Creating a 3D crown detail tool

[cathsophie]

Hi guys, was just wondering, how would you approach creating such a detail in Archicad? Different lengths depending on the building. I was thinking about the rail element, but we're using AC21 and it doesn't seem to work well. Any ideas?  

[Rajesh Patil]

I guess for AC21, You can use Curtain Wall with custom panel, panel can have the single crown design in elevational view. You can repeat this panel without frames (invisible boundary, transoms etc). Do try and let me know if it works. 

[runxel]

Literally so many options:

• GDL openings (as a window) [subtractive]
• GDL object(s) [additive] – could be stretchy and smart!
• Curtain Wall panels [additive]
• Railing (I have done already so many distributed decors with it) [additive]
• Morphs [additive]
• Morphs but this time as SEO [subtractive]
• Strong air beams with complex profile with the reference line perpendicular to the wall [subtractive]
• ... and probably a dozen more.

[DGSketcher]

There are a few possibly limited variables in the shape, that may be affected by the material. I think you could try to find the common component and decide how to handle the end corners. That way you may only have two shapes to think about. A wall or beam with a complex profile may be an option. GDL would be ideal but as @runxel suggested there's probably a dozen more ways to do this.

[cathsophie]

Thank you, I though of Railing but it doesn't do what expected. The easiest is 3D objects, as they'd be stretchy and we need them to stretch & adjust as lengths change. The thing I was not so precisely asking about is if there's be any way to make it something that adjusts the amount of these decors to the length and stretches them accordingly (to avoid the copy paste and for easier later modifications). 

[runxel]

It's right there:

Use GDL then!

It can be smart, it can be stretchy, it can adjust to anything you throw at it.

[Barry Kelly]

The only way you make it truly stretchy and adjustable would be to create a GDL object.

Then you need to decide how it will stretch.

Does it adjust just the gaps between the crown shapes?

Does it adjust just the width of the crown shapes - just the top or the entire shape proportionally?

Does it adjust both crown width and the gap between?

You will need to set a limit so that as you stretch it adds or subtracts the crowns.

If you are not handy with GDL I would not even try to tackle this.

Maybe Param-o can do it (no GDL scripting required) - I am sure it can, but to make it all stretchy will still be tricky.

If I was to do this I would actually make a GDL object of the negative space so it can be subtracted with a Solid Element Operation.

This way the crown will remain part of the wall - no joins and same material.

If you do it as an object you just place on top you will always have a join as walls and objects will not merge.

Barry.

[runxel]

Not quite true, Barry. CPRISM_{3} with the approriate mask allows for merging based on surface.

See the picture. Two GDL boxes with the mask set to "2" on a wall.

[Barry Kelly]

True.

I often forget about these {enhanced} shape commands.

Barry.