Door and Window Frame to Match wall depth?

[Anonymous]

Hello,

I have checked the available documentation and can't seem to find where one may set a window and/or door frame depth to match a wall depth. This command or setting was mentioned in another topic on this forum.

Thanks,

Mark Hendricks

[Anonymous]

I pretty much agree with most of what has been said here. Door and Window Builder is impressive but hard to use. The SE9 library is a valiant attempt but collapses under the weight of the complexity that is being attempted in an environment (GDL scripting of single elements) that cannot support it.

I believe that all of the problems arise from limitations in ArchiCAD itself, which third parties and GDL scripts cannot overcome. It is my impression that we will see improvements coming in this area (though I don't expect them so soon as AC10).

I am beginning to use the SE library in earnest with one of my clients now and will see if I can figure any tricks to making it behave. I am working on setting up favorites to at least get around the complexities of the settings (I have to support brand new ArchiCAD users on it next week). I'll try to keep you all posted on any progress. Maybe we can try sharing some favorites. It would be nice to have some useful presets to chose from.

In the meantime we will all just have to make do the best we can. At least there are alternatives (even to the point of modeling and saving one-off parts) and nothing forcing us to chose one exclusive method.

[Anonymous]

I thought, since I started this thread and would have never guessed that there would have been so much dialogue, I must say here and now, Even with the problems discussed, ArchiCAD is much better than the two platforms I used over prior fifteen years. Archicad has many more options and features at modeling doors and windows as well as other elements. In other words, the tools may need some work and refinement but at least they are available. This isn't the case with other programs. For building modeling, I have to say ArchiCAD is far in the lead of any other program I have used. A fact that may keep users grounded. I spent over six months making the decision to switch paltforms and I am still satisfied I made the right choice.

Thanks,

Mark Hendricks

[Anonymous]

Amen Mark.

Still, I would stay away from the SE Library. At least until GS releases an updated one for us to use (test). Or Matthew "tames" it for us. If anyone can he is one of the few.

Matthew, Good Luck with SE. Do you have any "pull" with GS, as to be able to ask (Pretty Please) for a SE library that incorporates the same fixes that the AC 10 Library contains? I know they are busy and AC 10 could be released any day (month) now, but just a hope. Would love to get a head-start of the "new" Library.

[Tom Krowka]

I've been using the new SE9 library since it came out. Have not had any problems with it except for the wall thickness issue. Actually, lots of small improvements to all kinds of objects over the typical AC9 library.

Except for losing my favorites. Seems like you should able to keep those somehow, otherwise you end up having to make new ones every new library.

[Anonymous]

Tom wrote:
...Except for losing my favorites. Seems like you should able to keep those somehow, otherwise you end up having to make new ones every new library.

This has kept me away from favorites. I finally decided to set them up again when Graphisoft dropped the version number after each part in AC9. Now I've got to go through and set them up again?! Wish I could keep something from version to version.

[Anonymous]

Jay wrote:
Matthew, Good Luck with SE. Do you have any "pull" with GS, as to be able to ask (Pretty Please) for a SE library that incorporates the same fixes that the AC 10 Library contains? I know they are busy and AC 10 could be released any day (month) now, but just a hope. Would love to get a head-start of the "new" Library.

I do seem to have some influence on the longer range ideas (navigator/publisher was based on a suggestion of mine long ago) but probably not so much on the immediate (do this now please) type of stuff.

Besides, I think that the SE library is made here in the good ole USofA (Kurt et al?) and may well be undergoing some tweaks and improvements for AC10. There must be some here who know more than I.

[Seiss Wagner]

Last week, after my last post, I returned to the Cadimage Door/Window library when I found I could not make certain common windows with the SE9 library because the GDL object files did not exist for those window or door types.

Starting from scratch, it took me two days of concentrated work to reformat all the windows and doors in my current project and create a Door / Window Schedule. I found the Cadimage Door / Window library no harder to work with then the SE9 Door Window library, but I did find it more flexible once I got the first few doors and windows formated. The only items I was unable to create were an interior apron trim under the window sill of the drywall cased windows and a Palladian front door (or window). I guess the apron trim will have to be hand drawn when windows are seen in the interior elevations. I created the Palladian front door by grouping the door with its shoulder sidelights. This is not the best solution, because the door and its sidelights would normally be fabricated together, as one unit, and should be displayed as such in the door schedule. However, this will satisfy the energy requirement documentation for plan approval even though the sidelights are in the window schedule and the door is in the door schedule.

Also, you will notice in the attachment, although I was able to create an arched garage door opening, I was unable to create an arched garage door. This is important to me, because very few of my clients want to see a (5) section, metal garage door as the entry to the quarters sheltering their 150,000 dollar stable of autos. I will probably model the custom wood doors of the garage as AC Special Doors.

I am very happy with the graphic schedule, it was easy to make and it works as advertised, and it can be formated in any scale, and in any shape of columns or rows you desire, with annotating notes..... cool.

[Anonymous]

Seiss wrote:
Thus, what is really needed is an assembly tool that allows the user to build door and window "openings" by browsing through standard library parts like the door and window objects, with their associated sashes, frames, muntin and mullions, and assemble them with other objects from the library which are not part of the window or door, such as jamb extensions, brick moldings, casings, sills, stools, etc., found in the MSA detailed library, and build a door or window opening, which then can be displayed and replicated as an object itself. I think this is called "model building", and here we would build a model inside the model.

I think it's a great idea, basically, Seiss - but I think there still needs to be some way of putting a more "off the shelf" kind of window in for those who either don't need that much detail or aren't well enough versed in how to build something like a window to be able to use a toolkit like this efficiently. I don't need all of that detail most of the time, at least at this stage in my career, for example, and it's already a trial to just get basic windows put into my models much of the time. Most of the time I just want a basic representation of a window. I'd like to also be able to set the trim profiles, but honestly, these library parts have so many details I have no idea what to do with that all it does is slow me down from elements that are more important to me to be dealing with at this stage.

And even as little as I know about windows and window construction, I've already discovered the truth of what Matthew and others have said about the problems with Anderson window objects. My very first project trying them - on a job where they're already spec'ed - and I could not for the life of me get the library parts to work right and come in at sizes I needed, or set all the things I actually did want to set. It was very disappointing.

Wendy