Modeling
About Archicad's design tools, element connections, modeling concepts, etc.

Grouping

Anonymous
Not applicable
I'm just wondering how many people use grouping for certain elements. Ex: We often import sections through windows directly from the manufacturer and I group them so I don't have a boatload of unmanageable lines everywhere. I actually use grouping all the time, for everything if necessary.

I recently downloaded an example file from the ArchiCAD example files site and the whole project was not grouped. It was a mess. Someone on my office also has that tendancy.... . I;m just wondering how many other people out there are evil non-groupers.... just curious...
22 REPLIES 22
Erika Epstein
Booster
Grouping as you note is one of the powerful ways of selecting, and organizing. It allows everyone to work smart.


P.S. Re your comment about the sample project, I've noted that AUTOGROUPING is turned off in the AC templates. Turn it on.
Erika
Architect, Consultant
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Anonymous
Not applicable
Erika wrote:
Grouping as you note is one of the powerful ways of selecting, and organizing. It allows everyone to work smart.
Amen to that..
Anonymous
Not applicable
Hi Steven
Could you give an example of what you mean by "grouping" or explain how it specifically is used for "selection"/etc for the advantage you mention?
Obviously it is not something I have delved into yet.
I might just be one of those "evil non-groupers" looking to repent.
Bier
Laszlo Nagy
Community Admin
Community Admin
I usually group furniture elements in a single room (e.g. a kitchen counter) because they need to be copy-pasted into other stories.

Similarly, if I need to copy-paste a group of walls or columns between stories, I group them.

Or, if I build a Roof dormer that is composed of walls/slabs/roofs and which repeats several times, I group them and drag copies. Maybe a hotlinked module is better for this purpose, now that I am thinking about it because if it changes one has to redo the copying or has to modify each instance.
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Anonymous
Not applicable
Grouping is great for those who work with lines more than the 3D objects/models. For example, when we cut sections, the "bosses" don't like how slabs, walls, etc come out in section. It would be perfectly fine for a small, undetailed project, but we usually use the wall tools, roof, etc as a background and draw over them with lines and fills. This allows us to have very detailed drawings. Do others work like this? So I group all the elements of walls, windows, floors, roofs, etc. together. This makes it much easier to move, copy, modify elements in the drawing. You have to be smart about grouping though as well. Some people group everything together and say "Hey, I'm grouping!". Doesn't work that way.

Once you start grouping, you'll never go back....
Anonymous
Not applicable
Thanks gentlemen.
Great ideas.
I'll let all that bounce around in my steel can head like a ball bearing today.
When the noise stops, I'll start thinking about how to develop a loosely nit strategy for grouping considerations.
Bier
Anonymous
Not applicable
Bier wrote:
Thanks gentlemen.
Great ideas.
I'll let all that bounce around in my steel can head like a ball bearing today.
When the noise stops, I'll start thinking about how to develop a loosely nit strategy for grouping considerations.
Bier
Grouping is SO IMPORTANT I don't know how people work without it....
Anonymous
Not applicable
Steven wrote:
Grouping is SO IMPORTANT I don't know how people work without it....
That is if you're not working completely in 3D, and use lines, circles, etc.
Stress Co_
Advisor
Ever notice you can't group labels??

Poll: Group Labels
Marc Corney, Architect
Red Canoe Architecture, P. A.

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