Sliding Folding Doors

[Anonymous]

Does anyone know how I can create a library part to look like the attached image? We are using sliding folding doors that either stack to one side or both sides. The closest object in AC12 is the Bi-Fold object, however we need the option to set the number of panes and on which side they stack etc. Can anyone help?

[__archiben]

cadimage's 'door and window builder' will give you far more flexibility with this, but still not able to show the doors closed and dashed-open at the same time.

check out:
http://www.cadimagetools.com/products/tools.aspx?id=1

HTH
~/archiben

[Anonymous]

Trinity,

If you don't have Cadimage and need to do this NOW (deadline), here's how I handle it:

Use an ordinary door object and set the panel specification to 'Empty'. Go ahead and set up the frame, trims, threshold, etc. to look like the product you're using (or close as possible). Write a GDL for the panels, and place them manually (or even construct and group them from standard AC tools). Since doors are usually expressed on the plan in the 'open' position, I put the panels on a layer that's normally turned off for the Floor Plan view, but on for the Elevation view and place the panels in the opening 'closed'. Create the plan-view leaves and motion indicators with 2D entities on a 2D plan layer.

Rationale for using the empty-panelled door is that it'll show up on your door schedule and / or show consistent symbology with other doors in your project.

I'm going to be working on a GDL for these myself, soon. Use 'em all the time, lately... particularly the 'Lotus Glastax' product.

Hope that helps.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your response guys. I don't have cadimage, however we have been looking at it so maybe I'll try a demo or something. Dave thanks for your suggestion, I'll go with that for the time being.

[JaredBanks]

Has any one found a solution this other than 3rd party software (which I don't own and can't justify for this one thing)? I've got a 7 panel folding door in my current project. 3 panels fold to the left, 4 to the right (looking at it from the outside). My current solution is to use a window of the same size with 7 fixed panels. Then turn the 2D symbol off in plan and draw the panels with fills on the plan. It gives me what I need in elevation and plan, but doesn't make me happy.

My New Years resolution for 2010 will be to learn how to script with GDL, but that's like 11 months away.

[Anonymous]

JaredBanks wrote:
Has any one found a solution this other than 3rd party software (which I don't own and can't justify for this one thing)? .....

I can assure you if you buy Cadimage's Door and Window Builder you won't just use it for this "one thing" - you will use it for all doors and windows for the rest of your Archi-career.

[JaredBanks]

I knew I was going to get in trouble with that statement! Damn. Just out of curiosity, I buy CadImage's Door and Window Builder. Then what? Can only one user make stuff with it (at a time), but anyone can use those objects. Or do I essentially need one seat per key?

My general philosophy is that there's enough of regular archicad for my new users to learn before branching off into everything else... anyways, that's kind of a separate topic.

[ztaskai]

This kind of folding doors are a clear need. We see it too and agree that you should be able to model them without 3rd party objects.

I cannot make public promises like that but you may expect such an element in the AC13 library. We'd like to develop a basic door for this purpose.

Regards,
Zsolt

[Anonymous]

JaredBanks wrote:
I knew I was going to get in trouble with that statement! <b>[censored]</b>. Just out of curiosity, I buy CadImage's Door and Window Builder. Then what? Can only one user make stuff with it (at a time), but anyone can use those objects. Or do I essentially need one seat per key?

My general philosophy is that there's enough of regular archicad for my new users to learn before branching off into everything else... anyways, that's kind of a separate topic.

Pretty sure it's one license per Archicad seat. Check out their website http://www.cadimagetools.com/index.aspx

[Gary Lawes]

I have one that I have made, I am pretty certain it goes to 7 panels, if you want a copy I will check it out at the office in the morning.