2020 | 021 – Conceptual Design – Area Schedules, Sketching and Precision

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ARCHICAD Training Lesson Outline

Conceptual Design - Area Schedules, Sketching and Precision

Area Schedules for Program Analysis

  • Fills
  • Zones
  • Morphs

Criteria for inclusion in Schedules include Element Type, Layers, ID. 

Schedules can be set to provide totals, with some controls for sorting and grouping. Fills are limited since (beyond their geometry and graphic appearance) they only can have an ID; no Properties or other parameters can be entered. Zones are more flexible and both parameters and Properties can be associated and referenced in a schedule.

Example: Zone Schedule with Cost Factor Calcs

To estimate costs for specific areas based on a simple cost factor (for example: updated areas vs fully remodeled rooms vs new construction), one can define new Properties for COST FACTOR and AREA COST as Numbers or Integers. The AREA COST will be calculated in a formula based on the COST FACTOR multiplied by the Zone Measured Area. This is demonstrated in the lesson with all the small steps needed to set this up, including options for controlling rounding and precision.

  • NOTE: Download files will be provided in the near future to allow course members to import these Properties and the example Schedule into a project or template. Return to this page in a few days and/or check the Resource Sharing section of the ARCHICAD Training Slack workspace.

Sketching and Precision

Construction Grid and Snap Grid
  • The Construction Grid can be made visible onscreen using a command in the View menu; the color and intensity can be set (along with preferred spacing such as 4'-0" or 1m) in the View menu > Grid and Editing Plane Options > Grids and Backgrounds command.
  • The Snap Grid (also controlled within that dialog) allows snapping or nudging based on a smaller increment (e.g. 1" or 25mm or 8" / 200mm etc.); it is not shown with lines onscreen
  • Snapping to the Construction or Snap Grid can be turned on or off using a keyboard shortcut (shift-s - like typing a capital letter "S") or the icon button in the main Toolbar. When Snapping is active, as you move your mouse, a small dot will show the active point onscreen, jumping from one grid point to another; while drawing a wall or polygon you'll see the node point jump from one snap location to another.
  • The Snap Grid origin can be repositioned by placing the User Origin via the icon button in the Toolbar or keyboard shortcut (Shift-Option for Mac, ALT-Shift for Windows).
  • The Construction Grid can be rotated using the View menu > Grid and Editing Plane Options > Set Rotated Grid command: click an origin point then an angle vector point.
  • The Construction Grid origin can be repositioned using the Set Rotated Grid command; after clicking the origin point, set a 0 degree angle.
  • Return to the original Grid location by selecting the Orthogonal Grid option in that same menu.
Use the Marquee Stretch Method to Precisely Control Dimensions 

It is easy to use the Marquee to stretch or shrink groups of elements in a natural, intuitive process. 

Enclose an area of your project with a Marquee then click on a node point or edge of an element inside the Marquee to set an editing origin, then enter a destination point (by clicking and/or typing in an offset value in the Tracker). The enclosed elements will move or stretch.

Important notes: 

  • The Marquee tool must remain active in the Toolbox to use this stretch method
  • Linear and polygon elements (such as walls, beams, slabs, roofs, zones as well as lines, polylines and fills) will stretch based on their node points. If a node is inside the marquee, it is affected; if both nodes (walls, beams, lines) are inside, the entire element is moved.
  • Non-linear elements (windows, doors, library parts) will move if they are entirely inside the marquee; they will not stretch or deform based on a marquee stretch operation.
  • The marquee may be set in thin (single-story) or thick (multi-story) mode and thus these operations will affect elements on the current story or all stories.
  • Only elements on visible layers will be affected; those on hidden or locked layers will not. When elements are part of a group, the results will vary depending on whether Groups are active or suspended.


ARCHICAD Training Lesson Transcript

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