topic Design Options in Project data & BIM

Design Options

Anonymous — Tue, 30 May 2023 11:11:59 GMT

Does anyone know about this function?:
http://www.cadalyst.com/aec/archicad-insights-design-options-3096
It helps managing different design options inside a file, which is something I hugely need. I'm tired of using layers for that, it is just messy.
Is it an 3rd party add-on which disappeared, or a hidden function or...
Anyway something like that is definitely needed IMO.

Regards,
Ollivier

Re: Design Options

Anonymous — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:28:55 GMT

I believe that this product is dead.

Re: Design Options

Anonymous — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:22:10 GMT

it's really too bad there isn't such a function available, the problem of multiple options comes up all the time for me and using complex layer combinations or the redlining function is just too clunky a process.

After giving the big firms TW2 in the v13 update, it would be nice to see such a function future updates.

Re: Design Options

Anonymous — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:35:27 GMT

What do you use modules?

Re: Design Options

Anonymous — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 07:45:34 GMT

Modules are very tricky. I've tried with them but I never found them very convenient.
When you want to change the module you have to find again all the elements of it before you save over, and that is not easy if you have different levels.
Actually it would be great if we could edit the modules inside the file we are working in without unlinking and opening the group.
Then the module is not something that you can use in your layouts to present different options.

regards
Olivier

Re: Design Options

Laszlo Nagy — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:55:50 GMT

Olivier wrote:
Does anyone know about this function?:
http://www.cadalyst.com/aec/archicad-insights-design-options-3096
It helps managing different design options inside a file, which is something I hugely need. I'm tired of using layers for that, it is just messy.
Is it an 3rd party add-on which disappeared, or a hidden function or...
Anyway something like that is definitely needed IMO.

Regards,
Ollivier

I think Option Manager is now part of Virtual Constructor.

Re: Design Options

Anonymous — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:45:24 GMT

I agree it would be nice to be able to edit the module within the file more easily.
But you can edit a module-file outside the main file. This way you do not have to find all the elements, you just have to save. also the module can be multi-story.
Did you know that a placed module has its own layer? To hide a design-option you just have to hide that layer. Make sure you change the layer-group number, so walls (and beams) do not connect to the existing building.

Re: Design Options

Anonymous — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 07:46:00 GMT

I didn't know that modules have a "master" layer, thanks for the tips.
About editing the module, the problem is that if you are editing outside the file, you can't see the rest of the building, and so there is no point in editing if u can't see the impact.

Re: Design Options

TMA_80 — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:57:22 GMT

Olivier wrote:
I didn't know that modules have a "master" layer, thanks for the tips.
About editing the module, the problem is that if you are editing outside the file, you can't see the rest of the building, and so there is no point in editing if u can't see the impact.

i totally agree

a better (similar ) option is to have sketchup "componants or group" editing like tool :

when in your model you double click the componant ( module) and you can edit the componant inside the model whithout having to open the orginal module file....
it could be a great and flexible way to edit modules ( but don't know if feasable in AC)

PS: when considering the fact that constructor does not exist anymore , it'd be time to think to bring it back to AC

Re: Design Options

Anonymous — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:49:22 GMT

When you are working in a module you can have the context! Just add the main file as a module. Note that you have to switch on the 'skip nested module' function to avoid the looping of the model. (it won't crash your AC, but it will pollute your file).

Re: Design Options

Anonymous — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 08:48:55 GMT

You can have the context alright, but that is really heavy to have open the base file+ the 3 options with links in every options to the base file=
4 heavy file opened at the same time.
And think if every option is a combination of options!!
It is definitely heavy even for my Xeon 64b with 8 processor.
I hope some kind of solution idea will come in Graphisoft's head, I'm confident.

Re: Design Options

Anonymous — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 10:30:16 GMT

Just tried the module option, and here is my conclusion:
Don't do it!!!!
it works until your MOD file is corrupted by the crossed links. And you ain't got no backup cause the mod files are not backuped like usual pln files.

Re: Design Options

Anonymous — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:05:57 GMT

I'm using MOD file for most of my projects.
It works fine...not even a crash at all. Feel ok with it.

As for the backup, let run a backup for your whole file system everyday, every week and month .....Similar like Time Machine from Apple. It save you from headache of losing your valuable data. This is what we are doing.

Cheers,

Re: Design Options

Anonymous — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 19:24:59 GMT

I have tried the hotlink otion also, but noticed that unless you draw all of the objects on a single layer you can not control the interactions with existing elements in you model. If you build the module with the same layers as in the model you are linking to, when you turn off and set the interaction level of the modules control layer to 0 all of the elements of the hotlink turn off, but they still intereact with the visable objects. unless I'm doing something wrong the hotlink contral layer can not override the interaction setings of the objects/layers that it contains. It would be helpfull if the hotlink control layer was set to 0 that the hotlink would then know to override the interactions of its content. If we could do this you could manage design options by using hotlinks.

Re: Design Options

Erika Epstein — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 21:42:57 GMT

Layer intersection priority can be different for each layer combination.

For layer combinations that don't show the module, set the MODULE's layer intersection number to whichever number you use for a hidden layer that you don't want to affect the active layers.

Re: Design Options

Anonymous — Tue, 12 Jun 2018 01:07:37 GMT

I have found this video tutorial for design options. It is really good to have different options in one model.
Here is the link. https://vimeo.com/156070656