Straight glass, curved frame

[Chadwick]

I think I might already know the answer to this, but is it possible to have a curved frame with straight glass in the curtain wall object? When we do curved curtain wall this is the most common way to assemble it - curved glass is ridiculously expensive. If not in the curtain wall object, does anyone have a workaround? Currently I am making several small straight curtain wall segments and arraying them around the curved curtain wall. I would much rather deal with one object instead of 12 of them (in case something needs to be changed).


Thanks.

[Jochen Suehlo]

I sell an object of a polygonal curtain wall.
You can find it here:
http://www.b-prisma.de/english/bibliothek/index.html?c~2
and a demo:
http://www.b-prisma.de/english/zip/pfost4.zip

[Chadwick]

Thanks for offering - does the object work in ArchiCAD 9? If it does I just might have to use it. Although I do wish the objects that came with ArchiCAD were a lot more useful and complete. I hate the notion of constantly adding on to a program - that cost adds up. Its like the FDA allowing harmful ingredients into products so that people have to visit doctors and hospitals and buy more drugs - that dont cure but just alleviate. But that doesnt happen right?

[TomWaltz]

Like most things in life, you have two options: Buy something that does what you want or make it yourself.

Neither of these options requires a soap box. Graphisoft does not make a dime on additional objects you buy from 3rd Party Developers. If you want to spout conspiracy theories, fine, but pleae at least use analogies that apply.

[Chadwick]

Fine - but its still ridiculous. First off, I shouldnt have to learn how to be a coder to be an architect. Second, if the curtain wall tool doesn't work properly I feel that it should either A: not be included in the software or B: a note somewhere that says it doesn't work properly. Should I not assume when I purchase a seat of ArchiCAD that it wont do what it says it should? I think its ridiculous that I would have to spend an hour trying to figure out how to 'trick' the object into doing, not only what I want it to do, but what it should be doing in the first place. I don't really think this is too much to ask at all - especially from the leader in virtual building solutions.

I'm sorry if I seem out of line but this just seems like it shouldn't even be an issue.

[TomWaltz]

Chadwick wrote:
Fine - but its still ridiculous. First off, I shouldnt have to learn how to be a coder to be an architect. Second, if the curtain wall tool doesn't work properly I feel that it should either A: not be included in the software or B: a note somewhere that says it doesn't work properly. Should I not assume when I purchase a seat of ArchiCAD that it wont do what it says it should? I think its ridiculous that I would have to spend an hour trying to figure out how to 'trick' the object into doing, not only what I want it to do, but what it should be doing in the first place. I don't really think this is too much to ask at all - especially from the leader in virtual building solutions.

I'm not sure I agree that they do not work properly, since I have seen them work perfectly fine in some situations. I feel the problem is that they are not flexible enough for all situations.

I've never been a fan of the more complex objects, like storefronts and stairs They work for most situations, but if you have anything even remotely unusual, you are back to making things out of individual components manually out of slabs, columns, beam, etc. While you cannot place doors & windows in them as easily that way, the flexibility to add members randomly at will is really nice. The objects have so many parameters that even a simple situation can take a while to create, and makes people consider making them manually.

I think my biggest complaint is that they are all-or-nothing. You cannot use the storefront object to get close, then explode it and modify the parts.

To me, some things just do not belong in GDL objects. They should be full-blown add-ons more like what Cigraph or CADImage does. The Object Tool just does not allow enough flexibility to such complex elements.

[Chadwick]

In particular it is the curved curtain wall tool - when I add heights to mullions, the glass moves to below the actual base of the object or the mullions jump to different heights than what I specify. I kind of figured out its behavior - in that you have to specify 4 or 5 additional heights above the height of the curtail wall itself for it not to randomly displace the glass or other mullions. Sometimes that works and sometimes it doesnt. This doesnt solve the problem that when I change a position of one of the vertical mullions - the rest default to their even spacing. Extremely frustrating to work with when the client changes their mind.

[Petros Ioannou]

Well , one of my big wishes for archicad, has to do with curtain walls.
Not on how many parameters they do have and how to adjust them but the need for a curtai-wall TOOL and not gdl objects.
I have said this before: try and find someone who uses ADT and ask him to demostrate it's CW tool. It can transform a polyline to a single CW (imagine magic-wanding to create a CW), custom profiles, custom panels, replacement a single panel with existing doors- windows, merging panels and a set of rules about the general geometry (divisions- distances etc).
I think all these adjustments need a tool and not an object.

Petros

[Chadwick]

Petros wrote:
I have said this before: try and find someone who uses ADT and ask him to demostrate it's CW tool. It can transform a polyline to a single CW
Petros

I agree 100 percent. Revit also has a robust curtain wall tool that allows you to make custom mullions and apply them where you would like, same for custom panels. You can create a custom curtain wall out of a series of 2D lines you set up - and it doesnt matter how crazy it is, it works. Furthermore, you can set the mullions to show different level of detail depending upon how close or far you are zoomed in/out.

It can be done - come on Graphisoft, give me a really awesome curtain wall tool.

[Anonymous]

Joachim wrote:
I sell an object of a polygonal curtain wall.
You can find it here:
http://www.b-prisma.de/english/bibliothek/index.html?c~2
and a demo:
http://www.b-prisma.de/english/zip/pfost4.zip

How can I find out what the prices are in USD?
Thanks,
Joseph