Enhanced Design Options - Modify

[graber]

For a great number of "Enhanced Design Options" - which are by the way, one of the more useful changes in Archicad- it would be important to add the possibilty to modfy an element.

[e.g.: in the main project a wall is 2,5m high, in option 1 the same wall (!) starts 5cm lower and is 2,55m high.

 - until now I have to duplicate the wall. This would mean not just less and easier work with options -sub-elements (e.g. openings/windows/doors in walls (may) stay in the main project-, but has further advantages: no loss in solid element operations, in dimensioning...]

[graber]

Yes, I have a module for each unit, placed in the host-file.

No, the storey (sorry about my misspelling in the preceding posts) -link doesn't help; in fact (in this project at least, the stories are the same height (from top edge of the floor to the ceiling), just the floor (bottom edge to top edge of the floor) isn't. (I tried to explain it previously, but obviously I couldn't). 

Using the design-options to do this, is already far better than having different modules for each storey. But -imho- it could still use some improvement (as mentioned above)

[Barry Kelly]

American English (Archicad English) it is 'story'.

British English it is 'storey'.

To me 'story' is found in a book and 'storey' is found in a building.

Either way is fine, I will always spell it storey.

So you are allowing for floor finishes which is affecting the height of the bottom of your walls.

This is fine if that is the way you do things.

Before design options, you would have needed 2 (or more) different modules.

I would be doing exactly the same thing now.

It is not really a design option that it is different for different storeys.

Design options is for when you want a choice between versions.

This really is not a choice, it is just something that must happen.

Although as I mentioned you could use design options for this.

As you place your module, you would choose the standard wall height option or the extended base option.

But because you have to choose the design option as you place the module, I think you may no lose the choice to choose a design option later (the whole reason for design options).

As I mentioned I have not experimented with design options in modules, so I am not sure if you are stuck with the chosen design option once you place the module.

If you are then you may as well just have two different modules to chose from.

The idea of design options is that at any time you can swap and change your model, until the point that the client chooses their final option and then it is all merged to the main model.

But as with anything in Archicad, things get used for many purposes, not necessarily what they are meant for.

So, if a particular method works for you, then that is perfectly fine.

I am still not convinced that having multiple options (i.e. height) within a single element is the best way to go.

I think it is still best to have one element in multiple options.

Otherwise each element will need multiply optional settings for height, materials, fills, pen colours, composite type and all other settings.

This will be very confusing.

Barry.