How to Use Standard Details in a Project

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This article explains how to create details in Archicad and choose the right workflow: using the Detail tool for project‑specific, model‑based details, or using an Independent Worksheet for reusable standard details.

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Worksheet vs Detail

Use the Detail tool for project‑specific details that come from the model and must stay linked to a clear project location via a marker.

Use a Worksheet for reusable, office‑standard, or imported 2D content that does not need to stay tied to a specific model position.

Rule of thumb:
If the drawing is a reusable reference, start with a Worksheet.
If it describes a specific project condition extracted from the model, start with a Detail.

 

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When to use Worksheets

Choose Worksheets for:

• Standard office details reused across projects

• Imported DWG, PDF, or legacy detail content that needs cleanup or annotation

• Composite 2D documentation that will not refresh from model geometry

When to use Details

Choose Details for:

• Junctions and construction conditions taken directly from the current model

• Callouts that must clearly indicate a project location

• Project‑specific details that may change with the design and need coordinated markers

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Detail tool workflow

• Open the view where you want to place the marker.

• Activate the Detail Tool.

• In the settings, choose to create a new detail or place a linked marker.

• Draw the marker boundary and place the marker.

• Open the Detail from the Navigator, set the scale, and add 2D drafting and annotations. (Note: Every time the detail has to be rebuilt (updated), all the placed 2D elements on the details have to be added again)

• Save the detail as a View, place it on a Layout, and keep using the marker as the reference.

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Standard details with Worksheets 

• Create an Independent Worksheet using Document > Documenting Tools > Worksheet.
• In the dialog box, enter the worksheet Reference ID and Name. You can change these later if needed.
• In the Navigator, go to Project Map > Worksheets, then open the new worksheet.
• Use File > External Content > Place External Drawing to place the standard detail into the worksheet. Supported source formats can include Archicad project files, DXF/DWG, DWF, and PDF.
• If needed, add 2D annotations or supporting drawing information in the worksheet.
• While still in the worksheet, switch to View Map in the Navigator and click Save Current View.
• In the View Settings dialog box, define the view settings you want and create the saved view. The View Settings dialog is used to adjust the settings of the selected view.
• Open the Organizer, display View Map in the left panel and Layout Book in the right panel, then drag the saved worksheet view onto the target layout. The Organizer is the Navigator’s double-tree mode for moving items between maps.
• On the layout, move the placed drawing to the required position.
• Go to the section or other view where you want to place a marker that refers to this detail.
• Activate the Detail Tool and open Detail Settings.
• Set the marker Reference ID and Name, then choose Place Linked Marker.
• In the marker reference dialog box, choose The selected drawing, then select the placed worksheet drawing from the Layout Book. Linked markers can refer to a viewpoint, a view, or a drawing in the project; in this workflow, the marker refers to the selected drawing on the layout.
• Draw the marker boundary and place the Detail Marker. If the same standard detail is needed in multiple locations, copy the linked marker as required.
• Repeat these steps for each additional standard detail you want to embed in the project.

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Summary

Aspect	Worksheet	Detail
Typical use	Standard details, imported 2D content, composite documentation	Model-based construction details tied to a project condition
Source	Independent 2D workspace with external drawings and annotations	Usually created from a Detail Marker placed in the model
Relationship to model	Can be independent from model geometry	Typically associated with a specific model location by a marker
Editing role	Assembling, cleaning up, and annotating imported or drafted 2D content	Refining a copied model-based detail with added 2D drafting
Best fit	Reusable office standards and library-like content	Project-specific details needing clear model reference
Marker behavior	Can be referenced by a linked marker after being placed on a Layout	Built around detail-marker workflows and model-based referencing

For related background information, see these Archicad Help topics:

• About Worksheets 

• View Settings Dialog Box 

• Organizer Palette 

• Place a Linked Detail Marker 

• Define Marker Reference for Linked Marker 

• Arranging Multiple Drawings on the Layout