topic Re: Center a window on a wall (or other element) in Modeling

Center a window on a wall (or other element)

Gus — Wed, 24 May 2023 06:40:08 GMT

I swear that in plan I used to be able to select a window, grab it's central node then hover over another element in the design and get a "tick mark" representing the middle of that wall or slab that I could use to align the window to the center of that element. Am I dreaming that division "tick marks" used to show up when hovering while a window was selected and being dragged?

Re: Center a window on a wall (or other element)

Anonymous — Tue, 17 May 2016 20:43:30 GMT

Yes is supposed to be there, but I had problems with this before.
Check this, this might help.
http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=51746&highlight=center+centre+point

Re: Center a window on a wall (or other element)

Laszlo Nagy — Tue, 17 May 2016 22:39:40 GMT

This is possible to do.
What you need to know is when you start dragging a Door/Window in a Wall, the angle of the drag vector will be locked to the direction of its host Wall. (If you open the Coordinates Box you will see the Angle field locked.) When this happens you will be able to find the middle point of only that edge of the Wall along which you drag the Door/Window.

So all you have to do is unlock the angle by pressing ALT+A on the keyboard. Then the cursor will be free to find any middle point of any Wall and the found point will be projected to the Wall of the Window to calculate the drag distance along the Wall.

Re: Center a window on a wall (or other element)

Laszlo Nagy — Tue, 17 May 2016 22:45:42 GMT

There is another method I can think of which uses the new Snap Guides of ARCHICAD 19.
1. Place a Snap Reference Line along the edge of the host Wall of the Door/Window.
2. Place a Snap Reference Point at the point you want to use as a reference when dragging the Door/Window in the Wall.
3. Select the Door/Window and start dragging it in the Wall. Snap Guides will be offered based on the Snap Reference Line and Snap Reference Point you marked. You will be able to find the Snap Guide that originates from the Snap Reference Point on the other element and is perpendicular to the Snap Reference on the Wall edge. Their intersection point will be the point where you want to drag the Door/Window within the Wall (the marked Snap Reference Point projected onto the Wall edge).

Re: Center a window on a wall (or other element)

Anonymous — Tue, 17 May 2016 23:10:06 GMT

Or just hover over the wall before you start dragging the window. Then the race is on to move the window before the snap point disappears

Re: Center a window on a wall (or other element)

Barry Kelly — Wed, 18 May 2016 01:53:09 GMT

s2art wrote:
Then the race is on to move the window before the snap point disappears

Unless you turn off the 'Autohide special snap points' in the 'On screen options" of your Work Environment.

It means the special snaps will stay on the screen until you (CTRL+ALT+SHIFT+R) or Archicad forces a rebuild and regenerate (i.e. when changing views) or you change the input method for the snap guides (off, between intersection, entire length).

Barry.

Re: Center a window on a wall (or other element)

Laszlo Nagy — Wed, 18 May 2016 10:33:51 GMT

Barry wrote:
s2art wrote:
Then the race is on to move the window before the snap point disappears
Unless you turn off the 'Autohide special snap points' in the 'On screen options" of your Work Environment.

It means the special snaps will stay on the screen until you (CTRL+ALT+SHIFT+R) or Archicad forces a rebuild and regenerate (i.e. when changing views) or you change the input method for the snap guides (off, between intersection, entire length).

Barry.

In ARCHICAD 19 and later this is now controlled by the Autohide Snap Points checkbox in the Input Constraints and Guides page of the Work Environment Dialog. With the new Guide Line and Snap Guide related improvements in AC19 this checkbox got renamed and moved to another page of the Dialog:

https://youtu.be/kuva1jKdcig?t=275

Re: Center a window on a wall (or other element)

Anonymous — Wed, 18 May 2016 13:11:22 GMT

Hi, I know you are trying to get the center snap point, but here is a technique I use to center things in AC, I hope this can help you.
http://screencast-o-matic.com/watch/cDhFIiicKO

Re: Center a window on a wall (or other element)

Erwin Edel — Wed, 18 May 2016 13:51:51 GMT

s2art wrote:
Or just hover over the wall before you start dragging the window. Then the race is on to move the window before the snap point disappears

This has been my method for 10+ years, until I just learned about ALT + A from Laszlo up there

I did figure out how to set the 'time-out' for the snap point a few years ago though... Then again, it promotes fast drafting

Re: Center a window on a wall (or other element)

Anonymous — Sun, 09 Jul 2017 00:12:26 GMT

arqrivas wrote:
Hi, I know you are trying to get the center snap point, but here is a technique I use to center things in AC, I hope this can help you.
http://screencast-o-matic.com/watch/cDhFIiicKO

Hehe, that's perfect; thanks.

Re: Center a window on a wall (or other element)

Anonymous — Sat, 24 Feb 2018 18:18:10 GMT

What about if the object is not locked in an axis like this window, which is locked in the y-axis?

I've tried to hold shift while moving, but it will not lock to the y-axis.

What I ended up doing was creating guide lines segment, but is that necessary?

Re: Center a window on a wall (or other element)

Richard Morrison — Sun, 25 Feb 2018 21:13:36 GMT

Also, simpleaddon.com has a nice little window/door centering tool (or consistent side offset) that is definitely worth the USD $10 price, PLUS you get a bunch of other tools included. I think one of the great AC bargains.

Re: Center a window on a wall (or other element)

Anonymous — Sun, 25 Feb 2018 22:45:53 GMT

I'm not trying to center a window, so I guess that plugin won't work for me?

I have no problems centering using the control box tools, but I need to create guidelines first if I want to center something along a line which is not in the vicinity of the object I'm centering.

Re: Center a window on a wall (or other element)

Barry Kelly — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 02:47:39 GMT

famadorian wrote:
I'm not trying to center a window, so I guess that plugin won't work for me?

I have no problems centering using the control box tools, but I need to create guidelines first if I want to center something along a line which is not in the vicinity of the object I'm centering.

All to easy with snap guides.
If it is not something like this can you show an image of what you are trying to do?

Barry.

Re: Center a window on a wall (or other element)

Steve Jepson — Tue, 27 Feb 2018 00:06:18 GMT

s2art wrote:
... Then the race is on to move the window before the snap point disappears

I spent some time in that race myself.