocks exported. Others (with 2D scripts) may have any number of different looks and they will have exactly as many blocks as looks occur on the exported floor.

Since more than one instance may share the same detail block, the attached labels cannot be put into these blocks – they follow the block references.• Slabs are drawn in blocks named SLAB_<n> where n is the

index of the slab element. The block contains the contour and hole polygons and the block reference to the attached label.

• Roofs are drawn in blocks named ROOF_<n> where n is the index of the roof element. The block contains the contour and hole polygons and the block reference to the attached label.

• Beams are drawn in blocks named BEAM_<n> where n is the index of the beam element. The block contains the contour and hole polygons and the block reference to the attached label.


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• Meshes are drawn in blocks named MESH_<n> where n is the index of the mesh element. The block contains the contour and hole polygons, the mesh level lines and the block reference to the attached label.

• Zones are drawn in blocks named ZONE_<n> where n is the index of the zone element. The block contains the solid fill, the zone stamp and the block reference to the attached label.

Note: since the default zone-fill colors are light pastel colors and the AutoCAD color set does not contain an equivalent, they all will be RGB-matched to a light gray. If you prefer, pick a saturated color (e.g. red or yellow) for zone fill color and blue or black for zone stamp color.

• Cameras and camera sets are not exported.

Using SHX Fonts in the Conversion Process

The DXF-DWG Add-On relies on the availability of AutoCAD fonts – including the SHX fonts. The Add-On will display a message asking for these fonts during the course of a conversion.

If you do not have these fonts available, you can expect problems in text formatting (such as incorrect line breaks). It is recommended that you acquire the SHX font files, which are part of the AutoCAD package, from an AutoCAD user. (Although the fonts are not available with ArchiCAD for proprietary reasons, AutoCAD users are allowed, even encouraged, to distribute them.) True-type version of all SHX fonts are also available in the AutoCAD package.

Once you get the fonts, create a separate folder for them. When the Add-On asks for an SHX font file, select it from this collection. If you don’t have the requested one, you may select another one. (In this case the conversion results may differ.) Once you have shown the folder to the Add-On, it will henceforth automatically search in that folder (but not in any newly created sub-folders) for the required SHX font files.

Note on TrueType fonts: You can use TrueType fonts in ArchiCAD without any problem on either Windows or MacOS. (MacOS users should copy the TrueType font files into the system drive’s Library/Font folder.)

Note on Fonts vs. Shapes: AutoCAD uses SHX files not only as fonts but for other purposes as well. Complex line types insert shapes into their patterns. The shapes may be added to the drawings as simple symbols. It may cause problems if you select an SHX of this kind instead of a font – so when the Add-On requests you to locate an SHX file, use the “Skip” option if you are not sure an SHX file you found is the right kind. The requested filename should give you a clue about which kind is needed – font or shape.

Attribute PurgeWhen saving an ArchiCAD file as DWG, only those ArchiCAD attributes will be included which are actually used in the project. This is an automatic process, reducing file size.You can opt to purge further attributes: the checkbox in DXF-DWG Translation Settings (Miscellaneous) enables you to Purge all unused attributes that originate in the DWG template file.

Merge a DXF/DWG FileYou can merge DXF and DWG format files into the currently open ArchiCAD Project. Use File > File Special > Merge, and choose the DXF/DWG file you want to merge.The Merge DXF-DWG dialog box appears. You have the option of merging the content of Model Space into the current View, or to Merge (Append) Paper Spaces to the Layout Book of the Project.For more information, see “Merge DXF-DWG Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.

Round-Trip Conversion (Smart Merge)

Use Smart Merge (round-trip conversion) if you are merging the DXF or DWG file back into the same ArchiCAD file from which you


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saved it. Smart Merge allows you to work at the same time on the same project in ArchiCAD and AutoCAD and exchange the additional information with minimal loss and interference.Smart Merge allow you to deal with:• New elements added in ArchiCAD or AutoCAD.• Elements created in ArchiCAD or AutoCAD and modified

(stretched, dragged, rotated, mirrored) in the other application or both applications.

• Elements created in ArchiCAD or AutoCAD and deleted in either or both applications.

If you cooperate with someone using AutoCAD (or any other CAD program that can communicate via DXF or DWG format), the process will be something like this:1) You work out the architectural aspects of the whole plan to a

point where it can present an overall layout for your partner to add details (at this point, you need not be completely finished with your part).

2) Then you save a DXF or DWG file for your partner with ArchiCAD-specific info to support merging. You can merge the DXF or DWG file back into the same ArchiCAD file from which you saved it:

• Use File > Save as, then click the Settings button to access the DXF-DWG Translation Setup dialog box.

• In the Settings in Selected Translator panel, use the Saving Floor Plan option: Prepare File for Smart Merge.

Note: You must first save your ArchiCAD Project (save a PLN) so that it contains the necessary information for the merge process. If there is no Merge information in a DWG/DXF file, you won’t be able to rebuild ArchiCAD model elements, only simple AutoCAD-native data. In case the ArchiCAD file was not saved before, this option is grayed.

For more information, see DXF/DWG Translation Setup > Save Options > “Saving Floor Plan” in ArchiCAD Help.

3) You continue your work on the original plan, while he works on the DXF/DWG file. That is, while you are elaborating the architecture, he adds his own details (e.g. electric, plumbing etc.); but he may find it necessary to change something you created. For example, he may move a wall or duplicate an object.

4) Now the time has come to bring your separately made additions together. Activate the File > File Special > Merge command and select the appropriate DXF/DWG file. If you have saved an ArchiCAD file as dxf/dwg format in the right way (step 2), you


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can merge it into the same ArchiCAD file using the Smart Merge Options:

• File > File Special > Merge > Open• From the Merge DXF-DWG dialog box, choose the Merge

Content of Model Space into Current View option• From the DXF/DWG Merge dialog box, choose Merge

Options.

• The Smart Merge Options dialog box appears, allowing you to modify the Smart Merge configuration file and the translator options (if desired).Note: You can also set up these options in advance with the File > File Special > Smart Merge Options command which opens the same configuration dialog box.

For more information, see “Smart Merge Options” in ArchiCAD Help.5) Repeat from step (2) as many times as necessary.


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ConsultationArchiCAD includes two sophisticated features that allows architects to take into consideration remarks and suggestions made by other members of the design team or even customers who can only view the plans without running ArchiCAD.

Project ReviewerProject Reviewer is a Java applet that lets you view DWF, JPG, GIF, and TXT files saved in ArchiCAD using the Project Publisher command. It also allows you to add redline information to DWF files.

This is an extremely convenient way of communicating with clients and decision-makers without forcing them to learn to use ArchiCAD or even having to install the program. Reviewer runs in an internet browser environment and displays the views that you published.For more information, see “Project Reviewer Environment” in ArchiCAD Help.Comments, corrections and other information added with the tools of the Redlining palette can be incorporated in your design by importing them with the Project Mark-Up feature described below.

Project Reviewer Example

Let us say a Drafter is working on an Apartment building. The Architect wants to review an apartment (e.g. Apartment B26) and make design modifications to it, if necessary.


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1) The Architect asks the Drafter to send him drawings to review. The Drafter goes to Publisher in ArchiCAD. Here he selects the 2nd Story for Publishing in DWF format. The DWF file is part of the 'Apartment B26 Review' Publisher Set. He sets the path for the saved files in the Publisher Set Properties Dialog. Also here, he checks the 'Include Project Reviewer web environment' checkbox so the necessary Java application is included with the saved files.

2) The Drafter then publishes this set or drawing.

3) He then finds the saved files on his computer, compresses them into one file (ZIP for example) if necessary, and sends them over to the Architect via e-mail or by uploading the files to an FTP site from which the Architect can download them. It may be


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advisable for the Drafter to open the saved HTML file before sending it to ensure everything is OK and data were saved correctly.

4) The Architect receives the files. He double-clicks the HTML file to start the Project Reviewer web environment.

5) He moves in on the area in question and begins to review it.

Here he might have several thing he wants to check. For example, he may check, using the Tape Measure Tool of the Surveyor Toolbar to see whether the Bath is wide enough or the Living is wide enough.


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6) Then he can start making Redlining entries to give instructions to the Drafter on what to change. For example, he might want a design option for the Apartment in which the wall between the Kitchen and the Living is removed, enabling him to rearrange the placement of the Kitchen counter and the Dining table. Also he wants the wall between the Living and the Vestibule to be moved downward to increase the Living area. He marks all these changes using the various Redlining tools of Project Reviewer, such as the Ellipse Tool, the Freehand Polyline Tool, the Arrow Tool or the Text Tool.

7) After this step he can Upload the redlining data to the file, save his modifications, then go to the E-mail Tab Page of Reviewer and send the modified DWF containing the Redline file to the Drafter. Reviewer automatically attaches to uploaded DWF redline files to the mail sent. He may also attach any other files to the e-mail he sends to the Drafter. Also, it is not necessary - although handy - to use Project Reviewer to send the e-mail. The Architect may send it from his e-mail program, but in that case he needs to manually locate and attach the Redlining DWF files to his mail.

8) After the Drafter receives the mail, he saves the attached Redlining DWF files to his hard drive. Then he opens the Mark-Up Palette, and creates a new Mark-Up entry. He chooses the DWF file from which to import these Mark-Up entries. This will be the file or files the Architect sent him.


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9) The Redlining information appears on the ArchiCAD Floor Plan. These entries are imported to the ‘Redline’ Layer.

10) Now that all needed modifications are visible to him, the Drafter makes the necessary modifications. After he is finished, the cycle begins anew. After he is finished with the modifications, he again sends the file to the Architect who ensures that all modifications were done as requested. If not, or if new modifications are necessary, he sends another Redlining DWF file. They do this until all modifications are correctly carried out to the Architect's specifications.


Collaboration

Project Mark-Up

About Project Mark-Up

The Mark-Up features facilitates communication between designers during a Project. It allows you to point out problematic elements with a color highlight or to add new elements. You may wish to mark up a

design for many reasons - for example to correct and manage a colleague’s errors or deviations from a project’s guidelines, or to make alternative design suggestions.

More than one person can mark up a drawing. Project Mark-Up supports several different commentaries by allowing the use of different colors for each separate redline.


Collaboration

When Project Mark-Up is switched on (Document > Mark-Up Tools), you can use any tool from the Toolbox to redline your drawing.For more information, see “Mark-Up Tools Palette” in ArchiCAD Help.There are also special redlining objects provided in the ArchiCAD Library.When using Teamwork, you can add corrections and suggestions to the workspace of other members of the design team who can then check them and, if appropriate, incorporate them into their part of the design. You can also import redline data created in Project Reviewer as additions to your published project and incorporate them into your design.Mark-Up Entries are view-specific. They cannot contain elements belonging to several different Stories, Section/Elevation/IE or 3D Document windows or Detail/Worksheet windows.Mark-Up Entries can be shown or hidden one by one in the Mark-Up palette or globally with the corresponding control of the Document > Set Model View > Model View Options dialog box.If an Entry is hidden, the applied corrections will disappear and highlighted elements will appear with their real pen color and line type.

Note: Single Mark-Up Entries can be shown or hidden in the Mark-Up palette.

Mark-up tools are useful for large teams where face-to-face discussions are not always possible, or when architects working on the project are remotely located and the teamwork is based on exchanging local draft files.

Version Management with Mark-Up

The Mark-up tool can also be used to compare several design proposals to each other. In this scenario, architects create corrections elements organized in Mark-Up entries. Each Mark-up entry represents a version. To view one proposal, the corresponding Mark-up entry has to be set visible, while the other entries have to be hidden. When the architect is ready to present the different ideas, he

or she assigns all the mark-up entries to the senior architect who is in control of the project. The project leader still does not have to reserve workspace. He or she signs in as Mark-Up user and gets the Mark-Up entries assigned to him/her. After the final decision is made, the project leader changes the style of the chosen version to “approved” and assigns the entry back to the teammate who created that. The teammate can turn the approved set into final elements. The discarded versions can be deleted or marked as “rejected” and kept as hidden mark-up entries for later use.


Collaboration

Mark-Up Concepts

A Mark-Up Entry is composed of a logically related set of Corrections, Highlights and Tags placed on the plan, and a discussion consisting of comments made by one or several users.Mark-Up Styles define the appearance of Corrections or Highlighted elements with Pen Color attributes. Each Mark-Up Entry can use only one Mark-Up Style. These styles can indicate the status of the Entry, for example “Drafting Errors,” “Fixing in Progress” or

“Fixed.” You can draw Corrections marked by different style appearances to suggest the proper arrangement of Project elements or to add any kind of 2D graphics or text as annotations.Mark-up Styles are project attributes, which can be defined and edited in Options > Attributes > Mark-Up Styles.For more information, see “Mark-Up Styles Dialog Box” in ArchiCAD Help.You can Highlight any existing element to call attention to it, without actually modifying it. Highlighting is like applying a special skin of marking attributes to elements without altering their original ones.

Publishing and Retrieving Mark-Up Information

You can publish your marked up Project using the Publisher function.

For more information, see “Publisher Function” on page 442.Publisher will remember the Display Options set for Mark-Ups, that is, whether they are shown or hidden in general (in View > On-Screen View Options). However, it will not store which Entries were visible when the View was created. When publishing, the current visibility status of each Entry will be active.

Provided that the published files are saved in DWF format, non-ArchiCAD users can add further redlining with Project Reviewer. Redlined DWF format files can be sent to you by the reviewer. You can import these DWF files as a new Mark-Up Entry.

See “Project Reviewer” on page 503.

Teamwork and Project Mark-Up

Any registered team member can add Mark-Up entries to the workspace of any Teammate, either when signed in as another Teammate or in special Mark-Up mode. In the latter case, you cannot create, edit or delete any elements, only mark them or add corrections. Every team member can see the Mark-Ups of others, but they can only edit the ones that they themselves created or that have been reassigned to them.


Collaboration

Reassigning a Mark-Up Entry can happen in two ways:• By the Teammate who created the Mark-Up Entry, if he or she

has made suggestions in another person’s workspace: in this case, this Teammate will activate the Mark-Up palette, select the corresponding Entry on the Mark-Up Entries panel, and choose the other person’s name in the Assigned to pop-up menu in the Teamwork panel. Reassignment is actually performed when next sending and receiving changes.If your Mark-Up Entry contains not only highlighted elements, but also new, correction elements in the other person’s workspace, you will be warned about this.In this case, sending changes requires that you get a new Sign-In ID. After this, any local drafts you created of this Project will be outdated. Save a new draft and continue working on that one.

• By the Team Leader, if there are Mark-Up Entries abandoned by their owner. This can happen, for example, if a Teammate has been removed from the Team by the Administrator in Project Sharing Setup. In this case, on signing in, the Team Leader is automatically offered the list of entries without an owner, and he or she can choose among the registered Teammates the one who will receive this information.

If there are Mark-Up Entries reassigned to you (by either of the above ways), you will be informed of this on signing in or when receiving changes.

When offered the Get Mark-Up Entries panel, both the Team Leader and the Teammate can either choose to accept the reassigned entries immediately or to postpone this until later. In the latter case, the dialog box will reappear when they next sign in or choose to receive changes.

Mark-Up Example in Teamwork“A” creates a new Mark-Up entry. “A” selects the wall and turns it into Corrections. In the Tag and Discussion section “A” can add comments or place a tag on the floor plan next to the wall to give instructions to teammate “B”. “A” then assigns the Mark-up entry to “B”.When “A” sends changes, a warning will appear that a new Sign-In ID will be created for teammate “A”. After sending changes, the wall will not be in “A” s workplace anymore. When Teammate “B” receives changes, he or she will be notified about the new Mark-Up entries assigned to him/her.Getting an entry also means a new Sign-In ID for teammate “B”. Once “B” receives the mark-up entry, he/she can review the Markup discussion and edit the elements accordingly.By removing Corrections from the wall, it becomes a regular drawing element owned by teammate “B”. When “B” sends changes, he or she will be given the option to release elements outside the boundary of his/her Workspace.

Advantages: The elements can be assigned back and forth without signing in and out. The element stays in the same position, on the same layer, without the risk of making a duplicate. Excellent communication is possible via tags and notes, which are logged in the Markup Discussion window. The history of the design can be preserved with hierarchical Mark-Up entries.Drawbacks: The Mark-up entries must be managed to avoid overcomplicated Mark-up hierarchy. Unused Mark-up entries must be deleted.

For more information, see “Mark-Up Tools Palette” in ArchiCAD Help.


Collaboration


Visualization

VISUALIZATIONVisualization in ArchiCAD encompasses all the tools and techniques that allow you to display and present your architectural design to your customer even at an early stage of your work. Presentations can be of various types (photorendered still images, animation, virtual reality) and may serve different purposes.You can visualize your entire project or parts of it using numerous built-in views or by adding dedicated cameras to the floor plan and then viewing the data from that vantage point. Some of the special views (for example virtual reality scenes) require the use of dedicated tools.ArchiCAD’s default 3D perspective and parallel (or axonometric) views can be activated and customized with menu commands and by using the Navigator palette.Cameras and their settings play a key role in the definition of the different visualization modes and views.Although the built-in visualization possibilities of ArchiCAD are quite extensive, you may want to further improve on the output images or insert them into foreign environments.ArchiCAD offers various options for exporting the entire model into a number of common file formats used by professional rendering software.• Art•lantis is a cutting-edge rendering solution developed by

Graphisoft’s French distribution partner, Abvent SA. It can handle still images, animations and VR Scenes exported directly from ArchiCAD by choosing the appropriate file format. Moreover, an intelligent link is established between the original model and the Art•lantis file.

• You can also export the floor plan or 3D view into a variety of applications such as Piranesi, 3D Studio or Photoshop for fine-tuning it or adding special effects.

The most commonly used commands related to Visualization techniques can be found on the predefined 3D Visualization toolbar. Choose Window > Toolbars > 3D Visualization to display this toolbar as needed. (This toolbar also contains 3D Window display and 3D Navigation commands.)

With ArchiCAD 12, multi-core processors are recommended to support 3D navigation and 3D model generation.

CamerasYou can place any number of Cameras in the Floor Plan for generating perspective views in still image or animation (fly-through) format as well as Virtual Reality panoramic scenes, a path for VR scenes, and navigable VR object movies.There are three types of Cameras available from either the Camera Settings dialog box or the Info Box: Perspective Cameras, VR Objects, and VR Scenes.For more information, see “VR Objects” on page 526 and “VR Scenes” on page 527 and “Camera/VR Tool Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.Perspective Cameras allow you to view and edit the entire project or a selected part of it in the 3D Window and to create renderings that represent a snapshot of the current state of the project. They are defined by a viewpoint, a target point and an opening angle.


Visualization

On the Floor Plan, all Cameras are shown with their target points and paths, and the handles that can be used to manipulate them. Only one camera is active at a time, as indicated by the sun and view angle markers.

Camera Path Options

The Display Options of perspective Cameras can be set with a pop-up menu in the Path Options dialog box accessed from Camera Settings. You can hide the Cameras altogether, show the Cameras with or without the Path line and with or without the in-between frames.

For more information, see “Path Options” in ArchiCAD Help.

When the 3D Window is active, you can modify Cameras with the Navigator and Navigator Preview palettes (click the desired Camera from the list in the Navigator, then modify it in the Navigator Preview). You can also modify the settings of placed cameras by changing the 3D view with the navigation commands, then using the 3D Navigation Extras commands to adjust the placed cameras to the new viewpoints.

For more information, see “3D Navigation Extras” on page 174.Note: Only one type of Camera can be displayed at a time. If you switch to another type in the Info Box, the Camera Settings palette or the Navigator palette automatically hides all the Cameras of the other two types.

When you have made your choices in the Camera Settings dialog box, you are ready to place Cameras on the Floor Plan.

Your first click on the Floor Plan defines the location of the Camera itself. Draw a rubberband line to set the view direction, and click again to define the target’s horizontal position. When the operation is completed, the sun icon appears with default settings.

You can check the view of the camera by selecting it and activating the 3D Window. When you do this, the parameters of the perspective defined by the camera are copied into the 3D Projection Settings dialog box and the Navigator and Navigator Preview palettes.

PhotoRenderingThe ArchiCAD PhotoRendering feature allows you to create photorealistic images of the model as a snapshot of the current state of the project. PhotoRendering allows you to go far beyond the possibilities offered by the views created in the 3D Window. This feature includes sophisticated effects that give you photorealistic or stylized images of the entire project or a selected part of it.Photorealistic images are an ideal presentation and communication tool of architects and contractors; these images are the most understandable for customers and show an accurate, life-like view of the final building.PhotoRendered images (or Model Pictures) are generated in a separate PhotoRendering window and cannot be edited. To keep them, you need to save them as separate files, independent from the model. Choosing Save when a PhotoRendering window is active will save the image file; the Project remains unaffected. Closing the PhotoRendering window without saving it discards the rendered image.

Important: PhotoRendered Model Pictures are not saved with your Project. If you wish to keep them, you have to save them manually. Closing a Model Picture Window that you haven’t saved means you won’t be able to access this image again.

Model Pictures are listed in the Window menu. You can keep several pictures open at the same time and compare them. You can also use the Marquee tool to select and copy parts of Model Pictures.For more information, see “Copy Cropped Image File with Marquee Tool” on page 88.Various types of picture files can be opened as model pictures: all QuickTime based image files and a number of additional formats are available.ArchiCAD includes several engines that create different styles of photorendered pictures. The preferred engine can be selected in the pop-up menu on top of dialog box opened with Document > Creative Imaging > PhotoRendering Settings.For more information, see “PhotoRendering Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.

Note: It is possible to use a different rendering engine for different parts of the project view - one engine for the top half of


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the window, another for the bottom half - and then splice the resulting images together in a photo editing program.

To create a rendered image, choose the Document > Creative Imaging > PhotoRender Projection command. This will instruct ArchiCAD to make a photorealistic picture of the current projection according to the settings defined in the PhotoRendering Settings dialog box. The rendering engines are:

• LightWorks Rendering Engine: This engine allows the most sophisticated rendered views, even if you rely only on the preset settings. LightWorks offers ray-tracing, soft-shadows, reflection features and complex shader editing capabilities. This engine creates expert renderings of the best quality available in ArchiCAD. LightWorks takes advantage of multi-processor systems and is thus generally faster than the other engines.

For more information, see “LightWorks Rendering Engine (Add-On)” in ArchiCAD Help.

• Internal Rendering Engine: The Internal Engine is suitable for producing draft-quality or simple renderings offering shaded surfaces, simple shadows and transparencies.

For more information, see “Internal Rendering Engine” in ArchiCAD Help.

• Z-buffer Rendering Engine: This engine is similar to the Internal Engine but can work faster if the model is large and the shadow effect is switched on. However, a large amount of physical memory is recommended.

• Sketch: This produces non-photorealistic renderings that replicate sketched lines - best suited for draft views in the early project stages. Effects include felt tip, pencil, graphite and marker. Files used for sketch rendering are placed in the Add-Ons folder inside the ArchiCAD folder. In the SketchTextures subfolder, you can find the predefined style file named SketchPreset.txt as well as the line texture files, each placed in a separate subfolder of SketchTextures.

Below, the same building rendered with two different Sketch styles.

For more information, see “Sketch Rendering Engine” in ArchiCAD Help.

Basic LightWorks OptionsThe LightWorks Rendering Engine, built into the ArchiCAD PhotoRendering interface, gives you the power to create high-quality photorealistic images that can be published as ArchiCAD views. LightWorks offers ray-tracing, soft-shadow and reflection features and complex shader editing capabilities, yet its interface is compatible with ArchiCAD’s own elements.

For examples of LightWorks images, see “Exterior LightWorks Example” on page 520 and “Interior LightWorks Example” on page 523.

Basic LightWorks functions include predefined shaders that you can use with their default settings. Expert options allow you to edit those shaders and to use special unique light objects that can greatly enhance renderings by simulating ambient lighting.

LightWorks introduces ray tracing to ArchiCAD. Ray tracing works by casting rays from the point being shaded towards each light source, thus establishing whether or not there is a direct line of sight from the point of the light source. By this it is possible to determine whether a surface point is lit or in shadow from a light source.

The simplest way to start working with LightWorks is to open an ArchiCAD Project and switch to the LightWorks Rendering Engine in the Document > Creative Imaging > PhotoRendering Settings dialog box. The LightWorks Engine will understand ArchiCAD materials and convert their Transparency, Emission, Reflection and Glowing values to its own format. The following picture was taken with the Internal Rendering Engine.


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The same Project rendered with the LightWorks Rendering Engine appears below. Thanks to ray tracing, you can see reflective glass surfaces and nicer shadows in this rendering.

When working with LightWorks, the usual procedure after building the 3D model is to define materials, then load and modify shaders connected with these materials using the LightWorks Shader Settings panel in the Options > Element Attributes > Materials dialog box.For more information, “LightWorks Shader Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.There are archive files storing hundreds of predefined shaders. Most of the time you can find the shader you like among the predefined ones.LightWorks shaders can have textures like the ones used with the ArchiCAD Internal Rendering Engine. Another feature is the use of so-called ‘procedural’ shaders in which patterns are defined by a set of parameters.• Image-based shaders can easily exhibit tiling when patterns are

repeated across a surface, lose their definition when viewed close up, and can use up large amounts of memory.

• LightWorks procedural shaders do not exhibit tiling, give a unique appearance at each point of the surface, are more memory efficient, and offer more flexibility because of their adjustable parameters.Important notes for users of Projects created in ArchiCAD 8.1 or earlier: Although ArchiCAD materials all have Reflection values defined for them, rendering engines in earlier versions did not use these values. Since the LightWorks Rendering Engine understands and uses these values, this might lead to unexpected results if these values are not adjusted. So you might have a material named Concrete that is very shiny with a lot of diffuse light around it. This can come from those Ambient, Diffuse and Shininess values. In such a case, adjust these values until they give a satisfactory result.Also, ArchiCAD materials can have a texture assigned to them as well as a LightWorks shader (which is also, in effect, a texture). The ArchiCAD texture will be displayed in the 3D Window when OpenGL is being used as the 3D Engine, and in PhotoRendering when the ArchiCAD Internal Engine or the Z-Buffer Engine is being used. But if you use OpenGL in the 3D Window and LightWorks Rendering Engine in PhotoRendering, the textures might look completely different, which can be


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misleading. There are two solutions to this if you plan to create your PhotoRenderings with the LightWorks Rendering Engine. The first one is not to use the OpenGL engine in 3D so it will not mislead you as to how it will look like in PhotoRendering. The second is to remove ArchiCAD textures from any materials to which LightWorks shaders are assigned. Then these materials will not display any texture in 3D even with the OpenGL engine, and misleading preview images are thereby avoided.

Expert LightWorks OptionsThe LightWorks Library contains some unique light objects that can enhance your renderings: although they are lamps, they simulate ambient lighting. These objects are placed using ArchiCAD’s Lamp tool: to find them, open the Lamp Settings dialog box and the LightWorks Lights sub-folder from Libraries and are called SkyObject, SunObject and WindowLight.You can adjust the intensity level of these lights in their respective settings dialog boxes. However, the “Ambient” checkbox and its associated intensity value, in the LightWorks Effects Panel of PhotoRendering Settings, will also affect these objects’ lighting effects.As with all lights, you can turn them ON or OFF, and set their Light Intensity and Color.For more information, see “Object/Lamp Tool Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.

SkyObjectSkyObject simulates the diffuse light effect of the sky (in the form of a large half-dome with a number of individual distant light sources) for a “daylight” effect without having to add artificial lighting manually. Its effect is so expansive that it doesn’t matter where you place it on the plan. This object takes into account the sun direction as set in general rendering settings, so you need not define this separately.

The Latitude Resolution and Longitude Resolution parameters along with Light Intensity will define how many lights will be distributed evenly on the surface of a hemisphere. This object is basically a hemisphere with a radius large enough so it is larger than the whole 3D Model. The Number of Light Sources field shows how many lights will be generated based on the above values. There are parameters for turning Shadow Casting and Soft Shadow on. You can also set Shadow Quality and a Contour Pen for display in 2D. These shadow-related parameters will only affect shadows created by the light sources coming from this lamp object. To use this object, just place one copy anywhere in your Project.

Note: LightWorks Rendering doesn’t produce proper image quality if the 3D data structure is generated from a selection (e.g. with the Arrow tool or with the Marquee tool) and if this selection does not contain the SkyObject (or other) lamp object(s).

In the following picture you can see Soft Shadows. See how fine the transition of the shadow is on the floor of the corridor. This effect is possible because the SkyObject contains many lamps, with the result that the lighting is diffuse, creating soft shadows, rather than concentrating the entire light source at a single location, which would create hard shadows.


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SunObject

Another lamp used to simulate exterior light is the SunObject lamp. It can be placed anywhere on the Floor Plan, just like the SkyObject lamp. This lamp is used to simulate the effect of the Sun in the rendering. In the case of this lamp, the light is coming from a distant source.

Its use is also very similar to the SkyObject lamp. You can set light intensity, the color of its light, shadow quality and make it cast Soft Shadows as well. Unlike in the SkyObject lamp, where the program automatically calculates the number of light sources from the longitude and latitude resolutions you entered, here you can directly specify the Number of Light Sources.

As you can see, with LightWorks, you can simulate the effects of the Sun in two ways:

1) by checking the Sun checkbox as a light source in the LightWorks Effects panel of the PhotoRendering Settings dialog box, or

2) by placing a SunObject lamp anywhere on the Floor Plan.

These two methods have different effects. The major difference is that the light intensity of the SunObject lamp can be varied in a much larger range. Although both can be used at the same time, it is advisable to use only one of them at a time so it is easier to identify their effect on the rendering.

WindowLightWhile the SkyObject and SunObject lamps are used to simulate exterior light, WindowLight simulates diffuse light in interior rooms that are generated by incoming light. WindowLight comes close to simulating a radiosity effect.This type of lamp must be placed on the inner side of any Window or Door. You can do this in 2D or 3D. The width and height of the WindowLight lamp object should be the same as those of the Door/Window it is linked to. Make sure that the arrow representing the sun direction points into the building. The object will be shown on both the Floor Plan and in 3D.

WindowLight also has the Cast Shadow, Shadow is Soft and Shadow Quality parameters to control how shadows created by this


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light source are generated. The Rotation Angle parameter is used when the object is placed next to a Skylight object in a Roof. See the effect of the Shadow Quality parameter below. On the image on the left, Shadow Quality = 1. See the crude graduation of shadows on the wall on the left and on the ceiling. In the image on the right, Shadow Quality = 3. See how much smoother shadow tones are on the wall and ceiling.

In the following picture you can see effects created by the SunObject and WindowLight lamp objects. See the light areas on the ceiling of the corridor and the room close to the outside windows, which is caused by the light generated by these lamp objects.

Editing Shaders

You can also enhance your images by editing the applied shaders. Shader editing is possible both for the entire image and for individual materials. Shader parameter controls can be of various types: color tables, sliders, text and numeric fields, buttons or menus.

• You can apply and modify shaders for the Sun, the Foreground and the Background of the image on the LightWorks Environment panel of the PhotoRendering Settings dialog box. These shaders include parameters that affect the aspects of the shadows cast by the sun and the appearance of elements in the foreground or the background.

• To modify the appearance and behavior of a given material, activate the Options > Element Attributes > Materials dialog box. Each material can have up to six shaders associated to it that will define its Color, Reflectance, Transparency, Displacement (or bumping), Texture Space and Pipeline (or emission) attribute. You can also load predefined settings from a large number of archive files that replicate real-life materials such as stretcher bricks, polished plastic, galvanized metal or mown grass.

For more details on shader editing, see “Exterior LightWorks Example” on page 520.

LightWorks Tips

Since the LightWorks Rendering Engine is both hardware and memory-intensive, here follow some suggestions for speeding up your work while using it.

• Uncheck the Reflection checkbox in the Effects field of the LightWorks Effects panel of the PhotoRendering Settings dialog box. Reflection is probably the one factor increasing rendering time the most. If you turn Reflection off, you will still be able to set lighting correctly, yet generate faster renderings.

• Choose the Off checkbox in the Antialiasing field of the LightWorks Effects panel of the PhotoRendering Settings dialog box. This will also decrease rendering time while showing the effects of lights correctly.


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• When setting lights and materials select a small model piece with the thick (multi-story) marquee and experiment with that. Then, when all is set, you can render the whole model.

• The SkyObject and SunObject lamps work quite well even when the number of light sources is set to low numbers (even as low as 4). At the same time, setting them to such low values will substantially decrease their memory requirements and increase rendering speed.

• You can experiment with your setting choosing hard shadows. This will increase speed over using soft shadows while the character of the rendering will not change markedly.

• You can check the settings of your picture on a smaller rendering, thereby saving time. You may want your final rendering to be 1600x1200 pixels, but you can check and set your settings on a 400x300 pixel rendering as well. You can also zoom on details and create small detail renderings of those.

Besides a good camera position, a good rendering requires good lights and good material shaders. You should set lighting on a small model or partial model without Reflection and Antialiasing, few light sources and Hard Shadows. Setting materials can also be done on a partial model. Then, when all is set, Reflection, Antialiasing and Soft Shadows can be turned on a full model.

Exterior LightWorks ExampleAfter building your model in ArchiCAD, you need to create good camera positions, apply shaders to your materials, place light objects, set rendering parameters and create a test rendering. From the test result, you can identify any needed adjustments to materials, lighting etc.Let us start with the following exterior detail of a residential building rendered with ArchiCAD’s internal rendering engine.

Here we have some textures and shadows, but we would like reflections, better shadows coming from ambient and diffuse light sources and procedural shaders.Let us start with the materials. We can select the material of wooden frames and work on that.In Options > Element Attributes > Materials, you can choose a shader in the Color category or load one from hundreds of predefined shaders located in the Archives. We used the Oak shader and modified it a bit.For more information, see “Materials” on page 36.It may be useful to create a Wall in your project and then assign your currently edited material to it. Then you can create renderings of only this one Wall while modifying the material shader, thereby saving rendering time in this phase.


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Let us say we have the following shader displayed on the side surface of our wall:

The above ‘Wood’ shader is a procedural shader. The surface created by the shader will be unique, calculated from a set of parameters which provide great variability and ensure that the surface will not show a tiled effect (a tiled effect means that, if the surface is large enough compared to the texture size, you can see where the pattern ends and then is repeated). In the above wood shader the wood is too ‘curvy’, which we want to make more realistic. The Gnarl parameter defines this curviness. After reducing its value, the texture will look like this:

We can make it a bit denser by reducing the RingWidth parameter and also reduce its relative size by lowering the value of the Scale parameter.

When you are satisfied with the result you can go on to the next material. Of course you may set other shaders as well, such as Reflectance or Transparency to produce a more sophisticated texture.

Next we can place light sources on the Floor Plan. You can simulate the Sun by either checking the Sun checkbox under LightWorks Effects in the PhotoRendering Settings dialog box or placing a SunObject lamp on the Floor Plan. These two light sources achieve different effects and have different sets of parameters. We chose the SunObject lamp for this example, as it has a much wider range of light intensity that can be influenced by its Light Intensity slider or its Number of Light Sources parameter. This produces better-lit surfaces and better shadows.

Ambient lighting coming from the environment can be turned on with the Ambient checkbox in the PhotoRendering Settings dialog box. Diffuse light effect coming from the sky can be achieved using the SkyObject lamp. Check the Lamps checkbox in the PhotoRendering Settings dialog box for the SunObject and SkyObject to have an effect on the rendering.

You may also enable Camera lighting and place additional individual lamps and light sources. In this example, a SkyObject and a


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SunObject lamp was placed, plus Ambient light was used for renderings.There is great variability using these two lamps objects. Both can have different strengths of light, the color of their light may be defined, shadow quality and softness may be set. Both can cast shadows as well. In the illustration below, the color of the SkyObject lamp was set to light yellow (similar to the color of the Sun).

Then the color of the SkyObject lamp was set to light blue (similar to the color of the sky). Compare the two images to see the difference this one setting makes in the result.

After the general scene is done, you can check where you want to improve your image. For example, you may not like the brick texture:It could have a little more depth or roughness or bumpiness added to it. You can use the Rough Scale, Rough Amplitude and Fuzz parameters to make it more so.Alternately, you can use the Wrapped Bump Map shader of the Displacement shader group. With it you can select an image file which will become a map for defining the bumpiness of the surface just like alpha-channels in ArchiCAD textures. In our example, we used the image shown below as a bump map.


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After applying this map, the Brick wall looks rougher, as if it really had those inequalities on its surface.While trying to improve the image, you may also encounter the case where certain areas of your image are too dark (underexposed) or too light (overexposed). You can either change ambient and diffuse light (SkyObject lamp) settings to lower or higher strengths, or you can edit your materials, especially their Reflectance shader’s Ambient Factor and Diffuse Factor parameters. In the example below, the Diffuse Factor parameter is set to 1,00, meaning all light is reflected back from the surface as diffuse light. Surfaces can become overexposed this way.In such a case, decrease the value of the Diffuse Factor parameter.When you are finished with your adjustments, you can generate your final rendering with the LightWorks Rendering Engine.

Interior LightWorks ExampleThis example uses a Japanese house.

A SkyObject and SunObject are both placed on the Floor Plan for exterior lighting. The way their parameters are set is very similar to the Exterior example. Also, material shader definitions are done the same way.Since the rendering will show the interior corridor of the house, we placed two WindowLight lamps on the two large window panes separating the inside corridor from the exterior space.Their purpose is to simulate the diffuse light coming through the window panes.


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Make the WindowLight lamp’s Width and Height the same size as the Window it is placed for. Place the WindowLight lamp in front of the Window frame so it is closer to the interior than the Window.

If you look at it in 3D, you can see the small spheres that show the individual light sources of the WindowLight lamp. Their number is

automatically calculated and is influenced by the Light Intensity and Light Resolution parameters of the lamp.

Note: these light source spheres are visible in 3D only if the 3D Engine is set to OpenGL Engine.

The purpose of this rendering was to create fine soft shadows. The final settings of the WindowLight lamp for this particular scene include Shadow Quality set to 4, which is almost the maximum value.

The next image shows the final rendering. Note the fine reflections on the ceiling of the corridor. Also, see the softness of the shadow cast by the divider column between the two Windows. See how the shadow is harder close to the column and softer toward the inner side of the corridor as more and more diffuse light from other areas of the windows reaches it. We needed the SunObject lamp placed to achieve this since Ambient and Camera lights do not cast shadow, and the SkyObject lamp casts shadow from various points on a hemisphere. The SunObject provided the necessary amount of concentrated light to achieve this effect.


Visualization

Visualization ExtrasYou can enhance your visualization output with dynamic content such as fly-throughs or virtual reality. This section is devoted to these “extras.”

Fly-ThroughCreating a movie of the project allows you to present your final design to your clients under a variety of angles. This ArchiCAD feature is called a Fly-Through.To create this animated view of your project, you place a series of Cameras that define a path along which images will be recorded. At each camera point (or key frame) a snapshot is taken. The series of pictures is then merged into an animated movie file by adding a number of extrapolated views (or in-between frames).

If you save the Fly-Through as an external file, you can even show it on a computer on which ArchiCAD is not installed.

Note: A large number of frames means a smoother movie but also a much larger file.

Choosing Document > Creative Imaging > Create Fly-Through creates a series of simple 3D or PhotoRendered pictures defined by the parallel projection set or the current camera path. You can either show the resulting animation immediately on screen, or save these pictures in the desired file format and show them later using a movie viewing utility.The Create Fly-Through command will only be active if you have at least one Preset Parallel Projection or an animation path with at least two Cameras. The name of this command changes according to the type of camera currently selected in the Camera > VR Settings dialog box (Camera, VR Object, VR Scene).For more information, see Create Fly-Through and “Camera/VR Tool Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.

Defining Fly-ThroughsPlacing several Cameras defines a Fly-Through path whose parameters you can adjust in the Path Options dialog box (opened from the Camera Settings dialog box or the context menu of the Path item in the Navigator’s Project Map.)For more information, see Camera/VR Tool Settings > “Path Options” in ArchiCAD Help.Only one camera will be active at a time. This is the only camera displayed with its sun and view angle markers. The active camera is always the one that was last placed, unless you select another one. Any cameras placed on the Floor Plan will be attached to the current Fly-Through path after the active camera.


Visualization

Note: Collections of 3D parallel projections can also be linked to create a Fly-Through, but these are handled differently from perspectives. Only a single set of parallel projections can exist, and you edit it in the View > 3D View Mode> 3D Projection Settings > Parallel Projections > Pre-Sets dialog box, and not through the Camera Settings. Also, since the viewpoint distance is infinite for parallel projections, you cannot display them on the Floor Plan worksheet.

VR ObjectsVirtual Reality in ArchiCAD encompasses two functions: VR Objects and VR Scenes.

• With the VR Object function you create a navigable view of an model object and examine it from any angle. This is best used for exterior views of an entire building or site.

• With the VR Scene function you essentially place yourself inside the project and can look around in this space. Linking various

panoramic views allows you to step from one location to another, as if you were walking from room to room in a building.

For more information, see “VR Scenes” on page 527.

Note: These commands are located in the Document > Creative Imaging hierarchical menu. They appear only after you have selected the VR Object or VR Scene tab page in the Camera/VR Settings dialog box.

VR Objects take advantage of Apple’s QTVR (Quick Time Virtual Reality) technology. They are defined by a spherical path along which the viewpoint can be positioned and navigated. This viewpoint is represented by a view cone. The navigable object can be viewed in Apple’s QTVR Player application.

To define a VR Object and create a VR Object Movie:

Select the Camera Tool. Choose the VR Object option (either open the VR Object tab of the Camera Settings dialog box, or choose VR Object from the Camera’s Info Box.)


Visualization

For more information, see “VR Object Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.With a single click on the Floor Plan you can place a VR Object camera with default parameters. Further clicks on the Floor Plan will not create new cameras; you can only have one camera active at a time.If the VR Object is selected and you go to the 3D Window, you can check its perspective elevation view from the viewpoint indicated by the view cone. To modify the location of the view cone, select it with the Camera tool active, then use the Move Sub-Element command of the pet palette to drag its node and position it onto another node of the object.Choosing Create VR Object from the Document > Creative Imaging hierarchical menu will open the Create VR Object dialog box where you can set a few options for creating a navigable object.For more information, see “Create VR Object” in ArchiCAD Help.Clicking Save in the dialog box will prompt you to name your navigable object file. All the 3D data you need will be exported into this new format. You can view the result by launching QTVR Player.To change the position of the placed VR Object, use the cursor or the Drag, Mirror or Rotate commands in the Edit menu. If the Camera tool is active, you can reposition any of the selection nodes to change the object’s 2D position. The sun and the camera can be repositioned by their respective selection nodes.

VR ScenesPanoramic cameras define navigable VR Scenes using Apple QTVR or RealSpace technology. You place one or a series of cylindrical panoramas to be viewed in the corresponding player application.For information on VR Scenes settings, see “VR Scene Settings” in ArchiCAD Help.

Note: RealSpace works with VR Scenes only and does not support VR Objects. VR Scenes created with RealSpace share the features of QuickTime VR Scenes. To take advantage of the RealSpace features, you need to have a player installed on your computer or a plug-in for your favorite web browser.

The first click on the floor plan places a panoramic camera for the VR Scene. Draw a rubberband line and click again to define the view direction. This is your initial camera, which defines your starting position and view direction in the VR Scene. The initial camera is distinguishable from subsequent cameras by its double-circle icon.Every time you place a panoramic camera, the panorama name and the sun icon appear with default settings. The panorama name takes the form of Panorama-x (x is the camera’s sequence number) by


Visualization

default. (The name can be changed in the Panorama name field in the middle section of the Camera /VR Settings dialog box.)If you do not add additional cameras to the current scene, you can generate a single node QTVR Scene. To define a multi-node VR Scene, place a sequence of panoramic cameras. One camera, the one displayed with its sun marker, will be active at a time. The active camera is always the one which was last placed, until you select another one. Each position has to be connected to at least one other, otherwise a warning will prompt you to do so when you try to generate the VR Scene using the Create VR Scene command in the Document > Creative Imaging hierarchical menu. The connections will define how you can change your position in the final VR Scene.The connecting line between two positions can be drawn either when placing a panoramic camera or after unconnected cameras have already been placed. To place a new camera connected to a placed camera, first click the center node of the placed camera, then pull the cursor to draw the connecting line and click a second time to place the new camera.

You can insert a detour in a connection line by pulling its center node with the Checkmark cursor when the Camera tool is active.This allows you to define a connection that makes sense between two positions, for instance on opposite sides of a wall. Instead of jumping through the wall, you can go through a door before reaching the next position, without having to place an extra Camera at the door opening.

Any connection can be cleared by selecting and deleting the connection line’s center node.

The view direction and the sun position can be changed by moving their nodes with the Checkmark cursor while the Camera tool is selected.

To define another camera as the initial one, select the current initial camera (with the Camera tool active) and drag the circle representing the starting position onto another camera’s centerpoint.

If the VR Scene tab page is selected in the Camera Settings dialog box, the Create VR Scene command is added to the Document > Creative Imaging menu.

Note: If the Camera/VR Settings is switched to VR Scenes, no placed Cameras or VR Objects will be visible on the Floor Plan. Choose the appropriate camera mode from Camera/VR Settings to make theses visible again.

Choosing Document > Creative Imaging > Create VR Scene will open the Create VR Scene dialog box where you can set a few options for creating panoramas or pictures that you can then view in the appropriate player applications.

For more information, see “Create VR Scene” in ArchiCAD Help.

You can also set the image height and length as well as the Window size in QTVR Player.


Visualization

Sun StudySun Studies allow you to view an entire project or a selected part of it in a real-life situation by choosing a geographic location and defining the time period over which you wish to examine lighting and shadow casting.What you actually see is a series of simple or photorendered 3D pictures defined by the current 3D Projection Settings, the current 3D Window Settings or PhotoRendering Settings and the Sun position settings defined in the Create Sun Study dialog box.For more information, see “Create Sun Study” in ArchiCAD Help.The geographic location of your project can be chosen from a preset list of cities in View > 3D View Mode > 3D Projection Settings > More Sun > Set City or by defining a new one with the appropriate latitude and longitude values. In the Sun dialog box, you can also redefine the orientation of your project by modifying the project North which points by default to the top of your window.You can either have the resulting animation shown immediately on the screen, or save these pictures in the desired file format and show them in the future using a movie viewing utility.The pictures below show the same detail of a building at the same location at sunrise, one hour later, two hours later and in the afternoon.

Align ViewWhen using a scanned photograph as the background of your rendering, you may want to fit your ArchiCAD model into the photograph’s environment. In the photorendering made from the Camera placed by the Document > Creative Imaging > Align View command, the perspective of your building in ArchiCAD will match the perspective of the background.For more information, see “PhotoRendering” on page 514.For this feature, you need to select two clearly visible vertical segments on the photograph (e.g., the sides of a door or a window, two vertical edges of a wall, or two flagpoles), and connect them with their exact position in the virtual model or its environment. This is done by connecting each of four points on the placed photograph (the tops and bottoms of the two vertical segments) with their position on the Floor Plan, and then entering their Z coordinates in the Align View dialog box.

Note: This function is mainly useful in refurbishing, when a photograph of the existing environment is available.

Align View: Interior ExampleUsing the Figure tool, place the scanned image on the Floor Plan at any size or resolution.For more information, see “Figures” on page 386.You then have two possibilities for aligning the camera view to the photograph: you can either use existing lines or can manually draw lines between the corresponding points of the Floor Plan and the photograph.


Visualization

To draw the connection lines automatically:1) Select the placed photo.2) Choose the Document > Creative Imaging > Align View

command. ArchiCAD will prompt you to make six clicks on the Floor Plan with the Pencil cursor, identifying the corresponding points between the picture and the plan. The connection lines are drawn automatically.

3) The Align View dialog box appears, prompting you to enter the height values for the four points.

4) Click OK. The camera will be placed on the Floor Plan on a new path.

To draw the connection lines manually:1) Using the Line tool, connect the tops and bottoms of two

vertical lines visible on the photograph with their location on the Floor Plan (e.g., the sides of a door or a window, two vertical edges of a wall, or two flagpoles). This will give you four lines, each extending from a floor plan location to a point on the photograph, with the two line pairs connecting where they meet on the Floor Plan.

2) Select the photo and the four lines.3) Choose the Align View command. The

dialog box appears, prompting you to enter the height values for the four points.

4) Click OK to close the Align View dialog box. The camera will be placed on the Floor Plan, on a new Path.

Select the elements you wish to display on the image, then select the Camera, and choose the Document > Creative Imaging > PhotoRender Projection. In the picture below, only the Object type elements have been selected on the Floor Plan and they appear against the backdrop of the scanned photograph.

Note: For greater precision, you can enter the horizon of the photograph by simply rotating the picture on the Floor Plan so that the horizon is exactly parallel to the unskewed x-axis (otherwise the command will calculate the horizon for you). The precision of the result depends largely on that of the entered points, but even very careful preparation may result in a Camera that is slightly off position. In this case, set the photograph as the background of your 3D window, and fine-tune the Camera’s position in Wireframe or Hidden Line mode using ArchiCAD's 3D navigation tools.

Align View: Exterior ExampleLet’s say you have a photograph of a building and its plan as an ArchiCAD file. Place the original photo on the Floor Plan of the building. If the picture is placed without any rotation then the horizon is calculated automatically as horizontal. You can, of course, override this horizon calculation manually, and enter the horizon angle yourself; this is done by rotating the picture on the floor plan. When the picture is rotated with an angle other than 90º (or 180º or 270º) on the floor plan, then Align View calculates the horizon by


Visualization

itself, otherwise the horizon is assumed to be horizontal. You need to know the height values of two vertical lines (four points in all) on the building and their locations on the photo.

Two black hotspots on the Floor Plan and the heights of two distinct points of the building below each are shown on the illustration. Zoom in on the photo and place four hotspots at the locations of the four points with known height values.Select the photo and choose Document > Creative Imaging > Align View. To link the hotspots, click first on the point on the Floor Plan that corresponds to hotspots on the photo. (In the above example, the side of the window on the left where you see the black hotspot with two heights, +2.64 and -2.21.) Now click the pair of hotspots on the photo, one after the other. Repeat this operation with the other point on the plan and the corresponding pair of hotspots. It does not matter which point on the Floor Plan you start with. In addition, after marking a point on the Floor Plan, you can select the two corresponding points on the photo in either order.

When correctly done, the result will look as shown above, and the Align View dialog will appear.

Type the height of the hotspots in the appropriate fields in the dialog box. The upper points are located along the same vertical line as the lower points. In this example, these will be 2.64 and -2.21 meters (left upper and lower) and 3.08 and -3.40 meters (right upper and lower). After you click OK, a new camera will be placed on the Floor Plan.

Select the original scanned photo to be the background picture in the PhotoRendering Settings dialog box. Make sure the width-height ratio of the resulting PhotoRendering is the same as that of the original photo. You can also modify the size of the photo to suit the size of your PhotoRendering window.

Note: You cannot crop the photo. If you must, crop it in a way that the original proportions of the photo stay the same (i.e. cover a part of the photo with a solid white fill), because Align View needs the original proportions of the picture to locate the


Visualization

original target point of the photo. The view will not be aligned precisely if the proportions of the photo have been changed.

For example, if you have a scanned picture of 1200 x 900 and you want a 3D window or PhotoRendering window image of 600 x 450, you would reduce the size of the background photo to 50 percent in the PhotoRendering Settings dialog box. (You can choose this same background in the View > 3D View Mode > 3D Window Settings dialog box: click the “Background: As in PhotoRendering” radio button.) By selecting the created camera and generating a 3D View or a photorendering, you will see the result - the building is accurately placed in the existing environment.


INDEX3D “Cutaway” Sections 1743D Cutting Planes 1743D Document 192

Create 193Dimensions 393Model Display 198Redefine 194

3D EnginesInternal 3D engine 170OpenGL engine 171

3D Navigation 623D Navigation Extras 174

Add current projection 174Edit pre-set projections 174Go to the previous/Go to the next 174Horizontal View 174Insert a new camera after the selected one 174Look to 174

perpendicular 174Modify the selected 174Put a camera into the path 174Reset Roll Angle 174Revert view to the selected 174

3D Projections 172axonometric 172parallel 172perspectives 172

3D View Modes 172Hidden Line 172Shading 172Wireframe 172

3D Visualization toolbar 5133D Window 167

3D Navigation Extras 1743D Navigator Preview Palette 1733D Projections 1723D View Modes 172Commands Related to ~ 167Filter Elements to Show in ~ 169Open the ~ 167Projections 172Show All in ~ 168Show Previous Selection/Marquee in 3D 168Show Selection in ~ 168

source of 3D Document 194Stories to Show in ~ 170Trim Elements to Story 158

3D Zone Shape 2613Dconnexion Enabler 65

AAbsolute Display Limit 165Add bounded area 191Add Fill to Boundary 292Add New Fill 371Add Shortcut 68, 443Add to Polygon 127Add-On Manager 21Add-Ons 21

anchor point in ArchiCAD menus 21Adjust 131Align 3D Texture 38Align dimension line 400Align Elements 118Align to Surface 105Align View 529Align with Slope 374Anchor Point

for Doors/Windows 329Angle Bisector Constraint 103Angle Dimensions 397Annotation 388

Autotext 388Dimensions 388Labels 388Texts 388The Grid Tool 388

Any Direction 390, 393Any Plane 393Apply to All Corners 132Arc Length 390Archive

Files 18Arcs 379, 381

editing ~ 381Area Text 375Arrow tool 77, 78

Art•lantis 513At all Grid points 303Attribute Manager 40Attributes 25

Composite Structures 31Fill Types 31Layers 26Line Types 30Materials 36Pens & Colors 33

Attributes of GDL Objects 40Auto ID Increase 456Autogroup 140Auto-Hide Navigator/Organizer 67Automatic Dimensioning 403

Exterior 403Interior 404

Automatic Pen Color Visibility Adjustment 36Autosave 113Autotext 413, 426

Keywords 415Reference Drawing 414

Auxiliary Grid 96

BBack Reference 431Background fill 371Background images 41Backspace Key 111Backup

Files 18Beam 233

Complex Profiles 237Display on Floor Plan 233modifying holes 235Priority 233, 236Reference Axis 233

By Limit Lines 190

CCalculation 449

Components 449Descriptors 450


Index

Displaying Lists 453List Types 451Properties 450Property Objects 449Setup 451Sources 449

Camera mode 65Cameras 513

~ Path Options 514Fly-Through 525Perspective ~ 513VR Objects 526VR Scenes 527

Cancel Edit System 288Cancel Operations 111Capture element’s profile 238Capture Window for 3D Document 193chain icon 37Chamfer 132Change Hotlink 492Check Markers Palette 207Circles 379Cities 529Clone Folder 71Column

and Other Elements 233and Wall relationship 233Complex Profiles 237creating 232in 3D 231in composite Walls 231, 232modifying slanted 124Priority 233Unwrapped 230Wrapped 231

Command Layout Schemes 54Company Standard Schemes 54Compatibility

~ in Teamwork with older versions 474Complex Profiles

see Profiles 237Component Lists (Interactive Schedule) 210Components

Custom 324for Calculation 449

Composite Structures 31Construction Elements

Beam 233

Columns 230Curtain Wall 266Mesh 257Roof 240Slab 255Wall 219Zone 259

Construction Grid 95Continue a Polyline 384Control Box 50Convert Dimensions 403Coordinates Palette 50Copy 112Copy Cell Pattern 298Core 32Corner Windows 332Create Common Frames 299Create Patch 319Create Stair 336Cursor 82

Projection Mode of ~ 102Cursor Snap Range 108Cursor Snap Variants 102Curtain Wall 266

3D Input Plane 278Accessories 270Add a New Gridline 291Add Boundary 293and Zones 307Base Surface 268Boundary 268Chained 271Commands 267Create 270curved 271Cylindrical 278Display 279Edit Boundary 291Edit Grid 289Edit Mode 285Edit Mode Display Palette 288Edit Reference Line 295Frame 269Frame classes 295, 296Frame Intersections 298Free Rotate 310Grid 268Junction 269

Label all Members 311Member Labels 419Members 268Model View Options 285Multiselect Panels and Frames 288Overview 266Panel 269Panel classes 299Position in Section 272, 276Reference Line 268Reference Surface 268Scheme 269Selection Grip 288Slanted 271Tool Settings 286

Curtain Wall Reference Line 295Custom Components 324Custom Settings 313Cut 112Cut line 378

DData Exchange 496Decompose Polyline 384Delete 113Descriptors

~ in Calculation functions 450Deselecting Elements 84Details 198

Boundary 201Contents of ~ Window 199Define Reference for Linked Marker 181Define Reference for Source Marker 177Icons in the Navigator 201Independent 200Linked Detail Marker 200Marker 198Unlinked Marker 181updating 201Viewpoint 199

Dimension Chain 389Dimension Grid System 410Dimension Text 401

Horizontal 402Dimension Units 23Dimensioning Standards 388Dimensions

~ of Curved Elements 392


Index

3D Document 393Angle 397associative ~ in Sections/Elevations 402Automatic Exterior ~ 403Automatic Interior ~ 404Elevation 394Level 396Linear 390reference points 389Secondary (Add-On) 403Static 390Witness Line 401

Display in 3D view 406Display Order 141

Custom Stacking Order 142Distort with Slope 374Distribute 408, 409Distribute Elements 121Documentation 367Doors and Windows

in Polygonal/Complex/Slanted Walls 327placing 329saving custom shapes from the Project File 322saving rectangular shapes from the Project File

321Drafting Elements 367

Arcs, Circles 379Elliptical Arcs, Ellipses 381Fills 368Line Type Elements 378

Drafting line 378Drag & Drop 138

Drawings 138DWG/DXF Objects 139Floor Plan Elements 138GDL Object Files 138Pictures 138Text 138

Dragging Elements 115Drag a Copy 136

DrawingIDs 436Scale 416Status 434Title 431Title Type 431Updating 433

Drawing and Layout IDs 434

Drawing Manager 433Drawing Scale 25Drawing Title Reference 431Duplicating Elements 135DWF files 445DXF/DWG Add-On 496DXF/DWG Conversion 496

Entity Conversion 499Opening Blocks as Library Parts 498Opening DWG/DXF Files 496

DXF/DWG Translation Setup 496

EEdge

Curve/Straighten 134Edit Menu

in Text windows 421Edit Selection Set 84Edit Story Levels 159Edit System 287Element Attributes

see Attributes 25Element ID Manager 456Element Information Highlight 80Element Information Palette 454Element Information Pop-up 81Element Lists (Interactive Schedule) 210Element Snap 106Elevate command 117Elevation 109

create ~ Viewpoint 176Create Independent ~ Viewpoint 182Define Reference for Linked Marker 181Define Reference for Source Marker 177Display of Elements 179Display of Lines and Markers 184Distant Area 177Horizontal/Vertical Range 177moving Marker 185Place a Linked ~ Marker 180Unlinked Marker 181window status 178

Elevation Dimensions 390~ and Hotlinked Modules 395

Elevation of Elementsand Gravity 110and Reference Levels 110and Stories 111

Elevation Tool 184Ellipses 381

convert to Circle 382Email

sending from Publisher 445Enable all informational messages 63Enable Back Reference 432Entire Original Structure 361Entire Structure Display

149Esc Key 111Exclude View Blocking Walls 192Explode into Current View 135, 430Explore Model 62Extract Boundary to Fill 292

FFavorite Text Settings 412Favorites 46

in Tool Settings 46Load ~ 46Preferences 46

Figure Handle 386Figures 386

placing ~ 386File > Close 16File > New 15File Compression 17File Types Recognized by ArchiCAD 16Fill Categories 368

Cover Fill 369Cut Fill 368Drafting Fill 369

Fill Consolidation 154Fill Types 31

Defining 370Fillet/Chamfer 132Fills 368

Display Modes 372fill handle arrow 373freehand 370Gradient 376Show Area Text 375Translucence 371

Filter Elements in 3D 169Find & Replace in Text type windows 422Find & Select 84Find Library Part 314


Index

Find Linked Markers 207Find Selection 422Finish 32Finish Edit System 288Fit in Window 60Flip 304, 305Floor Plan Cut Plane 160Floor Plan Display 163Floor Plan Display pop-up 163Floor Plan Window 156Fly-Through 525Foreground Fill 371Frame classes 269Free Rotate 310Full Screen 156

& Hide All Palettes 156

GGable Walls 226GDL Objects

Custom Attributes 40Drag & Drop 138Model View Options 355see also Parametric Objects 311

GDL Web Control 313Global Unique Identifier (GUID) 45Go to Layout 425Go to Library 320, 323Go To Line 422Go To Story 157Goodies 22Gradient Fills 376Graphic Reports (Calculation) 451Gravity 110Grid 268Grid Marker 405Grid Snap 97Grid System 405, 408

Dimension 410Place object/column/beam 409

Grid Tool 404edit Grid Element 408Grid Element components 405Stagger Markers 408Visibility 406

Grids 95Construction 95printing 440

rotated 96Snap 95

Grouping 140Suspend Groups 140Ungroup 140

Groups and Layers 141Groups and Teamwork 141GUID 45Guide Lines 97

Lock to 103

HHide Cut Elements 192Hide Zone Stamp 260horizontal range 190Hotlink 482Hotlinked Modules

see Modules 482Hotspots 385

IID Management 455ID Numbers

changing 456customizing format 457internal unique ~ 455

IEsee Interior Elevation 185

Image Fills 376Import Drawing/Layout 429Importing PDF files 429Independent Details 200Independent Elevation 182Independent Section 182Independent Worksheet 204Info Box 48Info Tag 81Inject Parameters 139Insert/Merge Dimension Point 399Interactive Schedule 209

Define 212Editing and Updating 211Format 214Restructure to Fit Layout 215Sort Fields 213

Interior Elevation (IE) 185~ and Zone Shape 191Create Multiple ~ Viewpoints 187

Create Single ~ Viewpoint 186Define Reference for Source Marker 177Display of Elements 192Editing ~ Limit Line 190Editing ~ viewpoints 189Horizontal and Vertical Range 190IDs and Names 188updating 182window status 178

Internal Rendering Engine 515Intersection

Auto ~ 228of Walls 226Two Elements 131

LLabel All Members 311Labels 417

associative 417independent 417member 419Symbol 417

Layer Combinations 28Layer Intersection Group 29Layers 26

~ Combinations 28~ Intersection Group 29lock/unlock 27Quick Layers 27show/hide 27

Layout 425Create New 425Flat Layout Order 435IDs 434Importing PDF files 429Master Layouts 425Modifying Drawings 430Multiple Drawings 429Numbering 435Placing Drawings 427Use Hierarchy 435

Layout Book 74, 423Components 423Drawings in 427Publisher 442Tree by Masters 423Tree by Subsets 423, 425


Index

Layouting 422in TeamWork 439Work Environment 422

Level Dimensions 396editing text 397

Library 41~ Loading Report 45Container (.lcf) 42loading 44Startup 42

Library Manager 44Library Parts

duplicates 45locating 313missing 45see also Parametric Objects 311

LightWorksOptions 515, 517Shaders 516, 519

LightWorks Rendering Engine 515Line Types 30Line Types of Construction Elements Displayed Across Stories 163Line Weight 30Linear Dimensions 390Lines 378

categories 378chained 383Line Weight Display 30Polylines 383

Line-type elements 378Unify 384

Linework Consolidation 153Link Materials 37Link to Fill Origin 373Listing Templates 41Locking Elements 141Log Wall 225

MMagic Wand 143Magnet 83Make Backup Copy 18Managing Projects 15

Archive Files 18Merging Files 20Opening Projects through a Network 19Template Files 17

Use a Template 15Use Latest Project Settings 16

Marker Range (On-Screen View Option) 358Markers 204

Find Linked 207Managing 204Navigation 206Range Lines 205Source ~ Highlight 205

Mark-Up 508~ Styles 510and Teamwork 510concepts 510Publishing and Retrieving 510show/hide Entry 509

Marquee 85Area Definition Options 86Copy Cropped Image with 88Geometry methods 86removing 88stretching elements with 128

Master Layout 425apply to Layout 426Grid for Drawing IDs 436Set as Default 426title blocks 426

Materials 36Assign 37create or modify 40display in 3D 38display in Renderings 39display in Section/Elevation/3DD windows 38

Measure Tool 94Member Labels 419Member labels 417Menus 49Merge

a DXF/DWG file 500ArchiCAD files 20dimension chains 399

Mesh 257create a hole 259Geometry 257Mesh Point Height dialog box 258

Mini-Navigator 59Mirror Dimension 400Mirroring Elements 116

Mirror a Copy 136Model Pictures 514

Model View Options 355Combinations 356Fill Display 355for Construction Elements 355for GDL Objects 355

Model View Options for Curtain Walls 285Model Views 155Modify Wall 229Modifying Element Sizes 123Module 482

and Multiple Stories 486Apply offset/rotation of most recently broken

hotlinked ~ 488Break Link, Edit Elements, Replace Hotlink 487Breaking Hotlinks 490Deleting Modules from the Floor Plan 490Edit in Separate ArchiCAD 486Edit Parameters of Placed 485File from Clipboard format 484Master Layer 485multiplatform issues 492Nested 489Place ~ 484Place Single Story 486Replace selection with this hotlinked module file

488restoring missing Hotlinks 491Save File as 484Save Selected Elements as 484updating 490

ModulesSource File Data Interpretation 483

Mouse Constraints 101Move Polygon Node 126Moving Elements 113Multiplying Elements 136

NNavigation 59

Among ArchiCAD Windows 59inside the Active Window 59Pan 61

Navigation in 3D 62Commands 62Explore Model 62Orbit 63

Navigator 65Color Codes 68


Index

display of ~ 66Layout Book 423opening windows from 66Organizer Palette 67Project Map 69Project Workflow 66View Map 71

Navigator Preview (2D) 61Navigator Preview (3D) 64Network

opening projects from 19New

Create new project 15New 3D Document 193New and Reset All 16Nodes 133

Editing 134North 529Nudge 96

OObject Depository 313Object mode 65Object Settings of Library Part Elements 312Objects

see Parametric Objects 311Objects On Line 313Offset and Multiple Offset 104Offset Dimension Plane 394One by one 303On-Screen View Options 357

Bold Cut Lines 358Clean Wall & Beam Intersections 357Drawing Frames (Show/Hide) 358Highlight Source Markers 358Marker Range 358Master Items on Layout (Show/Hide) 358Roof Pivot Lines 357Show/Hide Drafting & Editing Aids 358True Weight/Hairline 358Vectorial Hatching 358Walls & Beams Reference Lines 357

OpenArchive Project 19through a Network 19

Operatorsin Solid Operations 352

Orbit (3D Navigation) 63Organizer Palette 67Original Scale 25, 416Origins 90

Edit 90Project ~ 90User ~ 90

Outlines Only 164Output Color 441Overhead All 164Override Zone Fills 260

PPalette Schemes 54Palettes 50

Docking ~ 51Palette group 51Palette Schemes 50Snapping ~ (MacOS Only) 52

Pan 61Panel

fixed 300Panel classes 269Parameter Transfer 139

between Objects 318Parametric Objects 311

Corner Windows 332Custom Components 324Doors and Windows 326Parameter Transfer Between Objects 318placing 315Saving 2D Symbols as Library Parts 320saving 3D Models as objects 320Saving Custom Shape Doors and Windows from

the Project File 322Saving Library Parts from the Project File 320Saving Rectangular Doors and Windows from the

Project File 321Scripting Custom Objects 323Skylights 332Stairs 333stretching 316Wall Ends 333

Partial Structure Display 358Paste 112Patch Object 319PDF Output 446Pen Sets 33

Pens & Colors 33Pet Palettes 111PhotoRendering 514

Internal Rendering Engine 515LightWorks Rendering Engine 515

Pick Up Parameters 139Place Curtain Wall 271, 272, 275, 277Place Curtain Wall on Section 276Place Drawing 68Place External Drawing 387, 429Plot 441PlotWare 441PMK 439, 444Polygons

adding shapes to 127Move Node 126Offset Edges 127Reshape 126subtracting ~ shapes 127

Polylines 383and Chained Lines 383Continue 384Decompose a 384Open closed 384Unify into ~ 384

PolyWall Corners 228Preferences

see Project Preferences 22Print 440Profiles (Complex Elements) 237

Creating or Editing 238Merge Parallel Elements 240Store or Apply 239

Profiles (Work Environment) 56Apply a Profile 57Default ~ in ArchiCAD 11 57

Project Chooser 67, 76Project Indexes 217Project Map 69Project Mark-Up

see Mark-Up 508Project Notes 70Project Origin 90Project Preferences 22

Dimension Units 23Working Units & Levels 22

Project Reviewer 503~ & Mark-Up 510


Index

~ Environment 503Projected with Overhead 163Projections

in 3D 172Property Objects 450Publisher 442

and Mark-Up 510and Project Reviewer 445in Teamwork 465Viewing and Redlining DWF files 445

Publisher Setdefining 443Publishing Properties 444

Purge all unused Attributes 495Purge all unused attributes 500

QQTVR Player 527Quick Layers Palette 27Quick Options 24, 28, 74Quick Selection 77

Click and Drag with ~ 78

RRailings (StairMaker) 344Rebuild

summary of ~ commands 183Redefine Boundary from Fill 292Redefine the 3D Document 194Reference

See Trace Reference 145Reference Levels 110Reference Line

of Wall 219Reference Surface 268Refresh 183Relation to Zones 264, 307Relative Coordinates in Tracker 92Relative Floor Plan Range 164Relink 492Relocate 492Report Window 70Reset Texture 38Resize (Enlarge or Reduce) Elements 129Revert to Automatic Position 402Roof 240

~ Pivot Lines (Show/Hide) 357

Barrel-Vaulted 243Create Hole 246Dome-Shaped 243drawing in 3D 242Geometry 241Level Lines 247Trim Element to 248

Roof Wizard 255RoofMaker 251

~ Toolbox 252Rotating Elements 116

Rotate a Copy 136Round-Trip Conversion (Smart Merge) 500

SSave as

DWG/DXF Files 498Save view 67Save view and place on Layout 427Scale 24

Scaled vs. Fixed Elements 24Schedules 70Schematic 285Scheme 269Scheme (Work Environment)

Apply ~ 56Search and Replace Text 420Secondary Dimensions 403Section

adjusting or breaking ~ lines 184create ~ Viewpoint 176Create Independent ~ Viewpoint 182Define Reference for Linked Marker 181Define Reference for Source Marker 177Depth and Distant Area Limit 177Display of Elements 179Display of Lines and Markers 184Distant Area 177Horizontal/Vertical Range 177Place a Linked ~ Marker 180Unlinked Marker 181updating 182window status 178

Select in 3D 211Select on Floor Plan 211Selection

~ Dots 79Add Elements to ~ 78

Area Shape Options for ~ Rectangle/Polygon 78Highlight 80Marquee ~ and Stories 86of multiple elements using polygon 78of Overlapping Elements 79Quick ~ 77Select All 77, 85using Marquee 85

Selections Palette 85Shortcuts 50

Schemes 54Show Grid Elements 406Show on Stories 162Show Pattern Unit 375Show Selection/Marquee in 3D 87, 168SHX Fonts 500Sketch Rendering Engine 515Skin Separator Line 378Skylights 332SkyObject 517Slab 255

creating 256holes 256

Smart Merge 500Snap Grid 95Snapping to Existing Elements 106Solid Element Operations 352Solid Fill 371Sort Elements 456Source Markers

see also Create a Section Viewpoint 176Show/Hide Highlight 358

Special Align 120Special Distribute 122Special Snap Points 106Spell Checker 421Splines

Add new node to ~ 383Bézier 382drawing 382editing 383freehand geometry method 383Modify ~ Path 383Move tangent handle 382Natural 382natural 382unify 383

Split Curtain Wall 307


Index

Split Drawing into Multiple Layouts 216Splitting Elements 130

Split and Adjust Shortcut 131Stacking Order 142

Bring Forward 142Bring to Front 142Reset Default Order 142Send Backward 142Send to Back 142

Staggering 406Stair

Scale Sensitive 335StairMaker 335Stairs 333

based on Manually Drawn Elements 336Create New Stair 336Create Stair Using Selection 348Custom using Standard Stair Type 336Custom with StairMaker 335displaying 334

Stories 157Create a New Story 158Display in 3D 158Display in Section/Elevation/IE 158Navigate Among ~ 157Story Level Lines 159

Story Editing Mode palette 160Stretch

angular 380Beams 125Ellipse 380Height 129Lines or Arcs 379Objects 316radial 380Slanted Columns 124Slanted Walls 124Walls 123with Marquee 128

Stretch Trapezoid Wall 124Subsets 426Subtract Fill from Boundary 292Subtract from Polygon 128Sun cursor 84Sun Study 529SunObject 518Symbol Fills 31, 372Symbolic Cut 164Symbolic with Overhead 164, 285

TTeamwork

~ Techniques 466~ Workflow 465Administrator 459Archive file 470Change My Workspace 462Cutting the Element 468Exclusive Access 460Library Management 470My Views 464Project Setup 459Public Views 464Security Options 461Sending and Receiving Changes 465Signing Out 466Strategies 477Troubleshooting 473View Maps in ~ 464View Only mode 460Working Inside the Reserved Area 463Working Off-Line 470Working on a Local Copy 465

Template Files 17Text

~ Editor 411Drag & Drop ~ 138see also Text Blocks 410

Text Blocks 410Applying Favorite Text Settings 412breaking ~ 411Formatting 412non-breaking ~ 411placing ~ 411Resizing Text 412

Text Formatting~ of Individual characters and paragraphs 412~ Palette 411, 418of Text Block Components 412

Text Window Find dialog box 422Textbox Handles 411Text-Type Windows 421Textures 40

3D Alignment 38Title

block 426Drawing 431Type 431

title blocks 426Tool Schemes 54Toolbars 49Toolbox 47

customize 47Top Direction 302Trace

Choose 148Color/Visibility Options 149Compare with Active 151Displace 153Display Order 152Intensity 152Make Fills and Zones Transparent 151Move 149printing 440Related Commands 147Show/Hide 147Splitter 152Switch ~ with Active 150Update 150

Trace & Reference Palette 147Trace Options 147Tracker 91

Coordinate Input 93Defining Tracker Coordinates 92Expert Options 94Parameters 92

Translucency 371Transparency in Shading 172Trim to Roof 249Trim Zone 263Trimming Elements 133TrussMaker 350

editing trusses 350in Section/Elevation Windows 351on the Floor Plan 350

UUndo/Redo 113Uniform Frame Classes 284Uniform Panel Classes 285Unify Line-type elements 384Unlock 141Update Zones 265

Dialog Box 265Upload to Internet 444User Preference Schemes 54


Index

VVectorial Fill 31, 371Vectorial Hatching 372vertical range 190View 71

modify ~ settings 74save 73Settings 73

View Map 71Clone Folder 71in Teamwork 464

Virtual Building 155Virtual Reality 526Virtual Trace 145Visualization 513Visualization Extras 525VR Objects 526VR Scenes 527

WWall 219

chained 222Complex Profiles 237curved 220direction 219Display 220Gable 226Intersections 226Log 225Modify Wall 219modifying slanted ~ 124Polygon 224Priority 226rectangular 223Reference Lines 219Slanted 225Trapezoid 223

Wall Ends 333WindowLight 518Windows

see Doors and Windows 326Witness Line 389

modifying 401Work Environment 53

~ Dialog Box 53Apply a Scheme 56Creating an Office-Standard ~ 56Profiles 56store customized Scheme 56

Working Inside the Reserved Area 463Working Units & Levels 22Worksheet 202

Boundary 201Contents 203Create ~ with Model Source 202Define Reference for Linked Marker 181Define Reference for Source Marker 177Independent 204Unlinked Marker 181vs. Detail 202

XXREFs 494

and Layer Structure 494in Round-Trip Communication 495

X-Y Only 390, 393

ZZ-Buffer Rendering Engine 515Zone Area 264Zone Lists 452Zones 259

creating 261displaying in 3D 261Trim to Another Element 263updating 265Zone Boundary 264Zone Categories 259Zone Stamp 260Zone Volume 264

Zoom 59


Index


03 ac 12 reference guide

Documents

archicad features

archicad program

archicad design tools

archicad user interface

library manager

reference guidecopyright

startup library

project preferences22