Construction Details

[Tim Ball]

The detail tool in Archicad still works in a very old fashioned way, requiring you to regen what is essential 2D information. I haven't used it much for that reason for years.

It does however have a use in that you can link the detail marker to any view you like.

However if you link to a view of a live plan or section you need to take the trouble to set up a suitable view with the right layer combination and GO to suit. That'd what I have done in the past.

I recently starting exploring the use of 3D documents as details instead as an alternative solution.

If you choose the part of the building you want to show as a detail and convert to 3D, you can adjust the plan or section view in the 3D settings and limit the vertical cut planes to suit what you want to show. Then create a 3D document from that view and add the notes you want.

As you update or amend your model. the 3D document automatically updates.

I think there is some more I can do with GO to enhance the fills, but this image show the concept.

[DGSketcher]

I have arrived at a similar conclusion using plans and sections at appropriate scales for live detailing. My use of 3D documents is still limited as I find the process of arriving at a final view to be "troublesome" for various illogical reasons e.g. my latest problem was a 3D document only displaying part of what I wanted to show and I could not identify why the illustration was cut short, the other three similar details all worked as planned. In the end I had to recreate the view.

I appreciate why the detail tool works as it does, but as you say it is "very old fashioned". What GS should be doing is simply modifying the detail tool to work the same as the section tool and provide an option for "auto update" to keep the view live. This way you can cover all bases and have live, static (with possible overlays) or independent for free editing.

I think the 3D details you propose are a valid solution, I just don't think AC is quite up to speed yet when it comes to pulling the required illustration information out of the model. I also believe GS need to look at element scale sensitive visibility e.g. a LOD option that works for details down to 1:1, but that a different issue.

[Tim Ball]

I agree that the LOD option you mention is also in need of work, particularly on doors and windows

[Anonymous]

Tim wrote:
The detail tool in Archicad still works in a very old fashioned way, requiring you to regen what is essential 2D information. I haven't used it much for that reason for years.

Thanks for your thoughts Tim.
Always been a fan of your work.

Yes. The Detail Tool needs improvements to make them more "live".
I think GS still maintain this 2.5d behavior to save in SW performance.
But I also think that todays CPU's capacity are growing very fast, and its time to prepare the software to take advantages to this increasing "horse power".
I would be very happy to see improvements in the Detail Tool. Perhaps you could create a new topic in the whish list with your suggestions?

Regarding the LOD (Well mentioned by DGSketcher): I would like to draw your attention to a couple of whishes I have posted:

Complex Profiles with LOD and Nested Complex Profiles

Cheers,

[Anonymous]

first attempt.