Explaining how Pens&Colors work

[Rastisan]

Hi, I'm using Archicad for almost a year now and I got to know most of the environment and the workflow. I'm in process of setting up my own template file and one of the things that is still a bit unclear are the pens. In the pens & color menu you can edit the lineweight, color and the description of a particular pen. But you cant really link a particular pen number to a particular item (loadbearing element, finish, dimension, text...).  Where is that done?

Im asking this because I want to create my own pen set which would be around 80% black pens and around 10 color pens for graphic overrides (overriding things like new elements, demolitions, electrical and mechanical systems, special annotations). Since most of the pens are black I dont need to structure the pen set like a stock Archicad pen set: Walls, columns, slabs, ect. (horizontal axis) and each of these elements having options: General, Cut-structural, cut non-structural, symbols and separators, outlines (vertical axis). Since all my elements are black I can have one color for all of them and different lineweights for General, Cut-structural, cut non-structural, symbols and separators and outlines. After I create this new pen set I would have to relink all the different elements (walls, slabs, columns, ect.) to the new pen index numbers. How can one do this in a way that Archicad remembers it and you dont have to do it for every new element you create?

Thanks for the advice!

[Rastisan]

Having read the above article I have some additional questions because I am trying to understand what is going on under the hood so to speak:

1. How Archicad determines whether an element is structural or non-structural and based on this applies appropriate pen (pen set line 21-40 or 41-60)? Is this determined in element settings - ID and categories - structural function or by something else?

2. In the pen set the lines 141-160 and 161 to 180 pertain not to elements (wall, slab, etc) but to materials. I guess this gets utilized for complex profiles or in detailing Is this correct?

3. What about composites? Is a cut load-bearing wall composite by default drawn with pen 21 (wall - cut structural), or by various materials that constitute it (pens from line 141-160)? In other words, how does one achieve the correct graphical result where the load-bearing skin is drawn with a strong line while insulation and finish are drawn with softer lines?

Thanks!

[Barry Kelly · Accepted solution]

@Rastisan ,

What version of Archicad are you working with and what language version?

Each language will have its own template and possibly different pen sets.

Then they can also vary from version to version.

1. I don't think structural or non-structural settings will change a pen colour.

It is probably what has been set in the elements, especially if favourites are used.

2. Any pen can be used for any purpose.

It just makes it easier if range of pens are described to be used for a particular purpose.

You then know if they are used for that purpose, and you change the pens , you are only affecting say the material colours and not the structural colours.

3. You simply set the composites to use the pen that you want.

If you want a thick line for a load bearing skin, then choose a thick pen.

For insulation and finishes you can choose a thinner pen.

If they have descriptions relating to their purpose, it guides you to which pens to ideally use.

But again, you can use any pen for any purpose.

It just makes sense to use particular pens for particular purposes, so you know what is happening, and if you change a pen, what it will affect.

Barry.

[Eduardo Rolon · Accepted solution]

1. AC does not determines anything. As the user you are the one that defines the appropriate pen.
2. You decide if you want to use them or not. I don't use them for that.
3. You choose which pen to use to achieve the result you need.

[Rastisan]

Barry I'm using version 26, EDU.

[Rastisan]

Okay, now I see why some setting didn't make sense. Thank you