topic Re: Ceiling objects... in Modeling

Ceiling objects...

rgarand — Thu, 30 Jan 2025 11:53:39 GMT

I am sure this has come up in the past...I have done a search and I could not find anything though.

How do you handle your Reflected Ceiling Plans (RCP)? Do you draw a slab and give it a hgt/fill so that it shows up in section and in the RCP?

Is there a "magic wand" trick to outlining the perimeter of a room?

We are bending towards the slab at the correct hgt on this particualr project because we have many different building sections/details and many different clg. hgts.

Just wondering what people are doing for this part of the CD phase.

Re: Ceiling objects...

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Apr 2004 14:18:36 GMT

Depends what level of detail you'll show on the RCPs. If they are complex and detailed try inserting new intermediate levels with ceiling highth.

If not just insert new layer. If you need 3D, model it with slab tool and assign vectorial texture of a ceiling fill pattern. Othervise just use Magic Wand to trace room outline and place 2D vectorial fill with specified origin.

In Options/Display Options you have display option for windows/doors when RCP are to be exported.

Hope it's useful.

Re: Ceiling objects...

rgarand — Tue, 06 Apr 2004 14:28:23 GMT

very helpful info!

regarding the magic wand tool...you mentioned tracing:
just use Magic Wand to trace room outline
Is there no way for ArchiCAD to generate a polygon of the perimeter of the room? You still have to generate the polygon manually...why even bother with the magic wand tool then?

Re: Ceiling objects...

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Apr 2004 14:35:23 GMT

rgarand wrote:
Is there no way for ArchiCAD to generate a polygon of the perimeter of the room? You still have to generate the polygon manually...why even bother with the magic wand tool then?

Magic Wand (Space+Click inside the room) is far from "manual", but even if it is there is another way to do same thing. Insert Zones inside your plans and create your ceilings using Interior Wizard in Extras menu. Those tools are automaticly connected to zones, and zones are connected to rooms outline walls.

Re: Ceiling objects...

rgarand — Tue, 06 Apr 2004 15:45:21 GMT

I was not aware of the Interior Wizard...I will look into this. Thanks!

Re: Ceiling objects...

Djordje — Tue, 06 Apr 2004 17:07:18 GMT

TRIBU wrote:
rgarand wrote:
Is there no way for ArchiCAD to generate a polygon of the perimeter of the room?
Magic Wand (Space+Click inside the room) is far from "manual", but even if it is there is another way to do same thing. Insert Zones inside your plans and create your ceilings using Interior Wizard in Extras menu. Those tools are automaticly connected to zones, and zones are connected to rooms outline walls.

As they are connected to zones, the zone height will define the ceiling height; this is extremely useful as, when you change the zone height, the ceiling (on update) will lower or raise.

A word of caution: if you do have complex ceilings, with bulkheads and multi level configurations, then the above method is unusable; the Ceiling wizard works only with the single level ceiling. But, you can insert semi automatically lights, vents, fire detectors, sprinklers, and other ugly stuff that has to go in the ceiling, and that interors people usually conveniently forget 😉 I often do, too

HTH,

Re: Ceiling objects...

Anonymous — Wed, 21 Apr 2004 14:15:04 GMT

I tried both methods suggested on this thread, but I'm having trouble with both.

Since the building I'm working on has some offices that have simple acoustical tile ceilings, I tried the Interior Wizard. For some reason, the 24" tile fill is showing up skewed at an angle even though it's set to 0°. Am I missing a setting?

I tried the slab method as well on a dedicated ceiling layer, but I can't figure out how to give the slab a fill to show the acoustical tile. Again, is it a setting or am i going to have to draw a fill over all of the slabs in order to get them to show up in plan and section?

Thanks!

Re: Ceiling objects...

Djordje — Wed, 21 Apr 2004 17:43:53 GMT

Amanda wrote:
Since the building I'm working on has some offices that have simple acoustical tile ceilings, I tried the Interior Wizard. For some reason, the 24" tile fill is showing up skewed at an angle even though it's set to 0°. Am I missing a setting?

Which ArchiCAD?

Amanda wrote:
I tried the slab method as well on a dedicated ceiling layer, but I can't figure out how to give the slab a fill to show the acoustical tile. Again, is it a setting or am i going to have to draw a fill over all of the slabs in order to get them to show up in plan and section?

You will have to add the fill manually ... a long standing wish, check in the Wishlist and add your vote.

Re: Ceiling objects...

Anonymous — Wed, 21 Apr 2004 19:06:24 GMT

ArchiCAD 8.1

Re: Ceiling objects...

Anonymous — Wed, 21 Apr 2004 19:38:44 GMT

I've gone ahead and done the RCP using the slab+fill method for now with the Tile 24" fill type.

Within the fill settings, I chose "link to fill origin", but I can foresee problems with that when the electrical designer starts placing lights in there. Is there any way to link the fill to a user origin if I need to in the future?

If anyone has experience with the Extras/Interior Wizard/Ceiling Accessory, though, I'm still interested in learning how to use that to simplify the process.

Re: Ceiling objects...

__archiben — Wed, 21 Apr 2004 21:46:21 GMT

Amanda wrote:
I tried the slab method as well on a dedicated ceiling layer, but I can't figure out how to give the slab a fill to show the acoustical tile. Again, is it a setting or am i going to have to draw a fill over all of the slabs in order to get them to show up in plan and section?

amanda

when TRIBU mentioned assigning a vectorial texture i think he was talking about the material definition of your slab: edit (or create) a material, (Options>Materials), so that it has a fill pattern attached to it. your 'tiles' will then show up in the 3D window.

for floor plan fills, djordje's method is the best we can do at the moment: make sure you vote in that wish to have fills assigned to the floor plan slab element! we've been asking for it for a long, long time!

I've gone ahead and done the RCP using the slab+fill method for now with the Tile 24" fill type.

Within the fill settings, I chose "link to fill origin", but I can foresee problems with that when the electrical designer starts placing lights in there. Is there any way to link the fill to a user origin if I need to in the future?

"link to fill origin" is the user origin. "link to project origin" starts the fill at project zero (0,0). you can change this at any time by toggling the buttons in the fill tool settings or in your info box palette. to change the fill origin point and its orientation simply pick up the each end of the fill handle in turn (with the fill selected) and move or rotate - see the attached screenshot: the one on the left is "link to project origin" so there is no 'fill handle' visible. the one on the right linked to fill origin shows the editable handle. one end moves the origin, the other is the angle of rotation.

also, don't forget that once you've created your slab by whatever method was most efficient for you, (space clicking inside the area; drawing the perimeter by hand), you can add the fill inside it by space clicking on the perimeter of the slab once you have set the fill in your tool settings.

hope this made sense and you are getting there!
~/archiben

Re: Ceiling objects...

Anonymous — Thu, 22 Apr 2004 02:42:40 GMT

There is not an usual architectural Plan (Djordje has right)
but it is an important element for interior descriptive or detailed documentation. I usually put the light spot locations and local heights ,
and overlap specific ceilings planes by overlap a vectorial transparent
inclined fill for one of them. in a 2d only plan with all the observations
on the plan

Re: Ceiling objects...

Ralph Wessel — Thu, 22 Apr 2004 07:05:28 GMT

Amanda wrote:
Within the fill settings, I chose "link to fill origin", but I can foresee problems with that when the electrical designer starts placing lights in there. Is there any way to link the fill to a user origin if I need to in the future?

I think you have already achieved what you need. The Fill will display an anchor point and fill direction reference line which can be freely adjusted to suit your ceiling layout. The Fill anchor may be hidden though - look at the 'Fill Handles' setting under 'Options/Display Settings'.

Re: Ceiling objects...

Anonymous — Fri, 23 Apr 2004 01:32:22 GMT

Thanks! I didn't know about the display options, I was beginning to think I was crazy or something for not noticing it sooner. You've all been a great help.