How to use Archicad's Graphic Overrides to show design progress from conceptual to developed design

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Welcome to our series of articles from the One Override To Rule Them All challenge!

We invited some of the participants of the challenge to elaborate on their entries, share their workflows and tips & tricks.

Enjoy and feel free to start a thread in the Documentation forum if you have any questions.

Let's learn how Abraham Smith used Property Manager to enhance Graphic Overrides capabilities.

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This is a guide on how to build different views with different graphical overrides from a model, made and shared to the public, by the Enzyme Apd office based in Hong Kong.

Step 1

The first step, apart from downloading the file and opening it in a version of Archicad equal to or greater than 25, is to check from the View map:

• The 3D views already created (1)
• Your layer settings (Command + L on Mac) (2)
• Each layer and their combinations (3)

This is to insure that we have a knowledge base of all the information (4). In this project there were no existing graphical overrides in the 3D views (5).

• We can review the Layout Book to see how much documentation was generated.
• Visit this webpage to browse and download several Archicad project examples.

Step 2

Next, we can begin creating our own layer combinations (1) and adding new layers (2) if needed, in order to display the required elements in the 3D view such as the context, surrounding buildings, roads, and sidewalks. Remember to save each configuration from the View Map as a base for generating additional views, including the point of view, layer combinations, model view options, and more. In the following first image, you can see several layers named 'ENZ_MASSING NN,' each representing a different massing study. The file contains 5 such variations.

• Tip: Create new 3D views from the Base or Previous View (3) to be able to take the previous configurations of it then only change the layer configuration (4) and update from the definitions (5).

Step 3

After creating our view configurations, we can start with the information that is going to serve as the differentiator for the composition to be displayed in conjunction with the graphical overrides.

In my case what I did was a group of Archicad properties called “MASS” (1) and a property called “Mass Level” (2), and inside this I placed the Home Story Name parameter (4) as an Expression of “String (Text)” (3). This property gives the name of the floor level (story) to which the created element belongs, since it's automatic (it is a parameter of the own project).

In addition to creating properties, it’s important to understand that these are connected to Archicad classifications (5). The elements we model or build must be properly classified to ensure access to the relevant properties filtered through the selected classification. In my case, I activated the properties for the classifications of spaces and shapes.

• Note: This way of configuring the properties is a quick option since the names of the levels are already configured (as attributes). If you activate the Allow Multiple Choices checkbox you won't be able to have this property in graphical overrides, and it won't be able to be called in other expressions either.
• It could be any other parameter such as a list that has a database of options that help us in this task. Other examples include automating attributes such as frames, surfaces, construction materials, etc.

Step 4

Once the properties are defined and the elements are classified, we will make our first graphical override, but first we will create our combinations or groups of overrides (1) , then we will go to the rules manager to be able to create them (2) at our convenience.

In the Override Rules menu, we will create a new rule with a name that references element (3). As the first filter or criterion, add the Element Type (4) with the value All Types. Then, as the second criterion, add the custom property Mass Level (5) and set the level name as the value (e.g., L1, L2, L3, L4, etc.). Next, configure the override style by adjusting the necessary attributes for its visual presentation. In the example shown, the 3D surfaces are displayed in green (7), and the corresponding 2D fills (6) share the same visual distinction.

Once this first rule is done, we add (8) to our rule combinations and we can organize them by hierarchy from top to bottom (9).

Step 5

Before testing the set of created override rules, we need to verify the classifications and ensure that each element is linked to its corresponding level. To do this, right‑click the element to open the options menu, then select Relink Home Story (1). A window will appear showing all the levels created in the project, along with their numbers and names. From there, choose the appropriate level (2), such as L1, L2, L3, etc.

Next, we perform a visual check and verify that the Level Mass (4) property is correctly mapped according to the referenced level names (e.g., L2). We can confirm this property in the Archicad Properties menu (3) when the element is selected.

It’s important to check whether the property is set to Default, meaning it updates automatically based on the reference defined earlier. However, if the project is in a more advanced phase and includes separate elements such as zones, columns, beams, etc., instead of morphs, you’ll need to update the properties (5) manually. In this case, unlock the property and set it to Customized (6). You can also choose to leave the property value as Set as Undefined.

We repeat the same with each of the elements of the model in each of the created views. For this, we can use the search and selection tool (7), creating a filter with the level range parameters of the elements (8). In the following example, the zones are seen at different levels.

To manage the entry of information in this property in various elements of different tools (e.g., beams and columns), we can open the Edit Selection Set window by pressing Command + Shift + T and entering the appropriate information according to to our graphical override rules. In our case, for the range of levels from 7 to 14, we enter the value L7 (10).

Step 6

Once all the views are configured, open the Organizer to create a new publication group within the Publisher Set. Add the entire folder containing the views (1) from the View Map to the publication group (3) as a Shortcut (2) to ensure the views remain updated if any changes occur. Next, select the desired image format (4) and define the output location to publish the files to the chosen directory.

Final thoughts and demo

Many visual specifications can be achieved from Archicad without much trouble, by automating or adding new parameters. This workflow updates each view created in the view container folder so you can publish as many times as needed. More parameters can be entered for more specific override handling for some elements in views.

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Get to know Abraham Smith:

Abraham is a Mexican-Venezuelan architect graduated from the José María Vargas University, Caracas, Venezuela, in 2011. He has had the opportunity to gain experience in Venezuelan, Mexican and Brazilian companies where he has performed different roles, expanding his academic and professional training in the field of architecture and construction.

Abraham has been using Archicad for 10+ years and has been a certified BIM Manager by Graphisoft since 2019 in Mexico and Brazil.

Currently, he is a specialist consultant at the Brazilian Architecture Firm KVArch (Konigsberguer Vannucchi) in the creation, coordination, review, management and maintenance of information containers, responsibility matrices and contractual BIM execution plans, to respond to contractor information requirements.

Location:

Yucatán, Mexico

Connections:

Abraham's website;

Connect with him on LinkedIn.

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Check out our series of articles about the Graphic Overrides combinations from the challenge

How to use Archicad Graphic Overrides to color zones by size

How to Use Archicad Graphic Overrides for structural classification