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New and keen

Anonymous
Not applicable
Hi Folks,
I'm new to ArchiCAD and would appreciate some advise.

My first project is to make a site plan for a vacant parcel.
I have the surveyors boundary survey and the topography (the points file and the AutoCAD contour plan).
I want to start by getting this info into ArchiCAD and obtaining a 3D view of the land.
Then I propose doing a site plan that will conform to various zoning regulations.

How would you suggest I go about this task.
I have lots to learn but presently I just want to get an outline plan of the correct approach.

Thanks in advance.

Rog
12 REPLIES 12
Anonymous
Not applicable
try this


http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=14819


http://www.archicad.ca/index.php?paged=2

http://www.archicad.ca/?p=12

but anyway for creating roads..etc... i prefer te way discribed in link rather than in PDF
Anonymous
Not applicable
Thanks for your helpfull links.
Will try the various strategies.

How do I create a mesh from the AutoCAD contour polylines?
Anonymous
Not applicable
Rog wrote:
Thanks for your helpfull links.
Will try the various strategies.

How do I create a mesh from the AutoCAD contour polylines?
ok..
u know now how to have a DWG as an external drawing..get the file..

trace the lines with magic wand... " select line tool ... Space bar and click.. on each one"

then read the links.. "PDF file" and u will be on the right track
Anonymous
Not applicable
Thanks again.
Now I have lots to do.

Will keep you posted on my progress / failures

Anonymous
Not applicable
whatever wrote:
Rog wrote:
Thanks for your helpfull links.
Will try the various strategies.

How do I create a mesh from the AutoCAD contour polylines?
ok..
u know now how to have a DWG as an external drawing..get the file..

trace the lines with magic wand... " select line tool ... Space bar and click.. on each one"

then read the links.. "PDF file" and u will be on the right track
Watch out for those DWGs though. Sometimes they will generate VERY complex meshes. It's often easier to trace over the contours with splines to give better control of the magic wand settings.
Dwight
Newcomer
And, sometimes, for gigantic sites where conserving polygons is important, it is easier to use the DWG for its outline only, placing a grid adapted to slope over the remainder of the site with only a few nodes extrapolated from complex contours.
Dwight Atkinson
Anonymous
Not applicable
Dear Rog..u've just have tips from 2 of the most advanced users!! lucky u!!

i wish i was a good archicad-talker when i started...8 years ago!! and had the chance to get tips from ArchiCAD masters !!
Anonymous
Not applicable
Thanks again for all the helpfull hints.
I am still getting familiar with the AC11 editing techiques and understanding the concepts related to project map, view map and layout book.
I will get to the contours / site plan in a few days.

Question:
2D Drafting - floor slab - rectangular geometry
While drawing that particular element the tracker pops up showing dim1 and dim2 of the slab.
After the slab is drawn and you switch to the Arrow Tool is there anyway to see/edit those dimensions.
I have tried the various editing techniques of offset edge, offset all edges , resize etc. Those techniques do change the size of the slab but the change is expressed as a % of the original or shows how much you are changing by.
I would like to see the original dimensions of the slab and be able to make specific numeric changes.

Can the Element Information Pop-up (Info Tags) be customized for this purpose?
Can the Element Information Pop-up (Info Tags) be customized at all?


Dwight
Newcomer
While the slab dimensions aren't DIRECTLY viewable, there are a number of things to do, but this is not the Archicad way. Sort of like my memory of when Susan Orleans tries to interview Matthew Oceola in "Adaptation" and he says "it is not the Indian way."

Make a temporary origin at the lower left corner of the slab. Move the cursor to the upper right: the coordinate box shows the slab size.

Resizing a slab to a specific dimension is easy, so you need not waste time reviewing its present size, merely make it to the new size. Once again, this means placing a temporary origin on a node and stretching sides of the slab a specific dimension relative to this node. The tracker will show the distance - you can enter it by keyboard. See attached - excuse my outrageous cursor.
Dwight Atkinson
Dwight
Newcomer
Sometimes it is faster to make a new slab to the exact dimensions than edit a suspect one. Fewer strokes.
Dwight Atkinson
Anonymous
Not applicable
again i guess this might help

just click "m" on ur keyboard and to activate measurement tool and draw diagonal line and u can read x and y values
Anonymous
Not applicable
OK, back on topic. I know it was the original poster that sent the Rabbit trail about slab. Sorry that I may sound harsh on the first post that you see from me, but it is best if we keep the thread discussion to one topic. It is usually Djordje is the mean one, I say that with a .

I like to use Architerra (AT) to import the Survey data (either a txt file that is created from the ASCI point file from the surveyor or importing a DXF from the surveyor. AT has a tool that will create the Contour lines of the new mesh that you create or you can just copy/use the Surveyors lines from the DWG. It the mesh is modified though (which is usually the case after placing the roads and structures) the AT contour object can depict thes changes automatically. The current drawback with the new AT release 3.0, is that the Contour object no longer was the ability to report a Contour height in the form of text. this has to be added manually (or copy text from DWG).

Here is a link to another discussion.