Custom Wall Opening - how would you do it?

[rob2218]

So..consulting for a local LA architect and his design is a bit customized and way modern.
We have this "wall opening" as of right now that follows the underside of the stairs.
How else would you create this shape?
Right now, what I have done is in elevation, traced with a pline the shape of the opening he wanted. Cut/pasted that pline in plan, created a slab and changed the slab objects I.D. to "wallhole". Then inserted it as a "window" object and gave me that shape you see at the underside of the stairs.
Mind you, the wall it's going into is a "curved" wall so I was wondering how others would approach this.

thanks.

[Erich]

I think your method is the one I would use. Are you having issue?

Is it just me or do those forms look like twin Winnebagos?

[rob2218]

Now that is funny....twin winnies......hadn't even noticed it....now I can't "stop" noticing it.

Erich wrote:
I think your method is the one I would use. Are you having issue?

Is it just me or do those forms look like twin Winnebagos?

[Laszlo Nagy]

Probably this is the best method. You could also use SEO to cut out that part of the Wall, but the result of the SEO would not be visible in 2D, so that would not be as good a solution.

[rob2218]

thanks Lasz.
I've tried to use SEO objects where they are set to a "HIDDEN" layer and that's fine....but....there's something about having "STUFF" be in an invisible layer just for the sake of "cutting shapes" in elements in the model that kinda doesn't agree with me.
I don't like putting information that causes the objects in Archicad to need an 'invisible shape' if you will, to make it look right.
So..I've the done the "wallhole" and that seems to be workign well.

laszlonagy wrote:
Probably this is the best method. You could also use SEO to cut out that part of the Wall, but the result of the SEO would not be visible in 2D, so that would not be as good a solution.

[Link]

rob2218 wrote:
there's something about having "STUFF" be in an invisible layer just for the sake of "cutting shapes" in elements in the model that kinda doesn't agree with me.

You'll need to get over that because it is a fundamental workflow in ArchiCAD and is much more flexible than creating windows, which need to be recreated and updated in your library if anything changes.

If it were me I'd create a wall or beam profile with your shape, set it's building material to a dedicated material with a priority of 999. Then place it through the wall and just hide it's dedicated layer. No SEO necessary and it shows up in plan.

Otherwise, I'd create a morph in section, then extrude it to go through the wall and SEO it out - slightly more flexible, but nothing in plan.

The wallhole option is probably third on my list of preferred methods.

Cheers,
Link.

[rob2218]

yeah...well...something about creating "negative space" only to make it disappear to get the visual you want that just doesn't sit right with my D.N.A.

Sorry......doesn't make sense to be creating objects only to get a shape out of them to make them not visible....but...yet, there data and math calculations would still need to be there.

I guess I'll stick to the "wallhole" option for now.

thanks,