Modeling
About Archicad's design tools, element connections, modeling concepts, etc.

Roof Surfacer

Anonymous
Not applicable
This is my first post, I just purchased 8.1. I love this program. I spent about 100 hours on the demo using a laptop/P3/700mhz/128ram/32meg graphics, very slow,in fact the software shouldn't even have worked. The same day as I recieved AC8.1 I got my new machine P4/3ghz/1gig/Radion9800 AMAZING. I figured out the curtain wall objects pretty quick but need help with the Roof Surfacer. The documentation is very vague. It mentions using it on a curved roof which is what I would like to do. I am also wondering if it can be used on a vertical plane(Wall) as a siding. If not I will use SEO. Any one have any input?

PS: Archicad is god
6 REPLIES 6
Anonymous
Not applicable
I haven't used the roof surfacer so I can't help you there, but you should check out the etiquette section of the forum. We (mostly) are using real names here, or at least including them in the signature.

I am only moved to respond since the name "Flamer" seems rather provocative. Your enthusiasm for the program and the tenor of your post belie the demeanor suggested by the name. I am sure you will greatly enjoy, benefit from and contibute to our community. It's a very good bunch of folks. (Not to mention some pretty sharp ArchiCAD users.)

Welcome.
Anonymous
Not applicable
[ haven't used the roof surfacer so I can't help you there, but you should check out the etiquette section of the forum. We (mostly) are using real names here, or at least including them in the signature.

I am only moved to respond since the name "Flamer" seems rather provocative. Your enthusiasm for the program and the tenor of your post belie the demeanor suggested by the name. I am sure you will greatly enjoy, benefit from and contibute to our community. It's a very good bunch of folks. (Not to mention some pretty sharp ArchiCAD users.)

]
In responce to the comment above, my "real name" is Mark Flamer. I will mention this in my signature so there is no further misunderstandings. I got the desired results using the SEO, so I haven't got any answers on the roof surfacer either. When I do I will post them.
Anonymous
Not applicable
Mr. Flamer,

Why not just apply the roof textures to your walls in the wall properties dialog..? I am 3 weeks into Archicad so what do I know<g> Yes it is quite a program once learned...
Anonymous
Not applicable
I wanted to use a material that resembled "Pan Decking" which is commonly used under concrete decks on high rises. I have seen a product like this used as a siding before and liked the industrial look it produced. A flat texture would not have accurately reproduced this effect, so I created a wall type with 2 1/8" of metal on the outside. Then I Created a wall 2" x 2" and wraped it arround the building at 4" above ground level. I then procceded to use the copy/elevate tool to duplicate the wall on a 6" vertical layout. Then SEO, send the operators (2"x2" walls) to a hidden layer and thats it ! I attached a picture of the project below. I am still experimenting with material properties and rendering so this picture is rough but you can get the idea.
Karl Ottenstein
Moderator
Hi Mark,

The roof surfacer is part of the 'roof accessories'. You select your roof first (this is critical to make the surface object associate itself to the roof), then go to the Extras menu, roof accessories, and select the Roof Surfacer object.

Within the object, under Custom Settings, you can select 'Corrugated Sheet', which sounds like what you're asking about.

Skylight holes will be automatically cut in the roofing.

Note that doors and windows can't be placed in roofs, so using the surfacer for your wall siding won't work.

The 'wall accessories' (also under Extras) has the potential to apply corrugated steel as siding ... but nobody has implemented that at the moment AFAIK (not in the standard library anyway).

You can find vertical corrugated steel in the US library under 09 Finishes 81 / Cladding 81.

Going with SEO's as you are is probably the most expediant way if you want the reveals dramatic. (An alpha texture - with a bump map for the ridges - would be fine from a distance.) Instead of your 2x2 walls ... there are some other options to try.

You can use the corrugated library part on a slab, and subtract with upwards extrusion to profile it onto a mass ... then save that as a library part, rotated to be vertical, and use the new library part (looks like a blank corrugated wall) to subtract from your wall (it'll cut the window and door trim too though).

Another option that I just tried is way too complicated - suggested (not recommended!) only for pretty advanced users, but works without messing up your doors and windows. Duplicate your wall (with windows/doors placed) and convert the duplicate to a log wall with the reference line in the middle to get centerline hotspots. Change the size of the logs so that they equal the desired radius, and space them one log apart. Change all windows and doors to empty openings (larger than original to avoid cutting away window/door trim.) Duplicate THAT wall and raise it one logs' width in height. Create yet another duplicate of the original wall; remove all windows and doors and make sure it is thicker than your log walls. Subtract one of your log walls from this mass wall to get one half of the sine curve. Now, overlap your other (vertically offset) log wall with this. The resulting mass should look like corrugated siding - and should be ready to subtract from the real wall. It won't though. I found two problems with SEO in playing with this that I won't go into. The net result was that the only way to subtract this shape from the real wall was to first save it from the 3D window as a GDL object, and then place that object and use it as the operator for the SEO. Whew. Did I say not recommended?

HTH,
Karl

PS I had assumed your handle was fake too. Sorry. There's a guy here with the handle "Fullalove". I figured that for a fake too, but it's really the guy's name! Have to not be so quick to judge.
One of the forum moderators
AC 27 USA and earlier   •   macOS Ventura 13.6.6, MacBook Pro M2 Max 12CPU/30GPU cores, 32GB
Anonymous
Not applicable
Thanks for the reply. Very usefull information. I understood the general idea behind the log idea, will have to read it a few more times and experiment.