Can I create and object?

[Gus]

Using SketchUp one can make "components" then place those components throughout a model then every time you edit the component it changes in all the models. Is there a way to do this with Archicad? Can I create an object like this?

Archicad 14

[Dwight]

It isn't as near as beautiful a feature as "Components", but the feature to investigate is "Hotlinked Modules,".

Editing the original makes updates available to all placements.

This feature is meant for floor plan components like repeating suite layouts, so there's a complex set of linked external files to be managed, but the process can be applied to other assemblies.

[Gus]

Thanks,
I will give that a try.

[Steve Jepson]

Gus wrote:
Using SketchUp one can make "components" then place those components throughout a model then every time you edit the component it changes in all the models. Is there a way to do this with Archicad? Can I create an object like this?

Archicad 14

If I understand your question correctly, all ArchiCAD objects work that way. All you need to do is edit the object (Ctrl+Shift+O ) and that object can be updated in all locations.

[Dwight]

Archicad Objects differ from SketchUp Components because Objects end up as cryptic written code and do not remain as visual, editable elements. Archicad has nothing like Components unless you consider Modules that also remain visual, if encumbered by file swap bureaucracy.

For instance, at any time a Component can be visually edited and/or made unique, affecting all the others [or not]. It is Child's play, like all of SketchUp. I've been called a shill on this forum before, just yesterday, in fact, but what a great program!

Attempting to use an Archicad Object as if it were a Component can be done, but only if you carefully maintain the original model [usually managed in a separate object-building layer, or a second copy of Archicad reserved for object making] since opening an Archicad Object only yields GDL code and not editable elements as does Component editing. The process here is not to open the original Object and attempt to edit its code [not trivial because of incomprehensible [!!!] code and possible fatal coding errors - besides, we aren't a typist, are we?], but rather to open the original object model, edit it and then replace the original Object.

This method is cumbersome and scary for a beginner, or anyone for that matter. GDL nightmares await ye who enter there.

[Steve Jepson]

I think Gus may be talking about what we can do to objects using Object Editing or the Morph tool then saving them so as to replace all of these objects with the newly edited part. ?

[Steve Jepson]

Gus wrote:
Using SketchUp one can make "components" then place those components throughout a model then every time you edit the component it changes in all the models. Is there a way to do this with Archicad? Can I create an object like this?

Archicad 14

What kind of object did you have in mind?