With respect to setting up pen weights and colors:
When placing Graphisoft's library objects in my drawings, I frequently find myself resetting several pen weights, often requiring a trip deep to the bottom of some heavily-parametered objects. Too often, I do this over and over, say, when placing a variety of different cabinetry objects.
Is there a logic to Graphisoft's choice of pens in the default settings of library objects?
Robert,
I've been using it nearly as long, and just now I have learned there is a some logic, but it need enhancement.
There is even some documentation on it somewher either in the Archihelp or in this forum, though I can't locate the document right now.(typical!)
Basically they are divided by division.
Pens 1-10 are the only ones preset to archicad objects, settings.
Pen 1 is typ for walls and heavy 1.42
Pen 2 is for things other built element, and things that go in walls. and lighter.
Pen 3 is fills, and the glass pen, I think.
Pen 4 Entourage sitework.
Pen 5 I don't know, didn't see it assigned.
Pen 6 is door swings
Pen 7 and 8 are furniture & Equipement, among other things.
Pen 9 is pink.
Pen 10 (here is the mistake) is often electrical, dimensions, some equipment and other random bits.
The logic is to accept that lib objects come in with these pens, and set these pens to what you want the OBJECT to be when it prints in plotmaker.
The key to controling the way your drawings look, as Link in this forum has advocated is to set the pens in plotmaker. For example, the electrical plan reads best when your electrical symbols and switching lines are really strong, and everything else(walls, furniture,millwork, windows) are greyed out/hairlined. This can easily be done in plotmaker if you set your electrical pens to a separate row in the pen chart, such as pens 32 through 40. (this is my gripe with Archicads setting their electrical objects, junky as they are, to pen 10, a pen shared by non-elect. items)
Why take the time to write such a lengthy reply? It helps clarify it for me.
Also check out MaxATS Template guide. He has some good explanation of handling pens in plotmaker, though I don't like his penset for archicad.
In response to Ben, Karl, and Matthew,
While architects may be a finicky bunch and want their own drawings to be individualistic, they really all want the same thing: A Cad product(archicad) to work(looks good) out of the box without having to customize pens and object settings. A user interface that globally changes library part pen settings sounds nifty, but distracts GS from the main issue.
I think it would be more helpful if Archicad gave clearer documentation about their pen colors and logic, they really do have one, convoluted it may be.
I didn't know i was such a soapboxer...
Nathan Brauer
