topic Re: Steel Columns in Modeling

Steel Columns

Conrado Dominguez — Fri, 26 May 2023 10:41:42 GMT

I am working on a structural steel frame model using beams and columns, the Objects, not the Tools.
Same size columns extend upwards several floors and they are sized as such in the Model.
All the columns are set to "ALL RELEVANT STORIES" but they only show beyond their current story if I set them to "ALL STORIES" which is not correct when their size changes in the upper levels.

I have double check their heights, the 2D display parameters and the Floor Plan Cut Plane. Am I missing some other setting you can think of ?.

Re: Steel Columns

Anonymous — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 08:34:33 GMT

Hi Conrado,
I used the object Universal Columns Column 15 and its representation is correct in both settings ("ALL RELEVANT STORIES".....Home and 3 up; "ALL STORIES"...Home and 3 up and 1 down).

Re: Steel Columns

David Maudlin — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 12:27:08 GMT

Conrado:

See this thread, it may explain, one of the developers chimed in:

All Relevant Stories for ArchiCAD Objects?

David

Re: Steel Columns

Conrado Dominguez — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 16:56:54 GMT

Thanks for the Link, David.
I did open one of the Objects, located the parameters, and made them visible to input values; however, upon saving the changes, it wants to make that column into a new Object.
How do make the parameters for the object in the AC library ?
BTW, do we have to disable "zzyzx"

Re: Steel Columns

David Maudlin — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 21:30:54 GMT

Conrado wrote:
I did open one of the Objects, located the parameters, and made them visible to input values; however, upon saving the changes, it wants to make that column into a new Object.

Well, that is good, because you are modifying a library part, and if it was left in the ArchiCAD Library, it would get replaced (deleted) when the ArchiCAD Library is updated. The first thing to do is Save As... the library part into one of your office libraries, which will take it out of the ArchiCAD Library and give it a new GUID.

Conrado wrote:
How do make the parameters for the object in the AC library ?
BTW, do we have to disable "zzyzx"

As Zsolt Táskai mentioned, what you want to do is pass along the relevant heights to the ac_toplevel and ac_bottomlevel parameters for the Relevant Stories option to work. So zzyzx should be left alone. I did a quick addition to the Parameter Script for the W Column 15:

call "FM_types"

Parameters ac_bottomlevel = 0, ac_toplevel = zzyzx     ! added line

sor=269
dim vekt[269]

This loads the height values into ac_toplevel and ac_bottomlevel parameters so the Relevant Stories option works. These parameters remain hidden. They are somewhat crude, as they ignore the Floor Plan Cut Plane and just use the Story Heights, so if just a small part of the object is high or low enough to be on a Story the object will show. I think there is a way to script for the Floor Plan Cut Plan, but it is more complex. The Parameters command is covered in the GDL Reference Guide.

Enjoy!

David

Re: Steel Columns

Conrado Dominguez — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 22:28:09 GMT

Thanks for your review and response.
It is great to have you and many others like you, generously contributing on this Forum !
Hope to reciprocrate some time.

Re: Steel Columns

David Pacifico — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 20:24:10 GMT

Thank You, This worked for me.
for ArchiCAD 15
I pasted this to the top of the parameters script:

call "FM_types"

Parameters ac_bottomlevel = 0, ac_toplevel = zzyzx ! added line

sor=269
dim vekt[269]