topic Re: Walls type schedule in Project data & BIM

Walls type schedule

silvermat — Thu, 27 Feb 2025 00:22:30 GMT

Hello everyone!
I am looking for the best way to create a schedule/legend with all types of walls I use in the project (or only for selected ones).
My goal is to create a table with ID, 2D view, and multiline custom text where I can write materials with detailed information about them.

I usually make it in the model on the lowest level, but I want to remove everything that is not my building from my model.
I moved the rest of my legends into Independent 2D view, but it doesn't work with walls.
There is an example of what I want to get (or something close to it)

Operating system used: Windows

Re: Walls type schedule

cuba — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 12:10:50 GMT

Wich AC-version are you using? Did you check out keynotes in AC28?

Re: Walls type schedule

silvermat — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 12:12:28 GMT

I have AC28.
How can I use keynotes in that way?

Re: Walls type schedule

cuba — Wed, 26 Feb 2025 07:39:17 GMT

Hello Silvermat,

I did some tests with keynotes, it is not exactly what you need but it is an option:

+ Benefits of the keynotes is that you can easily type in the text with enters for a correct layout.

+ The keynotes labels can be placed anywhere on a plan/elevation or even a worksheet.

- The keynotes do not have a preview >> makes them hard to line align with the 2d views

- It is not a schedule , no auto-update when you add a new element

Working with schedules:

You can add a property with the extra info you want to show (options/property manager)

+ display automatically new walls

+ preview can be aligned with the text

+ add text in the schedule itself

- not possible to make seperate lines, only full textblock without enters (other parameters will add columns)

Maybe someone else knows a better workflow

Re: Walls type schedule

Lingwisyer — Wed, 26 Feb 2025 07:46:09 GMT

The lack of line breaks in schedule is such a large shortfall...

Re: Walls type schedule

kuvbur — Wed, 26 Feb 2025 08:02:14 GMT

You can try to work around the lack of line breaks with a large number of spaces at the end of the line. Here is one example of solving the problem.

Re: Walls type schedule

Rastko Pecar — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 00:15:14 GMT

I've developed a method of documenting assemblies that combines autotext, property, and skin list label. See below:

This is all done in a section scaled at 1:5, where I model/draw most of my typical details. In your case, I would recommend doing this in a floor plan view on a dedicated design option (so these wall samples don't get picked up in schedules). Besides the skin list label, you could use some more autotext that lists the element-level properties.

For details on how the method works, see this and this post.

The beauty of this method is that if everything is done via properties, everything stays in sync if any changes happen (from general plans to details and spec sheets)

Potentially, you could also do it by combining element and component schedules and model views and assembling them on a layout, but for me, this method is easier to set up.

Good luck!

Re: Walls type schedule

Gabor Szelei — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 23:23:28 GMT

Hello,
It has very interesting ideas, but it is very complicated...
Archicad should solve this simply! I don't understand why Graphisoft doesn't solve these basic things. They deal with all sorts of completely useless things and ignore such important problems...

Gábor

Re: Walls type schedule

silvermat — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 13:33:40 GMT

The point is that I don't want to make it on floor view like I used to do before.

Re: Walls type schedule

Rastko Pecar — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 13:40:26 GMT

as I said, you can model this "samples" in a dedicated design option (its possible also within a dedicated renovation status that you create).

This way you don't have to set up exclusion rules in schedule scheme settings, because such exclusion is made within view settings (where default design option is main model and default renovation status is new).

Re: Walls type schedule

Rastko Pecar — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 16:35:06 GMT

this came up while I was surfing the internet: https://archibites.tech/product/wall-type-label/

Re: Walls type schedule

g r a n t — Thu, 04 Sep 2025 00:23:37 GMT

Hello. I've been trying to figure this out for a few years now. I was new to ArchiCAD in 2021. It seemed very complicated and I'm sure there is a better way. Through some brute force I've managed to figure out the following (similar to other contributors): Create short sections of the wall types on a lowest most storey. That storey does not show in the model. Then use the Wall Tag and NCS Skin List Tag. I've modified both tags for my use and saved them as my favourites. What I don't like is having these walls in the model. I thought about creating a master template of standards (walls, interior details etc.) and hotlink it into project models as needed. I've not tried that yet so that may create other issues. Still stumbling along.

Re: Walls type schedule

Javier H — Wed, 03 Sep 2025 21:53:48 GMT

I, like many others do and as has been discussed, create my “standard wall types” on the ground floor and place them on a dedicated layer.

For each of them, I generate a section to obtain a visual representation of the wall, along with a diagram showing the layers/materials that make up the assembly (identified by their tag), including the thickness of each layer and the total wall thickness. In the drawings, I then place the section image together with the corresponding diagram for each wall.

Working this way means everything is automated once I’ve created the sample wall, its section, and its corresponding diagram. In my template I already have 10 sample walls with their sections and diagrams, so in each specific project I only need to adjust each wall type according to its composition.

Re: Walls type schedule

qbic-ft — Wed, 03 Sep 2025 23:38:59 GMT

https://archibites.tech/product/wall-type-label/

Re: Walls type schedule

Rastko Pecar — Thu, 04 Sep 2025 05:52:44 GMT

Move them to a dedicated design option or renovation status and they wont show up in your schedules or otherwise "polute" your data.

Re: Walls type schedule

Rastko Pecar — Sat, 20 Dec 2025 12:12:13 GMT

I've been grinding composite reports for some time now and here is the latest method I developed.

I have steered away from schedules (otherwise I like them a lot) because they are too rigid for this purpose. For example, you can set skin thickness units only via calculation units, which is a global setting. Skin list label is better in this regard because it allows to show skin thicknesses in centimeters despite the drawing uses other global unit setting. Working with labels in general is much nicer because it allows you working by seeing the information side by side model elements, which schedules don't allow.

My end result for a facade wall looks like this:

The specification for walls starts with some general remarks. Following is the specification for a facade wall SF-1 with title and skin list. At the bottom are remarks which refer to SF-1 specifically.

All elements are modeled in a dedicated section vies and a dedicated design option, so it does not "pollute"my model.

If your AC version doesnt have design options, you can use dedicated renovation status also.

This is how the section dedicated to assembly reports looks like from afar:

Everything is arrayed on a matrix of A4s, spaced 30 cm afar in x and y axis. The green stuff on the drawing is a trace-referenced master layout that contains the matrix of A4 sheets with hotspots indicating available space on page. The content is arranged vertically in groups:

- horizontal assemblies (slabs, roofs)

- vertical assemblies (walls)

- add-ons (composites that complement the above general types such as suspended ceilings, floor composites, service channels adjacent to walls, ect. if/when you want to report them separately)

In the horizontal axis I arrange group sub types:

- slabs (slab on ground, floor slab)

- roofs (inclined roofs, flat roofs)

- walls (facade walls, interior walls, partition non-load-bearing walls)

- add-ons (floor, ceiling, wall build-ups)

Here how my working view looks for SF-1:

Green line work is a trace-referenced master layout (matrix 4x4 A4s, 300 units apart in x&y axis) and gives me the boundaries of an A4 page and informs me how much space per page I have,

blue line work is live, associative geometry where assembly code, name and skin list comes from

Purple is dead, non-associative geometry that is there just to make things nicer, see the image below:

Above image also shows how logic of add-ons works. Using "add-ons" I can keep my composites to a minimum required (easier to manage & less mistakes) and describe all physical situations in a building. I find this method of separating assemblies into structural/architectural composites better than creating lots of very similar composites that are hard to manage in Archicad and sprawl your deliverables. Using "add-ons" approach I report only what is added on top, bottom or sideways but still represent the base composite graphically (greyed out geometry) so one can see how/where it is used. "Add-ons" approach is optional and not the only reason for spiting composites (more below).

About reporting assembly data - back to SF.1 again:

The information comes from 4 separate sorces:

- titles: "VERTIKALNE KONSTRUKCIJE" and "FASADNE STENE" are both dead text, because these never change in content

- remarks: above general remarks and below remarks for SF-1 come from keynotes, but could also be dead text. Keynotes are nice because you can keep all your remarks, specifications and other texts in one place.

- assembly specification: here I combine a normal autotext label (bolded text) and a skin list label (skin thicknesses and material specification). This allows me to access the information which is stored in the attribute (composite name, code, U value, building material thickness&description) and the information that is stored on the element level (total thickness).

The nice thing about this method is that you can report an assembly which is modeled with 2 composites:

the above flat roof is modeled with slab tool for the structural part + roof tool for the top layers. To report such a composite you just stack 2 skin list labels together measure the total thickness using the measure tool and and write the sum into the total thickness. This manual summation is a small drawback because it can lead to errors so one has to keep in mind to double check the values for such combined composites.

This is mostly it. The method is not so hard to set up, really nice to maintain/edit and it produces reports fast.

To create a new assembly report you just copy-paste an element (and all labels) below previous one (if fits on same page) or to the right (to a new page), change the composite&keynote and all information should be there. Just remember to create new layouts if you create new assemblies on horizontal axes.

It is also quite flexible because it allow to report an assembly via one, more-than-one composite or as an add-on. This supports diverse modeling practices and lets the designer to chose the modeling technique most appropriate to the task. It is also flexible in the sense of level of specification needed depending on the project (using lots of remarks, only general remarks or no remarks at all, just skin lists labels.)

Designer can decide whether to structure the report by general groups only, or go down a level into sub-groups. I had projects where I reported all my walls (3 composites) on single page and projects when each assembly has a full page spec. The arrangement of composites in section & layout work allows for a quick adaptation to project size or the level of information needed, while at the same time guaranteeing consistency of project documentation.

Another great thing for me is that you can reference this view in your details drawings. For example, if you have a roof/facade connection detail you can describe the roof and wall assemblies by pulling the specification on the layout and use text labels just for the specialties of the detail (edges, joints, accessories, ect.).

In the above detail drawing, the text on top are pulled from the section where assembly reports are made and the bottom part is the detail drawing with text labels that describe only the elements/parts/measures that are specific to the detail.

P.S. Make sure you:

- turn off link to story settings to model elements that are placed in this section so that changes to story settings that you do in the beginning of your project don't mess up the arrangement of your sample assemblies.

- turn off level reference lines in section settings

Hope you find this useful!

Re: Walls type schedule

Javier H — Thu, 04 Sep 2025 07:34:48 GMT

Wow, visually it’s flawless, no doubt! But that’s all done manually, right? I think the idea we all have in mind is to make it as automatic as possible.

Re: Walls type schedule

Rastko Pecar — Thu, 04 Sep 2025 11:42:02 GMT

Its manual in the set-up phase, but once all the framework is set (headings, elements, labels & specifications) and part of your template, all you have to do is copy-paste the element and labels, change the composite, keynotes and total thickness (if using combined composites approach). Plus taking care your layouts are capturing everything. This is done in minutes, all the content comes trough automatically and is is reflected throughout the documentation set (general plans, details, assembly reports). That is what is most important to me and this method does this much better than exporting schedules in excel/word for finalization that I used to do in the beginning.

Re: Walls type schedule

g r a n t — Tue, 09 Sep 2025 02:07:59 GMT

Wow.....thanks.

Re: Walls type schedule

dfks — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 07:44:02 GMT

Hi @Rastko Pecar ,

thank you for the insight, I found it really interesting. The only thing I don't understand is where you are drawing/writing. Is the screenshot of the general view the layout area or the modeling area? If it is the model area, how can you put then a section view and a ground floor view together?

Thank you!