Wood Framing Plugin?

[Anonymous]

Around a year ago i read about a wood framing plugin for Archicad, and didnt see any threads out here discussing it. Is this still around, and if it is, is it any good?
If not, how do i go about creating accurately framed residential buildings without having to create each stud individually?

[Aaron Bourgoin]

Platform stick framing can be done inside ArchiCAD right out of the box. Timber frames can be put together using ArchiCAD's built-in Roof Maker or a 3rd party product. Check out Encina, for example.

[Steve Jepson]

keithg wrote:
... how do i go about creating accurately framed residential buildings without having to create each stud individually?

Have you tried the ArchiCAD wall accessary tool?

[Anonymous]

Steve wrote:
Have you tried the ArchiCAD wall accessary tool?

Excuse me for jumping in here, but apparently the time has finally come for me to try this tool out also. And so, after some testing, the questions that I have are as follows:

1. How do you get the framing to align with the actual framing in my walls? All my walls include drywall, but the framing aligns to the face of the DRYWALL, not the face of the stud framing. Having the reference line in the middle of the walls does not help any.

2. I see that the framing does not care much for any active SEO operations. Trimming to roofs erases the entire framing for the selected wall (not to mention offering some very clear errors, as in "Warning! 0.01905 0" and "Warning! 16.0211 0" etc)

3. Is there a way to get the framing to show correctly in section (using the proper blocks or having a fill with an 'X')?

4. (maybe this should've been the first question) Has anybody actually been using this feature successfully in their CDs or is it just nice icing on the cake?

[Steve Jepson]

Icing on the cake. CD's that show "how to build it" rather than just "what to build" have crossed a dangerous line.

I find them very useful for the projects that I build myself but if the plans are for another framer its better if he thinks the "how to" has been left up him. I don't tell him how to hold his hammer or mark his layout either. Even though I can do it better, faster, and save more material. Framing diagrams are often perceived by the framers I have used as disrespectful to them. They take away the only reason they have for being able to charge me $28.00/hr instead of $8.00/hr.
They resent plans will reduced them to just nail pounders. They have no joy, and take no pride in their work if they can't pretend to be craftsman. When I provide them with all of the side cuts for the hip and valley jacks, depths of the heel cuts, ect... they are never happy about it.

Just some food for thought.

[Anonymous]

Oh, I agree 100%. I don't think I'd ever provide complete framing diagrams.

What I was thinking to use this tool for was mainly for the sections, so I wouldn't have to go back in and spend hours detail the same details all over the sections. I was hoping this framing tool would automate some of the required details, such as the top & bottom plates, door and window headers, etc. It might not be worth the headache, but that's what I was trying to see - the tool's feasibility.

[Anonymous]

Steve wrote:
Icing on the cake. CD's that show "how to build it" rather than just "what to build" have crossed a dangerous line.

The wall framing accessory is potentially a very valuable tool and much more than "icing on the cake."

The real purpose of this tool should be to develop intelligent 3D data that can be used for automating or panelizing wall framing. Its not quite there in its current form, but I do hope Graphisoft will extend its functionality in the near future. Ideally we should be able to automatically produce cut sheets for each panel with dimesioned panel elevations and cut lists. Also, we should be able to write out a file format that can be read by automated sawing equipment, etc.


I don't believe many people are using it right now because it currenlty lacks full the full functionality a tool like this should provide and because their business operations don't require this kind of automation.

I've noticed a few quirks that need to be ironed out:

- It doesn't like walls that have doors in them when manipulating a model set to a scale smaller than 1/8"

- It doesn't Like SEO's but works fine with trimming to roofs

- Its hard to tell where "added" studs are added - manually added studs should be a different color or something.

- It needs to place more or better graphical hotspots for added "connections"

- It doesn't allow for additional jacks or trimmers on wide openings

- It doesn't allow for different header types for multiple openings in a wall

- It doesn't allow for "full height headers" placed all the way up at the top plate

- It should have better or more customizable corner and connection conditions

- It doesnt automatically create true rough opening sizes unless the user has set the doors and windows with the proper oversize parameters

I really have high hopes for this add-on and look forward to an even more intelligent version in the future.

Dan K

[Steve Jepson]

Good post Dan. You are exatly right about what the automatic framing add-on will be good for when the bugs are worked out of it.

If its my project, I like to model every stick of wood in the house. Including the blolcking.

[Anonymous]

Steve wrote:
If its my project, I like to model every stick of wood in the house. Including the blolcking.

Wow! Steve that's a very impressive 3d framing detail. I'm sure we could start a whole new thread about "Roof Framing"

I'm curious how you created your trusses - it looks detailed and time consuming.

[gpowless]

If its my project, I like to model every stick of wood in the house. Including the blolcking.

I agree. I do some work for a timber framer. I won't model his joinery but he is certainly impressed with the framing visuals.



However, I would like the ability to dimension and label such a work, as it makes for a good reference in how things come together.