Curtain wall for custom windows?

[Anonymous]

so I've made a quick drawing in sketchup to illustrate the shape of windows I want to create in Archicad. Would the curtain wall system be the right way of making these windows ? When I think of curtaing walling, I always link them to large open façades, hardly something on my design.

I know the design isn't brilliant, but for some reason my tutor likes this one, so this is what I have to work with , opinions?



Thank You

[Laszlo Nagy]

Yes, you can do this with Curtain Walls quite easily.

[Anonymous]

I've tried doing this, but I always end up with a square/rectangular window. How do I tell AC to actually create a shape, not a box ?

Thank You

[Laszlo Nagy]

After you did that you need to select the Curtain Wall and edit in 3D.
Then you need to edit the Scheme. When you make the Scheme appear you will be able to edit the boundary of the Curtain Wall.

You can also do this boundary editing in Section.
Show a Section parallel to the Curtain Wall reference line, Then in the Section, select the Curtain Wall, then use the Design\Modify Curtain Wall\Boundary Editing in Section commands to do it.
For further info check the Help files.

[Anonymous]

Well that makes sense, but I find it hard to actually change the structure of the frame. When I move the node, which moves the frame, nothing else happens to the curtain wall, there is still a frame surrounding the original shape.

Do you have video guides on this ? I've tried putting my email in your site, but nothing happens
.
Thank You

[Laszlo Nagy]

There are a number of Curtain Wall videos in Graphisoft's YouTube channel:

http://www.youtube.com/user/graphisoftHQ#p/u

[Anonymous]

When I go to Boundary in section, only the fill option is available. If I use that, it just places a fill over the wall in which I can alter, though no changes are made to the wall.

Thank You

[Anonymous]

Hey Nathan,

After you have edited the shape of the fill, select the fill, and you will find 'Redefine boundary from fill' will become available on the menu as shown on picture you posted. Click this option then select the curtainwall you want to adjust and you should find the curtainwall will update. See pages 382-383 in the pdf ArchiCAD reference guide for full instructions.

To adjust the boundary of the window manually, in the 3d window editing mode you need to only display the 'Scheme' of the CW. The thick line following the edge is the boundary line, and can be adjusted exactly in the same way as any other polygon shaped element.

You may also notice that the curtainwall doesn't automatically cut its own hole if you try to place it in a wall, so you will have to come up with a solution to solve this. I'd recommend using the 'FreeformWindow' object found in the door and window section of the depository here. If you turn the frame off, it will leave just the wallhole. You add new points to it by dragging any of the midpoint nodes. It's clever stuff!

Place the curtainwall in position in the wall then adjust the node points of the freeformwindow to snap to the corners.

Good luck!