Wall or slab accessory for cabinets and countertops

[SenecaDesignLLC]

I am trying to decide which direction to take first.

Mapping cabinets and countertops to a wall accessory or a slab accessory?

I'll probably do both but what do most use for mass modeling?

[Lingwisyer]

Slab would probably be better first given positional flexibility such as islands and peninsulas. And during early stages I find it easier to just draw countertops with a slab. Though slab would be more complicated? How would you deal with curves and multiple exposed edges?

[Barry Kelly]

And you will always need the original slab or wall for the accessory to associate to.

I would say you want a smart hierarchical object like the railing tool.

I am pretty sure there is even a complete kitchen object where you can drag hotspots to get basic configurations.

Barry.

[SenecaDesignLLC]

With my current counter top object I control showing things with a hotspot toggle. Essentially I would map basic cabinet framing to follow the slab and you would be able to add cabinet faces or drawers for each edge. 

I would apply the logic for my window to each edge so you could customize to your hearts content.

There could easily be levels of how and what could be shown or done.

Curved edges might be a little complicated but definitely still achievable.

[SenecaDesignLLC]

I have an object like the kitchen you mention.

But I usually do massing during the design phase so I want the cabinets and countertops to follow said massing.

I usually turn my slabs invisible or have a massing layer to hide them when I'm not editing.

The railing tool is cool but pulling data for quantities is much harder with the railing tool  and you can't use hotspots.

I wrote my eaves into the railing tool but when I went to code the quantity it was easier to just write a roof covering to accomplish the 3d and get the data.

When I'm designing via screen share with clients massing seems to achieve the fastest output while they watch and comment. And then the detail can be toggled on and off easily with the accessories.

If the railing tool has more options in gdl I would use it a lot more.

[Barry Kelly]

The problem with a slab accessory, is how would you determine what edge of the slab is the front edge of the cabinet?

All slab edges are essentially the same (unlike roofs).

What about using a polyline accessory?

You can add/delete nodes (edges) and maybe each edge could be assigned to the cabinet, drawer, dishwasher, etc., that you want for that edge.

If it is just for massing, you might just want to leave it as cabinets only, but I am sure you could pick and choose if you want.

Barry.

[SenecaDesignLLC]

I can make it so you can specify each edge as to what it can do. Back, front, side. Cabinet, dishwasher, ice machine.  This is where a wall might work well. 

I am not a fan of the poly line as to my knowledge there is no 3d editing.

But that's where a wall would be nice.

Basically once a shape is in place anything can be written to its faces. 

As of now when I apply a counter top or floor joists to a slab, I can control and define each edge and what it shows.

But now what if you used a zero pitch roof and have the roof accessory apply the countertop and cabinets?

I've had a lot of these ideas brewing and I plan on making them free for the basic modeling and detail so I want to try to head a direction that might accommodate the forum users.

[Barry Kelly]

The polyline can be edited in 3D.

I use it for skirting boards.

It can even change elevation, not that you would need that for cabinets.

I think this was the dynamic polyline discussed here ...

https://community.graphisoft.com/t5/GDL/Dynamic-Polyline-base-code-object/m-p/198874

and version 2 here ...

https://community.graphisoft.com/t5/GDL/Dynamic-Polyline-base-code-object-VERSION-2/m-p/249973

Barry.