topic Re: How to Extrude in ArchiCAD ? in Modeling

How to Extrude in ArchiCAD ?

Anonymous — Tue, 07 Mar 2006 11:54:05 GMT

hi there,

i am new to ArchiCAD and could anyone please tell me how we can use extrude (as in autoCAD) in ArchiCAD.

Regards,

>>>---rd----->

Re: How to Extrude in ArchiCAD ?

TomWaltz — Tue, 07 Mar 2006 12:11:50 GMT

I'm not familiar with AutoCAD's Extrude command. While I can kind of guess, what does it do, and what are you trying to achieve with it? (so I can answer a little better)

Re: How to Extrude in ArchiCAD ?

Anonymous — Tue, 07 Mar 2006 12:26:46 GMT

hi there,

Extrude is when when we make profile in x,y plane and make solid in z or upward position.

Re: How to Extrude in ArchiCAD ?

TomWaltz — Tue, 07 Mar 2006 14:07:24 GMT

The command you are looking for is called Profiler.

You may need to install it before it runs. If you look in your Archicad installation directory, there is a folder named "Goodies." Drag that folder into the folder called "Add-ons". Re-start Archicad.

Under your Tools menu, there should now be a command called Profiler.

It works by drawing a Polyline, selecting "Profiler", then either filling out the menu that appears (basically selecting "extrude" or "revolve"), then you draw the path you want to extrude it a long.

There are some 3rd party add-ons that work much better, but this one is included in the box!

Re: How to Extrude in ArchiCAD ?

Anonymous — Tue, 07 Mar 2006 14:12:47 GMT

can you at least give us an example of what you want to extrude...

Re: How to Extrude in ArchiCAD ?

Petros Ioannou — Tue, 07 Mar 2006 14:56:32 GMT

Extrude is used mainlly in Autocad to create walls (as 3d faces) from a 2d polyline in plan. What exactly are you trying to achieve??

Re: How to Extrude in ArchiCAD ?

Anonymous — Wed, 08 Mar 2006 03:53:08 GMT

Dear Petros,

I have got alot of drawings in dwg (AutoCAD) format and i want ro utilize them so that i don't have trace them in archiCAD.

Another problem i am facing is that when I open dwg in ArchiCAD size changes though i am using same units in both softs

Re: How to Extrude in ArchiCAD ?

Petros Ioannou — Wed, 08 Mar 2006 07:12:52 GMT

If you want to take advantage of Archicad's capabilities (specially in walls) you have to trace them manually. There used to be a Plan to Model addon but I am not aware if it still exists and how handy it is.
As for the change of size , it could be wrong conversion settings in the DWG/DXF translator settings. Did you check it?

HTH
Petros

Re: How to Extrude in ArchiCAD ?

Aussie John — Wed, 08 Mar 2006 08:19:50 GMT

ALSO GDL has an extrude command which can be used in object making.

Re: How to Extrude in ArchiCAD ?

David Maudlin — Wed, 08 Mar 2006 14:56:12 GMT

rajeshd wrote:
I have got alot of drawings in dwg (AutoCAD) format and i want ro utilize them so that i don't have trace them in archiCAD.

Another problem i am facing is that when I open dwg in ArchiCAD size changes though i am using same units in both softs

rajeshd:

Two tips:

1. If you select a tool in the Tool Box, set its default parameters for what you want the model part to be (for example set the Wall Tool to 6" thick, 8' tall, etc.), then hold down the spacebar and click on a line, a wall with the given parameters will be placed along the line. This is a way to more quickly transform lines into ArchiCAD elements.

2. When importing the dwg file, check what the Drawing Units are set to in the translator to get the correct size/scale in ArchiCAD.

There is more information about both these tips in the manuals.

HTH

David

Re: How to Extrude in ArchiCAD ?

Petros Ioannou — Wed, 08 Mar 2006 15:11:19 GMT

David,
usually it is very hard to do that on top of an Acad DWG.
Usually walls are drawn as lines -polylines and so if you try to use the magic wand on such elements you get a wall running across the outline of the original wall. For a single wall (4 lines in AutoCAD you will get 4 walls in Archicad. It works if you wave walls drawn as single lines but it is a rare case. You can magic wand inside these polylines with the polygonal wall but you will end up with more problems on windows - doors etc.

Anyway the Magic Wand tool is a function that every CAD application should have.... it is always fun to see their faces when you present it to autocad users

Petros

Re: How to Extrude in ArchiCAD ?

David Maudlin — Wed, 08 Mar 2006 15:33:23 GMT

Petros wrote:
David,
usually it is very hard to do that on top of an Acad DWG.
Usually walls are drawn as lines -polylines and so if you try to use the magic wand on such elements you get a wall running across the outline of the original wall. For a single wall (4 lines in AutoCAD you will get 4 walls in Archicad. It works if you wave walls drawn as single lines but it is a rare case. You can magic wand inside these polylines with the polygonal wall but you will end up with more problems on windows - doors etc.

Petros:

Point taken, obviously from experience.

Thanks,
David

Re: How to Extrude in ArchiCAD ?

TomWaltz — Wed, 08 Mar 2006 15:43:49 GMT

Petros wrote:
David,
usually it is very hard to do that on top of an Acad DWG.
Usually walls are drawn as lines -polylines and so if you try to use the magic wand on such elements you get a wall running across the outline of the original wall. For a single wall (4 lines in AutoCAD you will get 4 walls in Archicad. It works if you wave walls drawn as single lines but it is a rare case. You can magic wand inside these polylines with the polygonal wall but you will end up with more problems on windows - doors etc.

Anyway the Magic Wand tool is a function that every CAD application should have.... it is always fun to see their faces when you present it to autocad users

I have to agree.

The magic wand is really great for Archicad drawings where walls with doors in them are continuous elements, but a wall from AutoCAD will magic wand like this:

Re: How to Extrude in ArchiCAD ?

Haneef Tayob — Wed, 08 Mar 2006 15:55:54 GMT

rajeshd wrote:

I have got alot of drawings in dwg (AutoCAD) format and i want ro utilize them so that i don't have trace them in archiCAD.

Here's my few cents:

This is really not a problem with ArchiCad. Whenever I need to work on any old project done in AutoCad, I open it in Archicad and make any amendments using ArchiCad techniques.

Most of the times I don't need to convert the entire Autocad drawing elements to ArchiCad 3d elements. i.e old walls remain as lines until I need to amend them. Besides I often don't have the time to redraw them. I've also done sections/elevations where I've overlapped 2d elevations from AutoCad onto Archicad sections (this does get messy at times). My personal view is that even if you don't want convert the original 2-d items to 3-d, Archicad is still a better program for 2-d than Autocad.

If you merge old drawings, make sure AC is set to a matching scale, i.e. don't open what was a 1:50 drawing while AC is set as 1:100

Re: How to Extrude in ArchiCAD ?

Aaron Bourgoin — Wed, 08 Mar 2006 16:24:31 GMT

The magic wand tool will always try and interpret the lines for conversion as Tom's wonderful Arabic gate example shows.

However, If you don't want ArchiCAD to guess, then highlight the lines you want to convert and the Magic Wand tool will filter out the rest.

This is also where the keyboard shortcuts for adjust and intersect come in handy and you can make the conversions pretty quickly. The spacebar is truly your friend.

Tom's graphic also shows how important the reference line is to the process.