Merging Bldg. with ArchiTerra Site Model

[Dave Jochum]

What is the best (easiest/fastest/most accurate) method of correctly positioning (vertical elevation) a merged bldg. model into an ArchiTerra site model? As I've never worked with meshes, I'm not savy to the ins and outs of doing so. Any help appreciated.

[Fabrizio Diodati]

Dear Matthew,

I fully agree with you!
Maybe this could be a new entry in the ArchiCAD wish list: the feature to handle a "multistory hotlink module".
If this should be possible, handling the level of the whole project (a multistory hotlink nodule) should be quite simple.

[Anonymous]

Or even just being able to publish the model as a library part.

[Dave Jochum]

Thanks for the input, Matthew and Fabrizio. In the project I'm dealing with at the moment, I only have one building--a three story house, though I have 5 AC "stories". I think Fabrizio's idea of hotlinking the AT file with the AC house is a good one, since the terrain is only one story. It would also allow me to produce all my work, 2D and 3D, from the one main file instead of two. Creating a library part of the house and placing in the terrain is very straightforward and would also be a good solution if it weren't for the scale problem.

Yes Matthew, the problem occurs every time the part is placed and is different each time. The discrepancy was greatest the first time I placed it. Initially I couldn't figure out why the building wasn't fitting the site, as it came in in the plan view to my hotspots perfectly. The vertical scale was off just enough to not be readily noticeable--about 6%. Subsequent updates are off 1-3%.

[Anonymous]

Dave

Dave wrote:
This is rather bizzare, but after creating a library part of my bldg. 3D model and placing it in the A-Terra site, I have a scale problem. In plan, the bldg. is fine, however in section the vertical scale is compressed about 7%. Any ideas?

Commenting out the line in the 3d GDL script might solve your problem, you will have to remember to do it each time you update the library part.

Change: (Near the top of the script)
MULZ zzyzx/20.44 (whatever the number is)

to:

!MULZ zzyzx/20.44

If you use hotlinked modules I highly reccomend that you set up the module export in Publisher, fast and only sends the layers you want to export making for smaller file sizes.

I hope this helps, regards,

[Dave Jochum]

Bill wrote:
Commenting out the line in the 3d GDL script might solve your problem, you will have to remember to do it each time you update the library part.

Change: (Near the top of the script)
MULZ zzyzx/20.44 (whatever the number is)

to:

!MULZ zzyzx/20.44

Bill, I haven't learned GDL yet. What you describe seems simple (though cumbersome if there are many updates), but I have no idea what it does. Could you elaborate for me?

Bill wrote:
If you use hotlinked modules I highly reccomend that you set up the module export in Publisher, fast and only sends the layers you want to export making for smaller file sizes.

I hope this helps, regards,

Thanks for that tip. The ability to eliminate importing a host of useless layers is very valuable.

[Anonymous]

John,

When ArchiCAD makes an object it writes a script of all the 3d stuff. By default it allows you to resize the object when you place it by changing the A & B values (width and height in plan) as well as the 3d Height (Z dimension) which uses a variable called zzyzx (why not C? ..... long story something back in the mists of time...)

So resizing or scaling is done by multiplying everything by a value, eg MULZ 0.5 = multiply everything vertically by half

or

MULZ zzyzx/originalsize ( newsize / originalsize = scale factor)

Commenting this line out (turning it into a comment so the computer ignores it by placing a ! at the begining) or deleting the line will mean that the object cannot be resized and will remain its original size. ArchiCAD sometimes gets the default size wrong.

wiser?

cheers

[Dave Jochum]

Bill wrote:
John,

When ArchiCAD makes an object...

cheers

My first GDL lesson! Thanks, Sam (Just kidding--my name is Dave)

[Anonymous]

Dave wrote:
My first GDL lesson! Thanks, Sam (Just kidding--my name is Dave)

Sorry Dave!

My bad ... toddler was crying from 12.30am 'til 3.00am last night

cheers

Bill

ps if linking through hotlinks you may find this sneaky workaround useful:

http://www.graphisoft.com/support/archicad/archiguide/multistoryhotlinks.html

[Dave Jochum]

Bill wrote:
... toddler was crying from 12.30am 'til 3.00am last night...

ps if linking through hotlinks you may find this sneaky workaround useful:

http://www.graphisoft.com/support/archicad/archiguide/multistoryhotlinks.html

I vaguely remember those days

Good to know there is a way to streamline the multi-story linking. For the current situation, I'm going to save the terrain as a module since it is on one story, and link back.

Thanks for the help.