topic Re: Line weights in elevations in Documentation

Line weights in elevations

Anonymous — Tue, 23 May 2023 01:14:44 GMT

I am having a difficult time controlling the line weights in my elevations. I can change the pens and it works fine when printing plans but not elevations. Are elevations different some how? Is it the 3D representation the controls the appearance in elevations? Is there a global setting for the view that controls this? Maybe its the detail setting?

Re: Line weights in elevations

TomWaltz — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 18:04:39 GMT

It depends on what element types you're talking about.

Windows have separate pens for 3D parts, walls and slabs just have an "uncut pen" setting.

Re: Line weights in elevations

Anonymous — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 18:36:27 GMT

I am willing to share what I have done. Bringing Archicad into the current firm I am with now has been very challenging. We have great designers and and eyes that are keen to visual graphic output detail. My first AC project for this firm during the construction phase was actually denied. Due to elevation and section visualization of line weights. The section and elevation display is fine if you have accepted the AC program as it. However it was very hard to convince the "eyes" to accept the unmodified sections and elevations. What I have done is changed all pens to the lightest pen and then redrafted with 2-d lines to provide definition. Use object colors and modify line weights
to get your desired results. Hope this works for you.

Re: Line weights in elevations

Anonymous — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 18:43:12 GMT

TomWaltz wrote:
It depends on what element types you're talking about.

Windows have separate pens for 3D parts, walls and slabs just have an "uncut pen" setting.

The current element in question is a window. I'm trying to get window lines to show up lighter. I have set everything I can find to .07mm. There must be something I'm missing...

Re: Line weights in elevations

Anonymous — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 18:44:16 GMT

DavidCSinohui wrote:
I am willing to share what I have done. Bringing Archicad into the current firm I am with now has been very challenging. We have great designers and and eyes that are keen to visual graphic output detail. My first AC project for this firm during the construction phase was actually denied. Due to elevation and section visualization of line weights. The section and elevation display is fine if you have accepted the AC program as it. However it was very hard to convince the "eyes" to accept the unmodified sections and elevations. What I have done is changed all pens to the lightest pen and then redrafted with 2-d lines to provide definition. Use object colors and modify line weights
to get your desired results. Hope this works for you.

This sounds like too much work...

Re: Line weights in elevations

Link — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 21:01:09 GMT

info.kaldis wrote:
I am having a difficult time controlling the line weights in my elevations. I can change the pens and it works fine when printing plans but not elevations. Are elevations different some how? Is it the 3D representation the controls the appearance in elevations? Is there a global setting for the view that controls this? Maybe its the detail setting?

The plan view is controlled by the 2D Representation parameters, the elevations are controlled by the 3D Representation parameters.

Elevations can of course be overridden by the Elevation settings. In particular the Uncut Element settings under the Model Display panel.

Cheers,
Link.

Re: Line weights in elevations

Anonymous — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 22:22:22 GMT

This sounds like too much work...

Well can I mention the elevation and section controls as far as defining what is in distance and up close has limitations. I believe there is a pen for what is at distance and the other for front display order. This was not a whole lot of definition for the design team. I did not 2-d line everything but only what had
a significance difference in display order. Does that make sense? If anyone else has other ways or performing this task please join the conversation.

Re: Line weights in elevations

KeesW — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 12:46:52 GMT

Yes! A topic after my own heart!
Archicad default line weights in elevation (and perspectives) are terrible and it does take a lot of work to get them reasonable. I use Frank Ching as my guide - If only AC could adopt the sketchup line weight system! Perhaps graphisoft has replaced too many architects and artists with computer boffins who don't understand the fundamentals of architectural drafting - or creativity.

Re: Line weights in elevations

Anonymous — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 15:33:29 GMT

I, too, had difficulties assigning lineweights for walls to define distance. So I set everything to lightest lineweight and drafted outlines at the lineweight I wanted.

And then my new boss says "Why are these different? I like this one. Make all the lines like this." (after seeing my portfolio drawings and asking me to make all the drawings for the project like them...grrrr.) And so, for the first time in 10 years, I don't have to define distance with lineweights.

This makes things easier in ArchiCAD, but reduces the readability of my drawings. So I think I'd rather have at least a near/far distinction (instead of 3 distances, like I did the first time), because I think the next time I submit elevations he's going to ask why they're not more defined.

I understand how to change the walls to read at the lineweight I want, but to have them read that way on all 4 elevations, one has to change the walls every time, no? And the roof as well.

I believe there is a pen for what is at distance and the other for front display order.

What is this?

Re: Line weights in elevations

Anonymous — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 20:35:30 GMT

Jozzz wrote:
I believe there is a pen for what is at distance and the other for front display order.
What is this?

Marked Distant Area checkbox and Distant Area Options in Section / Elevation tool (may have changed in 11, I haven't looked yet)

Re: Line weights in elevations

Anonymous — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 20:43:37 GMT

if perhaps as in my situation where the firm would like to display true definition of line weights far, near and nearest that is much more complicated when using the archicad marked distant setting - being that you're allowed restricted control of the few options and selection of pens - is there any alternatives to this issue? Or can someone who has AC11 specify if there are more manipulative features to the elevation and section pens? Thank you.

Re: Line weights in elevations

Anonymous — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 20:11:02 GMT

it was very hard to convince the "eyes" to accept the unmodified sections and elevations. What I have done is changed all pens to the lightest pen and then redrafted with 2-d lines to provide definition. Use object colors and modify line weights to get your desired results

This is the procedure my office has adopted. The issue comes from the fact that the company's elevations used to be drawn only by hand, then by AutoCAD, and now, for my project team, in ArchiCAD. So in effect, our goal has been to re-create what has been (or would have been) done in the hand drawing. Like DavidCSinohui does, we do not re-draw everything, only what is important. We try to use the parameters of the objects as much as possible to achieve the desired visual effect. In addition, we have created some pen sets that are used exclusively for sections and/or elevations in layouts. The combination of the general objects' display parameters, the the 2D lines, the "marked distance" thing, and the pen sets seems to work for our office.

This is, of course, terribly inefficient. But we, as a team, decided that we would try to find a balance between our levels of desired efficiency and desired artistry. The end result is that we have produced, on time, construction document sets that continually garner compliments from contractors, reviewers, and clients. Which is really cool.

What I'm trying to say is that we have managed to get good results from an otherwise frustrating "automatically generated" sections/elevations situation. It just takes some extra effort, if you feel that it's worth it. My office felt the extra effort was worth it because the typical AC10-generated, un-improved section/elevation was awful looking and impossible to read.

For instance, wall intersections had a bad habit of displaying an extra vertical line in the exterior wall face of the building where ever the interior face of the corner walls were. And window opening lines (the chevron things) only display as the same color as the whole window object. But we accepted that one.

So anyway, until GS improves this frustrating issue, the choice of what kind of balance you want is yours!

Re: Line weights in elevations

Nando Mogollon — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 13:34:02 GMT

i agree with DavidC, in our company that's the way it is done. And yes it's extremely inefficient.

Now, being pro-active with the issue, the solution (Graphisoft people please listen) could be a Section Tool with 2 or 3 different Horizontal ranges, and each one with a editable line weight for uncut elements.

It could be a good upgrade for AC12...

Re: Line weights in elevations

TomWaltz — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 13:54:03 GMT

What I've long wanted was the ability to subtract one pen number for each so many feet, like for example:
assigned pen: 6
10' away: subtract 1 pen, to make it pen 5
15 ' away, subtract 2 pens, to make it pen 4
20' away, subtract 3 pens to make it pen 3

or whatever number makes sense for your pen set.

Re: Line weights in elevations

Link — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 13:59:25 GMT

During the beta test, when GS first thought about introducing the distant marker to S/Es, I remember advocating the idea that they allow us to continue to add as many as we like, and to let us edit the 'look to' line like a regular polyline, to give users the control we need.

So this is something that GS has known about for years.

Cheers,
Link.

Re: Line weights in elevations

Eduardo Rolon — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 14:40:26 GMT

But it is TOO Difficult to code!

One of the things I liked about AC 6.5 and the reason I eventually bought my license was that it was very clear that GS understood architectural drawings and it was flexible.

Right now I feel that it is loosing its way and down that path lies Architectural Desktop…