We value your input!
Please participate in Archicad 28 Home Screen and Tooltips/Quick Tutorials survey

Collaboration with other software
About model and data exchange with 3rd party solutions: Revit, Solibri, dRofus, Bluebeam, structural analysis solutions, and IFC, BCF and DXF/DWG-based exchange, etc.

MEP Modeler for AC12

Anonymous
Not applicable
We were part of the beta testing for MEP Modeler in 2008 and eventually got a license for the product. I am just not trying to "configure" it on one of our Intel Macs. I can't find a *.dmg file (installer), but have the Add-On file and the *.ldf file placed in the ArchiCAD 12 directories.

My problem is that I am not getting the MEP Modeler Profile listed to import as a Work Environment, nor the Design>MEPModeling>FindCollisions command to run on my test route of ductwork and columns. I haven't been able to find a MEP 12 installer on the Graphisoft website.

Can anyone be of help on what I should try?
6 REPLIES 6
Laszlo Nagy
Community Admin
Community Admin
Can't you ask your local reseller for a copy of the installer?
You would have to recreate the MEP Tools and the MEP Palette in the Work Environment fom scratch. Sounds like a pain in the ... to me. Having the original installer would be the fastest solution.
Loving Archicad since 1995 - Find Archicad Tips at x.com/laszlonagy
AMD Ryzen9 5900X CPU, 64 GB RAM 3600 MHz, Nvidia GTX 1060 6GB, 500 GB NVMe SSD
2x28" (2560x1440), Windows 10 PRO ENG, Ac20-Ac27
Anonymous
Not applicable
I am now working off of the MEP_13 installer. Things are moving along. Does MEP Modeler allow me to list lineal feet of ductwork of a given size? I was able to get the "List" Elements_Quick Objects to count the instances of the duct object(s), but I can't seem to find out how many feet of duct I have.
David Maudlin
Rockstar
Ted:

I am no expert on Interactive Schedules, but here is some information about your request.

1. The Width, Height and Length parameters for the Duct objects (Duct Straight 13) are not the typical, generic A, B and ZZYZX parameters but the object specific Inner Width, Inner Height and Length parameters. In order to add these to the Fields section of the Scheme Settings for use in the schedule, you need to click the Additional Parameters… button and go to MEP Library 13 > MEP library 13.lcf > 1. Ductwork 13 > Segment 13 > Duct Straight 13.gsm and add them. They will then be available as Schedule Fields.

2. For the Criteria, I have used Element Type is Duct.

3. For Fields, I have under Schedule Fields: ID, Inner Width, Inner Height, Length, Notes/Remarks (the last one is not necessary), where is Inner Width is flagged and the Length is Summed. This will yield a list of ducts separated by Inner Widths (but not Inner Heights, so one part of the schedule includes all 8” wide ducts, but also all other Heights (3”, 4”, etc.)) and sum their lengths. This is sort of close but probably not exactly what you want. In the sample file I am using, there is also a combination of 8” (Inner Width) x 3” (Inner Height) ducts and 3” (Inner Width) x 8” (Inner Height) ducts which should really be in the same part of the schedule, but I don’t see a way to combine them in the same section.

4. So I think there are two options:
4a. Use the Additional Parameters… button in the Criteria section to add the Inner Width and Inner Height parameters, set these equal to the various duct sizes, and create as many schedules as there are duct sizes.
4b. Use the ID Field to sort the various duct sizes. The IDs can be changed from the schedule, so all you need to do is generate a schedule of the ducts, then start assigning IDs to section the schedule to suit your needs. Then under the Scheme Settings > Fields, flag the ID for grouping, the Lengths remain summed. This would be my approach, but it depends on exactly what you want to achieve and how much time you want to put in.

There may be a more elegant solution, any insight from more experienced Schedulers is welcome.

David
David Maudlin / Architect
www.davidmaudlin.com
Digital Architecture
AC27 USA • iMac 27" 4.0GHz Quad-core i7 OSX11 | 24 gb ram • MacBook Pro M3 Pro | 36 gb ram OSX14
Anonymous
Not applicable
David,
Good explanation.
I see you are working with iDs on the ducts.
Are those created automatically, or do you assign them manually after designing the system?
David Maudlin
Rockstar
Miguel:

In the project I used to generate the schedule, I assigned the IDs manually after the duct placement (this is a project I used to experiment with the MEP add-on). If one is thinking ahead, you can change the default ID to the correct size before starting a duct run with the MEP Routing palette (the duct size is set in the palette). I don't see a more automatic way to do this, as the duct sizes are custom parameters of the objects, and not the A, B, and ZZYZX parameters, so they don't show up as selection criteria options in the Find & Select palette.

David
David Maudlin / Architect
www.davidmaudlin.com
Digital Architecture
AC27 USA • iMac 27" 4.0GHz Quad-core i7 OSX11 | 24 gb ram • MacBook Pro M3 Pro | 36 gb ram OSX14
Anonymous
Not applicable
Thank you David.
That was what I thought.
I was looking for a way for ArchiCad assigning IDs automatically, by duct dimensions.