IE Tool>"Detect and Fit to Zones"

[Craig Bagley]

AC11/U.S version Build 1210, on a Mac:

I have a complex ceiling profile, trimmed by a number of beams and a slab (used as a dropped ceiling). Not really that complicated, though. I set the Zone Height to the highest ceiling plane, then trim from there. I use the 3D Window to check out the Zone. It looks correct. I then set up the Interior Elevations, using "Detect and Fit to Zones" for the vertical range. Problems:

1. The ceiling elements used to trim the zone disappear (as expected), but there's no defining boundary line for the IE where I would expect an "edge".

2. Sometimes, the wall boundary defining the limit of the IE disappears (sometimes not).

In other words, between 1 and 2, there's no complete boundary line defining the graphic limits of an IE.

3. Some of the IEs in a group will generate, some won't.

In general, the behavior with "Detect and Fit to Zones" seems erratic. I can use the "Limited" vertical range, but then have to do some editing. Obviously not insurmountable, but am I missing something with "Detect and Fit to Zones"?

[Craig Bagley]

Will do.

Thanks, Laszlo, for your help.

[Anonymous]

Was there ever a solution to this problem?

I'm just experimenting with interior elevations at the moment, but the 'Detect and Fit to zones' still doesn't work like it should in AC12 with latest update. Has anyone ever managed to get it to work?!

I've simplified the situation down to the simplest geometry to test. It's a rectangular room with a monopitched roof. It has a sloping ceiling inside so I have set the zone height correctly and trimmed the zone to the underside of the roof. (I've tried SEO and 'trim-to-roof' but it makes no difference.)

As soon as 'consider solid operations' is ticked in the interior elev dialog box, the boundary lines around the wall and ceiling edges disappear exactly as described in the first post.

Does it work in AC13?

[Craig Bagley]

Peter:

As the originator of this topic, I can tell you that the problem has been submitted to Graphisoft Technical Support for resolution. No response yet.

I'm still using AC11. Your post tells me it's still a problem with AC12. It appears we use different platforms as well.

In my original experiments, I don't think I ever played with the "Consider Solid Operations" option, (I wasn't using SEOs, but I may have left the box checked). You may be on to something. Are you saying "Detect and Fit to Zones" works correctly if "Consider Solid Operations" is unchecked?

[Anonymous]

Hi Craig, thanks for the reply.

It sounds like it may be working a little better than before, but it still isn't 100%.

You need to have 'consider solid operations' ticked if the zone is SEOed, otherwise it just sets the int elev height to the untrimmed height of the zone. (as in the images on the left) When ticked, it finds the boundary formed by the zone correctly and limits the elevation to just that, but you don't get any boundary lines! I specifically used SEO to trim the zone to the ceiling in my situation.

I replicated a similar complex ceiling to yours made from a wall, a beam and two roofs, and it seemed to find the extents OK. I also tried a random shaped complex profile beam with the same results.

You say you didn't use SEOs originally, but how did you get the zone to form that complex shape? (You say in you first post - "trimmed by a number of beams and a slab")

[Anonymous]

One more comment/wish if GS reads this -

Another situation that it doesn't deal with well is when the position of the cutline means that part of the sloping ceiling obscures the top portion of the wall, hiding any detail that may be there.

The image below is exaggerated, but you get what I mean.

It would be useful if the 'Exclude view blocking walls' setting applied to blocking roofs too.

[Craig Bagley]

Hi, Peter:

You say you didn't use SEOs originally, but how did you get the zone to form that complex shape? (You say in you first post - "trimmed by a number of beams and a slab")

Well, there's a command Design>Trim Zone, and I used slabs and beams to represent a ceiling transition where part of a dropped ceiling has been removed, exposing the structural deck above, and a beam forms the vertical face of the transition.

Seems like you can get "Detect and Fit to Zones" to work better than I could for my situation, although it's still misbehaving. I'm sending an email to Graphisoft Technical Support relinking this topic so they will hopefully review these new posts and consider them as well.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the update. I forgot about 'trim zone'!

Trim zone seems to function similar to how 'upwards extrusion' in SEOs work and doesn't wrap around structure that may jut out sideways. It also doesn't trim to walls that may have been used to define a vertical edge. Other than that it gives the same effect as using either 'trim to roof' or SEO.

With a complex situation like yours, although it may be slower to define the trimming elements, using SEO would give you a better result. You may also have to use both 'upwards extrustion' and 'subtraction' in multiple steps to get the correct effect. Why can't all this just work automatically?!

The boundary lines still disappear whatever method you use if 'consider solid operations' is ticked.

Lets hope they get this sorted!