topic Re: Composite structure in Modeling

Composite structure

Anonymous — Tue, 23 May 2023 13:08:48 GMT

Hi,

What is the advantage or otherwise of using a composite structure/material, instead of using the simple vectorial/symbol hatching for wall, slabs and roof. as these will also show in most windows.

Thank you.

Re: Composite structure

Anonymous — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 18:01:27 GMT

femi wrote:
What is the advantage or otherwise of using a composite structure/material, instead of using the simple vectorial/symbol hatching...

Using a composite allows you to represent any number and size of skins all contained in a single linear structure. Correctly setting the skin priorities will help joining walls automatically give correct junctions.

A simple fill only gives you the option of accurately representing a single skin.

Does that help?

Re: Composite structure

Tom Krowka — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 18:20:52 GMT

Are you referring to the fact that composites don't show their different materials in section or in details. I seem to have that problem as well, but not with all composites. Mostly with composites that I create; and I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong. I'm sure it's human error, wish I knew what it was.

Re: Composite structure

Anonymous — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 19:21:47 GMT

Tom wrote:
Are you referring to the fact that composites don't show their different materials in section or in details. I seem to have that problem as well, but not with all composites. Mostly with composites that I create; and I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong. I'm sure it's human error, wish I knew what it was.

Hi Tom,

Upload a few screenshots of your problem. I've never knowingly had this problem myself! If you can't see the different skins in section this must make working drawings difficult to do!?

Re: Composite structure

Tom Krowka — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 19:57:11 GMT

More aggravating than difficult. Not much to upload.....you would see a wall section with the two outside lines of a composite wall, with nothing in between!
See the attachment for the setup for the wall. Maybe something is not set correctly there.

Re: Composite structure

Anonymous — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 20:08:44 GMT

What are the fill settings for '_2x Wood Frame'? (another screenshot?) You would expect to see the screen-only preview bitmap of the fill in the composite preview rather than the vectorial fill.

Check you haven't got the 'Vectorial Hatching' turned off on the 'On Screen View Options'. If you have no screen-only bitmap preview assigned, nothing will be displayed on your drawings with this setting!

Re: Composite structure

Tom Krowka — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 20:22:28 GMT

All three skins are now empty fill. Don't want any fills to show up, just the lines. Am assuming they should show up even with empty fill; if no fill, vectorial hatch on or off should not be an issue, right?

Re: Composite structure

__archiben — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 20:48:45 GMT

Tom wrote:
All three skins are now empty fill. Don't want any fills to show up, just the lines. Am assuming they should show up even with empty fill; if no fill, vectorial hatch on or off should not be an issue, right?

if they are the same fill, won't they 'heal' in section model views? (i.e. lines between identical fills get deleted . . .)

i have a set of different 'empty' fills for this purpose....

~/archiben

Re: Composite structure

__archiben — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 20:58:52 GMT

and to answer the main thread question...

composites have several advantages over simple, single fills -

• they allow you to pick and choose a certain type of construction quickly and easily

• graphic conventions of different types of structures are saved with the composite: the same type of construction will always be represented the same way everywhere

• they allow you to orientate the fill with the direction of the structure: something simple fills don't. and for this reason i have composites set up that are only one skin thick.

• priorities - a tricky and inconsistent topic, but information can be found elsewhere on the forum if you perform a search. the idea is that construction types interact with others in certain ways: either 'healing' or abutting. priorities can control how this is interpreted by the model.

etc...?

~/archiben

Re: Composite structure

Anonymous — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 21:01:59 GMT

Your absolutely right, Tom. The way you had set it up before should work properly. If the fills are different the lines should display. Strange bug!

Re: Composite structure

__archiben — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 21:05:51 GMT

Tom wrote:
Don't want any fills to show up, just the lines.

tom

are you aware that this can be achieved with a model view option? you can set your composites up to be as decorative as you like, but as soon as you apply the MVO setting in the attached screenshot the composites will display only as lines.

that is what gives archicad some of it's documentation power: representing the same thing is a whole host of different ways depending on the desired outcome. and it means you don't need different composites for different purposes, right?

~/archiben

Re: Composite structure

__archiben — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 21:09:09 GMT

Peter wrote:
The way you had set it up before should work properly. If the fills are different the lines should display. Strange bug!

... unless your model view option is set not to show skin separator lines . . .

Re: Composite structure

__archiben — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 21:50:05 GMT

same composite, many options. some are clearly less useful than others. "without finishes" is an option i have absolutely no use for. neither do i use the rather messy looking displays without separator lines or with solid foreground fills unless in "core only" mode. different pen sets will change the display yet again . . .

your results may vary.

-->

Re: Composite structure

Link — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 22:34:31 GMT

You can set up composites all day long, but unless your wall settings have the 'Apply Structure's Settings' checked, they will be overridden.

It's possible to use set pens to change your composite's appearance too, although I doubt this is the issue here.

And in addition to the current list, composites are also better for accurate calculation. In fact many companies use composites exclusively.

Cheers,
Link.

Re: Composite structure

Tom Krowka — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 13:22:30 GMT

Wall is set to apply structure's setting. MVO is set as in the attachment. When I select the wall, hit OK, the separator lines show up. As soon as I hit rebuild, the lines disappear, regardless of settings.
Does rebuild use the saved MVO setting? Will have to experiment.

Re: Composite structure

Karl Ottenstein — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 16:44:10 GMT

I think the only thing left to look at then is your Floor Plan Cut Plane and your wall display options...?

Karl

Re: Composite structure

Tom Krowka — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 20:31:14 GMT

The answer lies in the section mark settings. Under Model Display, Cut Elements....if the "Uniform Pen for Cut Elements" box is checked, you only see the outline of the wall. If it is unchecked, then the MVO options take over.
IMHO the label for that option is a bit misleading. It seems like it does the same thing the MVO does but in another location, and overrides it.

Re: Composite structure

__archiben — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 22:17:59 GMT

Tom wrote:
The answer lies in the section mark settings. Under Model Display, Cut Elements....if the "Uniform Pen for Cut Elements" box is checked, you only see the outline of the wall.

doh! of course. because every element is given the same cut fill settings they heal. well figured out.

i must admit, i never use the 'uniform pen...' setting - i prefer instead to use the MVOs and the pens i've already dedicated in the composites dialogue.

one to watch out for in the future . . .

~/archiben