Plotting an axonometric view

[Tom Krowka]

I have an axon in a view. When I import it into plotmaker, nothing shows up. Is there a step I have missed because it is a 3d view, rather than a plan view.

Do I have to save it as a .jpeg first? I have defined the view with the axon in the zoom window, just as I would for a typical drawing.

[Stephen Dolbee]

Tom,

I seem to remember 3d settings need to be set to "internal 3d engine"-NOT openGL.

Steve

[Link]

It doesn't actually matter what method, they should all appear in PlotMaker. There are some caveats though:

It can take a long time, especially for rendered views.

Non-rendered (ie. coming from the 3D window) views come in at the current floor plan scale at the time of saving the view in ArchiCAD. So if you create a top axonometrical view, it will have the same size that the floor plan drawing at the actual scale has. You can similarly determine the size of other axonometric views as well, although the calculation of its bounding box is not so evident as with the top (or bottom) views.

For non-rendered views the zoom box used by PlotMaker will not be updated in the pln file if you use the redefine view command with a different zoom area. Basically the first setting will be used no matter how it is altered later.

For non-rendered views only the position of the upper left corner is stored, and the zoom box is calculated using the latest window size/proportions saved to the pln file.

For non-rendered views if the drawing extents grow, the view frame will not be fitted automatically to show all drawing elements.

Hope that doesn't put you off though. I pre-link 3D views into my templates all the time!

Cheers,
Link.

[Stephen Dolbee]

Link is right (as usual). I just imported 2 axon views, one internal 3d engine, and one openGL. Everything came in fine.

[Tom Krowka]

I don't see how this info can help. My axon still does not show up. Does your message mean that only the top left of the view will be the "handle" of the view in plotmaker? And that I might have to stretch the window in PM huge to find the axon?

I'm lost on this one.

[Link]

It's a little hard to tell with the information you have provided so far Tom. Are you importing a view directly from ArchiCAD? If so, check your view in ArchiCAD. Keep in mind that a 3D view will remember just about every single setting under the Image menu, so you may want to make sure that everything is correct there. For example, that it is actually an axo, not a camera view, that the Elements to Show in 3D settings are correct, the 3D Cutaway is not toggled on, etc. Also a marqueed area is remembered with 3D views, so make sure the view is not invoking a marqueed area with no 3D content.

If the worst comes to the worst you could upload the file.

Cheers,
Link.

[Karl Ottenstein]

Hi Tom,

As Link said, the zoom box redefinition will not make it to PM. So, if you had already linked a 3D axo view into a layout and later redefined that view, you are likely to have a blank viewport in PM.

With the affected layout open, right-mouse the axo drawing in the Navigator and 'zoom to selected'. Now zoom out... basically having selected the empty drawing viewport. Stretch the viewport handles until you see the drawing ... and adjust as necessary.

I've got axo's placed all over my current layout book - one for every section and elevation (a tip from Jeff and Link) to help orient the viewer. Builder and owner love 'em.

Help?

Karl

[Anonymous]

Karl wrote:
I've got axo's placed all over my current layout book - one for every section and elevation (a tip from Jeff and Link) to help orient the viewer. Builder and owner love 'em.
Karl

Hi Karl, I would like to avoid using the search on this one..... so you are my "search engine."

Where can I find more info on this tip?

I am always into making the builders and the owners more happy.

[Anonymous]

Does this setting in the view save dialogue have an effect?

[Karl Ottenstein]

Jay wrote:
Hi Karl, I would like to avoid using the search on this one..... so you are my "search engine."

Where can I find more info on this tip?

Jeff White from Whidbey Island (WhiteCap3D) showed me some of his drawings recently ... so the tip was word of mouth in this case. 😉

Attached is a piece of a layout sheet (master border red) with one section and adjacent axo. Because everything in this structure is modeled with composites, you can see why I posted the wish for composite fills to show up in 3D ... the axo doesn't reflect the structure, only the massing. A few model issues requiring cleanup show...

Another weird thing I've found is that contours don't necessarily obey SEOps. The thickened footing at the step from the living room to kitchen is actually subtracted from the slab composite above (insulation, vapor, sand, slab) - but the contours are shown as if the slabs penetrate the footing. Ditto some of the roof contours. Just have to call it 'good enough' - I'd rather keep the drawings linked and auto-updated then keep fixing captured 2D linework as the project progresses. (Just found this ambiguous on re-reading: contours are fine in Section - it is 3D that is screwed up.)

The axo shows the angled wall in the master bedroom in a way that it is understood better than in section. The beam, inline with the outside wall, above the pop-out window (will be window seat) is also not clear in section, but is readable in axo. Also shows the wasted void above the kitchen false cathedral ceiling clearly. (Owner insisted on false cathedral, but also did not want to utilize space for storage. Axo makes the issue visible to the builder for him to review with owner.

Karl

PS Architect on this is Tim Boden, Boden Mountain Architecture.