What my employer says about Archicad....

[rob2218]

take it for what it's worth folks....but it appears he is getting frustrated.

We are trying to create "study elevations" with brick patterning.
seems that the windows/doors/trims/casings/shims, etc...are giving my client a hard time.

I'll need to somehow make this right....

Thanks Rob. To be honest, this file is not well-suited to working out the problem in autocad. I'd almost have to redraw the entire elevation. I'm really getting frustrated at how hard it is to use ArchiCAD as a design tool. It seems to be an obstacle rather than a tool in dealing with many of the problems that we need to resolve. I hope we can figure this out soon.

[Steve Jepson]

rob2218 wrote:
So, here's a typical comments redline.
the lining up of the brick header to the brick sill...not a problem, that's an easy one.
The "making the door jamb and shim spacing" to be EXACTLY the same as the window shim and frame sizes...umm...well, so many different parameters between the door and window that makes it a bit tough finding that EXACT little dialogue box that adjusts what you need but that can be found.

Now, the BIG question I have is.....the architect wants to have TWO or THREE DIFFERENT BRICK PATTERNS shown side by side in views.

Now, My initial thought was, create 3 different model files, import the views from one to the other while adjusting the "brick fill" pattern that's being used in the specific surface I'm showing in elevation.

Because there's no way I can show 3 different brick patterns on the same model in ALL the walls...no way no how.
Fills wont cut it either cause I'd be filling around, on top of, in between, creating holes in the fills, just to show 3 different brick patterns.

So....how would you all show 2 or 3 or 4 different brick patterns on ALL the walls without having to continuously be adjusting the name of the building material and surface material each time?

See...this is the kinda demands I get and on top of that I get to hear "...in autocad we'd just copy the elevation 3 times and change the hatch pattern on three different elevations".........which here in archicad that aint cuttin' it.

Also I guess I could do a "detail" and create a 2D flat FAKE elevation of a portion of the fascade to "study" the brick pattern but then I'd be tripling my work because not only would i have to adjust the 2D detail elevation but I'd have to be messing with the model pattern until the client can get his act straight (the owner of the building I mean).

So folks....what say you?

It looks to me (can't see the image that well) that the extra lines, sills than have different slope, reveal... all of what I think I see are just a matter of settings and configurations.
Lots of ways to do the pattern options.

I think I would use fills patterns on different layers.

You can copy the elevation using the marque tool and past it off to the side. Select the brick fills and make copies you can use for each pattern option. Using the Disorted Fill option will give you handles you can use to move pattern layouts, start locations, etc.

You can make a Composites with different materials or simply over ride the surface material to show different brick patterns.

You know all of that I am sure.

[DGSketcher]

ArchiCAD will do anything AutoCAD does and usually better. If you aren't viewing the patterns in 3D then output the elevations to a WORKSHEET and overlay the hatching patterns on the worksheet. Cut & paste into a new WORKSHEET and edit the previous hatching to the alternative designs you want to present.

You can try too hard to show everything in 3D when the output and general expectation will be 2D drawings that will be reinterpreted by the various trades to what should be best practice.

[Anonymous]

Rob, I have the same issue. I am trying to place simple windows and struggle with how to make them look right. 3-2862 DH w/ 24" transoms should be easy, or 3-3080 w/ 24" divided arch transom should be easy.

I have tried to gang the windows together but in the homes we do, we have 4" mulls. It looks messy, pieced together and yes of course if I pay monthly I can get another program to attach and it will draw simple windows. (kind of like paying for a steering wheel in a car).

I made this sale to my employer and I am working before and after work to figure out work around for the simplest of tasks that take 30 seconds in AutoCAD. I love the 3D aspect and modeling.... but it is less of a tool like your boss said.

Just letting you know...I can relate.

[rob2218]

look I'm not the only one and I'm a huge advocate of Archicad. I think it "IS" a great tool. What seems to happen is the typical scenario.....the person to whom you 'show' Archicad to sees all it can do and teh one time you can't figure something out in 5.5 seconds....they make the ever so 'blood curdling" statement that "oh...I guess it's not suchd a good design tool afterall".................ridiculous. But as my old client used to say.."he who has the Gold Rules"......
So I guess I just have to do the best I can and shake off those types of remarks.

I'd still like to know how best to accomplish my initial question.

JLKilgore wrote:
Rob, I have the same issue. I am trying to place simple windows and struggle with how to make them look right. 3-2862 DH w/ 24" transoms should be easy, or 3-3080 w/ 24" divided arch transom should be easy.

I have tried to gang the windows together but in the homes we do, we have 4" mulls. It looks messy, pieced together and yes of course if I pay monthly I can get another program to attach and it will draw simple windows. (kind of like paying for a steering wheel in a car).

I made this sale to my employer and I am working before and after work to figure out work around for the simplest of tasks that take 30 seconds in AutoCAD. I love the 3D aspect and modeling.... but it is less of a tool like your boss said.

Just letting you know...I can relate.

[Richard Morrison]

This might help with trying out different brick patterns: http://www.bobrow.com/archicad-tutorials/archicad-tutorial-material-schemes/

[Erwin Edel]

For a quick reference to show different patterns and keeping it '3d', I would probably hotlink the whole PLN out to two new files to change the surface settings and having 3 different patterns to show with the original PLN and the two new files together.


Mini rant:
This won't help you in any way, but whenever boss / client starts asking for detailed drawings to show a study in materialisation, I try to point out that this is the least efficient way to do that. Take a look at reference photos etc Unless billable hours are suddenly trivial?

I just imagine the folks doing this sort of drafting by hand back in the day and client walks in and says, yes, but can you show it to me with such and such brick bond?

[DGSketcher]

Fantastic illustration Erwin, if you look at it you start to appreciate where modern architecture fails. Clearly the author has an appreciation of his materials, their dimensions and how to assemble them into a co-ordinated arrangement with panels and stops.

[Erwin Edel]

Sorry for going further off-topic: it is just a random page from the book Victorian Brick and Terracotta Architecture. Well worth a purchase.

Back to the topic: the suggested method of making Worksheets for the elevation studies would be a smart way. If you unify fills with Fill Consolidation (using Find & Select to grab all the similar fills), you would very quickly be able to swap out fills. Alligning textures will be faster too and once a decision has been made to go for one of the options, you can amend the live model to reflect it.