What if one single tool could carve wall niches, punch a clean multistory shaft, and transform a flat facade into a historical style elevation? The Opening Tool in Archicad 29 does all three, and this article walks you through each workflow.
Carving a niche in section
The Opening Tool is not just for punching holes through walls. With a limited depth, it cuts partway into a wall to create a clean, recessed niche.
Select the Opening Tool and open its Settings.
Set the depth to Limited, from 0 to 400 mm, so the opening cuts into a 500 mm wall without going all the way through.
Keep the Orientation set to Aligned and switch the Shape to Polygon for a freely drawn, custom outline.
Draw your polygon shape directly in Section view, then jump to 3D to see a clean niche in the wall, ready to be dressed up with details, shelving, or decorative elements.
Cutting a multi-story shaft
Modeling an elevator shaft floor by floor is time-consuming. With the Opening Tool, you can define the void once and extend it through every story in a single step.
Activate the Opening Tool and switch the orientation to Vertical with a Rectangular shape.
Match the inside dimensions of the shaft walls and place a single opening at the elevator core location.
Jump to 3D, select the opening, and click the Home Story icon to add every story the shaft passes through, from the basement all the way up to the roof.
One opening, many stories, one clean shaft modeled across the entire building.
Creating a historical style facade in elevation
A polygon opening with infinite depth cuts through the full thickness of a wall, making it ideal for shaping facade profiles directly in Elevation view.
In Elevation, select the Opening Tool and open its Settings.
Set the depth to Infinite so the cut passes through the selected wall completely.
Switch the Geometry to Polygon and ignore the anchor point, since you will be drawing a fully custom cut.
Click on the wall and trace the outline of your desired facade shape, following arched windows, cornices, or decorative profiles, then close the polygon.
The flat facade is instantly transformed into a character-rich, historical style front, using nothing but the Opening Tool.
Summary
Use case
View
Depth setting
Shape and Orientation
Wall niche
Section
Limited (e.g. 0–400 mm)
Polygon + Aligned
Multi-story shaft
3D / Floor Plan
Through all stories
Rectangle + Vertical
Historical facade
Elevation
Infinite
Polygon + Custom
To deepen your skills and explore more advanced workflows, check out the Learn Archicad! program.
