topic Re: how to show can lights in a sloped ceiling in Modeling

how to show can lights in a sloped ceiling

Anonymous — Tue, 23 May 2023 12:43:18 GMT

I am trying to generate a 3D interior view showing can lights in a sloped ceiling.
Can anyone tell me how to show this. As far as I can see the only tool that sticks to a roof is the skylight tool but I haven't figured out how to tweek that so I can make a respectable 3D can light.

can light=concealed ceiling fixture

Thank you,
John

Re: how to show can lights in a sloped ceiling

Barry Kelly — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 02:37:41 GMT

Don't forget you have the "Gravity to roof" option when placing any element or object.
Just make sure you have all other roofs turned off except for the ceiling.
The other thing is they will all sit on top of the ceiling (roof) unless you have an option in the object to drop them down a bit.
If not you may have to put them all in and then drop them all together by the ceiling thickness.

Barry.

Re: how to show can lights in a sloped ceiling

Stress Co_ — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 03:41:42 GMT

Hi John:
You could use the "Cone" object from: Special Construction> Basic Shapes> (in AC13).

Adjust the bottom circle radius as desired, place it in the ceiling and SEO it out (Subtract w/ downward extrusion, inherit attributes of operator). Ceiling has to be thicker than the cone. Hide the cone's layer.

It would create an oval hole in the ceiling as from a sloped ceiling can (as opposed to a round hole from a flat ceiling can).

You could place a lamp object in the cavity if your lighting a scene.

There must be a recessed can object out there somewhere
-Maleko

EDIT: Somewhat on topic discussed HERE

Re: how to show can lights in a sloped ceiling

Anonymous — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 07:53:23 GMT

Barry wrote:
Don't forget you have the "Gravity to roof" option when placing any element or object.
Barry.

Aloha Barry,
Thanks for the tip. I always forget that the Gravity Tool is there.
My problem is getting a recessed can light to tilt to the angle of my sloped ceiling. ArchiCAD 11 does have a recessed can light in the lighting tool library. Unfortunately, it does not seem to have a setting to tilt it to match a sloped ceiling.
Thanks,
John

Re: how to show can lights in a sloped ceiling

Anonymous — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 08:00:59 GMT

Stress wrote:
There must be a recessed can object out there somewhere

Aloha Marc,
Thanks for the tip about the cone. Cleaver idea.
I actually do want a round hole in the ceiling. Recessed can lights in sloped ceiling have a round trim ring which is what I'm trying to model. For now I'm just going to cut a round hole in a thin ceiling element created with the roof tool. That will give me the basic shape without the trim ring.
Then I'll take your tip and put a light source behind the ceiling for the projected light.
This would be much easier with a Library object that could change angles to match a sloped ceiling.
I'm surprised that that this type of lamp isn't a stock Library Object. I ageee with you, "There must be a recessed can object that will work for a sloped ceiling out there somewhere.
Thanks,
John

Re: how to show can lights in a sloped ceiling

Barry Kelly — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 08:07:56 GMT

You could try saving your light as a new object (so as not to lose the original) and change the subtype to be a skylight.

Then you would have to add a ROTx ac_roofang command at the beginning of your 3D script to get the automatic roof slope.

I'm not sure what will happen to the hole in the roof.
You might just have to try it and see what happens.
I haven't played with skylight objects at all.

Barry.

Re: how to show can lights in a sloped ceiling

Barry Kelly — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 08:25:00 GMT

Close but no cigar.
I have no idea how the roof hole is cut.
Barry.

Re: how to show can lights in a sloped ceiling

Anonymous — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 08:35:53 GMT

Barry wrote:
You could try saving your light as a new object (so as not to lose the original) and change the subtype to be a skylight.

Then you would have to add a ROTx ac_roofang command at the beginning of your 3D script to get the automatic roof slope.

Barry.

I'm trying this but I've never done any kind of scripting for a GSM before.
How would I change the subtype to Skylight? I didn't see that as an option or script line.
I added the line:
ROTx ac_roofang above the first line of the 3D script after the object name but errors kept popping up when I tried checking the script.
Thanks,
John

Re: how to show can lights in a sloped ceiling

Anonymous — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 08:42:04 GMT

Barry wrote:
Close but no cigar.
I have no idea how the roof hole is cut.
Barry.

cutting the roof hole is the easy part.
1) select the roof with the roof tool selected. (Right click, select and activate tool.
2) on the pet palette select the subtract operator (the one with the minus sign)
3) make a 4"x4" square hole in the roof
4) select a corner of the hole in the roof and select the fillet option on the pet palette.
5) set the fillet to 1 63/64" and select "all corners".
Prestico, Magico you should have a fairly round looking 4" hole in the roof.

Now, how can I get the tilting library object that you just made? 🙂

Thanks,
John

Re: how to show can lights in a sloped ceiling

Barry Kelly — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 08:48:10 GMT

Set the subtype here.
You may be getting the error becausr the "ac_roofang" parameter doesn't exist till you set the roof type.
Barry.

Re: how to show can lights in a sloped ceiling

Barry Kelly — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 08:55:33 GMT

I'm getting closer but it looks like the hole is always a rectangle.
I guess a rectangular prism with a round hole the same thickness and material as the roof could be scripted in to fill the gap.

I'm not sure if the hole can be turned off completely and then you add your own hole manually.

Barry.

Re: how to show can lights in a sloped ceiling

Anonymous — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 09:03:57 GMT

Barry,
Cool trick. Thanks for showing me how to alter a library part.
Unfortunately, my new library part cuts a rectangular and offset hole in the roof just like you show above.
Please let me know if you figure out a way to fix the hole that this library part cuts in the roof.
For the time being I'm cutting round holes in the roof and putting a light behind each hole.
Mahalo,
John

Re: how to show can lights in a sloped ceiling

Barry Kelly — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 09:20:16 GMT

The only way I can see to turn off the hole is to trick it by setting the length(A) and width (B) parameters to zero.
But this will affect the size of the light also.
So new parameters would need to be added for the size (length and width) of the light fitting and all the scripts amended to suit.

Add the 3 lines of code to the 3D script that I showed in the last creen shot and that will reposition the light to fit the hole (but it will still be square).

You could just leave the subtype as a "Light".
Add two lines of code to the 3D script.

ROTx roofang
ADDz roofthk

Then create 2 new parameters - roofang (as an angle parameter) and roofthk (as a length).

Now you can use gravity to snap the light to the roof and you can manually set the roof slope and thickness in your light object parameters.
And manually cut the holes in the roof.

Barry.

Re: how to show can lights in a sloped ceiling

Anonymous — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 22:29:20 GMT

Big mahalo to you Barry,
Thanks for helping me to learn how to customize GDL scripts. I would have learned a lot less if you had just sent me the part.

Now I'm hoping that someone figures out how to make the hole in the roof match the shape of the can.
Aloha,
John