Measurement Tool (calculating areas)

[Anonymous]

Hi Everyone!

I am having trouble getting the measurement tool to calculate areas in 3D views. In 2D it works fine... am I doing anything wrong?

Cheers,

Matts

[Karl Ottenstein]

mattsvai wrote:
I am having trouble getting the measurement tool to calculate areas in 3D views. In 2D it works fine... am I doing anything wrong?

Hey Matts,


The measurement tool only displays lengths in 3D window views. If you capture the 3D window into a 3D document, it will show areas. BUT...I've just found a serious bug (I think) with the measurement tool in the 3DD: neither the length nor the area is reported correctly for me.

For example, a 3' wide door dimensions in the 3DD as 3' wide ... but using the measurement tool, it shows as 11' or something. Similarly, the area of the door is 20 s.f. in elevation and 200+ s.f. in the 3DD with the measurement tool.

Do others see similar incorrect values with the measurement tool in a 3DD?

Hmmm... have to run right now, but I think I created my 3DD from a perspective view. From an axo view, perhaps the measurement tool does the right thing. But, odd that on the perspective 3DD, the dimension tool reports properly, yet measurement does not (nor is a warning issued that I am measuring from a perspective)...

Karl

[Anonymous]

Hi Karl, thanks for the response. I will have to test the measurement tool in 3DD once I get home to confirm ur findings

Cheers,


Matts

[Link]

Karl wrote:
Hmmm... have to run right now, but I think I created my 3DD from a perspective view. From an axo view, perhaps the measurement tool does the right thing. But, odd that on the perspective 3DD, the dimension tool reports properly, yet measurement does not (nor is a warning issued that I am measuring from a perspective)...

Karl

Hey mate - you're on the right track. See this.

Cheers,
Link.

[Djordje]

Karl wrote:

mattsvai wrote:
I am having trouble getting the measurement tool to calculate areas in 3D views. In 2D it works fine... am I doing anything wrong?

Hmmm... have to run right now, but I think I created my 3DD from a perspective view. From an axo view, perhaps the measurement tool does the right thing. But, odd that on the perspective 3DD, the dimension tool reports properly, yet measurement does not (nor is a warning issued that I am measuring from a perspective)...

Don't measure in perspective ...

The ONLY way to get the correct measurements from the 3DD is http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?p=142689#142689

Dimension tool is not really measuring the distance of the two points in the projection, which the measurement tool does ... that's why it's correct in 3DD - reads the model coordinates, not the current projection of the model points.

Bottom line: you will get correct DIMENSIONS, but not measurements. Anyway - for the clarity sake, setting the ISOmetric view without any scaling is a surefire way to get it right.

[Karl Ottenstein]

Djordje wrote:
Dimension tool is not really measuring the distance of the two points in the projection, which the measurement tool does ... that's why it's correct in 3DD - reads the model coordinates, not the current projection of the model points.

Bottom line: you will get correct DIMENSIONS, but not measurements. Anyway - for the clarity sake, setting the ISOmetric view without any scaling is a surefire way to get it right.

Right. The Dimension tool does indeed get things right - perspective or not - since, as you say, it is computing distances based on model hotspots / coordinates. I don't see the purpose of 'measuring' projected distances, as opposed to model ones - and so IMHO the measurement tool should be disabled in any view in which it will not give correct results. For example, if using the measurement tool on a layout sheet, then the distance in inches / cms can be of interest for layout purposes - as opposed to modeling purposes. But I don't see the point enabling the tool to display a meaningless distance in model units on a 3DD view itself.

Alternatively, I don't see why the measurement tool, in a model view, cannot give the same results as the dimension tool - using the model coordinates of the hotspots - in which case it could also display correct area amounts computed from those coordinates.

Cheers,
Karl

[Djordje]

Karl wrote:
Alternatively, I don't see why the measurement tool, in a model view, cannot give the same results as the dimension tool - using the model coordinates of the hotspots - in which case it could also display correct area amounts computed from those coordinates.

Although you do have a point, I would argue that the measurements should be correct in the 3D window. Not necessarily so in 3DD, that is a PROJECTION - a drawing, if you will - therefore not a view of the model.

I might be too traditional in my thoughts and might be transferring the perspective hand drawing techniques to the computers ... ?